Hello, you wonderful supporters, you. You all deserve fist bumps and love. So here's some confused and in love dorks for you.
Disclaimer: Baako, Takoda, and Yazpik are mine. Everything else was created by visionaries.
Elphaba stood at her bedroom window, which overlooked the courtyard, and studied the guests milling about the area. They were dressed in their teatime best, laughing and smiling with one another without ever truly being amused. Of everyone invited, maybe three or four of them genuinely wanted to be here. And of them, Elphaba had no interest. Although, to be fair, she had no interest in any of the buffoons loitering in her courtyard. She had been warned by multiple people to not unfairly and prematurely pass her judgement on them, and she knew she ought to have a conversation with them before she started striking the parchment. But she could barely stand to look at them at the moment.
Behind her, Nessarose was chittering away about something as Elphaba's lady's maid did up her hair for dinner. Glinda, who was wrapped up in a fluffy pink robe, had sprawled out on the chaise beside Elphaba while she flipped through a fashion catalog her mother had sent from the Emerald City. She responded to Nessa's questions without betraying the fact that she probably wasn't actually listening. It was a skill Elphaba had not mastered, though Romen was diligently making sure it was something she refrained from learning altogether.
When the lady's maid finished with Nessa's hair, she offered to do something for Glinda if Elphaba permitted, but Glinda waved her off politely. Glinda took great pride in being able to do her own hair. She had perfected how to get the perfect bounce in each spiral for the last several years, and she didn't want someone who had not been trained like her to mess that system up. Elphaba's lady's maid was well trained overall, though. She had spent most of her life growing up on the Munckinland-Gillikin border, so she understood the styles of each province. Elphaba felt the poor woman's talent was wasted on her, because typically she cycled through three simple hairstyles. Usually, she preferred her hair in a plait or simply down and loose, but from time to time she let her lady's maid put it up in a braided chignon. There was so much to do each day, and Elphaba hated wasting time having her hair done when she could be doing something else. Her indifference to hairstyles was one of the reasons why her lady's maid loved it when Nessarose came to visit.
The three of them and Elphaba's lady's maid had time to spare between the latter finishing Elphaba's hair and dinner. Yazpik and Jin were seeing to the guests in the courtyard while Romen greeted the stragglers. In all, there were about ten men Elphaba was to meet, three wealthy women with sway among the ten men, and several guests who merely accompanied the personally invited. Glinda promised to help Elphaba sort out those not worth her time and divert attention away from her when desired.
"Some of them have come from very far away for you," Nessa said derisively from the other side of the dressing panel. Elphaba's lady's maid grinned sympathetically at her as she helped Elphaba out of her robe. "You should at least give them a chance."
"None of them have travelled any distance for me," Elphaba responded while stepping into her underskirt.
"That's not fair, Elphaba."
Elphaba scoffed, and her lady's maid held the dress out for Elphaba to shrug into.
"Nessa, all of those men came for our money and my status." She added to her lady's maid, who had already adjusted the skirt and started on the bodice's lacing, "they couldn't give a twig about me."
"If anything, they're nice decorations for the time," her lady's maid quipped.
Elphaba hummed in agreement.
Glinda and Elphaba left Nessarose with Elphaba's lady's maid to dress her and do her makeup while the other two found a room to spy on the festivities outside. They were mostly Gillikinese men, but Elphaba noted two Quadlings, Takoda, and at least one who seemed to be from the Emerald City. Jin and Frex were talking to the Quadlings, who both looked nervous beyond compare. Takoda was gesticulating wildly to two of the men from the Gillikin, an Emerald City noblewoman, and the Emerald City bachelor. Elphaba's attention was drawn to Fiyero at the far end of the courtyard. He was leaning against one of the pillars with Avaric Tenmeadows sitting on the stone bannister beside him. Glinda mentioned they went to the same club when each were in the Emerald City.
"Must you really marry?" Glinda asked.
"Romen said this is just to get acquainted with my possibilities, but Yazpik wouldn't put all this effort into a possibility. I wouldn't be surprised if he was already drafting marriage agreements and spousal allowances."
"You'll be such a bore when you get married," she teased. "I'll write to discuss the biggest news coming out of the Emerald City, and you'll reply by droning on about what shade of black will insult your in-laws less."
"I sincerely doubt I'll see difference between shades, so you shouldn't worry about that."
"Have you looked into any of them?"
Elphaba had vetted each and every one of them twice over. She poured over all the materials Yazpik had on them and then put one of Yazpik's men up to acquiring more information for her. Elphaba knew everything from where each of them stood on Animal Rights to the foot they lead with. When Romen had brought up her interest in reading their files, she said she simply wanted to know how to lead a conversation with each of them; but both of them knew she was picking through the information to narrow down the pool of men she would deny anyway. Elphaba was sure part of Yazpik and Romen allowed her to get whatever she could in hope that she would surprise herself and find someone she liked.
There she was, though, hours and hours later, and she still wanted none of them.
"Why would I bother?" Elphaba evaded.
