DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but a whole lottta merch.
AN. After I wrote the Glinda chapter in Nothing Comes From Nothing I couldn't stop thinking about it. And well, I guess all that watching Say Yes to the Dress had to come in handy for something, right?
Project Popular
By Vinkunwildflowerqueen
Glinda attended her first wedding when she was just three years old; acting as the flower girl when her mother's brother married. Not that she remembered much of this, of course, but she remembered her pretty dress that had twirled as she spun and the way that everyone had told her how pretty she was.
The first wedding she truly remembered attending was the wedding of one of her mother's friends when she was seven years old. And Glinda had fallen in love with it all- the fashion, the romance, the pageantry and production of it all. The wedding, she learned on that day, may be a festivation of the love story of the couple; but really- it was all about the bride. More importantly, it was all about The Dress.
So perhaps it was only natural that when she first became Glinda the Good, Bitte's Bridal in the Emerald City became her favourite place to escape to.
It hadn't been intentional, but on a day when there'd been a raid on an Animal camp and reports that "the Witch" had been injured while freeing Animals, Glinda had just needed to get out of the palace. Morrible was both on the warpath- as she always was after Elphaba managed to get a victory over the Wizard- and entirely gleeful at the idea of Elphaba being injured. She'd ordered the whole Gale force out to track her down, seemingly confident enough that Elphaba had been too severely injured to move far.
Glinda hoped to Oz that Morrible was wrong. But she knew that if Elphaba was captured today, Morrible and the Wizard would make a complete spectracle of her capture. Glinda had visions of Elphaba- injured, weak and probably beaten (Glinda knew better than to think Elphaba would go easily, and she didn't trust that the Gale force wouldn't harm her)- being paraded through the streets of the Emerald City.
So while Morrible swept through the palace halls smugly like she was already constructing the gallows, Glinda had fled. She had no engagements on that day, and couldn't bear waiting in her suite of rooms.
And somehow, in her wanderings of the city, she'd ended up in the bridal salon. Standing in the middle of a sea of white, something in Glinda was soothed. She wondered if this was how Elphaba felt in a bookstore.
"Your Goodness!"
Glinda turned, instinctively fixing a bright smile onto her face, shifting into her public persona. "Yes?"
The man who had greeted her, a man a little more than Glinda's five foot four with dark yet greying hair and glasses, was smiling brightly at her.
"I'm Fenn Ranfeld, Fashion Director here at Bitte's," he introduced, offering her a hand. "It's so nice to meet you."
"It's a pleasure," Glinda replied politely, shaking his offered hand.
"Welcome to Bitte's," he said. "Can we help you with anything today?"
Glinda's cheeks warmed slightly as she saw his gaze flicker towards her left hand. Rumours and speculation that an engagement between Glinda and Fiyero was imminent had been swirling for months of course, mostly spread by Morrible and the Wizard themselves.
"People love a good love story," The Wizard had assured Glinda. "The fairytale. And marriage is the logical next step, is it not? What harm is there in letting people have hope?"
And that had seemed reasonable to Glinda. After all, she and Fiyero would be married eventually, right? It was only a matter of time.
Glinda smiled weakly at Fenn. "I'm actually just here to…" she trailed off, not really sure why she was here.
She'd just caught a glimpse of a dress in the salon's front window- a strapless ballgown embroidered with pink and blue flowers- and had simply just walked inside.
Fenn, however, nodded knowingly. "You're quite welcome to stay for as long as you'd like," he reassured her.
Glinda's smile was more genuine this time. "Thank you, Mr Ranfeld."
"Fenn," he corrected her.
"Fenn," Glinda repeated.
After that, whenever Glinda had a bad day, she ended up at Bitte's. When Morrible and the Wizard seemed rather too gleeful about latest rumours of Elphaba being injured or almost captured; or when Fiyero seemed particularly distant, looking at Glinda but not really seeing her and no matter what she did, Glinda couldn't reach him. Sometimes being Glinda the Good was rather lonely.
She had friends, of course. Pfannee, Shen-Shen and Milla may have looked down their noses at her when she'd first become friends with Elphaba; but as soon as Elphaba was gone and everyone on campus was eyeing Glinda warily and whispering about how much Glinda had been involved, they'd been right there to offer false sympathy and platitudes.
