Happy Wicked Day, everyone!
After Audition Day, life at the opera house calmed and returned to normal. The dancers were too busy with their routines to worry about their potential roles. Classes and performances went on as normal, and Elphaba and Glinda resumed their normal, secret affair.
"Two weeks," Elphaba said, looking at Glinda's reflection in the mirror as the blonde played with her hair. "In two weeks, I'm announcing myself to everyone."
"So I only get your undivided attention for two weeks before I must share you with everyone else?" Glinda asked, twirling a section of Elphaba's hair around her finger.
"Actually, it might be less. I've been summoned back to Munchkinland this weekend."
"Oh. Is everything alright?"
"Yes. It's just a Munchkin holiday that I, as a member of the governing Thropp family, must attend."
"I don't know much about Munchkin holidays."
"It's the Feast of the Harvinight. It's a major feria – that means 'holiday' – that celebrates the plentiful harvest. It usually falls on the Autumn Equinox, but not always. This year, it does. There are feasts and carnivals and parades."
"Sounds like fun."
"All after a twenty-four-hour fast."
Glinda's smile vanished as she let Elphaba's hair fall over her shoulders. "Not so fun."
Elphaba chuckled. "I don't know why there's a fast the day before. I always assumed it was for cultural reasons. Every year, my sister makes it a point to tell me the reason, and every year, I make it a point to tune her out."
"Tell me about the carnival and parade."
Luckily, the festivities were something about Munchkinland she didn't mind talking about. "Well, those who survive the fast –" She couldn't help but laugh at Glinda's expression. "The carnival is a typical autumn carnival, minus all the food stalls, since family feasts are planned for that evening. But there are lots of light refreshments and games and other activities. Towards the end is the Parade of the Giants."
"Wait… Giants?"
Elphaba nodded, pulling her hair into a low bun. "Large, hollow statues made of wood and paper mâché. Dancers hide inside and carry them on their shoulders as they dance through the streets. They are figures of popular historical and storybook characters of Munchkinland." She smiled. "It was my favorite part of the holiday as a child. While the adults talked about how they symbolize the essence of unity of the community, tradition, and heritage, I was trying to figure out how those large statues didn't topple over."
"Did you ever figure it out?"
"Large straps, wires, and strong backs." She glanced over at her friend. "Come with me."
"Where?"
"To Munchkinland."
Glinda blinked. "Really?"
"You'd love the festival."
"I don't know if I'd be able to get away for the whole weekend."
"Just say the Governor of Munchkinland personally invited you."
"What if your sister –"
"I'll deal with Nessarose later. And you won't have to fast."
"I…" She wanted to. She really wanted to. "I'll discuss it with Ama Clutch, and I'll let you know." Let her Ama deal with the logistics.
…
"Ama?" Glinda called when she returned to the townhouse that evening. Ama Clutch wasn't in the carriage, which was unlike her. She found her Ama sitting in the parlor, wrapped in a blanket and nursing a warm drink.
"Glinda," Ama Clutch smiled, then coughed.
"Are you alright?"
"Just a touch of the fall flu, Duckie. Nothing to worry about," Ama Clutch said, though she held up her hand to stop Glinda from approaching her. "Good performance this evening?"
"Yes," Glinda said, trying not to appear thrown off by this sudden hiccup. "Um… I've been invited –" She paused so she wouldn't have to shout over Ama Clutch's coughs, "– to Munchkinland this weekend."
"Munchkinland?" Ama Clutch rasped, taking a sip of her drink. "By Elphaba?"
"Yes. Elphaba invited me to her home in Munchkinland to celebrate their harvest festival."
The older woman cleared her throat. "I don't know if I'll be fit for a long travel."
"I could… go alone."
"Alone?! Out of the question!"
"Not completely alone. I would travel with Elphaba."
"You wish to travel unchaperoned to another providence with your chumming lover? No, Glinda."
"But –"
"Why, if your parents heard your talk –"
"I'm twenty-three years old, Ama. I can manage a trip by myself. You don't trust me?"
