"Where is His Eminence?" Elphaba asked the first staff member she saw.
"His Eminence is in his office, Your Excellency," the staff member bowed.
"Fabala, what are you doing?" Nessa hissed, hurrying after her.
"Nothing that concerns you, Nessarose," Elphaba snapped. She had zeroed in on her goal and Nessa was nothing but a distraction. She ignored her shocked face and continued towards her office. She was about to open the door, but stopped herself and calmly knocked.
"Come."
She opened the door and froze, seeing the Eminent Thropp sitting at the large table with his five ministers. Crap. She'd interrupted what looked like an important meeting. She lost her nerve, and she hadn't said anything yet. The men stood and nodded respectively to her.
"Elphaba," the Eminent Thropp said, his tone even.
Elphaba curtsied. "Your Eminence."
He turned back to his ministers. "Gentlemen, please excuse us for a few moments. Jemmsy will show you to the parlor." He rang the bell and the door opened, revealing the old steward.
The judges bowed and went with Jemmsy, closing the door behind them. Elphaba met her great-grandfather's gaze. He stared back at her, and she fidgeted, unable to decipher his poker face. His sending the judges away so he could talk to her seemed like a good sign. Either that, or he wanted to yell at her privately. But it would have been easier to send her out.
"I know why you're here," the Eminent Thropp said, his tone indicating he wanted to get straight to the point and finish this conversation as soon as possible. "I was going to summon you later, but since you're here now, we can get this out of the way." He pulled a large parchment paper from inside his desk and handed it to her.
Elphaba took the paper, but didn't look at it. She steadily held the old man's gaze. She knew his agreeing to speak with her was a good sign, but she wondered how far she could push the line without crossing it. "Your Eminence –"
"You will leave for the Vinkus on the morning of September eighth, accompanied by the first and second Lieutenants of the Old Pastorian Guard."
Elphaba could've made a comment about why he wasn't having the Emerald City Gale Force escorting her, but she didn't want to get slapped. "You're sending me away on my birthday?"
He didn't respond to that. "You will be traveling for four days. You will go directly to Wistra Ir Castle to meet the royal family. They are expecting you on September twelfth. I have –"
"I want to go to Shiz University." She knew it was a long shot, especially since she had just interrupted him, but she had to try. "I want to go to continue my education." And learn more about my magic and why I have it, she added in her mind.
The Eminent Thropp was silent, and Elphaba thought it meant he was considering it. "You've had an ample education. I received a copy of your final marks."
"Yes, but –"
"I have employed a tutor to educate you in Vinkun culture, etiquette, and language. You will begin daily lessons as soon as you return home until you leave. I will monitor your progress."
She finally glanced down at the contract, noting the royal Vinkun seal at the bottom, and her gaze locked on the monetary amount written in red next to her name. "You're selling me. They bought me."
"A dowry is customary in a marriage contract. This ensures the agreement will be followed by both parties. It was a sizable and acceptable amount. We've already received it."
Elphaba's shoulders sagged slightly. "You're selling me to Winkie Country –"
"Do not use that term, Elphaba."
"But I wanted –"
"Elphaba, this is political. Choices and sacrifices must be made for the greater good. I have given you as much freedom as I could, but now it's time for you to grow up and do your duty."
"What will I get out of this?"
"Excuse me?"
"The prince gets a wife, my family gets rid of me, Munchkinland gets –" She glanced at the paper, "'the increased protection of the disputed land at the Vinko-Munchkin border of Restwater and a treaty of peace and trade thereof'." She gaped at him. "You're selling me to protect the corn oil reservoir in Restwater? The Wink- Vinkuns don't seem like the type to start a war over disputed territories?" Restwater was technically part of Munchkinland, but it was more of a verbally accepted thing rather than a border agreement etched in stone.
"As a sign of goodwill. They need corn oil, and we have given them access to it. Not unlimited, and they won't own any part of it, but it will lower the tax for them, and more people will have access to it. As part of that, they will not invade Restwater and merge it into Kellswater, and we won't do the same."
"They threatened to do that?"
