"Happy Lurlinemas!" Glinda said, standing next to the Fairy Pole.
Outside the large windows, the castle was blanketed in snow. In the west hall, however, twin braziers with smokeless flames roared nearby, casting everything in a golden hue. Glinda - with Elphaba's help - had set up the Fairy Pole with all the bright ribbons, bells, and charms she could find in Kiamo Ko. At its base lay the assortment of bags and boxes holding their gifts. On the three couches arranged in a U-shape around it were the other members of the household. Fiyero sat on a couch by himself on the right side. Across from him Wynne lounged next to a properly sitting Sarima. Both had mugs of wine for themselves. Elphaba sat on the middle couch.
"We don't celebrate Lurlinemas in the Vinkus, Glinda." Fiyero said jovially before taking a sip of his mulled wine.
"Yes," Glinda explained, "but since your Winter Solstice festival doesn't share gifts we're going to have to call it Lurlinemas. It's not like you never celebrated it before."
"Just felt like pointing it out."
"I haven't," Sarima interjected, raising a hand. "While I understand the concept, it will be a nice experience for me."
Fiyero said something in the Vinkun trade language and Sarima responded. He gave a snort of amusement.
"Hey! No side conversations." Glinda glared at them.
"You could always learn the language, Glin."
"I'm trying, but the pregnancy brain makes me forget everything," Glinda replied. Elphaba raised a hand and opened her mouth, but Glinda pointed her ribbon-and-bell bedecked wand at her. "No sassy comments from you."
Elphaba put her hand down with a smile. Wynne smiled as well before making a comment in the trade language. Fiyero furrowed his brow and went to say something. However, Glinda whipped her wand at Wynne and the redhead became a blonde. The woman's aghast look sent the prince into a fit of laughter.
"Glinda!" Wynne protested.
"No side conversations!"
"Your pronunciation is terrible." Fiyero managed to gasp out.
"That's because I really only know how to swear at people."
"We'll work on it, Wynne." Sarima patted her arm.
"Right, but first I need to have my hair changed back. You know what they say about blondes."
"Oh?" Glinda asked, raising her delicate eyebrows. She stared down the woman right in the eyes. The room collectively held their breath.
"Yep," Wynne replied, staring right back. The other occupants inched away from her while Fiyero made hand signs that were warning of danger.
"And what's that?"
"They do their best magic in bed," Wynne answered as she vaulted and rolled over the back of the couch. The couch gave a puff of air as Glinda's spell crashed into it.
"Pop that pretty head up, Wynnessa, so I can add some makeup."
"Once was enough, thank you!"
"Now," Fiyero drawled from his couch, "I may not know much about Lurlinemas, but I don't feel like this is really in the spirit of this."
"You want to end up a blonde too, pretty boy?"
"So I'd look like Avaric?"
"Ew."
"Alright, that's quite enough," Elphaba interjected in amusement. She idly waved her hand. "Let's get going before we all end up with makeovers."
"Now there's a thought."
"Focus, Glinda."
The woman sighed happily. Wynne poked her (red)head back out from the other side of the couch.
"So it's safe to come out?"
"For now." Elphaba smirked. "Later, I make no promises."
"So, how does the gift giving ceremony go?" asked Sarima.
"Well, you have someone play the Lurlinemas fairy-"
"Wonder who that could be," snarked Elphaba.
"Shush. As I was saying, someone plays the Lurlinemas fairy and hands out all the gifts. Besides that, the tradition varies between groups. Some like to get gifts one at a time; some like to get them all at once; some keep them private; and some show them off."
"But there seems to be more than one gift per person, like I was told."
"Among adult friends it is usually one per person, but sometimes people break that rule," Glinda explained.
"I like giving gifts," Fiyero replied.
"So do I," Glinda added.
"I'm terrible at gifts," Elphaba chimed in. "No idea on what to get people."
"Same," Wynne added. "Plus, I never really had that much money."
"But even counting one gift a piece from Prince Fiyero and Lady Glinda, and one gift each from the rest of us, there's still too many gifts," Sarima replied.
"Now Sarima, you don't have to be formal tonight," Glinda said. "But you are quite right. I came to the same conclusion earlier and so took a peek at them."
"Some things never change," Elphaba laughed. Glinda scowled.
"It seems our extra gifts are from a certain swordsman of ours," she finished. "Just how he got them here I don't know. I sent him an invite a week or two ago."