"That's not the point, Duckie. It's highly improper for –"
Glinda tuned out the rest of Ama Clutch's speech. She already knew what she was going to say. It's highly improper for a young lady to go out without her hat and gloves. It's highly improper for a young lady to talk too loudly in public. It's highly improper for a young lady to go on an unchaperoned trip with her lover.
Glinda was pulled back to the present by another coughing fit. Her Ama's dry coughs wracked her body, and she quickly pulled the older woman into her arms and helped her to her feet.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, thinking her protests had upset her condition. She didn't want to make either situation worse. She would come up with a plan to discuss it the following day. But right now, she had to help Ama Clutch to bed.
The older woman tiredly accepted her young charge's assistance. Once she was assured that Ama Clutch was comfortable, Glinda went back downstairs and made herself a cup of tea. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew there was a good chance she'd be stuck here with her non-Munchkin coffee and her non-existent giants' parade that weekend.
…
Glinda didn't bring up Munchkinland for the next few days. She could see that Ama Clutch still hadn't shaken her cold, and figured that the answer would still be 'no'.
Elphaba told her she'd be leaving Friday morning, so she had until Thursday night to let her know whether she'd be joining her. Thursday morning, as she packed her dance bag for the day, she also prepared to tell Elphaba that unfortunately, she'd have to stay behind.
"Glinda," Ama Clutch coughed as she appeared in the doorway of Glinda's bedroom.
Glinda looked up. "Ama."
"I've thought it over. And… you're respectable and have grown into a responsible young lady. And I feel that it would be beneficial for you to experience a different culture."
She carefully brightened. "You mean…"
"I will not be able to accompany you, but I will not forbid you from going with Elphaba to Munchkinland."
The blonde jumped up with a huge grin and went to hug her Ama, but the older woman stopped her.
"You won't be able to go if you also get sick."
She lowered her arms. "Right. But thank you, Ama."
"And I don't believe this requires your parents' knowledge, unless you choose to tell them."
Glinda, of course, wouldn't choose to. But she accepted Ama Clutch's roundabout promise to keep this secret. "Yes. Thank you."
"Good. You should go now. The driver is downstairs waiting for you."
Glinda grabbed her bag and put on her hat and gloves before hurrying down. She was completely giddy the entire carriage ride to the opera house. She wouldn't have time to tell Elphaba before her partnering class, but if she hurried after, perhaps they could have a celebratory lunch together.
"What's all this, then?" Ama Clutch coughed from the doorway, noting all of Glinda's clothes lying haphazardly across the room.
Glinda's head peeked out from inside her wardrobe. "I have nothing to wear to Munchkinland!"
"Nonsense, Duckie. You have so many clothes."
Glinda came out and studied her mess. "I don't want to stand out too much. I'll be staying in the Governor's Mansion as a special guest."
"You're just going for three days."
"I'll buy proper Munchkin attire once I'm there," Glinda brightened at her idea, ecstatic that she thought of it.
Ama Clutch coughed. "You should finish packing and get ready for bed, Duckie."
"Elphaba said she'll be here tomorrow morning at ten."
"And you will drive yourself crazy if you pack everything tomorrow morning."
Glinda finished packing her valise and placed it next to her door. She readied herself for bed and tucked herself in, but didn't go to sleep. Her mind was swirling with thoughts of Elphaba and their trip to Munchkinland. Once she finally did go to sleep, her thoughts visualized in her dreams, and she sleepily grinned as she dreamt of being in Elphaba's arms, surrounded by the smells of a festive fall festival.
…
Hours later, Glinda woke up with the sun. She allowed herself only a few tick-tocks to lay in bed before she pushed herself up and hurried into the bathroom to get ready. As she passed Ama Clutch's room, she noticed the light was still off. Figuring she still hadn't shaken her cold, Glinda got ready by herself. Washed and dressed in her undergarments, she put on her dressing gown and hurried downstairs to breakfast.
"Good morning, Ama," Glinda said when Ama Clutch slowly came in while she was in the middle of her meal.
The older woman looked up at Glinda and forced a small smile. "Good morning, Duckie." Her hair was uncombed, and her robe was loosely and lazily tied. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she looked like she got less sleep than Glinda. In short, there wasn't a single improvement in her health. "Are you ready for Munchkinland?"