"After you were so kind to her," Pfannee had said. "She had the audacity to drag your name through the mud! Just think; Galinda- sorry, Glinda Upland associated with a wanted fugitive. For treason."
At the time, Glinda had thought forcing a smile and ignoring the barely stifled glee on Pfannee's face was the hardest thing she'd ever done. She was wrong.
Yet she kept up the friendships. She didn't really have any other option in terms of friends, and at least Pfanne, Shen-Shen and Milla knew her. They'd known her back when she'd been Galinda, since they were children. Sometimes Glinda felt like she just needed a moment to be Galinda again. And at Bitte's, Glinda had that moment.
She'd had an appointment at Bitte's scheduled for the day after the engagement ball to discuss designs for her wedding dress with Fenn. It had been the first thing she'd done after the Wizard had decided it was high time that she and Fiyero were married.
"I think what people really need right now is a reason to celebrate," he'd told her. "What better reason is there than the best love story to come out of Oz?"
But instead of designing her wedding dress, she'd been called out to Munchkinland to deal with the little girl whose house had fallen on Nessarose, and ended up watching as Fiyero was carried away to a field to be tortured. The worst part was glad she didn't have to go in and face the staff at Bitte's when the whispers were spreading all throughout Oz about what had happened. And then Glinda felt like a horrendible person.
It was her second day as official ruler of Oz when Glinda reached breaking point. She hadn't had a minute to herself except for when she fell into bed. She'd sent the Wizard away, and had to deal with getting Dorothy home; and then had launched right into meeting with the members of the council- her council now.
There were typically twenty of them, but their numbers were down without the Wizard himself and Morrible. Four of whom questioned her decision to arrest Madame Morrible; three of whom seemed sceptical that Glinda should be the one to lead Oz at all in the Wizard's stead; and at least nine of whom were shocked when Glinda announced her plans to launch an inquiry into the Animals Banns.
Sitting at the head of the table, Glinda set her jaw and silently screamed on the inside. Then she took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as she rose to her feet.
"Gentlemen," she said with forced calm- because of course Madame Morrible had been the only woman included. "If you look at the first document in the folder I gave you at the beginning of the meeting, you will find the executive order signed by His Ozness before his departure. It gives me full powers over which to rule Oz until which time he returns, including passing laws, launching inquiries and shaping the council and my advisors as I see fit."
A few of the men shifted in their seats uneasily.
"With that being said, I shall be reviewing each of your positions," Glinda said firmly.
She took a small pleasure in the way one man opened his mouth- no doubt to protest- and was subtly hushed by his neighbour.
"But for now, these are my top priorities. Madame Morrible will be held to trial. I will be launching an inquiry into the Banns, and I want evidence. I want proof that the Animal community is responsible for discord and discontent in Oz. Anyone who disapproves of my decisions is quite welcome to leave. It will honestly save me some time in the long run, most likely."
No one said anything, and no one left the room. Glinda had the fleeting thought that Elphaba would be proud of her for that speech. And then she wanted to cry.
"Now, if you'll excuse me," she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "I have another appointment. You will be notified about which projects you'll be a part of and when we shall next meet. Good afternoon, gentlemen."
Glinda carefully smoothed the skirt of her dress and left the room.
"Your Goodness," said Nika, her personal assistant, as she came up beside her. When she'd first began working with the Wizard, he had hired someone to help her, but Glinda could never quite trust her- always suspecting that she was waiting for Glinda to slip up so the Wizard and Morrible could turn on her.
Finding and hiring Nika, a middle-aged, kind but no-nonsense woman, had been the first time Glinda had really stood up for herself to Morrible. There was just something about her in their first meeting that told Glinda that she could trust this woman. Maybe it was because she reminded her a little bit of Elphaba.
