Hello, all! New story time! Hope you all enjoy it!
Prince Fiyero Tigulaar dragged his feet as he walked around the parlor. He grumbled under his breath, wishing he was any other place in Oz but here.
"Fiyero, please stop moping," the queen, Amalie, said as she entered the parlor.
"Why are you making me do this?" Fiyero asked, turning to face his mother.
The queen sighed. "I'm sorry, Fiyero, but this couldn't be helped."
"Yes, it could have been helped. I don't even know this girl. How am I supposed to marry her?"
"Simple, you just say 'I do' at the altar," the king, Raal, said, entering the room.
"Dad…"
"Fiyero, don't whine. It's all settled. You will wed the Governor of Munchkinland's eldest daughter and that's final."
Fiyero sighed as he slumped into the nearest armchair.
"And sit up. You must look your best when you meet her."
"I don't even know what she looks like. Why should I care about how I look?"
"Because looks are important, Fiyero. Especially in a royal family, image is very important."
The prince sighed, but stood and half-heartedly smoothed out his shirt. "Better?"
"No, but it will have to do," Raal sighed.
"Fiyero, please," Amalie practically begged.
"If you must force marriage upon me, why couldn't I just marry Glinda?" Fiyero asked.
The queen paused. "You were going to propose to her?"
"Well, I've known her since we were children, and she's been my girlfriend for the past six years. I know she's expecting me to propose to her. Everyone was expecting me to propose to her. I was even going to use great-grandmother's ring, which now must go to a girl I don't even know."
Amalie's shoulder's slumped. "I'm sorry, Fiyero. Really, I am. But we made a deal with the Governor of Munchkinland that we would help Munchkinland through its drought."
"So, you're using me to seal a political deal?"
"It's not that bad, Fiyero. I've heard that the girl is very smart."
"Maybe some of her brains will rub off on you," Raal said sternly.
"Raal," Amalie whispered, but her husband was already beginning to leave the room.
Fiyero frowned. "Well… I'm sorry to be the family disappointment."
Amalie sat down next to her son. "Fiyero, I never wanted this for you."
"I know." The prince stood up abruptly before his parents could say anything else and left the room. He was about to go back to his room when he bumped into Glinda.
"Well?" she asked hopefully.
Fiyero shook his head. "She's arriving today. We're to be married next week."
Glinda brushed a blonde curl behind her ear. "Oh."
"I'm so sorry, Glin. This isn't what I wanted. My parents are using us to seal some deal with Munchkinland."
"Is she pretty?"
"I don't know. I've never met her." Fiyero gently pulled his girlfriend against himself. "But I know she's not as pretty as you are."
Glinda blushed and giggled, standing on her toes to give the prince a kiss. "It's so unfair."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"I know, Fifi. It's not your fault. What do you know about her?"
"Apparently, she's the Governor of Munchkinland's eldest daughter and she's really smart."
"What's her name?"
"I don't know."
"You don't even know her name?"
"No."
Glinda sighed. "I'm sure she's very… nice."
"I hope so."
"And if it doesn't work," Glinda smiled as she wrapped her arms around the prince's waist. "You can always come back to me."
"Well, thank you very much," Fiyero chuckled as he kissed her. The sound of horses pulled Fiyero from his thoughts and he looked up. "She's here."
Glinda gently pulled away. "I… can't wait to meet her."
The prince nodded and gave Glinda one last kiss before turning.
"Wait!" the blonde called. Fiyero turned back around. "You don't have to leave right this second."
The prince smirked and went back to his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around her petite waist. Glinda giggled softly and snuggled closer to him, allowing him to plant a kiss in the crook of her neck. The couple stayed like that, ignoring the voices they heard from the parlor.
Amalie and Raal sat awkwardly across from Fiyero's future wife, not knowing what to say to her. They simply stared at Elphaba Thropp as she stared into her teacup. They had to admit, the girl was… intriguing, to put it nicely. Her long, black hair was tied in a braid down her back and Amalie found herself taking in the girl's sharp features. If it weren't for her oddly colored skin, it would have made the introduction easier.