"Don't look at me." Wynne held up her hands. "I may have put them there but I don't know how they ended up in my room."
"He's more annoying now he can do magic," Elphaba sighed.
"But to answer your question, Sarima," Glinda said, "we have always done it by passing the gifts out first so everyone can open them, and then showing them to each other. Would you be comfortable with that?"
"I'm sure that would be fine," Sarima replied.
"Better hope you don't get sexy lingerie," Wynne smirked. Sarima gave her a friendly pat on the arm.
"If I did, I would simply give them to you as you seem to keep misplacing your undergarments."
Wynne's mouth dropped open as the room burst into laughter. Wynne mock scowled at Glinda.
"Oh, when I make comments like that it's all 'Wynessa, that is not appropriate for a lady' but Sarima gets a laugh."
"You opened yourself up to it," Glinda replied.
"That I did," Wynne smiled and looked at Sarima. "At least I know I'm rubbing off on you more than vice versa."
"With that," Glinda interrupted whatever banter was coming next, "let's get to the gifts!"
Glinda flicked her wand and floated the gifts over to the recipients. As Sarima had keenly pointed out, each got a gift from Glinda, Fiyero, and Duran. Each also got a gift from the person they had randomly pulled from the hat. After the presents had been passed out, Glinda made her way over to the center couch where her gifts were and sat.
"Ooph," Elphaba said. She wiggled away from Glinda. "I'm not part of the couch."
"Don't take up so much of it then," Glinda pleasantly replied. "It's not like I can do anything about it."
"Hmm," Elphaba replied in a not quite convincing tone. She snorted in laughter as Glinda tore into a present. The blonde arched an eyebrow at her. "I always forget how indelicately you open presents. You are so prim and proper with everything else and then shred any wrapping."
"Presents are meant to be opened in the way that brings the most joy," Glinda answered definitively.
After that exchange the talking ceased as each opened their gifts. Naturally each was focused on their own unwrapping and missed the gifts of everyone else. After a few minutes Glinda looked up from her stack.
"Are we ready to share?" she asked. The group looked around and gave a series of nods. "Okay, so show us your gift and let us know who it was from. Starting with…Fiyero!"
"Why me?" he asked.
"I could say it's due to your rank, but really it's because you're the only one with a couch to himself."
Fiyero gave a snort of amusement but dutifully dug into his pile.
"Well, first from Duran I got a manual on military training."
"Typical." Elphaba rolled her eyes. Glinda dug an elbow into her ribs. "Ow!"
"Shush."
"Next, from Glinda I got a book of love poems." He looked at her. "I don't know what you're insinuating."
"You liked poetry," was her response.
"Uh-huh. And finally from Wynne I got a nice clasp to hold my hair back. Thank you very much."
"You're welcome," she replied. "I'm not a great gifter, and you're a Prince so I didn't exactly know what I could get you that you don't have."
"It's not the cost but the thought," he said. "And it's quite thoughtful."
"And with that, next up is Wynnessa!" declared Glinda. The woman looked at her.
"Shouldn't it go through the middle?"
"I'm the Fairy, and I say what direction it goes," Glinda replied, giving her wand a shake for emphasis.
"Okay." Wynne smiled. "From Fiyero, I got a kit to oil my sword and boots. Thank you very much as this weather is wreaking havoc on them."
"You're welcome."
"From Glinda I got a makeup set with basic tips. Thanks, Glinda."
"You're welcome! I can't always be there."
"And from Elphaba I got a book on the warpaints and makeup of people across Oz."
"Elphie, you didn't!" Glinda scowled at her. Elphaba cackled.
"I thought she could put your kit to good use."
Glinda humphed but looked back at Wynne.
"And what about from Duran?" she asked. Wynne's brow furrowed.
"A treatise on medieval longsword fighting."
"Sounds interesting."
"Yeah, but it came with a note - read and learn section one."
"Ominous," Sarima said.
"Though that does mean you can expect him to stop by sooner rather than later," Glinda added. Wynne nodded.
"Yeah. And I guess he'll tell me why when he does."
"See? Good thoughts." Glinda motioned to Sarima. "Your turn."
"From Master Duran I got a book in Garamana about the ancient traditions of the northern Vinkun tribes."
"Really?" Fiyero sat forward. "I didn't think that was written down."
