Wicked | Ambrose Spellman and Nicholas Scratch [2]

24 | blackwood must die

Selene's phone then begins to ring, and when she checks the caller ID, she sees that it's her sister. She rolls her eyes and declines the phone call. Prudence has desperately trying to gain their father's approval since she wants to take the Blackwood name.

"My father's probably looking for me," Selene declares, wiping the blood covering her hands on a rag Dorian had laying on the bar. "I have to go play the perfect daughter and get some answers."

She then wraps her arms around Ambrose, making sure not to get any more blood on her clothes. He hugs her back, holding onto her as though she could disappear at any second. "I'll be back. Stay out of sight. I love you, Ambrose."

"I love you, too," Ambrose whispers as Dorian pales. He averts his eyes from them in an attempt to hide his jealousy.

Selene then pulls away from Ambrose and goes to leave. She, however, stops in her tracks as the warlock behind the bar crosses her mind. "And Dorian, thank you."

She forces a smile at him before she heads to the Academy. When she gets there, she plays the innocent daughter, pretending to know nothing about what Ambrose did. And when they tell her, she sheds a few fake tears. Those tears, however, become real when she figures out her father is now standing in as Anti-Pope, he's still getting married tomorrow, and the former Anti-Pope's funeral will be joint with the wedding. She plays as Faustus's obedient daughter, observing her father and each council member's behavior.

She doesn't get much sleep that night, finding that she can't rest knowing that her father could find Ambrose at any moment. So the next day, she's running on coffee and adrenaline when a box is delivered to her room at the Academy. It's a decorative box with a white bow tied neatly on top of it, and she studies it curiously before taking it into her room, closing the door behind her.

She sets it down on her bed, taking a letter from the top of it. Her name is written in curly handwriting on the envelope, so she opens it to see Dorian's familiar cursive writing. 

I saw this and thought of you.

Sincerely, Dorian

It's dated the day before last, so he must've had it sent before everything happened. She sighs, considering not opening it. But her curiosity gets the better of her, and she opens the box to find a long red dress, the same color as her hair. A small smile comes to her lips and for a moment, she forgets about how her world is slowly crumpling around her. But then, everything comes rushing back, and she feels guilty, guilty that she'd even consider wearing something Dorian gives her. If she did that, she'd be giving him hope, and she doesn't want to do that to him. She loves Ambrose and Nick, more than she'd ever thought possible.

So she puts the dress back in the box, and wears the one she'd originally chosen. She magically sends it back to Dorian before she heads to the Church of Night. When she gets there, she waits in the back with Prudence as her father begins the service. As he does so, Selene digs her fingernails into her hands so bad that her skin begins to bleed, but it's the only way she manages to get through it without yelling out about how she thinks her father killed the Anti-Pope.

"Witches, warlocks, let us mourn Enoch of Antioch, our Father of Father's. I loved His Eminence, but I love the Church of Night more. And so, we must turn our thoughts to gladder subjects. As His Unholy Eminence is no longer able to perform the marriage rite, I shall conduct my own marriage to Sister Zelda Spellman."

The band then begins to play, and Prudence and Selene come out first, keeping their faces stony. Hilda comes after them, managing to force a smile even in times like this. Zelda comes last, staring ahead at Faustus. But there's no love in her eyes, it just seems like she wants to get this over with.