confusifying | wicked | book 3/3

Elphie

Hiding this from Nessa is tearing me up like an old carpet.
What was Glinda thinking?
How would that even work?
Get Nessa up on a platform and announce that she is now the new ruler of Oz, we're all back in the lounge again, bickering.
I've tasked Fiyero with keeping Nessa busy so he's taken her out into munchkinland to buy some seeds.
Hopefully some of her fans will stop her on the way and halt her return home.
"I still think your playing with fire here Glinda." Boc announces "even worse, your playing with Nessa."
I can't help but side with both arguments, Boc is right, this whole situation could have very adverse affects on Nessarose as a whole but this could also save Oz.
And I don't know who to agree with.
"This may not even work." Mother cries "I'd hate to upset Nessarose and this all be for nothing."
Glinda rolls her eyes and folds her arms, her and Albert haven't spoken since last night, not many of us have spoken to Glinda since last night.

"It would work, ownership of Oz is literally one document away." Glinda says smugly "it's called the Emerald signature and it was created after the wizard departed, you need five signatures and then Oz is yours to rule."
"Five signatures from who?" I ask, finally making myself known.
Glinda clears her throat, her eyes are gleaming, I can tell she has a lot of faith in this.
"One signature from each of the four faction Leaders and a final one from the hopeful leader." Glinda announces "mayor Franklin must confirm that all of the signatures are real and then that's it. You've done it, Oz is yours until you die or someone else gains the signatures."
Albert seems moved by this but Boc is unimpressed.
"What's the catch?" He snaps.
"The catch?" Glinda asks, sounding slightly shaken.
"We all know that this is what you've always wanted, to be the big leader, why are you suggesting that now it should be Nessarose?"
Glinda sighs deeply and lowers her head slightly.
"I wanted Glinda the good, I do not wish to be the ruler of Oz." Glinda admits "And having it as Nessarose will have its own benefits."
Mother nods solemnly.
"I agree with Glinda." Mother mutters "Nessarose deserves this too, its her destiny."

Albert however, doesn't seem convinced.
"I've ruled over Oz, it's exhausting, Nessarose doesn't need that kind of stress."
"But well all be there to help her!" Glinda cries "Oz will appear to be ruled by Nessarose but will actually be a democracy, with all of us seated on an invisible council."
Glinda is making a good argument, I'm just scared how this will effect Nessa, her emotions are so powerful at the moment that I'm not sure a scare like this would do her any good.
"And if Nessa says no?" Boc asks angrily "are we going to guilt her into saying yes by telling her that the fate of Oz depends on it?"
"Boc I'm not going to force her!" Glinda cries.
"No you won't need to." He growls "she'll feel guilty enough that Nessa will say yes regardless."
There's a long pause before anyone speaks again.
"Your not being fair to her!" Boc bellows, storming out of the lounge.
He just seems so upset so I decide to follow him.
Leaving Glinda alone to persuade my parents may not be a good idea but I just have to check that Boc is alright.

I watch as Boc storms upstairs, leaving behind a trail of anger.
"Boc come back here." I shout after him.
He doesn't turn around and so I charge up the stairs after him.
Boc turns at the top of the stairs and heads into my old bedroom.
I throw open the door to catch him lying flat on Nessas old bed, staring up at the chipped mural on the ceiling that is merely a faded memory of the beautiful picture it once was.
"Elphaba go away." Boc hisses, as hell continues to fixate on the ceiling.
I decide that it's in our best interest that I don't leave, so I attempt to get a conversation out of him.
"This is my bedroom Boc." I answer sharply "I'm not leaving."
Boc sighs audibly and refuses eye contact with me.

"She's still a little girl." Boc whispers sadly "and she's hurt, no one seems to think that this will hurt her more."
I listen intently to Boc as his words tremble from his mouth.
"I'm not saying that we shouldn't do this, but we shouldn't do this now." He mutters "Nessarose is too fragile right now Elphaba, surely you must see that."
Boc turns to look at me, his eyes pleading desperately with me.
"You think I want this either?" I cry "if I had it my way Nessa would never leave my sight, but she's not a child and we can't keep hiding things from her."
Boc sits up, the bed creaking and groaning under the movement.
"Elphaba you can't let her get hurt anymore, we should be protecting her, like we failed to protect her before."
I'm almost offended that Boc would bring up my greatest failure in all my life, my inability to stop my sisters death, but the look of guilt and sorrow in his eyes tell me that he feels just the same way.
We both failed Nessarose and we both care about her so much.
It's just a shame that this is the way that Oz is progressing.

I've never been one to believe in fate, but this feels so unusual and so strange that it must be something that has to happen for Oz to continue in harmony, without a grand ruler, each faction of Oz risks invading the next or just falling into bankruptcy.
Nessa could save Oz and she could finally feel like she's leading the right way.
This could be a great, great thing, but this could also bring about Nessas final downfall, a day that I fear more than anything else in Oz.