Apologies for not updating 2 days ago. I was exhausted from work.
Elphaba breathed a sigh of relief as the carriage rolled through the large gates. After four days of traveling, she finally made it. She was exhausted and hungry, and wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed. She looked out the window at the courtyard, illuminated by large torches along the path. The carriage slowly came to a stop at the base of the castle steps, where a middle-aged man was waiting. His hands were stuffed in his jacket pockets, but he stood at attention when the door opened and the second lieutenant helped Elphaba down, quickly followed by the beagle.
The man looked at the four young men who accompanied her and quietly conversed with them as stable boys came to collect their horses. They seemed to be pleading their case for something, and they all looked back at Elphaba before returning to their conversation.
"This is where we must part, Your Excellency," the first lieutenant said with a deferential nod as he handed her suitcase to a castle servant.
Elphaba frowned. "But what about… how will you…"
"I believe the horses have enough energy to get us to the inn. You are in the safe hands of the Vinkuns now."
"Very well." She wasn't happy about them leaving her so soon, but dragging this out would make it worse. "Thank you for your service."
The men saluted, bowed, and harnessed their horses. Elphaba watched as they drove away, and when she turned back, only the middle-aged man was there, with the four younger ones nowhere in sight.
"Welcome to Vinkus," the man said in broken Munchkin with a very heavy Vinkun accent. "I Vjorn Filith, High Chancellor to Chieftain Marilott."
"Chancellor Filith," Elphaba nodded, grateful that he at least spoke Munchkin, albeit very badly.
"Oz's thanks for your arrival safe. Come." He motioned for her to follow him and quickly marched up the steps without waiting for her.
Elphaba followed as fast as she could, her tiredness and damp clothes weighing her down. It wasn't lost on her that he didn't seem surprised or put-off by her skin. Did they all know already? Even if they did, she wasn't used to people just not caring about it. Then she figured he knew it was improper to stare, given that she was about to marry the prince.
"You bring no attendants?" he asked once she caught up.
"No. No one accompanied me to stay." Her side of the heirdom didn't have access to a Colwen Grounds-sized staff.
He hummed. "Dinner is served, so you meet with Chieftain Marilott and Chieftess Baxiana now."
She shook her head. "No." She didn't know if she had the right to refuse, but she was too exhausted to care. "Chancellor, I am tired from my travels. I will eat, then I wish to bathe and rest. I cannot meet the Chieftain now."
The Chancellor looked surprised, not expecting the refusal. "But Chieftain and Chieftess wait to meet you."
"Please ask them to wait until tomorrow, with my apologies. I am wearing wet traveling clothes, and I smell like I've been traveling for four days. I'm in no condition to meet them."
"I ask, but make no promises. Chieftain is impatient."
She hoped that excuse would grant her wishes. "I would like to be shown to my room."
He shouted something in Vinkun down the hall and soon, a young page ran up and bowed. "Follow Sponk."
"Thank you, Chancellor," she nodded, and followed the young boy around the maze of the castle.
He led her down a long, winding corridor and stopped in front of a large, wooden door that looked too heavy to open on her own.
The young boy opened it easily and bowed his head as she entered, closing it behind her.
She looked around, taking in the four-poster bed under a canopy of sheer white netting, a small writing desk and chair, a wardrobe, walls lined with tapestries, and floors lined with soft carpet. A door next to the window led to a small, adjoining bathroom with a simple toilet, sink, and tub.
Her suitcase was at the foot of the bed, but hadn't been unpacked. She quickly slipped out of her wet outerwear, put on her dressing gown, and removed her headscarf. She had pulled her hair into a messy bun, not feeling fancy for traveling, and ran her hand through her hair.
A single knock and the door opened. Elphaba jumped and whipped around. "Chancellor!"
"Chieftain unhappy with waiting, but agreed. Chieftess upset not meeting you tonight. They send food," he said, unfazed at the started young woman. He motioned for the young maid standing next to him with a tray of hot food and a goblet of a thick liquid to place both on the desk. "Tomorrow, you meet royal family in morning." He closed the door before getting her response.
Elphaba sat down to eat, but stopped when she caught a whiff of the food. She didn't recognize any of the spices, nor knew what kind of meat she was eating. She started with the roasted tomatoes and broccoli, also heavily seasoned, but a safer bet. The meat was drenched in sauce, and she scrapped it off, using it on the vegetables instead. She decided to take a small bite of the meat to see if she liked it, or could even recognize it. She was never a big meat eater, but wasn't a strict vegetarian, either. She took one small bite, and that was all she took. She tried to wash it down with whatever was in the goblet, but she almost choked on its thickness. It had the consistency of a creamy gravy, which wasn't her ideal beverage.
