Hello, everyone! I have completed my first year of college and I am back to writing! I have hit a bit of writer's block with TSoP (I know what I want to happen, I'm just having trouble writing it down on the page), but don't worry. I will complete that story! I just need to step back and take a little break from it. But now it's new story time! I have up to chapter 13 currently written, and the creative juices are really flowing with this story, so we should be very regular with updates for a while.

Also, I would like to dedicate this story to my very bestest Wicked friend, Ultimate Queen of Cliffies (aka: Maddy). This is in honor of our special one short day in NYC and seeing Wicked on Broadway together! :-)


"I don't want to go!"

"You have to! It's your duty!"

"Make Lyanna go!"

"She can't, Fiyero, and you know why!"

"She's just pregnant! I don't understand why she can't do things for herself."

"Isn't that my line?"

"Lyanna, you are not helping."

"Raal, please talk some sense into your son."

Prince Fiyero Tigulaar growled under his breath. This wasn't the first time he, his parents, and his older sister were having this argument. "Technically, it's Lyanna's job to visit the other countries and make trade agreements with them. Isn't that what the crown princess is supposed to do?"

"You have duties as the prince, too, Fiyero," the king, Raal, sighed, having said that same sentence a thousand times before.

"And you also don't have a person growing inside of you," Lyanna said as she slowly lowered herself into an armchair, assisted by her mother.

"You can't use that for everything!" Fiyero argued.

Lyanna narrowed her eyes and was about to say something else when the baby gave her ribs a hard kick and she grunted, clutching her stomach. "Now look! You're upsetting the baby!"

"Fiyero, please," Raal begged. It wasn't very kingly to beg for something, but he was becoming desperate… and tired. "Please just do this."

Fiyero sighed, but rolled his eyes in conceit. "What do I have to do?"

"If you were paying attention, you would know," Raal said under his breath, and his wife nudged him in the side. "You will go to Munchkinland, meet with Governor Thropp, and secure a trade agreement for wool, silk, and corn with them."

"I don't understand why you can't just write to him. That would be easier."

"Because it's not proper protocol. Since we initiated the trade, it would be proper for us to go visit and see how the items we are requesting are manufactured. So that means that you will have to learn about Munchkin culture, history, and business."

"I can't do that!" the prince protested, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're right. He can't. Look, once I have this baby, I'll do the trade agreement," Lyanna said as she shifted her weight.

"That's the first good idea you've had in a while," Fiyero deadpanned.

"At least it's more than I can say about you."

"Fiyero, Lyanna, that's enough," Amalie snapped, having heard enough of her children arguing. "Lyanna, I want you to go upstairs and lie down. Don't argue; just go. And Fiyero, you will be leaving in three days, so I suggest you start getting ready now and not leave it until the last minute."

"Yes, Mother," both royal children said and Amalie helped her daughter up.

"Fiyero, help your sister up the stairs."

"Mother, I can go –"

"Didn't I just tell you not to argue?"

Lyanna didn't look happy, and neither did Fiyero, but they slowly walked up the stairs in silence.


Nessarose Thropp wheeled down the halls of the Governor's Mansion, a ham and cheese sandwich in her lap. She stopped in front of a closed door and knocked three times. Silence answered her back and she tried again. Still silence. Sighing, she reached for the knob and pushed the door open, wheeling inside.

"Fabala," she said softly, wheeling closer to her where her sister was sitting at her desk.

The emerald-skinned girl didn't even look up, or make any move of acknowledgment.

"Elphaba," Nessa tried again, lightly shaking her sister's arm.

Elphaba startled slightly, clearly not even paying attention to her sister's presence, and sighed. "Yes, Nessa?"

"I brought you a sandwich."

"I'm not hungry."

"I didn't ask if you were hungry."

"And I didn't ask you for a sandwich."

"You missed both breakfast and lunch today."

"I'm not hungry."

"For Oz sakes, Elphaba," Nessa growled as she placed the sandwich on the desk. "Just eat the sandwich! Now!"

"I have too much work to do."

"Eat it before I shove it down your throat!"

Elphaba glared at her sister, but grabbed the sandwich and took a small bite before placing it back on the plate. "Satisfied?"

"No," Nessa huffed, but slowly softened. "When will you be finished?"

"Much quicker if you stop bothering me."

Nessa recoiled. "I'm sorry. I won't bother you anymore," she said softly, turning to wheel away.

"Nessa, wait!" Elphaba called when her sister was at the door. Taking off her glasses and rubbing her tired eyes, she slid her spectacles back onto her nose as she pushed herself to her feet. "I'm sorry," she said, walking over to her sister and, kneeling in front of her, took her hands. "I've just been… I've had… I…"

"You don't have to explain, Fabala. I understand. I'm sorry."

"I know I haven't been spending a lot of time with you since… I'll make it up to you. I promise. In fact, let's spend some time together right now."

"Now?"

"Yes."

"But… don't you have…"

"That can wait. You come first."

"Fabala –"

But Elphaba had stopped listening as she pushed her sister out of the room and out into the gardens. Nessa looked up at her sister, but Elphaba avoided her gaze as she pushed her down the path. The brunette sighed as the late May breeze whipped through her hair. She felt bad for everything her sister had to go through. She was still so young. She didn't deserve anything that had happened to her. She just deserved to…

"What did you learn in your lessons today?" Elphaba asked casually, yet softly.

