Chapter 5: Hitting My Marks
Elphaba anxiously read over the notes she'd taken the previous night. Every new glance brought on a new idea or question that she scrambled to get into words.
'Teachers'. Yes! 'Meet for discussion of materials'. The building of new schools would be entirely in her hands. Oh the irony of her never attending one herself. She had no clue how traditional, public schooling operated. Who better to tell her what would be needed in a classroom than the teachers themselves. They would be of great assistance to her in this project.
"Oh! Alright, I'll just - ooh! Um, Your Majest - um," Mina trailed behind her mistress, nearly colliding with the furniture. Eventually, realizing the queen wasn't hearing her, she quickened her steps and stood in front of her. "Your Majesty."
"Oh my - dear Oz, Mina," Elphaba pressed her palm to her forehead. "You frightened me."
"My apologies, my lady. However, I can't place the tiara on your head as you walk."
"Right, of course. How thoughtless of me."
"Oh no, Your Majesty. I understand. You've got important matters to attend to in less than an hour."
Elphaba sat on her desk stool, the papers in her hands still the sole focus of her attention. As stiff as she could be, Elphaba continued to write while pins were shoved into her hair. A new weight rested on her head.
"All finished, Your Majesty," Mina said and tended to the bedsheets.
The young queen finished her final sentence, then took in her appearance for the first time that morning. She'd asked her lady-in-waiting to fetch her a black dress. She'd intended for it to help produce a mature appearance. Present herself to the council as the young woman who would now co-rule the Vinkus. It seemed to serve its purpose well. Buttons scaled from her waist to a high collar, elongating her stature. Pins hid between the few ruffles of the skirt to adjust so the bodice hugged her small frame. The long sleeves were its tightest at the shoulders and flowed freely from her elbow to her wrists. Mina had styled her hair in a number of braids that then wrapped around a foam cylinder outlining the base of her head.
"Thank you, Mina."
The teen, who had finished making the bed, gave a nod. "My pleasure, my lady. Shall I escort you to the throne room?"
"Um," Elphaba gathered her notes and quill, tucking them in the crook of her arm. "Actually, I'd very much like to see my sister beforehand."
"Of course."
The two of them walked together to Nessarose's chambers, which they wouldn't be for much longer. Nessa and Val's home was coming together nicely and quicker than Elphaba had anticipated. Her little sister may very well be out of the castle before the end of the week.
Elphaba knocked on the door.
"Come in!"
"Good morning, Nessa," Elphaba greeted.
"Morning Fabala! My, don't you look beautiful?"
The green girl smiled and approached the bed. "Thank you, my sweet. How did you sleep?"
"Very well! Oh, I'm looking forward to today!"
"Why is that?" Elphaba held the wheelchair in place while Nessarose maneuvered herself towards the edge of the bed. The young teen placed her paralyzed feet on the ground. Using her strength, Nessa gripped the arms of her chair and raised herself to prevent her legs from sustaining any weight. She moved from the bed to her chair with ease, a second nature to her now.
"Val and I are close to finishing selecting all the furniture. All that's needed are our beds and that's what we'll be doing today."
"I don't think you've told me what selections you've made so far."
"I haven't? Well, it's really not much. Val is not one to spend the day sitting down and I do enough as it is," Nessarose chuckled at herself and Elphaba smiled. She wheeled her sister to the washroom and took the opportunity to look over her notes yet again. "We selected two large chesterfields, large enough to cover the length of the wall."
"Mhm?"
"We've decided to place them in the living room, that large room near the entrance. We chose a beautiful dining set. I can't wait for you to see it, sister. It's simply exquisite..."
Elphaba nodded absentmindedly. She couldn't think of anything else to write down concerning the exports' taxes. She had no idea what the sales numbers looked like. She would have to wait, which only sparked an uneasiness in her, as if she was unprepared for the meeting.
"Val mentioned that - Fabala?"
"Hm?"
"Are you listening to me?"
"Of course."
Nessarose very much doubted it. Her sister hadn't so much as glanced at her since she came back from the washroom. "Mhm. As I was saying, Val mentioned that after finding our beds, we should find a nice stable and roll in the mud with the pigs."
"Oh?"
"Elphaba!" Nessa hit purposely collided with the green girl's dress. Elphaba nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Oh for - ! Nessarose, don't scare me like that," she chastised.
"I was merely trying to get your attention. You seem a bit distracted today."
"I - I do? Forgive me, Nessa, I'm…"
"Are you alright, sister? You seem apprehensive."
