AN:
So, there you go, chapter 11!
I haven't written a single word for this story the last four days - too much uni stuff going on. Tomorrow after I come from class, I'll spend the rest of the day writing away to make up for it! My fingers are itching lol
Anyway...
Happy reading!
Chapter Eleven: When Night Falls
The door to Elphaba's tiny room opened and the emerald Princess looked up from the notes she had been taking, raising a curious eyebrow at old Nanny.
"Isn't this a bit early?" she asked as she cleared her bedside table for the tray her former caregiver was carrying.
"A little, perhaps. The chowder is still simmering and the bake is still in the oven - which is why I have only brought bread and cheese today."
Elphaba briefly pursed her lips, but then shrugged her shoulders.
"I've gotten by with less before, I suppose."
"Such a good and modest child, you are," the kitchen maid praised her, almost mockingly. "And you shall be rewarded, for Nanny has brought you a special kind of desert tonight."
Before the younger woman could even cast her another questioning look, a certain petite blonde came rushing in, squeezing past Nanny.
"Elphie!" she squealed and jumped onto the bed next to her friend, unintentionally landing half on her lap, but very intentionally wrapping her slender arms around the other girl's bony frame.
Eyes wide in bewilderment, Elphaba stared at Nanny.
It took Galinda a minute or two to finally peel herself off Elphaba's torso, and even then, she was still holding onto green hands, all the while beaming at the Princess, tears of joy and relief nearly threatening to spill over.
"Oh Elphie, I can't even tell you how much I missed you! I was so worried about you and I wanted to apologise and-"
"What did I tell you about apologies?" Elphaba reminded her, her expression terribly serious and her voice firm.
The blonde fell silent for a clock-tick, then softly said: "Anyway, I still missed you."
"I… I'd like to eat now. Would you be so kind as to release my hands? I'd resent asking Nanny to feed me like a small child."
The taller woman's gruff demeanour left Galinda fairly nonplussed, but she chose not to comment and simply let go of Elphaba's hands.
"I see everything is in best order," Nanny finally announced, chuckling. "Well, I'll be back in the morning to pick up the dishes and little Miss Sunshine."
Elphaba jumped to her feet, ready to protest, however, the ancient woman had slipped out of the door faster than one would have thought her capable of. The two girls heard the key turn in the old, rusty lock, and the Princess turned around to face the petite Gillikinese on her bed, speechless. Galinda shyly smiled back at her, a tad more cautious after the chilly treatment she had received from her friend so far.
"Huh," Elphaba said, still baffled. "It appears, that I'm stuck with you."
"Once again," the smaller girl nodded.
Elphaba grunted grumpily.
"You and your silly ideas will be the death of me one day."
"Actually, this was all Nanny's idea. Quite a shrewd thing she is!"
"Yeah, the two of you are truly made for each other. Oz knows what I have done to deserve this!"
Running a hand through her long mane of raven hair, and hopelessly shaking her head, Elphaba sat down again, a couple of inches away from Galinda. She picked up the flatbread and picked up the cheese, giving both a miserable look before taking one bite of each.
After eating about half of her meagre dinner, she offered the rest to Galinda.
"You have forsaken a proper meal as well," she said, her tone suddenly much kinder.
The blonde thanked her quietly and shuffled closer, until she could lean against the green woman's arm and rest her head on a fairly uncomfortable shoulder.
"Won't you be missed at the dinner table?"
Galinda shook her head, while scooting closer still.
"I told my maid that I was feeling unwell and wished to retire to bed and not to be disturbed. She brought me a biscuit and a cup of tea, and that was that."
"Quite a plan Nanny conjured there," the Vinkun huffed. "But surely, everything would have been somewhat easier and less suspicious if she had only waited until my regular mealtime. Not to mention, you and I would have had some decent food for dinner."
"I'm sorry Elphie," Galinda giggled, popping the final crumb of bread into her mouth and feeding the last bite of cheese to Elphaba. "The plan was Nanny's, but the impatience was all mine."
"Ah. Of course. I should have known."