Figuring that since she survived with little food the past few days, one more night wouldn't kill her. She grabbed her toiletries from her bag and drew herself a bath. Once she had bathed and relaxed a bit, she changed into a nightdress and slipped into bed.
It felt good to be cocooned in the soft sheets and a warm blanket. The adrenaline wore off and she was instantly asleep, her body releasing all the tension of the last few days and for the first time in months, she was able to get a full night's sleep.
The next morning didn't start as quietly as the previous day ended. She was awoken to the sounds of loud rummaging and screamed when she opened her eyes to two umber-skinned women in her room. They were young, looking slightly older than her. She stared at them, pulling the sheets up to her chest. They stared back, then began addressing her in Vinkun, speaking so fast their words mushed together.
"Stop," she commanded, holding up her hand, and the two instantly silenced, almost as if she had magicked them. But she knew she didn't. "I…" Come on, Elphaba. You practiced with Nessa. Don't let it all go to waste. "Iqi re yû?" 'Who are you?'
The women looked at each other, then back to Elphaba. "Ya Sissalíne Iñkaj," the shorter girl with long, micro-braids said, bowing slightly.
"Ya Tsie Tylov," the silver-haired girl said, doing the same. "Ye yíl ceur yû azen yus prinzinne."
Elphaba caught 'serve' and 'you princess', and figured that they would be her attendants. They wore colorful dresses that wrapped around their bodies and lace shawls, and she figured they weren't maids, but were related to high-ranking officials or nobility. "Sissalíne. Tsie," she nodded, and the young woman smiled kindly.
Elphaba hated that she didn't have a translator available. Why had they expected her to master the Vinkun language enough to communicate effortlessly by herself? She was by herself in this strange country with a strange language and strange food. Nothing was familiar to her, and she had nothing to grasp onto.
Sissalíne whispered something to Tsie, though whispering was pointless because of the language barrier. Tsie looked unsure, but bowed to Elphaba and hurried out. Sissalíne looked from Elphaba to the suitcase and tried to ask basic questions, and Elphaba answered to the best of her ability.
Tsie soon returned, this time with a slightly older woman in a maid's uniform. The maid looked shocked, but quickly bowed. "Your Excellency."
Elphaba's shoulders relaxed. "You speak Munchkin."
"Yes, Excellency. I am from Dragon Cupboard." She rose, brushing her red hair back into her maid's cap, then asked Tsie something. After a brief back and forth, the maid turned back to Elphaba. "They wish to know if the apartment is to your liking."
"Oh. Yes."
The maid translated and Sissalíne and Tsie started bombarding her with questions. With the maid's help, Elphaba learned that Sissalíne was the High Ekpe's daughter, and Tsie was the daughter of a lesser tribe leader. Both had high peerage in the Vinkun court.
"Breakfast will be served soon. Do you have any suitable clothes?" the maid translated.
Elphaba knew Nanny had packed her purple sabai dresses with the silver lace overlay that she wore to Naoleine's wedding. She didn't know how showing up to breakfast in full Munchkin traditional attire would go over, but it was a much better idea than going down in old traveling clothes. "Yes. I have a sabai in my suitcase."
The maid pointed and the girls got to work. They started trying to undress her, but Elphaba stopped them.
"I need to bathe first."
The maid translated and the Vinkun women looked confused. "They were told you bathed last night, so they are confused as to why you wish to bathe again this morning. Bathing is only required at night before bed to wash away all the day's impurities. You do not gain impurities while sleeping."
"It is a personal preference," was all Elphaba said before disappearing into the bathroom. She heard footsteps and locked the door. The doorknob jiggled, then the footsteps retreated.
Am I no longer allowed privacy? she thought as she stripped and ran her bath. She emerged twenty minutes later in basic underclothes and a slip.
The two ladies helped her into her fancy attire, and Elphaba insisted on tying her ahai herself, knowing the Vinkun women wouldn't know how to do it properly. She tied it into an infinity loop, just like the way Nessa wore it, and looked at herself in the mirror.
"You cover your hair, yet you are not married?" the maid translated when Tsie pointed to her headscarf and asked a question.
"Yes. It's Munchkin tradition, which I wish to continue to follow."
The ladies exchanged a look, but said nothing else about it. Once they finished, they showered her with what sounded like compliments, but the maid didn't get a chance to translate, since a loud knock interrupted her.
