Fiyeraba, Arranged Marriage AU
I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE AMAZING MISS TAYLOR ALISON SWIFT FOR THE MASTERPIECE THAT IS "The Tortured Poets Department" (TTPD). I STRUGGLED with picking up this story (been in development since Oct. 2023 and at some point I deleted 50 pages) and with giving it a title. Thanks to her lyrics I FINALLY found the perfect title (and ones for the chapters too!) and the story I wanted to tell.
This is literally my child.
P.S. SLOW BURN (by my standards at least). Don't say I didn't warn you. You may get frustrated. Cause people in their 20s are IDIOTS (I'm 21, I'm allowed to say this, pff)
Chapter 1: Worst Sleep That I Ever Had
Elphaba watched him breathe softly next to her and clutched the bed sheets tighter to her chest.
She stared numbly at the ceiling and, closing her eyes, took a deep breath. Despite her body desperately, achingly begging for rest after a long day and her eyes being the heaviest they've ever felt in her life, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. As carefully as she could so as to not wake him, the green girl slipped out of the large bed.
She wrapped her arms around herself and hurriedly searched the room for the robe she'd donned earlier in the night. In this moment, she despised her thin nightgown, nevermind that she'd previously been grateful for it. The breeze felt like tiny shards of glass relentlessly piercing her skin. Finally, she spotted the blue robe draped over a chair near a door - one of four within the already massive chambers. With the lightest of footsteps, Elphaba walked to it and quickly threw it on. She sighed through her nose; the soft fur inside the robe was a warm, welcomed embrace.
Elphaba didn't have the slightest clue as the where the door in front of her led to; she only knew the one behind her led to a washroom. Curious, and also desperate to place some distance between her and her new husband, she opened it.
As she looked around, Elphaba realized this new room was in fact a rather small parlor. In the gentle moonlight, she managed to make out cushioned recliners of various sizes adorning the edges of the walls. One in particular caught her eye - an 'L'-shaped settee in the corner. She walked towards it; it looked spacious enough for her to lay in with her legs stretched out if that's what she wanted. Elphaba made herself comfortable in her new bed.
A shadow flashed in the corner of her eye and Elphaba whipped her head in its direction. Her entire body tensed and she bit her cheek. A figure, a human, lingered by the cracked window. Holding her breath, she brought her knees to her chest and rested her back on the settee as if she could disappear into the cushions. Who could it possibly be for Oz's sake? Was there a possibility that the king had followed her? No, impossible. She would have heard him. Had the person been here already? Then how had she missed it? She'd scanned every nook of this room when she'd entered it. The cold wind blew and with it, the figure disappeared, morphing into curtains. It was a curtain. Elphaba chastised herself as she slumped in her seat.
It'd been a long day, she told herself. The wedding ceremony had begun before dawn, which meant Elphaba was woken up while the sky was completely black, not even the staff had woken up for their duties yet. The few ladies-in-waiting that'd been tasked with helping her that morning pulled her in a hundred different directions; first to bathe, dry, style her hair, the makeup, then came the massive, heavy wedding gown, and shoes.
She'd been happy about the veil, because it'd kept her from having to look at the groom, King Fiyero of the Vinkus, at the altar. She hadn't properly seen his face until she'd had to, when her veil was raised to seal the marriage with a kiss. She could admit that His Majesty wasn't unattractive. Unfortunately for him, he'd been tied down to her - an inexplicable walking green freak.
At the same time they'd been pronounced husband and wife, she'd been crowned queen and a heavy crown with countless blue diamonds had been placed on her head.
The kiss had been short, barely there, and he hadn't looked her in the eyes once. They'd locked arms and walked down the aisle together. A thunder of cheers erupted once they'd stepped out of the church. She hoped her smile looked convincing enough. Her cheeks had certainly ached afterwards; they still did. The carriage that escorted them throughout the kingdom had been roofless and they had waved at the mobs of people that had gathered to celebrate this 'special day'. Once the sun had begun to set, they were moved into a more private carriage to escort them back to Kiamo Ko. The air had been thick, the tension almost unbearable, and it had only been a ten minute carriage ride. It'd been the most awkward moment of her life.
At least at the time. The epitome of awkwardness had been the wedding night. She knew she should've expected something along these lines. Quiet, tense, and weird. It was pleasurable, she wouldn't deny that. The king happened to be…rather generous, but it was so painfully obvious he wasn't enjoying it, neither of them really had. He'd chosen to hide his face in her neck the entire time. For her part, she'd tried to imagine she was peacefully playing the piano. But what could they do, especially when there'd been a witness? They'd had to consummate the marriage at least once, otherwise it was as if they'd never wed. It was a miracle both of them had even managed to release.
