"What? They want to … Nessa? For her hand in marriage? Why?"
"That's how royalties strengthen their ties with one another. They marry their children to other royal families so that their descendants will be related by blood. And the close relations play a part when they need help in the future."
"But we are the ones who have been asking them for help, not them."
"They may need our help one day."
"And we're not royalty!" Elphaba spluttered.
Frex rubbed his face with his hands.
"Both of you are descended from the Eminent Thropp and the Governor of Munchkinland. In Munchkinland, there's nothing closer to the royalty than that."
"You can't marry Nessa off like that. You can't."
"Do you think I want to? But what do you think they will say when I write back and reject their proposal? What do you will happen to the treaty? Or if we need their help in the future?"
"They will – " Elphaba stood up and paced around the room. "They can't force our hand. This is not about politics. This is about Nessa!" She paced around some more. "There must be something we can do about it." She bit on her nail.
"They proposed for the ceremony to take place during the summer solstice."
She spun around and glared at her father. "That's just one month away!"
Frex nodded.
She went up to him. "You write back to them. Tell them that Nessa is not feeling well. Tell them that she's engaged to a nice Munchkin farmer. Tell them.. tell them Nessa has joined a nunnery."
"They won't believe it."
She walked around the room again, pulling at her braid.
"Nessa will never survive there. I've heard that there are stairs everywhere. I'm sure that they won't have silk ribbons, hair clips and satin dresses. She'll be bullied. She can't go there, Father. There must be something we can do."
Her father looked at her.
Elphaba found herself at the door of the bedroom that she shared with Nessa without remembering how she had made her way back from her father's study. Nanny was in the room, with Nessarose's hair clips and ribbons all over the vanity table.
"Fabala. Can you help me sort out the clips? Nanny has no idea how I want to keep them."
"Sure, Nessa." She stepped into the room, dejected.
She took a chair and sat down next to her sister and started to sort out the ribbons and clips into the different accessory boxes. Nanny took the chance to take out her knitting.
"Fabala? Fabala? What are you doing?"
Elphaba looked at her sister, not knowing what she meant until she added. "You're putting them in the wrong boxes."
And sure enough, each box was filled with a mishmash of clips and ribbons of different shades and colours.
"I'll do it again." Elphaba took the clips out of the boxes again.
"Nevermind." Nessa shook her head and leaned slightly towards Elphaba, her equivalent of placing a hand on Elphaba. She then straightened and Elphaba quickly stretched out a hand, ready to steady her when required. Nessa walked to her bed slowly and Elphaba sat down next to her.
The two girls had been sharing the same bedroom since they were young, since there must always be someone around to assist Nessarose if she needed to relieve herself in the middle of the room or to provide other help. And assistance was not just required for the nighttime. Even during the day, someone would need to be around her most of the time. The younger Thropp daughter would require someone nearby to support her when she walked, even when the floor was flat and even. Elphaba could not imagine if she had to go to the hilly Vinkus. She would most probably fall and break her back on the very first day.
"So what did Father talk to you about?"
"Nothing." She sighed, and she ran her fingers through Nessa's fingers while pretending to detangle her hair. She looked at her tragically beautiful sister. No, she was not going to tell Nessa the truth. Knowing her sister, she would most probably agree to the marriage without hesitation because it was what Father wanted. She would see whatever suffering she had to endure as a test from the Unnamed God. Suddenly, Elphaba felt a surge of anger rising inside her at the Vinkun royal family. What made them think that they could force another family to give up their daughter for some political marriage? Nessarose had never had a boyfriend. She had never been courted with flowers and serenaded with songs. So was she just going to sacrifice herself and be someone's wife in a land on the other side of Oz just because of some grand scheme hatched by the Vinkun royal family? It was as if they were barter trading, a princess for a few baskets of vegetables. They did not even bother to send their prince over to woo Nessa. Most probably he was rude and crude and ugly. That must be it.
Nessa should be surrounded by the people she loved and who loved and cared about her. Her sweet sister did not deserve a fate like this.
She stood up suddenly.
She knew what she must do.
Frex looked up when she barged into his study without knocking.
"Me."
"What?"
"Me. Let me go. Let me go on Nessa's behalf. I'll marry that ugly prince."
"I still don't understand, Fabala." Nessa sat on her bed as she looked at her elder sister. She was trying out the puffy white gown that had been made hastily for her, surrounded by two seamstresses who had pins in their mouths as they turned her left and right and pinched at the fabric.
"What do you not understand?" she asked as she tried to keep the smile on her lips.
"Why the sudden rush to get married. And to the other end of Oz." Nessa chewed her lower lip.
"Maybe she has developed urges overnight, the kind that needs a man to fulfil it." Nanny said without looking up from her knitting.
"Nanny!" Nessa blushed, mortified by the suggestion.
"Nanny is right. I'm eighteen. I'm an adult. I have urges. Awakenings. Stirrings."
"Fabala!" Nessa blushed even harder.
She continued as if she had not heard her sister. "So either I hide behind a bush and kidnap the next Munchkin farmer who walked by to claim his chastity or get married. I need a man. To pleasure me. Pronto."
"Really. So you imagine it as all pleasure and no pain." Nanny was not helping.
"And no one in Munchkinland will want to marry me. Not with my verdigris. Imagine how our offsprings will look like! Short and green, the poor children will be mistaken as toads. I have to marry someone so far away he has not heard of my gre – OUCH." She glared at the seamstress who had accidentally poked her with a pin. The woman apologised profusely but Elphaba did not hear a single word.
"Fabala, I think you are going into this too hastily. Why don't you consider a few suitors before deciding? How about a coming-out ball at Colwen Grounds, or one of those afternoon parties with other eligible ladies and gentlemen? I'm sure Father had arranged for something if only you'd ask for it."
If only you know, my sweet sister.
"I'm going to miss you so much, Fabala."
That sentence nearly caused her knees to buckle. How did she wish that she did not have to do this, to lie to Nessa.
One of the seamstresses stood between her and Nessa as she adjusted the neckline.
"Oh, come on." She slapped the hand away, feeling frustrated. "What's all the fuss with this dress? It's just going to be worn for a few hours before it gets ripped off by my new husband on our wedding night anyway."
Even Nanny had to bury her face in her hands.