"I'm…I guess I'm nervous about the meeting. I'm sorry, my sweet. I didn't mean to ignore you."
"No worries, but Fabala surely this meeting can't be so dreadful? You're trembling," Nessarose placed her hands over the young queen's and Elphaba breathed out. She set the pages of notes down on the bed and let her hands be held.
"This meeting marks the official beginning of my duties as queen of the Vinkus. I…I arrived here with mere breadcrumbs as to what responsibilities would be thrust upon me."
"Do you at least know what you'll discuss?"
"I do, and not much else. Which is precisely why I need to demonstrate that I know what I'm talking about. I want the members of the Privy Council to respect me and my input. Show them that I'm dedicated to my role and not just some brainless, useless green freak."
"I wish I could step on you for such words," Nessarose said plainly then sighed. "All that aside, I'm sure you are more than well prepared, Fabala. Everything will be alright, you'll see."
Elphaba smiled bittersweetly. Leave it to Nessa to be wise when the situation calls for it. If only she hadn't had to grow up so quickly. "You are right."
"When is your meeting?"
"Soon. I should go. What about you and Val?"
"As soon as she arrives."
"Nessa?" a voice called.
"Oh, there she is!" Nessarose wheeled her chair to the door and Elphaba picked up her papers.
"Good morning! You too Mina!"
"Good morning, Miss," Mina smiled.
"Oh, good morning, Your Majesty. I'm sure Nessarose has communicated with you our plans for today?"
"I do, and I hope the two of you enjoy your day."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"And I get to pick our dining spot as my reward, lest you forget."
"How could I, you remind me every precious minute of your time," Val rolled her eyes and began to walk.
Nessarose didn't let her get away. "That's right! And I'll keep doing so as part of your punishment for…" her voice trailed off as the girls turned a corner.
Elphaba looked in their direction puzzled. She turned to Mina. "Do you know the cause of that quarrel?"
"Unfortunately I do not, my lady. Though by my sister's attitude, it appears she may have lost another competition between the two of them."
"Chess?"
"Perhaps. Though I know they've begun to entertain themselves with other games as well, and I believe Miss Nessarose is victorious in nearly all of them."
Elphaba chuckled then sobered herself. "I'm needed in the throne room."
"Right this way."
"One moment, Mina. Where is the throne room located?"
"It's just before entering the left wing of the castle. After passing the memorial hall."
Elphaba knew that hallway, it contained portraits and weapons of fallen soldiers on its walls. If memory served her right, she simply followed the swords to reach it. If the throne room was past it, Elphaba was sure she would be able to spot it.
"I think I can manage on my own."
"Are you sure, Your Majesty?"
"Yes, Mina. I am sure…there's staff all around the castle, correct?" she asked bashfully.
Her lady-in-waiting giggled and nodded. "Correct. You should easily find anyone should you need assistance finding your way."
"Good. You're dismissed Mina."
The teen curtsied and turned away.
Alright. Now where were - there! An empty armor held a sword pointing to the left. Elphaba followed its lead. Soon enough, she spotted a similar figurine. This time, its sword directed her to the right. With a few more turns, she eventually reached the memorial hall. Her steps echoed off the walls as well as the sound of clinking metal, frightening her for the thirds time that morning.
Elphaba covered her mouth after a slight yelp slipped her lips and another loud clunk followed.
"Oh! Your Majesty! I am so sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!"
She stepped closer to the source of the commotion. She recognized the young boy. "That's alright, Bo. Are you hurt? "
"No, I'm alright!" he stood and shook the dust off his clothes and black hair. He straightened out a step ladder. He must've lost his balance. "The shield slipped from my hands," he admitted shyly.
"At least you're unharmed," Elphaba bent down and handed the shield to him.
"Oh, thank you, Your Majesty," he bowed.
"Bo, would you be able to tell me if I'm headed the right way? I need to get to the throne room."
"Yes! We're not far from it, Your Majesty. If you reach the end of the hall and turn left, there's many pillars with flower vases on top. The door that leads to the throne room is between the only two pillars with the yellow flowers."
"I see. Thank you, kind sir," she patted the top of his head and Bo hummed happily. "You be careful now, alright?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" He tucked the shield under his arm and climbed the ladder.
Elphaba continued her path down the hall. She noticed flower petals on her left and, just as Bo described, there was a pillar with a vase. She breathed out and passed pillar after pillar, not one which contained the yellow flowers. Elphaba grew worried; had she somehow managed to get lost? Bo's instructions were simple and clear, but as she walked and walked without a sign of yellow flowers, she feared she may have overestimated her ability to navigate Kiamo Ko without a guide.