Thankfully, he'd been so tired, he'd fallen asleep almost immediately after. If only Elphaba could've had that same luxury. And with the ten hour long reception that awaited her the next day, or rather, this morning, it was sure to be dreadful. She would look like a walking cadaver.
She supposed she should focus on the positives this marriage brought. She was out of the governor's mansion in Munchkinland for one. That was enough to make her give thanks to a supposed Unnamed God for the first time in the two decades she'd been alive.
She could come and go from her new home as she pleased and go wherever she wanted within it too - which would take a while; the castle of Kiamo Ko was enormous. She could also talk to whomever she wanted. She could eat whenever she pleased, she might even gain some weight; Oz knew she needed it, she was nothing but protruding bones with an overly sunken, sharp face. She could give different leisure activities a try rather than reread the same book countless times. She could try writing, archery, sewing, drawing, horseback riding, etc. Maybe she'd find something she truly enjoyed.
Two, she was a wealthy woman now, she could pay for anything she wanted, and what she desperately wanted was to get Nessarose, her little sister, out of the governor's mansion as soon as possible. Elphaba won't allow her to stay there another day alone. She'd find Nessa a place of her own, with someone to help her in whatever her wheelchair prevented her from doing herself. She would love to have Nessarose live in Kiamo Ko with her, but Elphaba knew her little sister. Nessarose would never accept such a thing, she might even protest having Elphaba get her a home and some help, but she was more likely to accept this than living at Kiamo Ko. At the end of the day, Elphaba just wanted Nessa safe and comfortable and happy.
She didn't think the king would care about her doing any of these things at all. Elphaba's so sure she'll hardly see him around after tomorrow, and maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing.
She felt her eyes getting heavier and heavier. She was so tired, and just thinking about the big reception made her even more exhausted. She closed her eyes and counted, but after she got to a hundred, she accepted her fate.
With a deep breath, Elphaba sat up, wincing when she realized how sore she was. She walked around the parlor, aimlessly putting one foot in front of the other as she clutched her robe. When she reached a window, she leaned against the wall and looked down outside.
How did Vinkuns have enough energy to keep celebrating this late into the night? She actually almost envied them. They were euphoric; The Vinkus had a queen - and cared less about the peculiar hue of skin. Elphaba was supposed to be their voice, the monarch closest to the people to see to their needs.
Except she hadn't the slightest idea what she was doing. She hadn't even known about her nuptials up until two weeks ago. She knew basics about how the monarchy worked in the Vinkus, how international relations were. But that was merely in theory. What it truly entailed though, the practice, she was going in blind.
She didn't know the infamously rigorous Vinkun process to establish laws nor how she'd actually oversee the needs of the people; polls, tours? Dear Oz, she didn't even have the basic understanding of how society functioned. There was only so much a book could teach and not enough time.
She felt utterly useless and desolate. Had she been set up to fail? Had that been her father's plan all along; to watch her crumble in her new role and humiliate her even more? She may not have wanted this, but that wasn't an excuse to be a bad ruler. She now had duties and responsibilities to the Vinkus, whether she liked it or not. She'd give it her all, acquire all the knowledge she needed as quickly as possible; maybe it'll even help in lightening up her spirit - to do something worthwhile.
Elphaba shut the curtains and rubbed her head.
She missed her sister, they'd never gone more than 24 hours apart and now she hadn't seen her in three days. She was worried, so worried; without Elphaba there, Nessarose was now directly in the line of fire if their father's anger flared up. She swallowed. She couldn't bear the thought of their father putting his hands on Nessarose, the last time that happened, it had been the middle of the night and Elphaba was sleeping.
Unbeknownst to her, her father had confined Nessarose to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
Sweet Oz, she just hopes, prays even, that her Nessa is alright. She'd see her tomorrow and if Elphaba had it her way, Nessarose would not be going back to Munchkinland with their father. She won't allow it.
Elphaba shook awake, nearly falling over. She'd been falling asleep standing up. She rubbed her head as she walked back to the settee to lay down. Blindly, she searched for a throw pillow to lay her head. Her achy, dense eyelids closed on their own and Elphaba at last managed to relax just enough until she fell asleep.
Even if she woke every hour, at least she was somewhat rested by the time she had to get ready; but she still felt incredibly drained. It's the worst sleep that she'd ever had; that was saying something.
Lyric Inspo:
What if I told you I'm back?
The hospital was a drag
Worst sleep that I ever had
- 'The Alchemy', TTPD, Taylor Swift.
Updates hopefully every Friday :)) and will be longer; I have a goal of at least 7k words per chapter. Bear with me; the story is completely drafted with 9 chapters fully written, I am a college senior graduating earlier than expected with a minor, currently working part-time, and applying for grad school.
HAPPY WICKED MOVIE PREMIER (U.S.)