Elphaba stared at her family, all gathered in the foyer to send her off. She hadn't gotten a wink of sleep, so she was sure she probably wouldn't remember any of this.

Nanny was the first to give her a parting hug, wishing her safe travels, and affectionately called her "little frog" for the last time. Shell leaped forward and gave his sister a bone-crushing embrace, telling her he wished he could go with her.

Frex lightly hugged her and planted a light kiss on her forehead. "Goodbye, Fabala."

"Bye, Father." She knelt and hugged her sister. "Bye, Nessie."

"I will pray for your safe travels, Fabala," Nessa whispered sincerely.

Elphaba nodded and stood, turning to face her mother. Melena handed her a small picnic basket.

"There are some potato muffins, biscuits, carrot sticks, and a water canteen. His Eminence doesn't want you to stop unless it's absolutely necessary," Melena said, not quite meeting her daughter's gaze.

"Thank you."

"You've been granted official safe passage across the border and into the Vinkus. The lieutenants have all the official papers, so you won't be stopped and searched. And this letter arrived for you yesterday."

Elphaba looked at the envelope. It was from Naoleine. She managed to get one final letter to her. "Thanks."

Melena nodded and stepped back. She didn't offer a hug or an 'I love you', her motherly instincts of the previous day forgotten, and Elphaba was sort of glad she didn't.

The green girl slung her bag over her shoulder, grabbed her suitcase, and stepped out the door, not offering her family a final goodbye. The driver was waiting to assist her, and the two lieutenants were standing on the carriage's back platform. She didn't turn around as she climbed into the carriage, not looking at her family gathered outside to see her off. The sun hadn't risen yet, so she didn't see the point in trying to see them one final time.

Her birthday had never been a big deal in the household, and she didn't expect this one to be any different. But out of all the things she could be doing early in the morning of her nineteenth birthday, traveling across Oz to get married was nowhere near the top of her wish list.

A flick of the reins, and the two horses lurched the carriage forward. Elphaba kept her gaze forward, refusing to look back as Wend Farleigh vanished into the distance. This was it. She would never see her home or her family ever again.

She removed her glasses and leaned against the window. Her body wanted to sleep, but the bumpy road and her mind traveling faster than the carriage stopped her. She wasn't looking forward to being on the road for three days. It was too dark to pass the time with reading, so she just sat in the darkness until there was enough light on the horizon.

She knew Munchkinland was huge, but she didn't realize how huge it was until it was almost dinnertime, and they were still nowhere near the border. They stopped to water the horses twice, but she was only allowed to stretch her legs the second time. The guards didn't let her venture farther than two steps away from the carriage.

Once they were back in the Yellow Brick Road, Elphaba helped herself to a few of the potato muffins. She didn't know when they would be able to stop again to rest and eat, so she ate just enough to hold her over.

After a few more miles, the carriage slowed to a stop. Elphaba peaked out the window and saw that they had arrived at The Pine Barrens Inn.

"We will be resting here for the night, Your Excellency," the first lieutenant said, opening the door and helping Elphaba down. "His Eminence has sent word of our arrival. Dinner will be sent to your room, and we will be stationed outside and around your door for your protection. We will resume traveling tomorrow morning at six o'clock."

Elphaba nodded, not hearing half of what he said. She was too tired and cranky to pay attention, and obediently followed her escorts inside.

The inn was surprisingly quiet. She figured her great-grandfather had it privatized for the night for her protection, and arranged for everyone else to stay elsewhere. She bathed and changed for bed, slipping into her dressing gown just as her dinner arrived.

She ate the salmon, corn, and carrots and handed the empty plate to the guard posted at her door. Eating and sitting on the comfortable bed improved her mood and she climbed under the covers with her novel. She opened her book, and flinched slightly when an envelope fell onto her face. She curiously flipped it over and smiled, seeing 'Fabala' on the front and recognizing her brother's handwriting. She carefully tore the envelope open.

Hi Fabala!