"Excellency, morning," the High Chancellor bowed when Tsie opened the door. "Breakfast is served."
"Thank you," Elphaba nodded and made to follow him, but stopped and turned to the maid. "What is your name?"
"Inash, Your Excellency," the maid bowed.
"Thank you, Inash," Elphaba nodded, then followed the High Chancellor out, feeling the two women trailing behind her.
They walked for a while, then stopped in front of two large double doors.
"Wait here," the Chancellor said. He knocked on the door and swiftly entered, the doors slamming behind him.
Elphaba waited patiently, nervously playing with her fingers. She felt butterflies in her stomach, and thankfully, none came up. She could hear voices inside, and before she could think about trying to decipher what was being said, the doors opened again.
"Come," the Chancellor said, motioning for her to follow him inside.
She did, first noticing how Sissalíne and Tsie didn't follow her inside. The second thing she noticed was that everyone was sitting on mats and pillows on the floor, around a low, circular table, covered with food. Six people; two men and four women, all older than her, all turned as she entered. She tried not to appear as nervous as she felt. She had to have an air of confidence about her. But not too much, or it would appear fake.
"Grand Chieftain of the illustrious Arjiki Clan, Highest House of the Vinkus, may I present Her Excellency, Elphaba Melena Thropp, Thropp Eighth Descending of Munchkinland's Nest Hardings," the Chancellor said.
He spoke in Vinkun, but Elphaba knew what he was saying since he was following the introduction script her tutor forced her to memorize. The elder couple rose from the table first, and the others followed suit.
Elphaba walked up to the Chieftain and Chieftess first, clicked her heels once, and stiffly dropped to her knee with her right hand over her heart, bowing her head. Her exhaustion stopped her from being as graceful as she probably should've been while setting a first impression. "Your Grandnesses."
The Chieftain nodded, and Elphaba rose. To her surprise, the Chieftess took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. She froze. This wasn't part of the protocol she studied. What was she supposed to do?
"Welcome, child," the Chieftess smiled, then took over the introductions. She introduced the High Prince and Princess, the Young Dowager Princess, and her granddaughter, the Prinzinne, then instructed her to sit at the empty spot at their table.
The Young Dowager Princess didn't look happy that the newcomer would be sitting next to her, but didn't voice her opinions as Elphaba took her seat. She took a quick inventory of her company. They were all dark-skinned, wearing brightly colored clothing that didn't follow a specific color palette, but still went well together. The Chieftess and High Princess wore tight headwraps, while the Young Dowager Princess and Prinzinne didn't, and Elphaba figured that it was because the latter two weren't married, remembering Tsie's question from earlier.
The table buzzed with conversation, and Elphaba was surprised at how much she was able to pick up on. Perhaps she had learned more in her tutoring sessions than she realized.
"Your journey was agreeable, Elphaba?" the High Princess asked.
"The rain slowed our travel," Elphaba said, carefully eating around the meat that was on her plate.
The table looked at her oddly, and she hoped it was due to her heavy Munchkin accent and not that she wasn't eating.
"You don't eat meat?" the Young Dowager Princess asked, her tone judgmental.
"It's very thick and… saucy. I don't know what I'm eating." She wasn't trying to be rude, simply answering the questions asked of her.
"Venison."
Elphaba blinked at her plate. Venison for breakfast? "When do I meet the prince?"
The Chieftain loudly cleared his throat. "You both will have much to prepare for before the wedding in four days –"
"Four days?" Elphaba repeated, thinking she hadn't translated correctly.
"That is correct." The Chieftain gave her the same look her great-grandfather would give her when she interrupted him, and she bit her lip. "Would've been five if we met last night."
"Appa, she was tired," the High Princess said gently.
The Chieftain huffed, but said nothing more about it. "You will meet Prince Fiyero at the Ritjana Feast."
"That's the big feast hosted the night before a wedding," the Prinzinne offered, giving Elphaba a polite smile.
Elphaba couldn't return the smile, though she was relieved to finally have her betrothed's name, at least. "Am I not allowed to meet him before?"
"The prince has many responsibilities that take most of his time. He doesn't have time for trivial matters," the Young Dowager Princess frowned.
"Sarima," the High Princess sighed.
So meeting his future wife was considered a 'trivial matter'? "I just… was unaware the wedding would be so soon." Had her great-grandfather known the wedding date when the contract was signed? She hadn't seen anything about it, then remembered she'd only skimmed it briefly and never fully read it.