"Oh… um… nothing much."

"Nothing much? I'm paying for you to have private tutors who are teaching you 'nothing much'?"

Nessa could hear the slight playfulness in her sister's voice and smiled softly. "I learned about the Great Ixian War."

"Who were the two sides?"

"Ev and the Lesser Ix."

"When was it?"

"150 AL to 143 AL."

"How did it start?"

"The younger daughter of the king of Ix was kidnapped and forced to marry the prince of Ev. Then she got pregnant and died shortly after that."

Elphaba smiled. "Very good. How was the war resolved?"

"Fabala!"

"Yes?"

"I don't want to talk about schoolwork anymore."

"Then what do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. Just… something else."

The two sisters were silent for a moment, looking out over the patches of flowers and vegetables.

"When is Prince Fiyero coming?" Nessa asked, watching as a butterfly landed on a nearby flower.

"In three days. And he'll stay here for around a week and a half."

"How exciting. A real prince."

"Don't get your hopes up, Nessie. Prince Fiyero has a reputation that isn't exactly very… reputable."

"What do you mean?"

"He's known for being irresponsible, throwing parties, and not caring a twig about his future."

"He sounds like fun," Nessa giggled.

"He will be here for business, or at least, that what the letter from his parents said. They have, for some reason, entrusted him with this agreement and to 'rest assured, he will be on his very best behavior'."

"Will you two be working together the whole time?"

"I'm not sure. Why?"

"I could give him a tour of the town."

Elphaba gave her younger sister a sideways look. "Nessa, I don't want you going anywhere with Prince Fiyero, especially alone."

"Why not?"

"First, we don't know him. Second, he's not the most... responsible person. Third, even if he was, he's much too old for you."

"How old is he?"

Elphaba smirked. "You don't even know how old he is and you want to give him a tour?"

Nessa pouted.

"He's nineteen."

"Then he's much too old for you! You're only eighteen!"

"And you're only sixteen," Elphaba said, but playfully ruffled her sister's hair.

"Fabala?"

"Yes."

"You're only eighteen."

"I thought we just established how old I am."

"You're not old. You're young."

It took a while for what Nessa really meant to sink in, and when it did, Elphaba forced a smile onto her face. "I'm fine."

"You should be at Shiz right now."

"I'm fine, Nessa."

"You should be learning from some of the best professors in all of Oz and impressing them with your knowledge and –"

"I know, Nessa! I said I was fine!" Elphaba snapped.

Nessa looked wide-eyed at her sister, her face a mixture of shock and hurt. Elphaba never raised her voice at her before, especially not after… Tears slowly began to well in her eyes and roll down her cheek.

The green girl quickly realized her mistake and instantly felt horrible. "Oh, Nessa. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that." She knelt down and gently pulled her sister into a hug, stroking her hair as she kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry."

Nessa melted into her sister's arms as her quiet cries slowly died down.

"I'll make dinner tonight," Elphaba said in a weak attempt to cheer her sister up. "What would you like?"

Nessa looked up at her sister, her eyes still watery. "You don't have any work to finish up?"

"That can wait."

"Fabala –"

"Do you want pasta or chicken?"

"… Could you put the chicken in the pasta?"

Elphaba smiled. "Of course."

"And can we go out for ice cream afterwards?"

"We can do whatever you want, Nessie."

The brunette's lips twitched as she agreed. Elphaba smiled and, kissing her forehead, stood up to push her back into the house.

Dinner that evening was a mostly quiet affair. The two Thropp sisters talked; well, Nessa ended up doing most of the talking, while Elphaba simply sat in silence, listening and eating. The brunette noticed that her sister looked exhausted and said that she would take a rain check on the ice cream.

"But you wanted to get ice cream," Elphaba said, confused.

"You're exhausted, Fabala," Nessa said gently.

"Nessa, I can –"

"But I don't want you to. You had a very busy day today and you need to rest. Please."

Elphaba regarded her sister for a moment. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I want you to start taking better care of yourself… and not just for the two of us."

Elphaba paused, then nodded slightly. "Alright."

Nessa smiled. "Thank you, Fabala."


"Are you ready, Fiyero?" Amalie asked as made sure her son packed everything for his journey.

"No," Fiyero grumbled.

"Then get ready," Raal said as he came into the room with Lyanna and her husband, Luceen, behind him. "I trust that you will not embarrass this family -or this country- while you're there, Fiyero."

"At least not more than you already have," Lyanna quipped.

"Not helping, Lyanna," Amalie said through gritted teeth.

"It's true."

"No, she's right. I am an embarrassment, so why would I even bother to go in the first place?" Fiyero huffed.

"You have your gift for the governor, right?" Amalie asked, ignoring her son's statement.

"Yes."

"Good." Raal and Amalie sighed. "Fiyero, just… please. Do this for us."

"Fine," the prince sighed, saying goodbye to his family before dragging his feet out to the carriage.

The four royals watched as the carriage drove away. Lyanna excused herself to lay down, and Luceen went with her.

"Did you tell Fiyero?" Amalie asked, glancing at her husband.

"Tell him about what?"

Amalie gave him a pointed look. "You know what -or who- I'm talking about."

"No, I didn't tell him. If he did his research like we told him to, he would know."

"You know he didn't."

"Then he'll learn when he gets there."


Well, that was the first chapter! Reviews are most appreciated!