Elphaba was about to groan in frustration when something caught her eye. Farther down the hall, she was sure it was thin, yellow petals she saw peaking through the vase.
Oh, finally!
Her steps quickened and her nerves quickly subsided once she was standing in front of a white door; the door between the two pillars with yellow flowers, the door that led to the throne room. She'd found it. Thank Oz.
She was startled yet again - dear Oz, what was it with her? - when the door began to open. Someone was pulling it from the inside.
"Oh! Her Majesty is right here, my lord," a teen boy called out. "My lady," he stepped aside.
"Thank you," her voice trembled slightly.
She was taken aback by how much color the throne room contained. Each wall was different in its hue, as were the curtains at the windows and the rugs. The varying shades of calming colors somehow made the room much less intimidating and more inviting. She wondered if the schemes had been chosen purposefully.
"There you are," a familiar voice said.
Elphaba turned, fear crawled from her toes to her neck. "Am I late?"
The king looked at her confused. "On the contrary, you're just in time. The council members will be here at any moment."
She sighed, feeling incredibly relieved.
"Did you make it here without trouble?"
"Um," she toyed with one of her sleeves. "Yes," she went with. She was still rather nervous, too nervous to talk; it would only lead to rambling. She needed to present herself as a competent ruler despite her worries, despite the fact that she'd been thrust into the role of a monarch with hardly any preparation. Babbling like a teenager with a short-attention span would only damage that image.
"What is that?" the king gestured to the papers clutched in her arms.
"Oh," she glanced at them. "Notes. For…for the meeting."
He nodded. "It's alright to be nervous, but you'll do fine."
She didn't say anything. She bit her cheek and looked towards a window. The sun rays stung her eyes, but she didn't look away. Her lips parted, but how could she voice all the thoughts currently in her head? She couldn't. Besides, she had to focus on the task at hand. This meeting was extremely important. Her worries would fade, hopefully. "I appreciate it."
The door opened once again.
"Welcome, good sirs!"
Elphaba counted them as they entered. In total, there were nine gentlemen and the king approached each one of them to greet them with a handshake. He beckoned her over. She stood her tallest and walked over to him.
"My lady, this is Captain Oakes, the current captain of the Gale Force with 33 years of loyal service."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty," he took her hand and bowed to her.
"The pleasure is mine, Captain."
He presented her to each man down the line. Judge Wellers, the head of the Vinkun Justice Court; Ambassador Ianthe, the treasurer as well as the head of International Affairs. Then there were six barons representing each Vinkun region: Baron Signy of Kiamo; Baron Kru of Thursk, the north; Baron Unathi of Kvon, the southwest; Baron Afton of the Lesser Kells, the south east; Baron Nephele of the Greater Kells, the west; and Baron Cecil of Altar, the middle east.
"Shall we begin?" the king asked. All parties nodded in agreement. "Come," he whispered to her.
Elphaba followed him to the back of the room, where two thrones rested against the wall. The seats were a dark red, reminiscent of blood, and the spirals surrounding it were gold. A carved design on the wall creeped up behind the thrones. The lines seemed to dance over their canvas and, before they reached the ceiling, created a diamond in the center.
She gently picked up the skirt of her dress and followed him up a couple of steps. He approached the throne chair on the right and she, more confidently, walked over to the one on the left. Once they'd both reached their respective thrones, he nodded and she followed his lead as he sat. The seat was firm, borderline uncomfortable, but her dress provided some semblance of cushion. Elphaba could barely reach the back when her calves rested firmly against the bottom of the throne.
"Let us remember that the main topics of discussion are the defense budget, export taxes, and school buildings. Let's not repeat the disaster that was the Meeting of June," all the men chuckled. "Captain Oakes, the floor is yours," the king declared.
From the semi-circle the gentlemen had formed, Captain Oakes stepped forward until he reached the first step. He bowed at the waist. "Your Majesties, as we are all aware of, the Gale Force's funds are low, close to the negatives. After a few discussions with my officers, we have suggestions on where costs may be cut in order to raise funds over the next year."
"Which are?"
"The first conclusion we reached was the production of specific packaged meals."
What?
Elphaba frowned and glanced at the king, who seemed equally confused. The captain could not possibly be serious. And this decision was reached by all commanding officers?
"Explain," the king said.
"After a recent poll amongst the soldiers, we found that packaged meals #19 and #82 are among their least favorite meals. And there's often a surplus of them in boxes that go back into storage."