"Is there anything you're aware of? Or are all Munchkins dim?" Sarima huffed.
"Sarima!" the Chieftess chided.
"I am aware that things are done differently here," Elphaba said evenly, struggling to maintain politeness. "But I wasn't raised here."
The Young Dowager Princess scowled and glared at Elphaba. "Then perhaps you should return to Munchkinland."
"Sarima!" the Chieftess exclaimed. "That is more than enough!"
Sarima crossed her arms and turned away. The Chieftain frowned and stood, making everyone follow suit. He ended breakfast with a wave of his hand and led the procession out. Elphaba was the last to exit, turning just as servants cleared her unfinished food.
Sissalíne and Tsie discreetly stole her away from the royal family and escorted her back to her room. Once she was alone, Elphaba rummaged through her suitcase and pulled out her letter from Shell. She went from one family who didn't want her to another family who also didn't want her. She was rereading his comforting words when she heard voices outside. She looked out her window to see the royal family taking a walk in the gardens together, but she recognized all the faces, which meant Prince Fiyero wasn't with them.
She stayed in her room until lunch, but insisted she eat alone in her room due to a pounding headache. Her attendants figured she didn't have a headache, and tried to convince her to go down, speaking slowly and giving her a chance to understand them. Elphaba held firm to her request, and they were in no position to argue, so lunch was brought up to her.
She had just finished when someone knocked on the door. Figuring it was someone coming to collect her plates, she called for them to enter. But it wasn't a plate-collector.
"Elphaba," the younger princess greeted her future sister-in-law.
Elphaba made to curtsy, then remembered that women bowed in the Vinkus. Just another thing that was different that she would have to get used to. "Prinzinne."
"Hannalyn," she corrected, "I want to make sure you're alright."
Elphaba nodded, but judging by Hannalyn's face, she wasn't very convincing.
"Sarima is not a mean person. She… has lived a tough life."
"Her family also sold her and heavily hinted that it was because they were tired of looking at her?"
Hannalyn frowned. "She… cares deeply for my brother. If she came off as rude -"
She chuckled humorlessly. "She was rude. She wants me to return home, and I desire the same thing."
"I understand your frustration. You were placed in a hard predicament. I cannot imagine what you must think and feel about all this."
"I am in a strange country with nothing from home but a small suitcase. Everything here is foreign to me, yet I am trying. I am being forced into an arranged marriage with someone I'm not allowed to meet until hours before our wedding." She met her gaze. "Can you imagine it now?"
Hannalyn rolled her lips. "I can. But you are foreign to us, too. We knew nothing about you prior to your arrival, and now we must accept you into our family. This is jarring for all of us. So you understand where we are coming from, yes?"
Elphaba stared at her, and for a moment, Hannalyn thought she hadn't understood her, but before she could clarify, Elphaba beat her to it. "Yes. I do." She understood, but that didn't make it okay, but perhaps agreeing with the princess would end this conversation.
"You agree with me, but do not think it true."
"I understand, but I do not like the Young Dowager Princess. And I know she does not like me."
"Give her another chance. I promise, if you knew what happened –"
"What happened?"
Hannalyn looked like she'd said too much. "It is not my place to say. But believe me, she's not a mean person."
"Yes, Prinzinne." She hadn't forgotten the royal's request to be addressed by her name, but she hoped the distance she created signaled a requested end to the conversation.
"How old are you, Elphaba?"
So she didn't take the hint. "Nineteen."
"Nineteen? You're only nineteen? That's a child."
She chuckled humorlessly. "Not in Munchkinland. You legally become an adult at seventeen. I turned nineteen five days ago... the day I began my journey."
"Oh."
"I know the legal age is twenty-one here."
Hannalyn frowned at her tone, but slowly got the hint that Elphaba wanted to be left alone, and figured that it was best she take the bait before something regrettable happened. "You are still tired from your journey, so I will let you rest."
The green girl bowed as the princess left. The last thing she wanted to do was understand and empathize with anyone else's feelings. Given her position in the situation, she felt shouldn't have to. She didn't expect any sympathy from these people, but she expected not to be gaslit into thinking her valid feelings were wrong.
The hardest part of all of this was having to remind herself that she was a stranger in their land, and about to marry into their royal family in mere days, and that fear made her feel helpless and vulnerable. She knew she didn't have the upper hand in anything, but she refused to appear the way she felt.
She was going to have to take as many matters as she could into her own hands.
One more chapter of 'PART 1: Elphaba's Munchkinland'.