The next two hours or so, the girls passed the time discussing a most colourful array of subjects – anything from such trivial matters as favourite foods, through to the rather significant question of how the Emerald City could better accommodate Animal inhabitants if the bans were to be abolished. Elphaba did not neglect to praise Galinda whenever she showed vested interest in a topic and especially when she supplied the one or the other surprisingly insightful observation. The blonde, in return was chuffed to bits (or rather 'tickled pink', as her cheeks adopted a rosier shade with every compliment she received from the emerald woman), and was thus inclined to try even harder to please Elphaba.
Eventually, since Galinda, despite anticipating that this would be a delicate issue, could not stand the idea of keeping such an important change in her personal circumstances from her dearest friend, the subject of her and Fiyero's courtship came up. The blonde did her best to relate the news in a markedly serious manner, and she found that it came easier to her than she would have thought. Although she had been squealing and dancing like a silly child in prospect of meeting the Prince only weeks earlier, informing Elphaba that Fiyero was doing – and, more importantly, was permitted to do – everything he could possibly conceive to woo her, was considerably less exciting.
In the meantime, Elphaba listened silently, not a trace of emotion flickering over her blank face. The blonde beside her grew anxious once she had finished talking and Elphaba had still not commented.
But finally, the taller woman licked her lips, preparing to say something.
"Galinda, that is…"
A long pause followed, during which Galinda leaned rigidly against the wall, tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling, while worrying her lip.
"Its…" Elphaba started a second attempt. "I don't know what to say, I'm just surprised. But I hope that this really is what you want."
The shorter girl's head rolled to her right shoulder, so that she could see the emerald Princess, her mien still expressionless, and – dare she say it – a little paler than usual.
"As long as it is what you want. The both of you, I mean," Elphaba added in a small voice.
Smiling softly, Galinda reached out to cover a green hand and squeeze it in a reassuring manner.
"We will be like sisters," she whispered and the ghost of a smile flashed even over Elphaba's face.
They spent a few more moments in perfect silence, before Galinda perked up and jumped off the bed to flit across the room and inspect the crowded bookshelves on the opposite wall. She returned to Elphaba with a thick, heavy textbook in her tiny hands.
"I must admit, you never cease to amaze me, my sweet. You're actually quite indefatigable."
Elphaba stretched out her arms, rolled her head and yawned. Then she tiredly scrambled off her bed to open the curtains of the single, absolutely undersized window. When the blinding rays of the first sun hit her sensitive eyes, she immediately squeezed them shut and cursed quietly.
"Well, Elphie," Galinda giggled happily, "only because your vigour is so incredibly infectious! But to be frank, I cannot wait to get back to my own bed and catch some much needed sleep. Tonight was simply too exhausting."
"Yeah... While I enjoyed it all very much, I tend to agree."
The bed creaked dangerously when the green woman slumped down on it.
That very same moment, Nanny entered the room with Elphaba's breakfast.
"Good morning. I trust you two had a good night... Whatever you have been up to."
Elphaba, by the look of it by now fairly uninterested in food, greeted the old kitchen maid with a sleepy grumble. Her blonde temporary roomie, on the other hand, lit up when she saw her partner in crime scuffle through the door.
"Good morning to you, too, Nanny! And what a wonderful morning it is!"
Cackling, the older woman crossed the room to place the new tray on Elphaba's bedside table, collecting the empty one from the floor.
"So it would seem, indeed. And as I can see, you wore her all out; poor Fabala."
"Well, it has been a long night. We've been studying."
"Have you now? Well, if that's what you say, my ducky."
Elphaba was immediately up, sitting on her bed as straight as a post.
"Nanny!" Galinda reprimanded the maid. "What are you thinking I wonder; making such indecent insinuations."
But Nanny shook it off with another cackle. "Young blood rushes so easily," she snickered.
They continued their secret sleepovers night, after night, after night. They did not always read or philosophise the entire night away though, for at least a measure of sleep was still very much required. After discovering that Elphaba's bed was even less comfortable than it looked, Galinda had asked Nanny to help her smuggle a couple of fluffy cushions from her own room to the Princess' chamber and was now thoroughly content sleeping next to her friend and nestling into her whenever she dared to - mostly thinking Elphaba was already asleep, which, as a matter of fact, she never was.