I hid this in your book because I knew you would see it, but I didn't want you to see it right away. I hope your trip is going okay. You're probably near the Munchkin River by now, or farther, maybe. I hope everything's okay and you're not too uncomfortable in that carriage. If it's still your birthday, happy birthday. If you found this later, I'm sorry you had to spend your birthday cooped up in a carriage.

I just wanted to say that I miss you. Even though I'm writing this while you're still here, I know you'll be far away by the time you read this.

I know you'll be busy in the Vinkus, but I want to hear about your new life if you have time. Nessa tried to discourage me from writing to you, saying you'll be too busy, but I'm keeping my promise and I'm being nice to her, especially when she's being annoying. I miss you, Fabala. Mother and Papa said we might not see you again, but I want to. I don't want to never see you again.

Nanny just called all of us down to dinner, but I think she'll send yours up to your room.

I love you, Fabala.

Your brother,

Shell

Elphaba reread the letter multiple times, feeling her brother's love through the page. Out of all the things she was glad she left behind in Munchkinland, Shell wasn't one of them. She also hoped she hadn't seen his face for the last time.

The next morning, the lieutenants pounded on her door at exactly five-thirty to wake her up. She had half an hour to prepare for their departure. She groggily went into the bathroom and freshened up. At five-fifty, a small breakfast of toast and a hard-boiled egg was brought to her. Elphaba frowned at the minuscule portions, but ate it, and at exactly six o'clock, the carriage pulled off.

As the sun came up, she pulled out Naoleine's letter.

Dearest Fabala,

I hope this letter finds you as well as can be expected. If you are stuck in that carriage on your long journey, I hope this letter can bring you some comfort.

I want to remind you that you are a strong, confident woman and I know you will make the best of this. I know you wanted to go to Shiz, but the Vinkus's rules and views on magic are less strict and taboo than Munchkinland's, so perhaps you'll find your answers there. That is a good thing coming from this situation.

I will ask Great-Grandfather to make it my job to travel to the Vinkus for diplomatic missions. Loiln and I will be navigating our new roles in the 'institution', and I will make it seem like I'm willing to try anything.

I don't know if this will make you feel better, but I'm proud of you, Fabala. You doing this means a lot to the Thropp legacy and to Munchkinland. I know you will bring your strengths to the Vinkus and make good.

All the best,

Your cousin, Naoleine

The letters and books were her only company on this lonely trip. She started to miss the rowdy carriage rides with her family. She'd give anything to have to listen to her siblings' squabbling, her mother's strict corrections, and Nanny purposefully talking to herself as loud as humanly possible.

She considered her cousin's words about the magic. She was right about the Vinkun's views on the ancient practice. Perhaps she could find her answers here. But she had to be careful. She didn't know if they knew of her magic or how they would react once they knew. Then she figured that her great-grandfather most likely didn't tell them, since he tried to ignore it even more than she did.

She found herself disassociating multiple times throughout their journey to the border, coming in and out of reality with every large bump that made the carriage jump. They were near the border when night fell and stayed in a nearby inn for the night.

Elphaba's routine repeated, with food being brought to her and being awoken early to continue the journey.

It was mid-morning when they reached the border. Elphaba had been staring out the window as they traveled through Restwater. She wanted to get a good look at the place that was stealing her freedom and make sure it was worth it. Restwater was an essential location with water and oil reservoirs and natural resources for Munchkinland, as well as home to around twenty-five hundred Munchkins.

She was about to disassociate again when a thought hit her. She was crossing the border into a strange country, and she knew absolutely nothing about the prince. Not what he liked, disliked, looked liked, or anything else. He was a complete mystery to her. And she supposed she would be one to him. That was the only fair thing she saw in this arrangement, but the more she thought about it, the more it terrified her.

Once they crossed into the Vinkus and rode through Kellswater, it started to downpour. There was no drizzle warning, it just came down and startled the entire traveling party, including the horses. Elphaba slid away from the window, but hyper-fixated on the sound of the rain hitting the carriage roof and her mind entertained itself by racing the raindrops down the window.

The rain showed no signs of letting up, which slowed the travel speed. Elphaba began to grow restless. She had spent the better part of the last seventy-two hours on the road and longed for a bed she could sleep in for longer than eight hours. She grew bored and tired of her books and no longer wished to read to pass the time. She just wanted this dreaded trip to be over.