"That's not a good enough reason, sir."
"But, my lord - "
"Even seemingly insignificant decisions can have disastrous consequences," Elphaba spoke without a second thought. She cleared her throat.
"Your Majesty?" Captain Oakes turned to her.
"Reductions in food production are simply not an option," she emphasized.
"What would be so disastrous about it?"
Apart from the fact that it's completely asinine?"The meals are produced according to the size of the force, enough for a soldier to have an extra meal or two a day if necessary. Getting rid of two packaged meals, while it may not have an immediate effect, will undoubtedly produce unforeseen consequences."
"Your Majesty, if I may, there is a large surplus of those meals in our storage bunkers. I very much doubt it will affect the soldiers at all."
"And what happens if food suddenly goes scarce or Oz forbid the soldiers must go out on the field? I'm sure every single meal counts, does it not?"
Captain Oakes was silent.
"I'm sure you've heard, sir, that many years ago Munchkinland soldiers nearly died on the battlefield not from war, but from thirst. And it was caused by a reduction in food production, similar to one you're suggesting now."
"And Captain, you and I, as well as some of the gentlemen in this room, know that when times are hard and days are long, soldiers will eat anything at hand," the king added. "Even the so-called 'least favorite meals'."
The king had been a soldier himself?
"Captain, the answer is no. It's not a risk worth taking nor even considering. What other suggestions do you have?"
Captain Oakes looked almost embarrassed. He coughed and straightened himself. "Well, Your Majesties, the second item on our list was decreasing the amount of uniforms given to the soldiers."
"'Decreasing'?"
"Allow me to explain."
"Please do," the king said, though it sounded as if he'd already made up his mind.
"Every soldier is given four training uniforms upon enlisting. My officers and I discussed the possibility of reducing, perhaps even eliminating the making of these uniforms for the time being and allowing the soldiers to wear personal clothing, within regulation of course."
That didn't sound like a bad idea at all.
"And what would they wear then?"
"A standard white tunic with black pants."
The king was silent for a moment as he pondered on what was said. "We'll revisit that. I'll call a meeting with you as well as all commanding officers sometime in the next month."
Captain Oakes nodded. "We'll expect you any day, Your Majesty. The final option we discussed was changing priorities in the production of arms."
"As in shift production?"
"Yes. More specifically from the crossbow to the longbow."
"If I may," Elphaba quickly glanced at the king before turning over to the captain. "Sir, the Gale Force allows soldiers to specialize in weapons, does it not?"
"It does, my Queen."
"Then wouldn't a reduction in crossbows and surge of longbows reduce the effectiveness of soldiers in battles or even patrol? If they've trained solely with one weapon?"
"It may, but it may not be as grave as you think, my lady," the king cut in. "All soldiers must be proficient in every weapon before they're allowed to specialize in one."
Ah. She hadn't known that.
"If the number of crossbowmen is reduced, or simply halts for the time being, upcoming soldiers will simply not have the option to specialize in that weapon. Granted, becoming a longbowman takes exponentially more training and skill…"
"And it will mean restrategizing, but soldiers are nothing if not adaptable," Captain Oakes finished.
"I am on board with this plan, Captain. What do you think?"
Elphaba nodded. "I am as well."
"You have our full support to begin these modifications, Captain."
"Your Majesties," the captain bowed and stepped back with the group.
Elphaba remained mostly quiet when the topic was switched. The export taxes were a relatively simple matter. Ambassador Ianthe presented charts and graphs of all Vinkun products sold to foreign countries, highlighting significant increases in some while others dropped in demand. The ambassador and the king mostly discussed projections; what products were most likely to rise or fall in demand, where could a rise in tax be made and vice versa. He would check in with her from time to time, searching for any objections.
She realized she owed the king her eternal gratitude. They flew through the adjustments, practically spoke a different language as they strategized what products could be taxed higher or lower and why. Numbers that would've sounded preposterous to her made complete sense with the context she'd been given. Instead of sitting there, lost and without an inkling of what was happening, she could nod her head along, fully understanding how they came to their decisions.
Once all the tax rates were agreed on, Ambassador Ianthe gathered his materials and stepped back.
"Now," the king began. "There is the very important matter of constructing new schools in every single region due to the high population surgance in the past year. I've asked each of you to come with the estimated number of additional schools needed according to your region's census. Baron Kru, please start us off."
The aforementioned man stepped forward with a scroll in his hands. "Your Majesties," he bowed and opened the scroll. "It may please you to know, especially you, my Queen, that a total of nine additional school buildings are needed in Thursk."