"No, but we must never be too careful. This treaty isn't just for us now, but for generations to come. It will have a lasting impact on both our providences, and make future treaties and trades easier." He ran a hand through his beard. "Border territories are the hardest to protect. Our largest corn oil reservoir is in Restwater, and there have been reports of Quadling militias' –" She hadn't heard anything about the Quadlings, so she had no idea why they were being thrown into the mix.
She could feel herself losing ground. "I don't understand why -"
"We need this agreement now, Elphaba, and you are the only one eligible for marriage with the prince. Nessarose, Aurol, and Eadgyth are too young." He sighed, then straightened. "This is a historic union between the East and West. Previous generations have tried and failed, and we're counting on you to succeed. It's your duty. An unbreakable bond between our two providences will be beneficial to everyone, including you. You are marrying into a powerful family. Be grateful." There was a knock at the door and the Eminent Thropp knew it was Jemmsy. "This discussion is over, Elphaba."
"But –"
"It is done, Elphaba. You're dismissed."
The green girl bit her lip, but respectfully curtsied to her great-grandfather and left. She had tried and failed. The little say she had over her life was forcibly stripped away, and she knew the restrictions would only get stricter. She wasn't the best chess player, but even she could see herself being used as a pawn; an easily sacrificial, unimportant pawn. She retreated to her room to pack the rest of her things, but found Nanny already there doing it.
"Nanny, there's staff at Colwen Grounds that can do that."
"The staff maintains the house. Nanny maintains the children," Nanny sniffed, ignoring her as she folded Elphaba's underwear.
Elphaba didn't know why she was angry. Well, she knew why she was angry, but didn't know why she had anger directed specifically at Nanny. Perhaps it was that she was still being ignored. Or maybe it was unchanneled anger that needed a direct outlet. Or maybe it was that she was still being referred to as a child, even though she had just read and comprehended a full-blown marriage agreement. "Nanny, stop!" She snatched the shawl the old woman was folding. "I don't need your help anymore!"
Nanny looked at her in shock, clearly not expecting or appreciating being spoken to in such a manner. "Elphaba Melena –"
"I am no longer a child, Nanny. I refuse to be treated like one." She finished the rest of her packing, not noticing Nanny leave, and her anger only dissipated once she finished.
Elphaba refused to go down to dinner, claiming she had a migraine. No one questioned or tried to force her, which she was grateful for. Food was sent up to her just in case, but she didn't touch it.
"I do not wish to talk," Elphaba called to the knocks on her door, thinking it was either Nanny, Nessa, or Shell. She hoped it wasn't Shell. She loved talking with her brother, but really wasn't in the mood for him.
"I come in peace."
She jumped up at the voice and quickly answered the door. "Naoleine."
The recently married woman smiled. "I see you've recovered from your migraine."
"I… never had one." She stepped aside to allow her cousin to come in. "I thought you'd be on your honeymoon by now."
"Loiln and I are leaving for Mossmere tomorrow, after you and your family return home." She sat on the edge of the bed, patting the spot next to her until Elphaba sat. "I wanted to make sure you're okay."
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You can feign innocence all you want, but I saw you yesterday."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your special day. I was told –"
"You didn't ruin it. You hid your true feelings well enough for everyone else. I am super observant and noticed you doing the fake smile I taught you." She smiled kindly. "I know you found out about your arranged marriage. Aurol told me about it, and after I thoroughly chided her for having her nose in His Eminence's private business, I went and asked him if it was true."
"You knew?"
"Yes. I knew… most likely before you. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry you don't get to go to Shiz."
"And you don't get to live vicariously through me?" Elphaba added with a small, forced smile.
"Yes. That too." She took a breath and took her hand. "None of us have much say over our lives, but I've always thought about it this way; if you're forced onto a dirt path, you should at least try to plant some flowers along the way."
"What does that mean?"
"It means to try to find or create something positive about this seemingly negative situation. I don't know if it will make things better or worse, but you must try, hope for the best, and do whatever you can to make it so."
Elphaba wanted to consider her words, but wasn't in the right headspace. "Alright."
"File my advice for later. I know you're probably angry, confused, and scared, but in a very odd way, Great-Grandfather is doing this to show he cares about you."
That got her cousin's attention. "What?"