"Your Goodness, I have the applications for you to choose a new Press Secretary," Nika said briskly, juggling piles of paper in her hands. "I have the details on the condolences arrangement to send to the king and queen of the Vinkus at your request, with a draft for the accompanying sympathy card for you to look over. We've also gotten samples from various designers for you to look at for the redesign of your new quarters. The Woodsman… Mr Tin… the man of Tin who was with Dorothy has also requested a meeting with you, and the rulers of the Glikkus and the Quadlings have also-"
Glinda turned to her, holding up a hand. "Nika, I need a break," she said firmly, closing her eyes. "I'm going to go out for a few hours. Leave the applications and samples on the desk in my current rooms, along with the details of the arrangement. Get rid of the draft, I want to write them personally. Arrange a meeting with Boq for tomorrow morning, and any rulers from throughout Oz who get in touch, please tell them that I will come visit in due course however I can't leave the Emerald City for now. But if they wish to come here and meet me, I will be happy to receive them. But for now, I'll be back in a few hours. Any questions?"
Nika raised an eyebrow. "Boq, ma'am?"
Glinda's brow furrowed. "The Tin Man," she clarified. "Did he not give you a name?"
Nika shook her head. "No. Just the Tin Man."
Well, that was a problem to be dealt with at a later date.
"His name is Boq," Glinda said clearly, a fresh sting of remorse sweeping over her. "Boq Underhill. When you arrange the meeting with him, please put it under that name. And let him know which name to give upon his arrival."
"Alright," Nika said slowly, making a note as Glinda watched. "I'll contact… Mr Underhill now then."
Glinda nodded and then turned away. She'd only taken a few steps before Nika called out to her again.
"Your Goodness, please take a guard or two with you."
Glinda agreed, although reluctantly.
She wasn't accustomed to taking guards with her outside of the palace, although she supposed it was a little different now with her ruling Oz instead of being… a mascot? Is that what she had been? Glinda had never been quite sure, although that was what Fiyero had called it.
Glinda did as Nika had asked though, and summoned two guards. It didn't escape her notice that one of the guards raised an eyebrow when she told them where they were going.
"I'm going to visit a friend," Glinda said simply. "I'll be at most an hour or two. You will wait outside. Understood?"
"Yes, Your Goodness," they chorused.
Stepping into Bitte's felt like stepping into home. And with that, Glinda realised that it had been a long time since she'd been anywhere that felt like home.
And by the time Fenn made his way through the salon to greet her, Glinda was crying.
"Oh, honey," he said softly, placing an arm around her shoulders and offering her a pristine handkerchief from his jacket pocket with the other. He swept her through the store and into an empty dressing room, easing her down into a chair.
"Is ruling all of Oz that terrible?" he teased her and Glinda choked out a tearful laugh.
"It's been a long week," she acknowledged, dabbing at her eyes with Fenn's handkerchief.
After all, she'd gotten engaged; had her fiance run off with her best friend; had one old school friend die beneath a house and another turned to tin; and then lost both her ex-fiance and best friend. And she couldn't really talk to anyone about any of this; particularly the grief she felt over losing Elphaba and Fiyero.
Glinda the Good could not mourn for the Wicked Witch of the West. Her ex-fiance- sure. But Morrible had done an excellent job in those first few months of Glinda stepping into the public eye of making it so no one even remembered the name Elphaba Thropp, let alone that she and Glinda had been friends.
"When I stepped inside today, it felt like home," Glinda explained, sniffling. "And I just… I realised that I don't have a home. Or- or real friends!"
Because she had just lost her one real friend, and she couldn't even bury or acknowledge her. And this thought just made her cry harder.
"My rooms at the palace are… beautiful," she told Fenn through her tears. "But empty. It's not a home. The palace is so grand, but- but cold and just… so lonely. I thought- I thought when Fiyero and I married, that would change things. That it would be different when we could set up our own home, but then… he-"
"I understand," Fenn said comfortingly. "It's so important to have your own space. But you'll be able to make the palace your own now, won't you? Or- or is there a rule that you have to live in the palace at all?"
That gave Glinda pause. "I… I don't know," she said, staring at Fenn blankly. "I mean, I suppose there would probably be security concerns, and it does seem like a waste of a large building if no one lives there, but… I don't know."
"See?" Fenn said, smiling faintly. "You have the opportunity to make yourself a home, Glinda. You just need to decide what that means to you. Now, what else is bothering you?"
Nothing she could talk about.
"I'm just tired," she reassured him.
Tired, lonely, grieving, overwhelmed.