"You definitely bring the lowest number, my friend," one of the other men said, causing a small bout of laughter from the entire group.
"Indeed. Three for each education level. I have also begun to talk with many manufacturers so as to secure lumber and with architects."
"Fantastic," Elphaba said. She quickly scribbled down the number.'Thursk - 9'.
Each of the barons stepped forward and gave their number as well as the steps they've taken to commence phase one of construction.
'Kvon - 13. Lesser Kells - 10. Greater Kells - 15. Altar - 13. Kiamo - 22.'A grand total of 82 buildings…with a goal of finishing them in three to four years. Dear Oz. At least preparations have already begun. No one was unaware that the schools were coming. But there was so much to do, so many parties yet to consult. Builders, painters, call for an incredibly large amount of desks, chairs. Not to mention notices for employment needed to be put out immediately. They would need so many teachers, directors, security. How was Elphaba supposed to oversee this entire production?
The young queen rubbed her temple and glanced at the window. The sun rays glared harshly at her face. Several hours had to have passed. She stifled a yawn; waking up in the early hours of the morning for almost two weeks now was catching up to her. It didn't help that she also hadn't been sleeping particularly well.
"...matters that must be discussed today?"
Elphaba raised her head from her hand and glanced around. What had the king asked?
All the gentlemen shook their heads.
"We thank all of you for your hard work and dedication. Permitting that an emergency does not arise, we will meet again in one month's time. Meeting adjourned."
Oh thank Oz.
Elphaba rose when the king did and followed his actions. She shook the hands of all the men after he did. A knock on the door made all of them turn and a young boy, different from the one that had been here previously, stepped inside.
"My lords, my lady, your carriages have arrived to escort you back home."
"Excellent, I best be on my way," Judge Wellers said. It was the first time Elphaba had heard him speak since their introduction; he'd been very quiet during the meeting. He put on his hat and bid the group farewell. He sparked a domino effect and soon, the rest of the men were gone.
She was alone with the king.
Elphaba sighed. "That…went well."
"Exceptionally well. You were excellent."
Her face warmed and she looked down to fold her paper in half. "Thank you," there was a moment of silence, then, "You…were you in the Gale Force?"
"I was, why do you ask?"
"You passively mentioned something like it during the meeting. I simply wanted to confirm my suspicions."
"Were you in Munchkinland's army?"
She almost snorted. "No."
"Your knowledge on its history was impressive."
"It's good to be aware of what's happening in your country," even if that knowledge came from the staff gossiping.
"Well, we should know better than anyone."
Another knock.
"My lady?"
"Mina."
"Oh! Pardon me, Your Majesties," she bowed. "I can come back another time."
"It's al - "
"If you - "
Both monarchs turned to each other.
"Go ahead," Elphaba offered.
"If you'd like to go one about your day, you are free to. I have yet another journey to make and must leave immediately."
Again? He was barely back from the last trip. "Whatever for?"
"There are some…things I must settle. I'm afraid that, for now, the matters are confidential."
"I see," she didn't know if that soothed or angered her. Should she not be aware of what's going on as it pertains to the country? "I wish you luck."
"I you as well," he gave her a small nod as a goodbye and quickly excused himself from the room, leaving the young queen alone with her lady-in-waiting.
Elphaba looked back over her notes. She certainly had her hands full. "What was it you were going to say, Mina?"
"Merely that lunch is almost ready to be served, my lady."
The green girl nodded absentmindedly and a sudden thought came to her. Why not start checking in with the school constructions now? After all, there were no pressing matters that she was aware of that needed to be attended to here in Kiamo Ko. And with Nessarose polishing off the final touches to her soon-to-be home, she may as well move in tonight. Her little sister would be alright and Elphaba could begin this chapter of her duties with ease.
"Mina, arrange a carriage for me, I will also be departing."
"Oh?" the teen sounded genuinely confused.
"I shall begin a small tour of the Vinkus. I have constructions to check up on," looking at the numbers as well as taking the geography into consideration, it would be best to make a circle around the country. Taking on the larger numbers first was the better course of action, especially if these visits would be periodically. If anything throughout the building process went wrong, the larger projects would suffer more; it would be best to give them the most time to determine a solution. Elphaba quickly mapped out the order: Kiamo first, then the Greater Kells, Kvon, the Lesser Kells, Altar, and finally Thursk.
"I will get to it then, my lady. Would you like for me to pack your lunch then?"