The rest of the day was filled with heavy rain and slow speeds. Elphaba was getting a headache, and had run out of the food her mother gave her. It didn't look like they were anywhere near a town, which meant it would probably be a while before he could eat and rest again.

Since the rain had slowed their progress, their arrival at the final inn was delayed. By the time they arrived, it was early morning and though she wanted to rest, Elphaba insisted they keep going.

"There is no point in sleeping. You'll wake me in four hours anyway. We should keep going," Elphaba said, refusing to leave the carriage.

"Your Excellency, we must rest," the first lieutenant said, trying to sound alert. "We're almost to the castle and –"

"That's exactly why we should just keep going."

The second lieutenant sighed. "Your Excellency, I also believe we should rest for a few hours."

"We are delayed in our arrival, and I am sick of being on the road. I want this to be over." She sounded like Nessa when she was acting like an impatient brat, but she was exhausted and really didn't care.

The lieutenants looked at each other and agreed, against their better judgment, to do as Elphaba requested. They pulled away from the inn, bypassing their rest, and continued on the road.

By early evening, Elphaba could see Wistra Ir Castle in the distance. They were still miles away, but the fact that she could see it gave her hope.

The rain had let up a bit, but it still was coming down pretty hard. The road became flanked by forests, which provided minimal cover from the rain, but also eliminated the moonlight. Elphaba closed her eyes, knowing she was experiencing her final moments of solitude before being swamped by the Vinkun court.

Her eyes flew open when the carriage hit a hard bump, the top of her head grazing the top of the carriage. She rubbed her head, and just as the pain dissipated, they hit another bump, this one causing the carriage to stop. She felt the carriage sink a bit, but refused to move, even as the horses continued pulling. Finally, the hoofbeats stopped, and the door opened.

"The carriage appears to be stuck in the mud, Your Excellency," the first lieutenant said, offering Elphaba his hand and helping her down. He shielded her as best he could with his umbrella, but it did little good.

Elphaba turned and examined the carriage. All four wheels were stuck in small mud holes that she figured were deeper than they looked.

"The horses are too tired to pull the carriage out," the driver said, rubbing the horses' noses.

The horses let out a snort and laid down, shook their heads, and whinnied, as if agreeing with the driver.

The lieutenants began discussing what they could do to get Elphaba to the castle safely. It was too far to walk, or go back to the village they passed a while ago. The air was cold, and she didn't have any warm clothing, so she was forced to rub her hands up and down her arms for warmth. She jumped when the forest creatures started making their nightly noises, sounding too close for comfort. The moonlight was pretty much non-existent, leaving the carriage lamps as their only source of illumination.

She felt something fly past her and instinctively crouched down. The guards jumped to her side and shielded her from whatever made her react that way.

Oz, she hated the Vinkus already.

"Your Excellency, it's just an owl," the second lieutenant said.

When she looked up, she saw a small owl perched on the top of the carriage. The owl stared back at her, blinked, and cocked its head. Elphaba slowly stood, her eyes never leaving the owl. Seemingly tired of the stare-off, the owl hooted and flew away, its calls joining the chorus of forest music.

A loud bark rang over the forest sounds and Elphaba yelped. Thinking it was a baboon or another dangerous creature, the lieutenants stepped in front of Elphaba, guns drawn. A bush rustled and out leaped a beagle, wagging its tale and barking.

The guards lowered their guns slightly, but quickly raised them again. "Riders approaching!" the first lieutenant called when they heard horses.

Out of the trees, four young men on horseback emerged, following the dog, who continued barking and circling the carriage. They were dark-skinned, and wore casual shirts, vests, and riding pants. One wore a cloak, another a purple vest, another a turban, and the last wore a dark blue cap. They stopped and stared at the carriage.

The first man dismounted his horse, handing the reins to the second, who had done the same and approached the guards. He asked a question, but it was in Vinkun, which neither understood.

