confusifying | wicked | book 3/3

Nessa

The carriage stops and grinds to a halt, I'm shaken awake my by sister as she, shutout warning, lifts me upwards slightly and leans me against the headboard of my bed.
I start to panic.
"Wait wait!" I cry out alarmingly, "do I look presentable?"
My sister marches over to me as I watch Boc and someone whom I don't recognise, climb inside of the carriage and take my chair out with them.
"You look wonderful Nessarose." Glindas voice chimes from the other side of the room.
My sister looks at me anxiously and upon seeing that I've caught her terror with my own eyes, frantically tried to cover up her expression.
"You can't look at me like that!" I comman "that's filled me with a world of courage."
My sister puts her hand on my shoulder and attempts to smile encouragingly.
She fails miserably at this.
"I just wish I could come out there with you." Elphaba whispers.
Just at that moment Boc climbs back inside.
"We'll take good care of her." He calls to Elphaba, he then turns to glinda. "They're ready for us."
Boc walks over to me and I anxiously mouth a goodbye to my sister as he promises to return to visit Elphaba during the night.
My sister makes Glinda promise to keep me safe and she nods as I'm hoisted out of the carriage by Boc and placed into my chair.

The land before me is grassy and fresh, more trees than I've ever seen in all my life are growing here, each one a different colour.
Some red, some yellow, some green and orange.
It's like a sea of autumnal colours and it's breathtaking.
Before my feet is a long grey path, the brick slabs are hexagonal and ever few slabs one is imprinted with a large G that engulfs the slab.
I try my hardest to not look to mesmerised by the beautiful colours, making sure to keep my mouth closed and my eyes not too widened.
Boc is stood protectively at my side and Glinda, in all her glimmering silver glory is stood slightly further in front of me, a young girl stood before her.
The girl in question is slightly taller than Glinda, whom even in her heels is still rather petite though I've only gaged that by her standing beside Elphaba and Fiyero who are both very tall.
She seems around the age of seventeen to nineteen and has a slim face with gentle green eyes, her hair is fiery and red and is braided down her back in two long thick braids.
A long, white dress that would otherwise be shapeless if not for the thick brown belt that she is wearing is draped across her and she smiles at Glinda with kind eyes.

"It is wonderful to see you miss Glinda." The girl announces, her voice sounding almost robotic, she curtsies, turns to me and does the same. "It is wonderful to meet you Madame Governor."
I smile pleasantly and bow my head, as I've learnt to do instead of curtsy.
The girl finally turns to Boc.
"And you, kind stranger, it is good to have you in our land."
She clears her throat and takes a step backwards, placing a hand on her chest.
"I am Jayne, advisor of our great king." The girl announces, "he's been eagerly awaiting your arrival."
"I'm delighted to get to meet him." I answer politely, attempting to sound as regal as possible.
Jayne turns on her heels and sets of down the path and we all follow suit, Glinda taking elegant strides ahead, Boc walking slowly to maintain the same pace as me and me seizing my wheels to try to keep up with Jaynes fast marches.

I've always been told that Gilliking Land was highly focused on its agriculture, the Land and its inhabitants aren't wealthy materially but have plentiful amounts of crops every year and are excellent trading partners as the land has soil that can withstand all the seasons of Oz and subsequently is able to maintain farming all year round.
You can see this passion for farming reflected within the architecture, many windmills adorn the streets and most roofs are built slanted in such a way that water runs off and is collected into large barrels.
Almost every green tree is ripe with fruit and a ladder is propped up against it, with a Gilliking ascending it and collecting the fruit into intricately woven baskets.
There's a great amount of teamwork around the streets as both the children and adults seem to be working to maintain the steady flow of farming.
A few people stop in their tracks to wave as us as we walk past but few are phased as they are so transfixed on their tasks that they don't acknowledge the surroundings.
Eventually we reach the end of the path, a large stone mansion stands before us with a large wooden door.
I watch carefully as Jayne knocks on the door using a large metal door knocker and proceeds to open it slowly, holding the door for Boc, Glinda and I to enter fully before closing it behind us.

The room is vast and plant filled, ivy trails the walls and potted plants fill the floor, in the centre of the room is a peculiar sight to behold; a thin trunked lemon tree is sprouting from the floor, around the base of the tree trunk is a crown of gold and somehow the tree has managed to grow straight through the centre of the crown, making it irremovable.
There is a door on the other side of the room that we are quickly ushered through, inside this second far smaller room is two chairs, one large throne in the middle of the wall on a raised platform and a second comfier looking chair off in the right hand corner, tilted slightly towards the throne.
On the comfy chair sits an old man, a short white beard is upon his face and a deep blue robe is draped about him.
Oh the throne, a young brunette man is perched, a crown made of leaves and flowers is placed delicately on his head.
They both smile at our arrival.