"I'm not saying this is a good idea, or that it's the only right thing to do, but he isn't making you marry the Vinkun prince precariously. This decision has been vetted and voted on. He considered everything about this and did what he thought was best. But because he agreed, he doesn't think this will harm you in the long run."
"It's politicized love."
"Yes. I'm not saying it's good or bad, but it's what we have. It can make our lives easier if we work with it and not against it." She pulled Elphaba into a hug, which the green girl gently returned after a beat. "I know you wish that sometimes, we could behave like a normal family. I do, too. Everyone in this family has dreamed, at some point, of having a life outside all of this."
"Everyone except Nessarose."
Naoleine chuckled. "Yes. Everyone except her. I'm surprised she hasn't been vocal about why you will get to be a princess, and not her. I would've thought she'd kill for a chance to outrank all of us." She squeezed her cousin's hand. "I know it might not seem like it now, but this might be good for you. An arrangement like this can seem awful, but –"
"I wanted to escape the life of politics. I thought I'd have a chance if I went to university, because I don't have a set role in this family. But because of that, I was assigned one, and I'm being thrown back into it. I hate it."
"I hate that you hate it. There's nothing I can say that will make this better, but I will say this; don't jump to conclusions, and don't think you know everything. There are some things that I still don't know the full extent of about my life, but I have the rest of my life to figure it out."
Elphaba stayed in her cousin's arms a bit longer. "Thanks, Naoleine."
With one final light squeeze, Naoleine stood. "I hope to see you again before you leave for the Vinkus. But in case I don't, I do love you, Fabala. In the most non-complicated way this family can." She nodded and left.
Elphaba lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, with Naoleine's and her great-grandfather's words swirling and mixing in her mind. She tried to separate them, but it was a fruitless endeavor.
The hot summer passed slowly for Elphaba. She sat through her tutoring sessions, only trying because she knew the tutor was reporting her progress to the Eminent Thropp. If she wasn't working with her tutor, she was locking herself in her room, always claiming she wanted to be alone. She made a habit of sending her brother away. She didn't want to leave Shell with a strained relationship, but she was in no mood to be around him.
Wend Farleigh became her prison, but only because she made it so. She created a strict schedule for herself that involved the least amount of interaction possible. She didn't fight anyone about anything. Her only window to the outside world beyond the gates were the newspapers she smuggled from her father's study.
She saw pictures and an article of the Eminent Thropp closing the Parliament house for the summer with Aurol and Eadgyth on either side of him, doing their duties as heirs. The article mentioned that they would also be by his side when he reopened it at the beginning of September.
By mid-August, she became a recluse in her room. She ate less, and spent most of her time sitting by her window, her arms resting against the windshield. She would hear her parents, siblings, and Nanny outside her room, but they would never knock and ask to come in.
"Elphaba? Elphaba, let me in."
Elphaba turned away from the door. Being around Nessa would only make her last few weeks at home worse.
"Fabala, please."
Begrudgingly, Elphaba got up and opened the door, immediately going back to the window. Nessa sat in the doorway, watching her older sister before coming in, softly closing the door behind her.
"We are the spares. Our job is to support the family in whatever ways we can. We cannot complain or argue."
Her sister had some nerve lecturing her, being the spoiled, family favorite. All of this was stuff Elphaba knew, and didn't need reminding of.
"We are dispensable. We exist to fill the void left by the heirs."
She looked at her, but didn't speak. She hadn't eaten lunch, and didn't have the strength for a fight.
"You… have been very strong." She carefully approached her sister and took her hand. Elphaba allowed her to hold it for exactly three tick-tocks before pulling away, her gaze never leaving hers.
"Elphaba –"
"What do you want from me, Nessa? I have not been selfish. I am doing my duty. I am doing what I'm told. I'm learning Vinkun so I can be prepared to meet my husband across Oz. I am leaving, which is what you wanted."
"I didn't –"
"I no longer care if you or anyone else is satisfied with anything I've done. I will be leaving you all behind soon enough, and you will no longer have to worry or care about me." She stood, towering over her little sister. "My actions and thoughts will no longer matter to you. I now have more important things to worry about. Peace with the Vinkus - that we already had, mind you - and protecting our land in Restwater rest entirely on my shoulders, and it's a lot of pressure and responsibility. I don't have time for distractions. So what do you want from me, Nessa?"
