Chapter 8
Elphaba’s paces anxiously, her panic slowly mounting as the guards continue their attempts to break down the door. It would take a while, but Elphaba knew how determined her father was. They would get in.
Glinda, meanwhile, explores the room in search of anything that could help them. The blonde had a serious look on her face as she examined the cages.
“This is absolutely disgutiskifying.” Glinda scowls. “There are enough cages in here for every animal in Oz.”
“I think that’s the point.” Elphaba whispers, her expression deeply troubled.
“Well,” Glinda huffs and tosses her hair. “I won’t stand for it. We must do something--”
“There’s nothing we can do!” Elphaba interrupts, looking at Glinda with a panicked gaze. Tears form in the corner of her eyes. “Those guards will get in eventually. We’ll be taken back to my father. I’ll never go outside again, and you--” Elphaba’s voice cracks as she realizes what could happen to Glinda. “Y-you could be executed, or-or locked up in the dungeons forever, or--”
“Elphie!” Glinda says firmly, grabbing the green girl’s shoulders so that Elphaba is looking at her. “Don’t worry about that. We don’t know for sure what will happen to me, but even so that’s not a priority right now. We need to get out of here!”
“You’re always my priority.” Elphaba whispers, her voice a panicked whisper.
Glinda blushes at Elphaba’s confession. She, seeing that Elphaba isn’t calming down from her panicked state, does the only thing she can think of to calm her down.
Glinda kisses Elphaba.
Elphaba freezes at the sudden action, her body stiff in surprise as Glinda gently connects their lips in a tender kiss. It takes a moment, before the princess slowly responds. She cups the blonde’s face and hesitantly returns the kiss.
They finally pull away, only due to the need for air. Elphaba stares at Glinda with a star-struck look. Glinda gently wipes away a tear that had been slowly traveling down Elphaba’s cheek.
“Focus,” Glinda whispers softly, “I need you in your right mind if we’re going to get out of here.”
The green girl slowly nods, her mind still mush from the kiss. Glinda giggles softly at the look on Elphaba’s face. She gently pats the princess’ cheek to snap her out of it.
The 16 year old princess quickly snaps out of it, she blinks and looks around. She frowns, her brain kicking back up as she tries to figure out a way to avoid the guards.
“The cages.” Elphaba says firmly, pulling away from Glinda and walking to a nearby cage which was big enough to hold a brown bear. “We can open them and line them in front of the door to catch the guards by surprise…”
Elphaba sounds uncertain, it’s clear she’s grasping for straws here, but it’s something.
Glinda nods and walks up to Elphaba’s side. “Let’s get started then.” The blonde sys determinedly, grabbing the princess’ hand.
The guards finally manage to break open the door. The first few that run in immediately trip over the cages. A few fall in the larger opened crates. While they’re distracted, Glinda grabs Elphaba’s hand and they bolt out the door.
Some of the winged monkeys chase after them. But neither girl stops or slows down. They reach the large hallway that leads from the entrance of the castle to the main room where the large fake head is.
They’re so close. So close to freedom at the gates of the Emerald Palace. Elphaba is in the lead, her free hand reaching out for the door handles. Just before she can grab it, she feels the blonde yanked from her grip. Elphaba gasps and whirls around. She sees Glinda pinned to the ground by several monkeys.
“No--!” Elphaba shouts desperately and tries to help her companion. But firm arms wrap around the princess and pin her against someone’s chest.
Madame Morrible keeps a firm grip on Elphaba.
“Now, dear,” the older woman says in a tone meant to be soothing. “Let’s not make any more rash decisions, hm?”
Glinda cries out in pain as the sharp talons of the winged monkeys dig into her skin.
“Don’t hurt her!” Elphaba shouts, desperately trying to break free from Morrible’s surprisingly firm grip, and help her friend.
“You’re no longer in a position to be making demands, my emerald.” the Wizard slowly, menacingly, walks forward. He no longer looks light-hearted for carefree. He’s furious that Elphaba tried to run from him, and it shows on his face.
The Wizard chuckles coldly at Elphaba’s scared look. “Oh, don’t be so frightened dear. I’d never hurt you. Your friend on the other hand…” He flashes a dark look to Glinda, before looking back at his daughter. “Well… you do need to be taught a lesson for trying to leave me.”
The Wizard makes a hand gesture to the monkeys, before promptly turning on his heels and returning to the puppet head room. The monkeys drag Glinda after him, and Madame Morrible pulls Elphaba along, bringing up the rear.
The large double doors of the room slam shut behind them. The monkeys tie Glinda to a chair in the center of the large room. The Wizard grabs the Grimmerie, circling a trapped Glinda at an almost leisurely pace.
“You know,” the Wizard muses, glancing up at Elphaba as he speaks. “The Grimmerie is just full of amazingly dreadful torture spells. All designed specifically to ensure that the victim experiences unbearable pain.”
Elphaba’s heart drops at his words. But the Wizard continues.
“I’ve been waiting a long while for the perfect creature to test these on. Now, originally I was going to try them out on that goat you’ve grown so fond of,” there’s a hint of disgust and bitterness in his voice when he mentions Dr. Dillamond, “but, I think this girl will serve to be a much better test subject.”
The Wizard strokes Glinda’s hair in a mockingly soothing gesture. “You’ve gotten quite close with her, after all.”
“Father please--!” Elphaba tries to plead for Glinda.
“Silence!” the Wizard snaps harshly, glaring at Elphaba. “You’ve tried my patience enough for today, my dear emerald.”
The WIzard opens the Grimmerie and starts the chanting for one of the torture spells. Glinda’s agonized screams will haunt Elphaba for a long, long time.
Elphaba is taken back to her old room and locked in there. The night inches by at a terribly slow pace. Sleep doesn’t find her, not that Elphaba even tries. She tries to find a way out of her room, but the window has iron bars placed over it, and the door is locked tight with two guards keeping watch on the other side.
The time spent being forced to watch as her father tortured Glinda was pure agony for Elphaba. She hated how helpless she had been to help the girl she loves. Elphaba couldn't help the sobs that had escaped her as Glinda was harmed until she passed out.
She had never seen her father act so cruel before. But she shouldn’t be surprised. Not after everything she had found out due to Dr. Dillamond. Elphaba has never hated herself more than in that moment. She had seen the signs all throughout her childhood. The subtle greedy or almost possessive moments her father had shown growing up. The gleeful gleam in his eyes whenever he had to hurt someone for “the greater good of Oz.”
The princess can’t believe she had been so foolish as to believe the Wizard’s lies. But she knows now, and the moment Elphaba gets the opportunity, she’s escaping. And she’s taking Glinda with her. The Wizard be damned.