"There hasn't been much time for rest just yet."
Fenn did not look at all convinced, and Glinda didn't really blame him.
"I have no idea what I'm doing," she confessed. "I wasn't involved in any decisions. I just showed up, looked pretty, smiled and waved."
It came out rather bitter.
"You did more than that," Fenn protested but Glinda shook her head.
"I just needed a break. To be somewhere where I can just be," she explained softly.
Fenn reached over and squeezed her hand. "You know that you are welcome here any time," he told her. "Do you want some tea? We can sit here for a bit and talk?"
Glinda didn't really want to talk. Not when she'd have to choose her words so carefully and self-censor so much. But tea sounded nice.
Fenn got tea and they were busy discussing decor ideas for Glinda's dream home- wherever it may be- when there came a knock on the door and one of the consultants and Fenn's best friend Palesa, stuck her head inside the room.
"Fenn, sorry to interrupt. Could I get your help on the floor please?"
Instantly, Fenn switched into business mode. "Of course, what's going on?"
Palesa came further into the room, leaning against the doorframe with a sigh. "I've got this bride, Caelia. She's here with her mom and two sisters. She's looking for clean, simple, maybe satin. Definitely not strapless, definitely not mermaid or ballgown."
"Okay," Fenn replied slowly. "What's the issue?"
"Mom and sisters are… picky. Everything Caelia likes, they hate. And mom keeps trying to push her towards styles she has said she definitely doesn't want. One of her sisters is already married, and says Caelia can't have a lace dress- because she had lace on her wedding dress, and this would be copying."
Fenn blinked. "Older sisters or younger?"
"Younger," Palesa replied. "Can I have some backup?"
"Absolutely," Fenn said immediately, turning back to Glinda. "I'll be right back."
Glinda waved him off with a smile. "Don't worry, I'm fine here. If anything, I might go for a walk."
Fenn patted her hand and then disappeared with Palesa. Glinda finished her tea quietly, and then slipped out onto the floor. She walked past brides flicking through the racks; twirling before mirrors and picking out veils and accessories.
Fenn and Palesa were standing by a platform where a young woman was standing before the mirror, wearing a satin, sleeveless sheath dress.
"How do you feel?" Palesa was asking her as Glinda came closer.
"I love this," she said enthusiastically. "I feel like it's classic and simple and I love the way it feels on. It's just- it's everything that I wanted."
"You love it more than the tea-length one?" Fenn asked her.
Caelia hesitated. "I loved that one, but this does feel more bridal," she admitted.
"Alright, well let's see what the family think," Palesa said, and helped her turn around to face them on the platform.
"What do we think?" Fenn asked them.
"It's just so boring," one of the sisters . "Like there's nothing special about it."
"It doesn't really feel like a wedding dress," their mother agreed. "You could wear this to an event. Why don't you try the mermaid style?"
"Mom, I don't like that one. I feel like I can't walk in it," the bride replied patiently. "I want something that flows."
"Can we pick a dress?" the other sister asked Palesa. "Because I feel like we have better taste than she does. Like this- it's fine. But it's just… it's just fine. You know?"
Palesa and Fenn both looked to the bride, who looked at her sisters with her hands on her hips, looking tired.
"What were you thinking?" she asked them.
One of her sisters immediately leapt up from the couch and over to a rack of dresses, pulling out a strapless dress covered in rhinestones. It was beautiful, but even Glinda could tell immediately that this was not the dress for Caelia. And as she watched her face fall, Glinda knew Caelia knew it too.
"It's pretty," she said slowly. "But I really don't want strapless. And I don't know if it's… me."
"Well, yeah that's the point," her sister replied. "You could wear something interesting for once."
Caelia flinched, and Glinda clenched her jaw. She had a sudden flash of memory of the first time she had given Elphaba a makeover. It had taken her a day or so of working with Elphaba on her wardrobe before she realised just why Elphaba always dressed the way she did. It wasn't a lack of style (as Glinda had first expected), it was that she didn't see the point.
"Whenever anyone looks at me, all they see is my skin. What I'm wearing makes no difference," she'd said tiredly to Glinda.
The dark colours, the efforts to hide her shape and cover as much skin as possible; it was all designed to make her hide as much as her skin allowed. Once Glinda had realised that, it hurt.