"I'm sure it won't be so bad, Elphie. Avaric has done a lot of growing up since Shiz."
"I don't even know why they're pushing for this legacy. Thropp women and childbirth are notoriously ill-matched."
"Don't talk like that, Elphaba!" Glinda chastised. "By some miracle your aunt got pregnant at an old age and died in childbirth because she was an older woman giving birth. Childbirth is not what killed your grandmother: I shouldn't have to remind you. And even Frexspar said Melena would have died before the week's end, whether or not she went into labor."
"Well, it was all enough to curse me with this position."
"Now you're nearby your family. You've reconnected with your grandfather. You're in a position where you can help Animals. And you can help people. Who knows what you'd be doing if you weren't here? There's no use wishing on what could have been, Elphie. You're here now."
"I'm sorry. I need a moment to adjust to Glinda Upland saying something astute."
"Don't be mean."
"I'm sorry," Elphaba repeated, sincerely this time. She cast her gaze back down on the courtyard.
Elphaba only had to suffer through three days of all this nonsense. Not even three full days. She would dine with everyone tonight, greet them all personally as her staff served drinks in the Northern parlor, and spend the rest of the night talking with the guests who were there simply to provide influence. Tomorrow she would be forced to be feign interest all day. From morning coffee through lunch, Romen had planned her time out so that she could spend a little bit with each eligible bachelor. Then she would be granted two hour's reprieve before being dressed and styled for the banquet when she had to narrow down her interest, or at least those she could stand to consider an interest.
By the time dinner rolled around, the pads of Elphaba's thumb and forefinger were darkened from fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. If she were a normal color like Nessa or Glinda, Elphaba supposed her fingertips would be reddened; but since she was an abnormality, her tips took on the color of steamed spinach. She frowned at the comparison and then in the direction of the kitchen when the smell of steamed spinach wafted through the halls. She had put an array of green foods on the menu to make her guests uncomfortable, but Elphaba was currently scowling at her decision.
She was seated at the head of the table with a woman from the Gillikin on her right and one from the Emerald City to her left. They were both kind, if a little vapid. Elphaba merely sipped her wine and remembered not to roll her eyes. Glinda and Baako took the seats beside the women. Glinda was a blessing to keep the conversation going and bringing up topics Elphaba wouldn't have discussed on her own. Baako, on the other hand, reflected Elphaba's exasperation with the women. Whenever the woman from Emerald City spoke, he stared down at his plate, pulling faces. The Gillikinese woman tried time and again to engage him in conversation, because she loved his accent; but Baako feigned ignorance, which she found adorable. He sent Elphaba a good natured wink or smirk every now and then, and it made the dinner more bearable.
Fiyero was sat somewhere at the opposite end of the table with Nessarose and Avaric. Elphaba could hear Nessa's bell-like giggles over the conversation, and when she glanced in the direction, she was often met with Fiyero's profile and that lopsided smile of his. She found herself flitting her gaze back over to Fiyero time to time.
Elphaba tried to take notice of the others at the table, but few caught her interest and even fewer held it. Quadling #1 was perhaps a 'maybe'. He had pleasant features and a nice smile. He was seated between two particularly chatty people, so Elphaba didn't see him talk much. She wondered if it was common for him or if he just couldn't get a word in. Probably a little of both. On her second sweep through the table, Elphaba saw the look Quadling #1 was giving Gillikinese #4. She adverted her eyes to her plate.
Did she look like that when watching Fiyero? This was exactly why her advisors wanted her to work on maintaining a blank face. Well, maybe this exact situation wasn't what they had in mind, but the like, certainly.
"What say you, Your Eminency?" the woman from the Gillikin asked.
"I'm sorry, madam, can you repeat the question?" Baako asked, saving Elphaba from having to. "I think I misunderstood."
The woman from the Gillikin cooed and put her hand on Baako's thigh, causing his brows to shoot up. She repeated her question slowly, asking if Elphaba thought her father would ever remarry. It truly caught her off guard, and she shot a glance towards Frex who was talking with Jin.
"My father has not met another woman who captivates him as much as my mother had," Elphaba replied, and she wasn't sure she was being honest with the woman. At the very least, Elphaba knew Frex had not voiced a plan to remarry.
"Such a shame," the woman from the Emerald City replied, and the Gillikinese nodded in agreement. "If he does indicate an interest, please write to us. Between the three of us," she added and motioned to the Gillikinese woman, "we could surely find an acceptable replacement."
Elphaba smiled at them but sent Baako a look. Replacement? For her mother? Were these women mad?
She didn't stick around too long after. Once their finish drink had been taken away, Elphaba rose and waited for the rest of the table to follow her lead. She thanked them for being great dinner companions, expressed her excitement at their attendance, and told them she could not wait to get better acquainted over drinks later. Giving a slight bow of her head, she allowed them to take their seats as she departed the table.
They were awful guests, she thought. Well, perhaps fine enough for people who didn't know they were being considered for marriage. But she was hardly excited by their appearance here, and she could list pages of other activities she would rather be doing than rubbing elbows with them.