"So, Elphaba, how was your journey?" the queen said, not knowing another way to break the silence.
The green girl pushed her glasses back up her nose and tried to smile. "Very well, thank you."
Raal nodded, taking another sip of his tea. "You were very brave to come here alone. Did you travel straight from Shiz?"
Elphaba's smile faltered a bit, and Amalie nudged her husband in the ribs. "Yes, I did."
"You didn't bring many belongings with you."
"Raal," Amalie whispered.
Elphaba looked back at her teacup. "My father said he would send what he can at a later date."
"We're so happy to welcome you to the family, Elphaba," Amalie said before her husband could open his mouth.
"Thank you."
"I suppose you would like to meet Fiyero now."
"FIYERO!" Raal boomed.
Amalie sighed and flashed the green girl a small, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Elphaba. My husband is not usually like this."
Raal glared at his wife and called his son again. Moments later, Fiyero entered the parlor with a teacup.
"Yes?" the prince asked, doing his best to sound polite. He looked around for his bride-to-be, but all he saw was a green girl looking directly at him.
"I would like you to meet your wife-to-be, Elphaba Thropp," Amalie said, silently telling her son to behave.
Fiyero looked around. "Where is she? Hiding behind the artichoke?"
"Fiyero!"
"What?"
Amalie stood and motioned for Elphaba to stand also. "This is Elphaba."
Fiyero looked at the girl and frowned. She was green. This would not do. He could not marry a green-skinned girl. Then, all of a sudden, he burst into laughter. "This… this is a joke, right? You're really funny."
"Fiyero, we are most certainly not joking. You will marry Elphaba Thropp in one week's time," Raal said stiffly.
That's when the prince turned serious. His parents weren't joking. They actually expected him to marry this… this thing. He slowly released his cup, and didn't jump when it fell to the ground and shattered. "No."
"Excuse me?"
"I can't marry this… thing."
"Fiyero Liir Tigulaar!"
"I thought I was going to marry a woman, not a walking weed."
"Fiyero, you will hold your tongue and not speak about your future wife in that manor!"
"If you are going to force me into marriage, you could let me marry Glinda. At least she's normal looking and doesn't look like she's seasick."
The king was fuming and stomped over to his son and dragging him out of the room, leaving Amalie alone with Elphaba. The queen turned and noticed that Elphaba had sat back down, her gaze out the window. "I'm so sorry, Elphaba," she whispered, gently placing her hand on Elphaba's shoulder. She felt the green girl stiffen against her touch and gently removed her hand. She noticed how Elphaba forced herself to avoid her gaze and made to leave, telling her to ring for one of the maids if she wanted something. As she left, she heard Elphaba whisper something that nearly broke her heart.
"It's nothing I haven't heard before."
"How dare you! You have done a lot of stupid things in the past, Fiyero, but this… this… I can't even say it!"
Fiyero ignored his father as he paced around his study, fuming in his rage. "Nothing I said was a lie."
Raal sighed. "Fiyero, when will you ever learn? You are twenty-three years old. It's time you started acting like it. You need to stop behaving like a child and start behaving like a king."
"I was never supposed to be king in the first place!" Fiyero shouted before he could stop himself.
Raal froze, blood rushing to his face, and for a moment, Fiyero thought he was done for. Instead, Raal took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes at his son. "Well, now you will be, so I suggest that you make the most of it and stop embarrassing yourself, our family, and this country." And with that, the king walked out, slamming the door behind him.
Fiyero sighed and rubbed his eyes. He wouldn't, couldn't, marry the green bean. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life with her. He just wished he could un-see her and erase her image from his mind. This wasn't the life he was supposed to have. He was supposed to be with Glinda. She was supposed to be his princess and they were supposed to live happily ever after. He stood and walked back to his room, rehearsing what he was going to say to the blonde.
"Hi, Fifi," Glinda smiled when she saw Fiyero enter the room.
"Hi," Fiyero muttered.
Glinda's face slowly fell. "So… you met her?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"She's green."