It was not easy to keep Galinda's nightly migrations hidden from the other occupants of the castle, least of all the servants, who were annoyingly numerous and ubiquitous. Still, by spending plenty of time with Fiyero, even in the evenings, and retiring sometimes early and sometimes late, the young lady was able to remain just inconspicuous enough. There was the occasional nosy maid who smelt something fishy going on and tried to pester them, yet be they Nanny's confidants, or be they bribable, they were all easily taken care of.
One night, the Prince took Galinda out for a folk festival in the town at the foot of the hill. It was some sort of summer solstice celebration, as far as the blonde understood, although she found it a little odd, since midsummer had already passed more than two weeks prior. However, who was she to say when and how the Vinkuns were to celebrate their holidays? During daytime, Fiyero had told her, it was business as usual, although most shops opened later, so that everyone could sleep in and prepare for a long night. For after sundown, the lights were lit, the barrels broached and the music began to play for endless hours of dancing and singing and feasting.
And his prediction held true. They danced until their feet hurt, and Fiyero also drank until his throat burnt from the strong liquor, obviously having a jolly good time. For Galinda, the entire experience was fascinating, if a little frightening. On one hand, she appreciated the realness of it all, the whiff of freedom that hung in the air; on the other hand, however, she had difficulties acculturating herself with some of the Vinkus' more exotic and somewhat archaic customs, such as the ash eating or the coal dancing. They were too 'different' (which was a rather considerate and diplomatic way to put it, she found) from her own to be readily accepted, let alone adopted.
The later the hour grew, the more anxious she became. The doors to the castle would soon be locked, and then Nanny would no longer be able to smuggle her from the kitchen, through the garden and into Elphaba's tower. Of course she knew that not seeing her friend for but one night out of many was hardly a reason to despair. Yet she pouted and sighed all the same, and sulkily stared at the blazing bonfire, irrational though her moodiness was.
They reached the castle long after midnight and - ill humour and tiredness combined - Galinda was certainly weary enough to instantly fall into her soft bed, and embrace her silky quilt and pillows. She bid her Prince goodnight in front of her door and quickly disappeared inside. As soon as she had firmly closed the door behind her, she slumped back, leaning against the wood. She drew a deep breath, but then the air caught in her throat.
"Elphie!" she exclaimed in jubilation as she spotted her friend's willowy, green form standing next to her bureau by the window.
She made to rush towards her, but Elphaba straightened herself and turned towards her, her expression darker than the surrounding night itself. When the petite blonde addressed her again, her voice shook.
"Elphie? What is it? W-what's wrong?"
She took a few steps more, her heart beating so strongly in her chest that she almost feared it might break through.
"Elphaba, I beg of you, please say something! You're frightening me."
The Vinkun Princess released a mirthless chuckle, and the anger in her face vanished, only to be replaced with incredible vulnerability, sadness and pain.
"You sweet… pretty, little liar," she whispered in a shockingly soft and delicate tone.
Distraught to see her Elphie like this, to hear her best friend calling her such an ugly name, Galinda shook her head and pressed her hands over her heart in an attempt to soothe it.
"I-I don't understand. W-why are you saying this?"
Instead of a reply, she received an opened envelope, tossed right before her feet. The shadow of a terrible premonition fell over her as she bent down to pick up the letter. She read the name of the sender and read the first line of the correspondence itself. Then she closed her eyes, her bowed head hanging from her neck listlessly.
"I'm glad we finally meet, Your Royal Ozness," Elphaba said at last, her voice and expression once more sharp and cold. "I believe we have quite a score to settle."
Tense silence span between the two girls, while Elphaba waited for an answer which Galinda was far from ready to give.
"You opened my mail?" Glinda croaked out feebly in the end.
Sweet Lurline, she should rather have remained silent than retaliate with a response so utterly petty and stupid!
The Princess looked at the envelope in the blonde's hand and huffed.
"Please, don't make me recite the list of my personal effects you have already poked your adorable button nose into."
There was another pause and again, Elphaba's demeanour changed.