"It isn't." Sarima shook her head. "It seems to be the recorded oral histories from various shamans and elders. But I don't know who would have gathered them, much less penned it. Garamana isn't well known, and the language is nearly perfect."
"Curious," Glinda said. Elphaba and her shared a look but said nothing. "What else did you get besides your mysterious gift?"
"From you, Miss Glinda, a book on the etiquette and rules of the Ozian House of Assembly, and another gift in a new set of clothes." The woman opened the box on her lap and pulled forth a blue doublet with matching pants and boots. "They really are quite beautiful."
"I remember how much you liked the style."
"Thank you."
"And from Fiyero?" nudged Wynne.
Sarima gave her a polite look. Reaching for a wooden box, she opened it and withdrew its contents. Various charms, runestones, and beads hung from her hand. Wynne whistled appreciatively.
"Prince Fiyero gifted me with tokens for my nestora, the beaded necklace that is part of a shaman's everyday garb. Each of the items has a meaning." She lifted the runestones. "Rising. Eagle. Wind. River. Tide."
Her hand picked out the charms. "Wisdom. Loyalty. Faith. Diligence."
She held the beads so they caught the light.
"Each speaks to an element. Yellow for air, blue for water, red for fire, and green for the earth. But there's also purple for love, orange for time, black for death, and clear for life."
She gently put the nestora back in the box. Her long hair fell to cover her face. No one spoke, not wishing to break whatever (non-magic) spell had been woven by her speech. Sarima spoke without looking up.
"It is a Princely gift, and one too much for someone as I."
"It is befitting a Garamana Princess and shaman," Fiyero replied. "It is appropriate for your station."
"I think it boasts of me too much."
"I look forward to adding to it as you continue your training. You have learned to talk to the wind, and now are starting to speak with water. Soon enough converse with the earth and roar along with fire."
"Have you been watching her train?" asked Elphaba. Fiyero shrugged.
"Prince work can be quite dull. It helps to remind myself why it is important."
"Oh?" Glinda raised her eyebrows. Fiyero realized what he said.
"To bring peace and prosperity to the Vinkus," he added. "So clans like the Garamana can thrive again."
"I see," Glinda answered. The smirk on her lips told Fiyero she had her own ideas of what she saw. "Well, we best move on to Elphie, then."
"Why did you skip yourself?" she asked.
"The Lurline Fairy always goes last."
"I do believe you are making these rules up as you go."
"I have the wand. I make the rules."
Elphaba gave a grunt of amusement before reaching for her own gifts. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Sarima lift her head up as she was no longer the center of attention.
"From Fiyero, I got a nice bottle of Red Windmill wine. Thank you for remembering I like it."
"You're welcome."
"From Glinda I got a book on the various animals of the Vinkus. It's a bit disconcerting that there's a lot of information on how to trap and cook them, but then again, I assume that's the only thing that could be found out here."
"Yes." Glinda nodded. "And even then it was hard to find."
"From Duran I got a book on human anatomy. Apparently it's a surgical textbook of some sort. A bit strange as I'm not into human anatomy so much, but it will help with healing spells and draughts, I suppose." Elphaba shrugged.
"And from Sarima, I received a beautiful shawl." Elphaba finished, holding up the black cloth covered in red roses. "Thank you. It will go well with my dresses."
"You're welcome."
"Now it's my turn!" Glinda bubbled. "From Durandal I got a book on what to expect on being a mother; which is quite good since I've no idea. And from Fiyero, for two gifts, I got an assortment of baby clothes! Thank you very much."
"You're very welcome." Fiyero smiled. "As another surprise, I've been having our craftworkers make a crib for the nursery."
"What nursery?" Glinda asked.
"Surprise again!" Fiyero laughed. "One of the other rooms in the castle has an adjoining room, and we've been converting that into yours and the babies' rooms."
"Oh, that's so sweet. Thank you!"
"It's the least I could do."
"One of the Vinkun traditions," Sarima said, "is to have a toast to friends and family at every meeting. So I propose we do that."
"Agreed," Glinda said and reached for her glass. Elphaba uncorked her bottle of wine.
"Anybody want some?" she asked. Fiyero offered a glass while Glinda sighed. "Sorry Glinda."
"Hot cocoa will do me just fine," she replied and refilled her own. "Though I think since she proposed it, Sarima should do the toast."
"To close companions whether far or near," Sarima said, lifting her glass, "you are in our hearts, and held very dear."
"Hear hear!"