"If it's no trouble."
"None! I will also quickly arrange for some suitcases to be packed. I must make sure we have more than enough clothes to last an entire tour."
"'We?'"
"I…" Mina swallowed and looked at her mistress with uncertainty. "I will be accompanying you, will I not?" or did the queen intend to leave her behind?
"Oh," Elphaba folded her notes. "I guess I assumed you would wish to remain here. Would you like to come with me?"
"Of course I would, Your Majesty. It's my duty to be by your side."
"I know it is Mina. However, I would never want you to feel obligated to follow me everywhere, especially in times like these, for example, when I will be traveling on short notice and keeping you from your family for at least a week."
"I knew things like these came with the job, my lady. And I, if I may be a tad selfish, I've never traveled anywhere outside Kiamo. I would love to see the country."
Elphaba chuckled, admittedly soothed at the fact that Mina would get something out of joining her other than simply being her shadow. "Alright then. I suggest we go on and prepare everything."
Mina nodded and Elphaba followed her out of the throne room.
Kiamo, as their first stop, required a short, twenty minute carriage ride to the city hall.
Elphaba requested an audience with Baron Signy to learn what his blueprint was. He'd shown the young queen his planned schedule, how he hoped to begin construction of the buildings at least the first day of the new year, had workers at the ready, and made it a goal to finish all 22 of them within that year. It was a rather ambitious goal, however Baron Signy stressed that the true challenge would be to achieve the excellent quality as the rest of the schools in the region; he was confident the workers would achieve a strong, fortified building, it would then simply be a matter of painting and interior design. But in order to start, they needed the massive supply of lumber from Gillikin to arrive, which would hopefully be any day now. It seemed they were playing a waiting game then.
Next, the relatively short trip to the Greater Kells with Mina and a bodyguard - Sair - and it was not even two hours past noon by the time they'd arrived to meet with Baron Nephele, who had arrived himself not long ago having traveled from Kiamo as well. It was a short meeting as they were too awaiting their lumber supply from Gillikin, though their schedule hoped to finish the entirety of their 15 buildings before the four year mark, many months earlier than Kiamo. She was in and out before another Vinkun babe was born.
Oh Oz, listen to her.
Kvon had taken up the rest of her time. Since their lumber order was less than that of Kiamo and the Greater Kells, they'd actually received it just days ago. Construction had begun immediately and Elphaba had gotten the chance to visit each site. It was a good thing she'd opted to change into long pants today; the only indicator of her status was a ring on her left hand bearing the royal seal. Baron Unathi shared the drawing plans of each site, their intended school level, and intended opening.
It wasn't just the sites she was getting a glimpse of, it was the people too. Sair made sure to keep an appropriate distance between her and people who were not construction workers nor architects. Crowds would gather and follow her, hoping to either get a simple glimpse of her or possibly exchange some words.
One thing she learned quickly about Kvon, the people here were extremely blunt. Not in a malicious way, just different from how she'd been addressed in the Vinkus thus far. It was actually rather amusing. Like a child who, after gifting her a poppy, asked, "Will you address the slowly rising poverty crisis here?"
Elphaba had merely stared at him for a good five seconds. The same kind of questions just piled on. "Will you do more for our war veterans?", "What's your stance on domestic violence against men?", "Will there be an heir coming to us next year?"
Needless to say, the young queen was very cautious with her words.
After mostly satisfying the crowd's curiosity of her, she called for the boy who'd questioned her about poverty. "What's been happening lately? Do you know?"
"Of course I do," the child said proudly. "Ever since stricter regulations were imposed on the border between us the Ev, we've lost our main economic source: tourism. Local businesses have had to close down, taxes have gone unpaid, evictions are rising, and the homeless shelters can only help so many people at a time."
"And how many homeless shelters does Kvon have?"
"Two."
For the entire region? Elphaba turned to her companions. "We'll spend the night here. I'd like to see the shelters first thing in the morning."
They both nodded. Elphaba asked for their coachman to find them a nice, higher luxury hotel and arranged for everyone in her party to have their own room. For as long as they traveled with her, she would ensure that they were comfortable.
Before dawn broke the next day, they were on their way to the first shelter, which was less than an hour away.
It was in decent condition considering the vast amount of people living in it, but she knew it would become a problem before long. She could see the warning signs; walls cracking from beds having been crammed together, the small portion sizes in food to make sure everyone could be fed, insufficient staffing, rationing of hygienic products. If these problems went unaddressed, the shelter would inevitably run itself into the ground.