"The most astonishing thing is, I don't –" She took a shuddering breath, wrapping her long, lanky arms around her far too slender waist. "I don't even have the vaguest notion why you did this."
In the meantime, Glinda had flopped down on the settee, cradling a cushion.
"Elphaba… Perhaps I could try and explain?"
Her mouth was dry and the tiny voice coming from it barely carried far enough to reach her friend's ears.
"Oh, I can't wait to hear that tale," the taller woman spat, and tiredly allowed herself to perch on the bureau, pushing aside pens, notebooks and a stack of blank parchment.
Glinda took a deep sigh and began.
She told her how Morrible and the Wizard had urged her to choose Fiyero as her husband, and she told her how reluctant she had been – at least until she had devised her plan to travel to the Vinkus and become acquainted with him first.
Through all this, Elphaba listened surprisingly intently, but when Glinda had finished her account, the Vinkun Princess suddenly burst into a fit of loud cackling, much to the other Princess' bewilderment.
"Well, things start to make a lot more sense now," Elphaba managed to toss out in between strangled laughter. She waited until she had regained control over her breathing, then slid off the desk and began to pace the room.
"Even with all that sweet, innocent charm of yours, I could not for the life of me fathom how you could possibly have enchanted my parents the way you apparently did. But now it is fairly obvious."
Shifting uneasily, Glinda flicked a brief glance at the emerald woman, then returned her gaze to her nervously fiddling hands.
"I don't know if Queen Baxiana and King Marillot know of my true identity. I haven't told them and dearly hope that no one else did, but I cannot be certain, of course."
"They must know, of course they know!"
Elphaba threw her hands in the air and shook her head at so much fatuity.
"Never they would otherwise have agreed for a girl like Galinda Upland to come even close to the Crown Prince of the Vinkus. Sarima, his fiancée of over ten years, is to be his wife. She's a member of the Royal Family and much more suitable for the role than some silly toff brat from the Gillikin."
Although Glinda knew that Elphaba was angry - well, furious – these words stung like barbs and Glinda was not going to sit idly and let the weird, green thing insult her. She jumped to her feet, and with but a few big steps, stood right in front of Elphaba.
"Fiyero chose me, because he knows that I'm better for him than that insufferable bint! His parents gave him leave to find love on his own and he was wise enough to jump at the chance when it presented itself to him."
Speechless and entirely gobsmacked, Elphaba stared down at her.
"Where did you hear that nonsense? Did Fiyero tell you this?"
"No, the Duke," the short blonde retorted smugly.
"Gillbred? The Duke of Mossleberg?"
Glinda nodded curtly, and Elphaba sunk back against the wall, bringing her fingertips up to pinch the bridge of her nose.
"That nitwit is like a weather vane, always swinging in the direction where money and favours come from. My mother loves him as a friend, but even she is careful with handling him."
"How does that matter? Be that as it may, it is irrelevant to our discussion."
Despite her assertive tone and bearing, Glinda was a little confused, and by the way that the Vinkun was looking at her, she could tell that Elphaba sensed her insecurity.
"On the contrary, my dearest Princess," she said with a wry smirk. "Let me put forward a theory: The Wizard wants you to marry my brother. You were reluctant, so he provided you with a way to overcome your hesitation. The good Duke is not your noble helper in the hour of need, or anything the like - he was bought by the Wizard. Most possibly, he also told my parents about your little secret. Eventually, at least; as I understand from the letter, you have been writing home several times to ask for further leave. Someone seems to be growing impatient and hoping for your swift return to the Emerald City."
Glinda took a step back, her face white as a sheet.
"Elphie, that's… that's fairly far fetched."
However, she sounded anything but certain of her own words.
"Your naïveté is endearing, but only until one is reminded of the fact that you will soon reign over all of Oz," Elphaba said bitterly.
Glinda made to protest.
"This still doesn't make sense! Even if Fiyero is their first choice as my husband to be, why would they go to such lengths to assure that I really marry him?"
Rolling her eyes, Elphaba turned away from her. For a little while, she wordlessly gazed out of the window and into the blackness of the night.