"I am, but…"
"But what?"
"Perhaps I shouldn't go."
"… Excuse me?"
"You're still unwell, and I don't think I should –"
"Glinda Arduenna Upland, don't you dare think of saying another word. You convinced me that you're mature enough to travel alone, and I agreed. I will not entertain any notion of any second-guessing."
"But Ama –"
"You will go to Munchkinland, and you will have a good time with Elphaba. That's final. Now, finish your breakfast." She sat down with a soft grunt and took a large gulp of coffee.
Glinda obeyed and they shared the rest of their breakfast in silence. Once she was done, she excused herself to finish getting dressed. She soon returned downstairs in a long-sleeved white blouse tucked into a floor-length dark blue skirt and matching button-up vest. She loved the way the soft, cotton skirt brushed against her stockinged legs, and the material was ideal for traveling.
"You have ten minutes, Glinda," Ama Clutch said. She also had the chance to freshen up, and no longer looked like walking death.
Glinda placed her valise by the door, hurried to her Ama, and wrapped her arms tightly around her, clinging tighter when she felt Ama Clutch try to gently push her away.
"Glinda –"
"I love you."
The older woman froze. It had been years since she heard those three words from her young charge. Yes, she knew, and the sentiment was always there, and there were hugs and kisses, but to actually hear those words spoken aloud was a different story. It made her heart melt. She knew Glinda rarely heard or said those words to her parents, and love was reserved only for her. And now… for Elphaba.
"I love you, too, Glinda. So much," Ama Clutch smiled, giving her a final squeeze before pulling away. "Have fun."
"I will."
Right on time, Glinda heard a coach pulling up, and looked out the windows, bouncing on her toes when she saw Elphaba's face through the window. "She's here!" She grabbed her valise and flew out the door.
Elphaba opened the door before the carriage came to a full stop. She stepped down and mentally prepared herself to be attacked in a hug. But surprisingly, Glinda managed to stop her momentum before colliding with the green woman, neatly set her bag down, and tamely greeted her friend. "Hi, Elphie."
"Good morning, Glinda," Elphaba smiled, hiding her surprise at the fact that she was still standing. "Are you ready?"
"Yes." She grabbed her bag and accepted Elphaba's helping hand into the coach. She looked out the window and waved to Ama Clutch as Elphaba climbed back in and knocked on the top. Glinda continued waving until the townhouse was out of sight. "I'm very excited," she continued as they traveled down the road.
"I'm happy you're able to join me," Elphaba said.
"How long is the journey?"
"Four hours."
"That's it?" She wasn't expecting to arrive in Munchkinland before dinner time.
Elphaba smirked. "We're not traveling by coach the entire way, my sweet. We're going to the train station."
Glinda blinked. "Oh." She supposed she should've asked about traveling arrangements sooner. "That's… much more ideal."
"Indeed."
"Are you excited to return home? Or, well, maybe 'excited' isn't the correct word."
"I am looking forward to the festival. I will survive being home. My family isn't horrible. Just… different." She looked out the window. "The day after I sent Nessa a letter saying I'll return home for the weekend, I received a letter from her saying I'd better return home for the weekend if I knew what's good for me."
"Am I allowed to ask questions about your family without putting you under duress, seeing as I'm about to meet them in less time than I thought?"
Elphaba nodded, smiling to herself when Glinda remembered what she had said all those months ago. "I'll give you a brief rundown that will hopefully answer some of them. Nessarose is a pain in my ass. She is very high maintenance, demanding, spoilt, and requires everything she engages in to be perfect."
"Oh."
"But I love her to death. I'm devoted to her. She always tried to tell me otherwise ever since I left Munchkinland, but she needed to learn how to stand on her own two feet… so to speak. And she wouldn't be the strong Governor she is today if I was still around to cater to her. Now she has people she pays to cater to her." She took a breath. "Weeks ago, you asked me what I would be doing if I weren't here, and I said 'Exactly what everyone else expected of me'. Everyone expected me to stay in Munchkinland and care for Nessa. Be her glorified servant."
"You also mentioned you have a brother."
"Yes. Sheltergod. My little Shelly. He's… he should be around twenty years old by now."