When she talked to the families, the same things were brought up. Just as the child had said, Kvon relied heavily on tourism. With it almost completely gone, businesses had fallen, jobs had been lost, and income had ceased. The people were struggling to keep their homes and food on the table.
The second shelter only increased her worry. It was falling apart at the seams. The foul smell was evident before she'd even entered the building, walls were losing their paint, the beds were dirty as was the kitchen, not to mention the insects that had begun making their nests in corners of the rooms.
Kvon was running out of money at an alarming pace. Plain and simple.
Elphaba made note of everything she'd seen and heard in an empty journal she'd packed, making sure to star particularly important details.
She thanked everyone at the shelter for their time and promised she would figure out a way to help.
"Do you mean that, Your Majesty?" a woman with a child at her hip and two more hanging from her skirt asked.
"I do. It's my duty as well as my responsibility to care for my people while I hold the title of Queen."
Loud cheers boomed from every corner of the building and Elphaba quickly waved goodbye to the small crowd and walked right into a large mob that had gathered at the shelter's doors. She kept her journal tight at her chest and her head merely waved as she walked behind Sair, who was opening up a path for her as well as making sure people kept a respectable distance. Mina followed her, keeping a hand at her back.
Out of all the screams and questions being shouted at her, Elphaba heard one very distinctly, and one she could answer. "Your Majesty! Will you be back?!"
"Kvon is at the top of my list. Once my current task is finished, my goal is to be back with a plan. Hang on," she said and quickly stepped inside the carriage.
Once Mina and Sair were inside, the closing of the door muffled the loud cacophony. Elphaba rubbed her ears.
"You handled that beautifully, my lady," Mina smiled.
"I have to agree, Your Majesty," Sair contributed. "The people have never been so incredibly pleased with a queen as much as they are with you."
"Is that so?"
He nodded. "I've only been alive long enough to witness your predecessor, but Vinkun Queens have largely remained out of the public eye until the late Queen. The people liked and accepted her, but they seem to completely adore you. You're a hope to them."
And Elphaba knew that. She had felt the weight of it the moment she'd had time to process just who she'd been given in marriage to, the moment she'd arrived in the Vinkus, the moment the crown had been placed on her head. She still felt it. But it was comforting to know she hadn't given the people a reason to dislike her yet. She was making the effort, she really was, and she seemed to be doing things correctly. She just hoped she would keep doing so.
The Lesser Kells proved to be, so far, the region with the most progress in the few short days since their lumber had been received. They were further ahead than Kvon with many of the upcoming school buildings already having the basic structure standing. It brought her great relief to speak with Baron Afton; he was clearly a man who wanted everything planned and executed accordingly. He was ahead of the others too as far as putting in an order for what would be neededinsidethe schools. An order for desks, boards, shelves, and anything else he could think of, though the list would no doubt grow. That was one matter less to concern herself with.
And of course, it had its fair share of crowds. These crowds however were different from the other regions. It seemed that a trade mark of the people of the Lesser Kells was that they were more…demure, was the only word she could put to it. She had not known a crowd had gathered at the first site she'd visited until she'd turned around to see what had to have been a couple hundred people. And even their cheers were nowhere near booming. It was more waves and gifts - so many flowers - than anything.
The visit was quick and successful and Elphaba, Mina, and Sair were back in their carriage and on their way to Altar before midday. Thank goodness for it too. The path to Altar would take longer than any other trip so far, not due to distance, but due to the terrain. The mountain roads were certainly a nightmare, even more so because they were forced to go slowly. The sun had set by the time they'd reached their destination, so they quickly found a place to sleep and rest for the night.
By morning word had spread that the new queen had arrived in Altar, and so Elphaba was greeted by an army of, surprisingly, young adolescents. Many of whom were dressed in their uniforms and should no doubt be in the classroom rather than out here.
"Shouldn't you be at school?" she pursed her lips. She hadn't meant to say that out loud, or to have sounded as if she was scolding them.
But the teens only seemed delighted. One of them, dressed in sleepwear surprisingly, proudly said "Not me, Your Majesty, I'm in the afternoon bunch."
"'Afternoon bunch'?"
He nodded. "The group that begins their academic hours at ," he gestured to a group of girls in uniform. "Are ditching," he teased.
One of the girls mocked a gasp. "Like we would miss this once in a lifetime opportunity," she offered the young queen a single rose and her classmates followed. "It's an honor to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty."
"Likewise," Elphaba accepted the flower and resumed her path towards the carriage, answering the endless greetings of "Good morning!" with a simple smile.