The younger girl looked up at her sister with wide eyes. Elphaba expected her to get defensive and fight back, telling her not to be rude. But instead, Nessa looked at her oddly, then apologetically. "I don't want to fight."
"Then I have studying to do." She marched over to her desk and grabbed a book, beginning to tune her sister out.
"I'll help you. I mean… if you want me to, I will." She offered her a small smile. "We can't send you to the Vinkus not knowing anything. That would be embarrassing."
Elphaba took that as her sister calling her an embarrassment and glared at her before sitting, resting her elbows and the table and fisting her hands against her ears. Nessa realized her mistake and tried to apologize, but of course, Elphaba didn't hear her.
"Elphaba, listen to me!" Nessa demanded, grabbing her sister's arm and pulling it away from her ear.
"Oz, Nessa! What?!" Elphaba snapped, turning to her sister with unshed tears of frustration in her eyes.
"I'm sorry!" she snapped back, then quickly calmed, repeating it in a whisper. "I didn't mean it like that. Please, I… I promise I'll be nice. Please… just let me help."
"I really don't want your help."
"Fabala… please."
Elphaba took off her glasses and wiped her eyes. She handed Nessa her notes, and the younger girl skimmed them over before quizzing her. It took a while, but both girls calmed down and were able to get a lot of studying done.
For the next few days, things started to get a bit better. Nessa helped her study, and she started eating a bit more. She allowed Shell to come in, but he mostly sat in the corner or on her bed, drawing in his sketchbook or watching his sisters study.
Three days before Elphaba was due to leave, Shell came into her room without knocking. Elphaba was on a study break and reading one of the novels she bought with Naoleine, and her head shot up at the door creaking open. "Shell."
The young boy entered his sister's room, sat next to her on the bed, and wordlessly rested his head on her lap. Neither said anything for a while, then he broke the silence.
"Are you scared to leave and get married to someone you've never met?"
Elphaba shrugged. "I haven't really had time to think about being scared."
"Do you have time now?"
"Yes. I guess I am a little scared." She was petrified, but she had to be strong for her brother. "But I'll be okay. I'll be traveling with armed guards."
"It takes four days to get to the Vinkus from here." He pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. "It's over two hundred miles away. That's very far. But I drew this map for you, so you know how to get there."
She opened it and smiled. It wasn't professional looking, but was accurate and well-drawn for an eleven-year-old boy. "Thank you, Shell."
"You can keep it, so you don't get lost. I mapped out common routes that don't have too many terrain changes. And I looked in Ati Sophelia's guidebook for rest stops and small towns you can rest in."
She tenderly ran her fingers through her brother's hair. "I see. Thank you. I will use this map to ensure I have the quickest travel possible."
"Fabala... are they really heathens over there?"
"They're Lurlinists."
"Oh. Papa won't like that."
Elphaba was never super religious, but knew how to keep her mouth shut as she went through the motions. This was the most they could expect from her, since she wasn't being loud about her views. "I'm sure he won't."
He snuggled closer. "How will you communicate with them?"
"I've had to learn Vinkun. There are four tribes, each with different dialects. I specifically have to learn the Arjiki dialect, since that's the tribe of the royal family."
"Why don't they just speak common Ozian? Isn't it common?"
"For the same reason we don't speak it all the time. We live in Munchkinland, so we predominantly speak Munchkin. We know enough Ozian to communicate outside Munchkinland in case we need to, but it's not our official language. It's the official language of the Gillikin, though."
"Oh. I guess you're right. But wouldn't it be easier if everyone just spoke the same language?"
"Yes. People would be able to communicate more efficiently and I guess everyone would be happier."
"Say something in Vinkun."
She thought for a moment. "Shell, iyi mysitou sutbû ají."
He giggled. "That sounds silly. What does that mean?"
"I'll miss you. The formal one. There's another phrase you use for close friends and family members, but I forgot that one."
"Oh. I'll miss you, too."
She hugged him, noting how his hair smelt like his Munchkin oakwood shampoo. She knew he hated it, but she would really miss that scent. "Promise me you'll be nice to Nessa, and you won't give Mother and Papa and Nanny too much of a hard time."