"He is a good man, and as my brother I love him dearly. But he is a fool. He isn't dull, mind you – he taught me how to read and write; he has a broad general knowledge and is remarkably studious. But for some odd reason, he doesn't learn from what he knows. If it were at all possible, I'd say he's even more dewy-eyed than you are."
Glinda bristled, but didn't say anything.
"Since your parents' death the Wizard has ruled Oz. I'm pretty certain he intends to remain the one in power. With you as a puppet, conditioned by years and years of training in the art of innocence and ignorance, and by your side a king who is none the wiser, he would surely be able to enjoy as much freedom as he could ever dream of, no matter who wears the crown."
For poor Glinda the breaking point had finally arrived. She sunk to her knees as tears began to flow freely. Whether all those theories Elphaba had proposed were true and her entire life, including everything she had ever believed in, was nothing but a huge, fat lie, or whether the green woman simply loathed her so much that she had made up these horrible stories, the pain that was piercing her heart was too much for her to possibly bear.
Kneeling on the floor, weeping like she never had ever since her parents' funeral, she hoped against hope that Elphaba would wrap her comforting arms around her sobbing mess, and tell her that everything would be all right. But of course, she didn't. Instead, the tall woman stood by, listening to her crying and not even looking at her.
They remained like this for what seemed - and possibly truly was – hours. Ultimately, Glinda's tears dried up, leaving behind glistening trails on her cheeks. The hurt would still not go away, yet at the very least there was silence in the small room, and Elphaba seized her chance to say something.
"I have no affection for Sarima, even though we are bound by blood. But… there is a reason why my parents chose her as the future queen, and there is a reason, why I believe it is best not to interfere."
Wiping her face in an attempt to remove her ruined make-up, the blonde looked up.
"He loved before. Just once - a girl not too unlike Galinda Upland. She was a Vinkun girl though, the daughter of a marshall. It was real and it was strong. My parents forbade it and threatened her family with deprivation of their title and land. 'Blood as noble as ours shall not be tarnished with that of inferior beings,' father lectured us over and over again. The day the marshall and his family left Kiamo Ko, my brother's heart broke and it took a good while to mend. To be honest, up until this day, I'm still not sure if it has fully healed."
It was a sad story, Glinda had to admit. It explained some of Elphaba's anger, however, feeling so terribly wounded herself, she could scarcely afford to show much understanding.
Believing everything that had to be said had been said, she grasped the corner of a nearby side table and pulled herself up.
"What now?" she asked Elphaba weakly, not able to meet her gaze. "What will become of us? I would hate to depart from the Vinkus, knowing our friendship in smithereens. Despite what you may think, it was real and it was strong. Glinda needs Elphaba just as much as Galinda did."
After building up some courage, she dared to glance up – barely for a blink of an eye. What she saw was the raven-haired Princess' jaw set in stubbornness, but also the shimmer of a tear not yet shed.
"Elphie," she whispered, feeling her throat constricting.
One tiny tear finally spilled over and ran over the Vinkun Princess' lacklustre green face.
"Oh damn, tears, they burn like fire!" Elphaba exclaimed at once, and wiped at it furiously until the offending drop was gone.
Then she straightened to her full height and briskly marched towards the door.
Glinda thought her heart in her chest would shatter into thousand pieces as she watched her Elphie leave.
But Elphaba paused before she pulled open the door.
"There are more things to be discussed, but for now, goodnight. And… and fresh dreams. If you are at all able to sleep tonight."
Almost like a ghost, the emerald woman vanished through the narrowest gap between the frame and the door, and Glinda was suddenly left behind, all by herself.
Incomprehension and disbelief mingled in her head, as well as in her heart. What in Oz's name had actually happened, and more importantly, what would happen next? She was close, unbearably close to loosing her best friend - her only true friend she'd ever had. That was all she could think about. She choked back a sob, and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist for comfort. She had to be strong and see this through, she told herself, for she could not, would not give up on Elphaba.
AN:
Hate me now? (^_^;)
I thought about including a little magical outburst here, but as you can see, decided to rather go with a more bookish version, in which Elphie's powers are not particularly prominent. The two girls have enough on their plate already :p