Altar was the first region to ask for her assistance directly. After visiting the primary and secondary schools in progress, Baron Cecil asked for her input on types of life skills classes they could establish at the tertiary level.
"Some of our polls indicated our students have had an increasing interest in the extracurriculars such as cooking, wood-shop, and sewing. With these interests only increasing by the year, we'd like to offer more to them, especially since our budget can afford to do so."
Elphaba nodded. "And, just so I understand, these are classes to teach them the skills they need as they transition into adulthood?"
"Correct, Your Majesty."
She nodded. She had no idea schools offered those kinds of curriculums. It made her think about things she wished she could've learned at a tertiary level she'd been barred from completing. What would she have needed from her tutor, the staff, or even Frex to have properly prepared her to thrive outside the governor's mansion; things she might've been taught in a different life.
"What about…finance classes?" Elphaba offered. "A class to teach them about budgeting, making payments, taking out loans, taxes…" she trailed off.
"Excellent idea, Your Majesty!" Baron Cecil annotated her ideas onto a paper on a clipboard.
"And what of…first aid? For adults and babes?"
"Yes!"
"Communication could be helpful as well - interpersonal and professional. It could certainly help those who struggle with public speaking or communication skills in general,"exhibit A.
"Do you have time to sit with me for…a few more hours, my Queen?"
Elphaba gave a soft chuckle. "Definitely," it'd been five days since she started her tour to stop by the construction sites and she'd planned on being away from Kiamo Ko for a week, ten days at most. Thanks to some early quick visits, she luckily had some time to spare. The young queen took a seat on the chair offered to her and began what would turn out to be an enormous brainstorm for new classes - and consequently materials to expand the buildings - that would last until dusk.
Elphaba was glad Thursk was her final stop; if she was honest with herself, she was missing Nessarose. And she was a bit tired. The constant travel by carriage, rising before the sun; soreness was creeping up on her as well as a migraine she was desperately trying to chase away before simply walking became a chore. She was truly looking forward to returning to Kiamo Ko. It would be good to sleep in her chambers again, maybe evenfallingasleep would go better too.
Baron Kru had given her a wonderful update. There were no construction sites for her to visit yet, though all the necessary materials had arrived. The architects were extremely busy getting down the designs of the schools. The students all over Thursk, she learned, had developed a joke amongst themselves. They often referred to going to school as "entering the oven"; the buildings were notoriously hot, with some students even collapsing in the halls due to a heat stroke. They wanted to avoid that with the new buildings and even work on remeding that problem in the existing ones, thus they were paying careful attention to the new designs.
Elphaba absorbed all this information and made note of the tentative schedule that had been set for construction, and entered her carriage feeling much lighter than she had over the week. She had finished this part of her duties. Now she just wanted to see her little sister, try and get some proper rest, and begin planning out in detail what she was to do to help with Kvon's crisis.
It was nearing dinner time by the time they'd finally arrived and, surprisingly, Nessarose and Val had been anxiously waiting for them. Mina had all but darted out of the carriage as soon as it came to a halt and threw herself at Val's arms, who happily returned the embrace just as tightly.
The green girl smiled at the reunion, thanked and dismissed Sair from his duties to her and Mina, and eagerly strode to her little sister, having missed her so dearly.
"Oh welcome back, Fabala!" Nessarose said, squeezing Elphaba tightly.
"It's good to be back, my sweet," she answered honestly. Truthfully, Elphaba felt much pride in what she'd just accomplished and it felt oddly rewarding to have made it back to Kiamo Ko with all she had learned.
"I have so much to tell you! Are you free to dine with me this evening, just the two of us? I imagine Val and Mina might also love to catch up."
That sounded incredibly appealing. And for the first time in a while, Elphaba felt herself craving some food, the thought of it only amplifying her hunger rather than making her simultaneously nauseous. "How about it, ladies?" She addressed the twin teens.
"Oh, Your Majesty if you don't mind?"
"That would be lovely!"
They chorused.
Elphaba smiled and dismissed Mina for the rest of the day, and Nessarose quickly pulled her inside the castle to chat her ear off all through dinner and until bedtime.
Lyric Inspo:
Breaking down, I hit the floor
All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, "More"
I was grinning like I'm winning, I was hitting my marks
'Cause I can do it with a broken heart
- 'I Can Do It With a Broken Heart', TTPD, Taylor Swift.
P.S all region names come from the Maguire's map of Oz, but geography is different here. It's also amazing how many ideas come to me after a drink or two pfff.