The first time she'd convinced Elphaba to let her choose her outfit, it was just to have dinner in town, the night that Elphaba had gotten her invitation to meet the Wizard.
"We need to festivate," Glinda had insisted, and Elphaba had quietly complied with any decision Glinda had made, giving her full control over her outfit, hair and makeup.
They'd invited Nessarose and Boq to join them, and when they met in the courtyard, Nessarose had looked at Elphaba in surprise. Honestly, Glinda had thought she'd made pretty simple changes- a more flattering skirt silhouette and a matching top, both in a chocolate brown. Still muted colours, just more flattering, and Elphaba had seemed happy enough when they left the room.
"Oh," Nessa had said. "When you said Galinda was controlling your outfit, this isn't what I expected. It's just… it's still rather… drab, isn't it?"
And Glinda had watched as Elphaba's shoulders slumped slightly. She'd waved off Nessa's comment with a sarcastic comment about the green clashing with everything and a laugh, but Glinda had never forgotten that look on her face. It was the same look she saw on Caelia's face now.
"Glinda," Fenn said suddenly, turning to her.
Caelia and her family all looked to Glinda in surprise, a myriad of emotions flickering across their faces as they recognised her. Glinda hadn't been expecting to have Fenn ask her opinion and she hesitated for a moment; but after looking between Caelia and her family, she couldn't not say something.
Galinda Upland had never been one to keep quiet and not speak her mind- especially about fashion. These last few years, Glinda had done everything right- she'd only said what she'd been told to say and swallowed back so many things she'd wanted to say. Here, she could be Galinda again.
"I think this dress is beautiful," she said honestly, stepping forward. "I think it really suits you."
Caelia ducked her head shyly. "Thank you, Your Goodness."
"Just Glinda is fine," Glinda said, smiling at her. "Will this be your wedding dress?"
Caelia hesitated, looking at her reflection and then over to her family. "I don't know. I wanted simple, but now I'm worried it's going to be boring."
"I think what you've picked is just a white dress," Caelia's mother piped up.
Palesa laughed. "Well, most wedding dresses are just a white dress," she replied, a little pointedly. "What makes it special is the way it makes you feel when you put it on."
"I think what you've picked is timeless," Glinda said to Caelia. "I think it is classic and elegant, and is something that seems very you- even though I've only just met you."
She side-eyed Caelia's family, but they didn't even seem to take it in.
"Why don't we try something?" Palesa suggested. "Maybe something that keeps that timeless element, but maybe with a little twist?"
Caelia nodded, her eyes suspiciously shiny and her lips pressed tightly together. She looked so defeated that Glinda's heart went out to her.
"Just a clock tick," Palesa said and led Fenn away.
Left alone with the bride-to-be and the family, Glinda turned to Caelia. Her mother and sisters had all gone back to discussing among themselves what kind of dress Caelia should wear.
"I think that one is beautiful," said one sister, pointing to a dress on a mannequin.
"It's lace," the other replied flatly. "And I had lace on my wedding dress. Why do you two always have to copy me? Can't I just have one thing that's mine?"
"Do you want lace?" Glinda asked Caelia in an undertone, who shrugged.
"I don't hate it, but it's not a must-have. Honestly, it's not worth the headache to argue with Magalie about it- although I don't know if I can help it if we have similar tastes in things at times."
"Okay, so what do you want?" Glinda pressed gently.
Caelia's smile turned shaky. "I really loved this tea length gown I tried on first," she admitted. "We're having a garden wedding next May, and I thought it would work well for that. But my sisters hated it."
Glinda bit the inside of her cheek. "I don't have sisters, so I can't really relate. But I do think that you're the one who has to wear the dress and look at the photographs for the rest of your life. What's the tea length gown?"
Caelia led her to the other side of the store from where her mother and sisters were to pull out the dress; a off-the-shoulder tea length gown with a little bow on the back.
"That is beautiful," Glinda said honestly. "It would be perfect for a garden wedding."
"Yeah," Caelia said wistfully.
"So choose it," Glinda urged her. She looked around until she saw Fenn and gestured him over. "She's going to try this on again."