Elphaba thought she recognized some words, but her brain was so fuzzy that she couldn't translate anything in a way that would make it make sense. She watched as all four men dismounted and discussed something amongst themselves.

Oz, why can't they just learn to speak common Ozian? she huffed irritably, crossing her arms. The exhaustion was starting to really get to her, and she really didn't have time for an early encounter with the language barrier.

The lieutenants continued to eye the Vinkun men suspiciously. There was a chance they could help them, but there was also the chance they wouldn't.

"Can you help us?" the first lieutenant asked, and the four men looked at him oddly. "We need to get to the castle." He pointed to the large building in the distance, hoping they would somehow understand.

The purple-vested man stepped further into the light. The first thing Elphaba noticed, other than his long, black dreadlocks and ochre skin, was some type of blue tattoos going down his right cheek and neck and vanishing underneath his unbuttoned shirt. She couldn't make out exactly what the markings were, but they looked like tiny diamonds. He looked up at the Munchkin flag atop the carriage, then back at Elphaba. He tilted his head, and Elphaba assumed he was curious about her skin.

"It's not a trick of the light," she offered, though she knew he wouldn't understand her.

As she figured, he didn't understand her, but looked back at the Munchkin flag. He called to his companion with the cloak. Judging by the tone of his voice, it sounded like he was giving him an order. The cloaked man didn't look happy, but after a brief back-and-forth, he slowly unbuckled his cloak and handed it to him. The tattooed man nodded his thanks and approached her. He carefully wrapped the warm cloak around her shoulders, shielding her from the cold.

"Oh… thank you," Elphaba nodded. She motioned for her guards to fully stand down.

The now-uncloaked man asked the first a question, and after a brief back and forth, he gently ran his hands over the horses. He turned back to his friends and shook his head. He then turned to the driver and made a motion that looked like he was unhooking something.

"I think he wants you to unhook the horses from the carriage," Elphaba said, realizing what was happening. "I think they're going to use their horses to pull the carriage out of the mud."

The driver looked to the lieutenants, who nodded, and he unclipped the horses. He got them to stand and move out of the way, and the man in the turban clipped his horse and the second man's horse to the carriage. The tattooed man climbed into the driver's seat and clicked his tongue, and the horses pulled the carriage. The dog barked, tapping his paws in excitement as the carriage slowly came free from the mud.

The driver and lieutenants clapped as the tattooed man stepped down and gave the two horses a treat from his pocket. The capped man whispered something to the tattooed man, who looked back at Elphaba and nodded. The capped man then remounted his horse and offered his hand to Elphaba, asking her to ride with him.

"Oh, no. I don't know how to ride." She shook her head and pointed to the carriage.

The capped man looked at the tattooed man, then shrugged, urging his horse behind the carriage.

Elphaba untwirled the cloak from her shoulders and returned it to its owner. "Thank you."

The cloaked man took it back, gave Elphaba a deferential nod, then twirled it around his shoulders as he sat in the driver's seat and took the reins. The tattooed man opened the carriage door and offered Elphaba his hand. She took it, immediately noticing how it was strong, yet soft.

Before he could close the door, the beagle jumped into the carriage and sat at Elphaba's feet. The tattooed man said something to the dog, but the dog just looked at him and barked, nudging Elphaba's leg with his nose and sniffing her hand.

"It's alright," Elphaba said, reaching down and petting the dog, showing she approved of him riding with her.

The tattooed man playfully shook his head at the dog, who was now very comfortable in the carriage, but closed the door. He mounted his horse and took the lead. The turbaned man took the leads of the two tired horses and gave the group a thumbs up, signaling that they were ready to go. With a whistle, the larger party began their journey to the castle.

Elphaba looked out the window. These four men whom she just met and couldn't understand had helped them and were now escorting them out of the forest to Wistra Ir. The beagle demanded attention, and she affectionately scratched his ears, but didn't pull her gaze from the window. She saw the tattooed man occasionally glance back at her, and she figured it was to make sure she was alright. She would give him a small smile, and he would nod to her before turning back around.

Elphaba relaxed a bit. These men had made a good impression on her. She just hoped that whoever her betrothed was would live up to that impression.