Chapter 8. Mama, Please, Remember Me
Rifiuto: Non Miniera
A/N: Partially based on the end scenes from Frances Hodges Burnett's A Little Princess, when Sara is trying to convince her father to remember her. That's what popped into my head when I wrote this scene.
Elphaba Thropp, age twenty, future queen of the Vinkus, and the Thropp Third Descending, looked up from her book when she felt someone staring at her.
Sure enough, a young girl sat a few feet from her, staring. Sighing, Elphaba returned to her book, hoping the starer would take the hint and leave.
No such luck.
After ten more minutes, Elphaba slammed her book closed, and got up.
"Um, excuse me?" Fae looked up, to see her mother standing over her. Elphaba's hair was loose around her shoulders, and she wore the black dress she was known for wearing to important events in the Vinkus-the dress with the black thread work at the waist.
"Do you have a problem, or are you lost?"
"U....um......" Fae stammered.
She'd been given that look before, as a child, when she'd done something wrong. It was her mother's I-don't-care-what-your-excuse-is-you're-in-trouble-young-lady look. It had scared Fae as a child. Now, she didn't know whether to be afraid of her mother or relieved to see her.
If her mother was here, then Fae couldn't have gone far when Makinla cast that spell.
"Are you going to say something?"
Fae looked up, startled, to see her mother kneeling in front of her. Now she was positive that this was her mother. Who else had green skin the color of fresh cut grass, but the Queen of the Vinkus? Who had eyes as dark brown as chocolate chips? Who else had long, thick, soft locks the color of a raven's wing? And who else, had the pattern of diamonds trailing down the right side of her face and body?
Only Vinkun royalty wore the sapphire diamonds. Musetta, Fae's grandmother wore them. Her aunts, Sarima, Illnora, and Baxiana wore them. Her brother wore them. Her father wore them. She wore them.
And so did her mother.
Letting out a cry of relief, Fae threw her arms around Elphaba's neck, and clung tight, burying her face in the long raven hair.
"Oh Mama! Thank Oz you're here! I was so scared that I'd be alone in some place! But I'm at Shiz! And so are you--" Fae creid, but she stopped when Elphaba shoved her roughly away.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just who the hell are you?" Elphaba cried, backing up. "And what did you call me?"
"Mama." Fae said, confused as to why her mother was distancing herself from her daughter.
Elphaba scoffed.
"I'm no one's mother." She said, eyeing the girl. "And certainly not yours." Quickly, Elphaba crab walked until she sat on the stone path leading to the bridge.
"Wh......y.....yes, you are." Fae said, following, crawling towards Elphaba, like she used to as a child, whenever Elphaba took her to the garden. She and Fae would roll around in the grass, pretending to be a Lioness with her cub. It was one of Fae's favorite games as a child, and she cherished the moments she spent with Elphaba outside, having her to herself, as a mother, instead of a queen.
"No. I'm not." Elphaba said, backing up, intent on getting away.
"You're Mama. Don't you remember? Don't you remember....playing Lioness in the garden in Kiamo Ko? Baking cookies at Lurlinemas? Singing me to sleep?" Fae asked, pleading, as she finally reached her mother, and took the girl's hand, holding it to her cheek.
"No. I don't." Elphaba replied, trying to pull her hand away.
"Mama please! Don't you remember Janseta? Your head maid? Grandmama? Auntie Illnora? And Kiamo Ko? Mama, I'm begging you! Please Mama, remember the Arjiki, and Moonlight, and flying! Mama remember flying? Remember my first broom ride? You took me to the highest tower in Kiamo Ko, climbed on, pulled me in front of you, and pushed off! And we flew, Mama we flew! Everything looked so tiny, like my dollhouse, and I was so scared, but you held me close and told me to hold on and not look down until I was ready! Remember Mama? Please!"
Elphaba had pulled away, and backed up, until she was pressed against one of the marble memorial benches, hands over her ears and knees to her chest. Her eyes were shut tight, and she shook her head, not listening.
"No. No. NO! I'm NOT YOUR MOTHER!" She screamed. Fae sat back, shocked, and hurt.
"Wh....what?"
Elphaba slowly lowered her hands, opened her eyes, and looked at Fae. She could clearly see the hurt in the girl's face; the tears welling but not spilling over.
"I'm not your mother."
Fae turned away, digesting this information.
"Then...." She swallowed, turning back to Elphaba. "W....who are you?"
Elphaba looked down at the ground, before meeting Fae's eyes.
"Elphaba."
She swallowed, before glancing at the girl and finishing.
"Elphaba Thropp."