Fenn didn't even blink. "Alright," he agreed, taking the hanger from Caelia. "Let's go."
Glinda swore Fenn winked at her as he led Caelia away.
Caelia's sisters were still going through the racks, and Glinda ignored them as she sat down to wait. But the moment Caelia reappeared in the tea-length gown, Glinda beamed.
"Well, this is absolutely perfect!" she gushed. "It's like it was made for you!"
"It fits like a glove," Palesa replied, following behind Caelia. "It'll barely need any alterations. Well, Caelia- how does it feel to be back in this dress?"
"I really do love it," Caelia said, her shoulders light and her eyes bright. "I love how light it is, and the bow. And it's not strapless, but it still… I don't know. It's just everything I pictured for my wedding day."
"I thought you didn't like this one," Caelia's mother said, coming back over.
"No, I really love it, Mom," Caelia said.
"It's just not very bridal, is it?"
"I think it's Caelia's wedding day," Glinda spoke up firmly. "And if she's the bride and this is the dress she wants, I think that makes the dress bridal. And I for one, think she looks amazing."
"Caelia, it's really your decision in the end," Palesa told her. "What do you think?"
Caelia studied her reflection and her shoulders straightened. "I think this is my wedding dress," she said confidently.
Glinda had to smile when her sisters merely frowned, but offered no further criticism.
"It's nice," her mother finally offered. "And if you love it, that's all that matters."
It wasn't exactly a compliment or support, but it was something at least.
Caelia studied her reflection again, smiling at herself. For a moment, Glinda had flashbacks to the night after The OzDust and the way Elphaba had looked at her reflection with that pink flower in her hair, before she'd fled the room. Almost dazed, like she almost didn't recognise herself. For a moment, Glinda was looking at Elphaba instead of Caelia. And then she had to choke back a sob.
"I need to be going," she announced abruptly, blinking back tears. "But congratulotions, Caelia. I wish you all the best for your wedding."
She offered her hands to Caelia, who took them gratefully. "Thank you so much, Your Goodness."
"Oh, I didn't really do anything," Glinda protested.
Caelia shook her head earnestly. "You listened to me," she said quietly. "That means a lot."
Glinda smiled, dipped her head, and fled as politely as she could. Fenn was close behind her as she escaped back to the dressing room, closing the door behind him as Glinda dissolved into fresh tears, collapsing into a chair. Then he sat beside her and just waited until Glinda had regained enough control over herself to be able to speak.
"I feel like such an idiot," Glinda wept.
"Oh, honey. You're not an idiot," Fenn soothed her. "Why would you say such a thing?"
"He loved her," Glinda choked out, burying her face in Fenn's handkerchief she'd still had in her pocket. "He loved her. All this time. How did I not see it?"
Fenn paused. "Because you didn't want to," he said gently.
Glinda shook her head, taking a shuddering breath. "He loved her, and I- I didn't get a chance to talk to either of them about it, or to really try and make things right. And now…" she trailed off, choking out a quiet sob.
"He loved her enough to commit treason," she said, sniffling. "But, would he have married her? Had children with her? Built a home with her? Was that the kind of love he had for her?"
Fenn took her hand again, like he had earlier, and squeezed it. "Would knowing that make a difference?" he asked softly.
Glinda shook her head. "Yes… no… I don't know," she admitted miserably. "But I'm going to spend the rest of my life wondering."
She brushed away tears from her cheeks. "And you know what makes it worse?"
"What?"
"I think he would have," Glinda said, smiling sadly at him. "If he loved her enough to leave everything behind, and to search as hard for her as he did these last few years; I think he would have given her everything. And she deserved it- she deserved to have all of that," she said, her voice catching. "And I think I'm just realising how sad I am that she'll- that they'll never have any of that."
Glinda had been so caught up in her anger, and then her grief, that there hadn't been any chance for her to process it all. Fiyero loved Elphaba- she'd seen it so clearly when Fiyero had sacrificed himself to save Elphaba. But it was only hitting Glinda now what that actually meant.
Fenn was silent for a long moment, and then he excused himself silently, with nothing more than a raised finger in Glinda's direction. He was gone for just a few minutes, and when he returned it was with a large glass of water, a damp cloth and a fresh handkerchief.