"I have to be nice to Nessa even when she's annoying?"
She chuckled. "Especially when she's annoying."
Shell made a face, but promised his sister. Elphaba smiled and pulled him closer, resting her chin on the top of his head. She would miss her brother so much.
The day before her birthday, Elphaba reverted to her reclusive behavior. She only tolerated her family in small increments before becoming irritable and kicking them out. Outwardly, they didn't seem to take it personally, but inwardly was probably a different story. But Elphaba was too consumed with her own feelings to worry about theirs.
She was only allowed to bring one suitcase of belongings, since her needs would be provided for by the royal family. She packed clothes to change in during her travels, and a few of her favorite books. She nearly folded a photo of her family into one of her skirts, and filled the rest of the suitcase with books.
She had just finished packing and was watching the sunset when the door opened. She turned to see her mother. Melena stepped in, closed the door behind her, and grabbed the hairbrush from Elphaba's vanity on her way over to her. She turned Elphaba's head away from her and robotically ran the brush through her long, raven tresses. It was a horrible attempt at a silent peace offering, and Elphaba was too wound up to accept it.
"You've been drinking," Elphaba deadpanned once the smell of her mother's alcohol-laced breath hit her.
Instead of responding, Melena whacked the brush upside her daughter's head. It wasn't hard enough to cause actual pain, but Elphaba winced. A beat, then Melena gently rubbed the spot, a silent apology.
Melena felt numb, almost like she was on autopilot. The alcohol left her feeling anesthetized, so she wouldn't feel any emotions during this final moment with her daughter. Logically, she knew she should say goodbye now, since she had no intention of waking up early the next morning. Her not feeling anything made this so much easier.
She was almost done when she looked at Elphaba's ghostly reflection in the window, and noticed a line of tears on her cheek. She looked down as the line grew wider and heavier. She put the brush down and walked around to face her.
"Fabala…"
Elphaba broke down. There was no warning, no single, strangled cry, no gasp of air, before she collapsed onto the floor, crying so hard, she wheezed.
Melena felt all her daughter's emotions. All the fear, confusion, anger, and betrayal came flooding out of her and nearly drowned Melena. That seemed to bring the older woman back into the present, and she knelt, her motherly instincts kicking in, and pulled her daughter into her lap, hugging her close as she rubbed her back.
Melena heard footsteps and she turned to see Frex standing in the doorway. The Unionist minister looked at his wife and daughter, huddled in a heap by the window. He didn't go in, and Shell peaked out from behind his father. He stared at his sister, uncontrollably sobbing in their mother's arms, and met his mother's bloodshot eyes. He made to go in, but Frex stopped him, gently holding him by the shoulders.
Elphaba twitched and hiccupped in her mother's arms. The lightbulb flickered and blew out. She fished her hands against her skirt. The mirror cracked. She loudly moaned, and the door slammed right on her brother's nose. Melena felt an electric shock on her hands and pulled away, watching as her daughter crawled into the corner and curled into a fetal position, trying to calm herself down. She bit down on her lip in between ragged breaths, her vision swarming and her ears ringing.
"Elphaba, I'm here. It's okay," Melena said, those words sounding foreign coming from her. She knelt next to her and waited.
Slowly, the loud moans quieted. The twitching and hiccupping ceased, and her breathing returned to normal. Her shoulders and fingers relaxed. When she was calm enough, she looked at her mother. "I'm sorry."
Melena shushed her and collected her into her arms again. Two more minutes of deep breathing and Elphaba had calmed enough to settle in her mother's arms for the first time in her life.
"You should get some rest before tomorrow."
"I don't want to sleep," she whispered hoarsely, then cleared her throat. "I can't sleep."
"I'll get you some water."
"Don't go."
"Okay." For a moment, Melena held her little girl who, after tomorrow, would no longer be under her protection. She had tried her best to protect her children from the Thropp grip. She had tried, but failed. She knew she would probably never forgive herself, but right now, it wasn't about her.
It was early the next morning, long before the sun was due to come up, when Nanny came in.
"Fabala," the old woman said, not surprised to see Melena on the floor with her. "It's time to get ready to leave now."