"You don't know how old your brother is?"
"I do. It's just… been a while."
Their coach pulled into the train station, and Elphaba put their conversation on hold. She opted to take both their bags, since hers was smaller than Glinda's, and led her onto the platform. They only had to wait a few minutes before the express train to Munchkinland pulled in. Glinda moved to board at the nearest door, but Elphaba redirected her towards the rear of the train.
"What's this?" Glinda asked as Elphaba led her into a luxury car.
"Being the Governor of Munchkinland's older sister has its perks," Elphaba said as she carefully placed their bags on a chair.
Glinda sank into the plush chair and sighed. "It's so soft."
"Nessa rarely travels by train, since she rarely leaves Munchkinland, so this car isn't used very often. I know she wishes I'd use it more, but I digress. I was about to tell you about my brother, wasn't I?"
Glinda nodded and Elphaba sat across from her.
"Like I said, he should be twenty. He's studying at the University of Munchkinland. At least, he should be. He's not much of an academic. He prefers being out in the "real world", rather than reading about the real world in books."
"Sounds like you two have much in common," Glinda joked.
Elphaba cracked a smile. "I wish he shared my love of sitting down and being quiet. It would've made raising him much easier."
"You raised your brother?"
Elphaba noted her own slip, but didn't backtrack. "Yes. My mother died when I was seven, and I'm seven years older than Shell."
Glinda's mouth formed an 'o'.
"Father was busy chasing his lost causes to distract himself from his wife's death, and our Nanny was so busy tending to Nessa, that Shell sort of fell by the wayside. Someone had to become responsible for keeping him out of trouble." She sat up straighter. "I like to think I did a decent job. Although, raising him has put me off the idea of having children."
"I'm sure you did a fantastic job," Glinda said, resting her hand on top of Elphaba's.
The green woman smiled, and they spent the rest of the ride snacking and watching the passing scenery. All too soon, the serene country was replaced with fields of corn rows and the train started to slow.
"Before we disembark, I must warn you. Until Nessa marries and has a child, I'm the heir to the Eminency. That means once we enter Munchkinland, there will be increased security."
"Alright."
"Also, I come from a family of Unionists, mostly my father and sister. While I don't share their beliefs, I've found it much easier to not talk about religion to or around them. That also means…" She bit her lip, but forced herself to continue. "We can't… be as we are in the Emerald City."
"I understand." She understood, but she didn't like it. Of course she didn't. Why would she?
"In public, of course, but also in private as well. We can't risk being discovered."
"I understand, Elphie."
Elphaba gave her a gentle look, and she knew immediately what it meant.
"I understand, Elphaba," she corrected herself.
Elphaba immediately missed hearing the perky nickname. But she'd rather be safe than sorry. This would make dealing with her family much easier. Besides, it was just for the weekend. Nothing permanent.
The train pulled into the station. Elphaba and Glinda stood, and as soon as the trains stopped, two men in silver guard uniforms boarded the train car and bowed to Elphaba.
"Your Excellency."
Glinda felt the air around them grow colder. Elphaba straightened and something about her shut off. She nodded to the men, permitting them to speak.
"I am Warrant Officer Jymth, and this is Deputy Officer Empy. We will escort you to Colwen Grounds," the first officer said.
"Thank you, Officers," Elphaba nodded, using an official tone Glinda had never heard her use before. "This is my friend, Miss Glinda Upland."
"Miss Upland," Officer Jymth nodded, and motioned for Officer Empy to take their bags. "Just the two bags, ma'am?"
"Correct."
Once their bags were collected, the girls were escorted off the train and into the carriage.
"I'm surprised Nessa sent the official carriage for me," Elphaba admitted once they were on their way.
"Just the two men didn't seem so bad," Glinda mused.
"It's not just them. There's security hiding all along the route. Don't bother looking for them. They're good at their jobs."
"Oh." Glinda looked out the window. People were setting up decorations and booths for the harvest celebration, and the air was filled with spiced pumpkins, apples, and other sweet and savory smells.
"Is that it?" Glinda asked, seeing an expansive mansion atop a large hill.
Elphaba followed her gaze out the window. "This is it. Colwen Grounds."