"Do you believe in an afterlife, Glinda?" he asked her as Glinda blew her nose and pressed the cloth to her eyes.
Glinda sniffled. "I… I don't know," she admitted. "I was raised Lurlinist, but I only ever really went to church with my grandparents."
"Well, I do," Fenn told her. "So maybe you can find comfort in the idea that they can be together now. No more wicked witch."
Glinda stilled for a moment in the middle of taking a sip of water. Then she realised she shouldn't have been surprised by Fenn's comment. Everyone knew that Glinda's fiance had run off with the Wicked Witch of the West, that was hardly a secret. Most people, Glinda had been told, assumed that either Fiyero had been in on it from the beginning, conspiring with "the witch" to feed her information about the Wizard's plans and the Animal camps; or that Elphaba had bewitched him.
"Elphaba," she told Fenn carefully, watching his face. "Her name was Elphaba."
"Elphaba," Fenn repeated.
"She was my best friend," Glinda whispered, smiling weakly. "We were roommates at Shiz. I told her the night I met Fiyero that I was going to marry him, and I tried to improve her fashion sense. She was my best friend, and now she's dead and… no one cares. No one cares and I can't even talk about her."
Fenn gave no visible reaction; the way he regarded Glinda didn't change. If anything, the pity and understanding in his eyes grew, but that might have been Glinda's imagination.
"She wasn't what they said she was, you know."
Fenn still didn't react.
"I need to try and honour her memory by fixing things with the Animals," Glinda said, taking another deep, shaky breath. "I wish I could clear her name, but… I can't. The Animals don't feel like enough, but I don't know what else I can do."
"You know," Fenn said after a pause, shifting slightly so that he was facing Glinda more directly. "We have brides come in here all the time who don't have anyone that they can bring with them. Or they bring people with them out of obligation who maybe don't have their best interests at heart. Or they don't even know where to begin with choosing their wedding dress, or they get overwhelmed by the process. Now, the consultants and I- we're always Team Bride. That's our job. But sometimes? They need a friend. A sister."
Glinda stared at him blankly. "I- I don't understand."
Fenn smiled. "Well, maybe- if you wanted- when you come visit, you could do for them what you did with Caelia today. Guide them, support them. Advocate for them. Maybe you can honour your friend… Elphaba. Honour her memory that way?"
Glinda bit her lip hesitantly.
"Think about it," Fenn advised her.
Glinda smiled weakly. "Thank you," she murmured.
And she did. When she was back in her quarters at the palace, looking at the piles of papers and design samples littered across her desk, Glinda thought about it all.
She thought about what she was going to say to Fiyero's parents, how could she begin to communicate her grief to them. She thought about what Fenn had said about making a home and what that would look like. And she thought about the impossible responsibility she'd taken on, to succeed where Elphaba had failed, and how she had not one clue how to do that.
Then she stacked everything into one pile and dumped it onto an ottoman nearby. She'd deal with all of that tomorrow. Instead, she sat at her desk and opened the desk drawer, digging to the bottom for the pile of pale pink paper that had been a gift from Momsie and Popsicle last Lurlinemas.
To Do List: Top Priorities, she wrote in sweeping cursive across the top of the page, inking a tiny heart over each 'i' instead of a dot. It was a habit she'd been doing since childhood, until she'd started working with the Wizard and Morrible had told her that it was time "to leave childish habits behind". Now, Glinda studied the tiny heart, remembering the way Elphaba had rolled her eyes whenever she saw it.
1. Remove the Animal Banns
2. Write to Fiyero's parents
3. Talk to Boq
4. Remember Elphie- Bitte's?
5. Make a home
Glinda studied the list, tilted her head and frowned slightly. And then she crossed out number four and re-wrote it.
4. Project Popular
A small smile crossed her lips as she wrote the words.
"This is never going to work," she heard Elphaba's voice echo in a corner of her mind, a distant memory and felt the odd urge to laugh.
"I'm going to make you proud, Elphie. And I hope you and Fiyero are together now," she murmured, staring out her window up at the sky. Her windows faced west. "I hope you're happy now."
And hopefully, eventually, Glinda would figure out how to be happy herself again. But for now, she had work to do.