The blonde blinked. "Wh-what?"
"She's green. Like grass. Ugly, green grass. It's hideous."
"What do you mean 'she's green'?"
"Glinda, are you listening to me? Her skin is green."
"That's impossible. How can someone have green skin?"
"Believe me, she does."
"Maybe it was just a trick of the light."
"It wasn't. I saw it with my own two eyes. Her skin is green. If you don't believe me, come with me and see for yourself." The prince grabbed the blonde by the arm and pulled her behind him. He slowly crept up to the parlor and peaked his head in the room, and saw Elphaba sitting on the sofa, her nose buried in a book. "See what I mean?"
Glinda rolled her eyes, but peaked around the corner and gasped softly, her hand flying to her mouth. "Sweet Lurline above."
"Told you."
"She is green."
"I know."
"It's… appalling."
"I know."
"How do you think she got like that?"
"I dunno. Maybe she ate grass as a child and that's what turned her green."
"If you are to gossip about me, I would appreciate it if you didn't do it in the same room as me," Elphaba said stiffly, not looking up from her book.
Glinda jumped back, but Fiyero only frowned. "I wouldn't be caught dead in the same room as you."
"Yet, you are."
"For your information, Miss Know-it-all, we're on the other side of the doorway."
The green girl finally lowered her book and glared at the two as she rose to her feet. "I suggest you don't get smart, Master Fiyero, or at least, try to."
"D-Don't come any closer," Glinda said, shielding herself while simultaneously trying to send daggers at the green girl.
"I can assure you that my green is not contagious," Elphaba smirked. "But I will entertain the thoughts no doubt is running through your brains… or lack thereof."
"How dare you!" Fiyero snarled.
"Shall we begin? No, I am not seasick. Yes, I have always been green. No, we do not know why, and finally, no, I didn't eat grass as a child."
"Ah, since you two are finally speaking to each other, Fiyero, why don't you show Elphaba to her room for the rest of the week?" Amalie suggested, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, or maybe she had been standing behind them the whole time.
Fiyero stiffened, obviously not wanting to.
"And have you introduced her to your friend?"
"Girlfriend," Fiyero corrected under his breath.
Amalie frowned. "Fiyero."
"This is Glinda Upland," Fiyero said half-heartedly, not meeting Elphaba's eyes.
"Of the Upper Uplands," Glinda added stiffly, sticking her nose in the air.
"Pleasure," Elphaba nodded in the blonde's direction.
Glinda pressed her lips together. "I'm sure."
"Fiyero, I'm sure Elphaba is very exhausted from her journey and would like to rest before dinner," Amalie said just as tightly as Glinda.
Fiyero's shoulders slumped as he turned and stomped up the stairs, not even waiting for Elphaba to follow him. The green girl kept her gaze straight ahead as she followed him, ignoring the way Glinda stepped away from her and Amalie's sad expression.
"Here," Fiyero said as he gestured to a closed door.
Elphaba stared at the door for a moment before sighing and opening it herself. The very few belongings she had been able to bring with her, which was limited to a few dresses and some books, were already unpacked. Her dresses were hanging in her wardrobe and her books were nearly arranged on a desk in a corner by a large window overlooking the gardens.
"It's very nice," she admitted.
"Like you're used to any better," Fiyero mumbled.
Elphaba chose to ignore that comment, no matter how true it was. She walked around the room, getting used to her new space, when she noticed that Fiyero was still in the doorway. "You may leave now."
"You can't tell me what to do in my own home."
"Well, you obviously don't want to stay, and I'm making it clear to you that you don't have to."
"This is my house. I'll stand wherever I want to stand."
"And you will stand on the other side of the door." With a flick of her wrist, the door slammed right in the prince's face and locked. She ignored his commands to open up the door and once she heard him give up and walk away, slowly lowered herself onto the bed and allowed the tears, which she tried so hard to fight, to slide down her cheek.
Yes, another Fiyeraba arranged marriage fic, but I PROMISE this is very different. And… just a warning: it will be a while before you like Fiyero. Reviews are most appreciated.