There was a small village about an hour's ride from Colwen Grounds. If she left now, Elphaba figured she could make it before nightfall. Or, if she was lucky, she would arrive with nightfall and be forced to rent a room at their local inn. She could escape. Just for a night and just to regain her gall. Elphaba sighed when she saw the large Scrow encampment as she passed from the first floor to the second. No. She would feel awful if she left. These people were here for her, and not all of them came with her advisors' heavy expectation. The Scrow, for instance, were along for the ride and generally happy to interact with her when she could spare the moment. Leaving would be a slight to them as much as the rest of her guests.
So Elphaba sulked in the shadows of the castle and paced deserted corridors until someone came to fetch her to fulfill her responsibilities. Her lady's maid, who had been adjusting Elphaba's hair, scowled at the attendant and sent him away.
Romen was waiting for her outside the northern parlor when she made her way down its corridor, ten minutes after the designated time. She had been messing with her sash and somehow managed to singe a corner of it, so her lady's maid ran around the castle looking for a fix. Romen looked at Elphaba expectantly but refrained from commenting on her tardiness. She once heard someone say that a sovereign is never late: everyone else is just early. Her advisors warned her against taking it to heart, but Elphaba usually abided by the rule.
The northern parlor was massive. It was the parlor every Eminency had used to entertain guests. In more modest homes, it would have been the size of a banquet hall. But the Eminency was nothing if not offensively grand. The room was a dark green, bordering on black, with silver vines twisting and winding around the room to showcase the ornate crystal chandelier that hung in the center. Its windows were large and flooring light as to not make its guests feel as if they were trapped in a dark room. During the day, when the sunlight flooded into the room and caught the crystals, the prettiest tricks of light danced on the dark walls. Aesthetically, it was Elphaba's favorite room.
It was also a painfully beautiful reminder of her station.
Everyone in the room momentarily quieted when Romen held the door open and allowed Elphaba to pass through. The men greeted her with varying degrees of bows while the women all gave their best curtsey. Elphaba forced a smile and clasped her hands behind her back.
Frexspar and Nessa had been waiting near the door for her. Her father was the first to greet her with a kiss to the back of her hand and then two to each of her cheeks. Elphaba squeezed Nessa's hand when it was offered and asked how they enjoyed dinner. It sent Nessa into a frenzy discussing the presentation of the second and fifth dishes. Frex winked at his eldest, and for a moment Elphaba's nerves were held at bay. It was almost normal. Listening to Nessarose prattle on about how pretty something was while she and her father did their best to look interested. Whether Nessa knew her family struggled to listen, Elphaba didn't know. She supposed Nessa, who was so frequently engaged in conversation about her disabilities or how her political opinion may differ from her sister's, may have just enjoyed speaking on nonessential issues which affected no one.
Elphaba left her sister and father with a couple quick pecks to the cheek and made her way around the room. Quadling #1 and Gillikinese #3 were with two of the influential ladies she needed to charm, so she started with them. Slyly, she kept an eye on the clock at the far end of the room, limiting herself to fifteen minutes before moving on.
Glinda and Quadling #2 were standing with Fiyero and Gillikinese #2 not too far away from Elphaba's current group. She steeled herself for the interaction before striding up to them with what she hoped was a confident but casual gait.
"Your Eminency," the group greeted as a chorus.
"I hope everyone is enjoying their evening?" Elphaba asked.
"Very much so," the Gillikinese man replied. He had a deep and raspy voice. "Miss Upland and I were just commenting on how Your Eminency should throw more parties in the future."
Glinda smiled widely at Elphaba, nodding earnestly. Elphaba grinned cautiously. Glinda knew Gillikinese #2 from societal connections, and when the girls were alone earlier, Glinda had nothing but high praise for him. He was all right, Elphaba thought. There was something unaffected about his presence, and it was a nice change from the wound up men she dealt with day in and day out.
"If it would please our new friends, then how could I possibly say no?" Elphaba asked without giving her own opinion on parties.
The two Gillikinese among them beamed, and Elphaba sent a side glance at Fiyero, whose gaze had been burning the side of her face since she started talking to their group. It didn't unnerve her, she didn't think. It made her hyperaware of the way she was standing, the way she was holding her hands, and the way her insides seemed to be having a crisis on how to properly behave. What did other people think when they followed Fiyero's eye? Was it as scandalous for him to stare her as it was for her to stare at him? Or was it expected?
"Penny for your thoughts, Fiyero?" Glinda asked, nudging the Vinkun lightly.
Fiyero started slightly, blinking once before clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck.
"Your, er, your dress is lovely, Your Eminency," Fiyero said.
It took the group of them aback, Elphaba included, so the only response which immediately rolled off her tongue was, "It has pockets."
She grinned at the group as she shoved her hands into the pockets of the dress. What was she doing? What kind of response was that? Elphaba quickly removed her hands and held them behind her back, giving a brief departing comment and fleeing to the next group.
"It has pockets," she murmured to herself with a quick eye roll. She scoffed softly.
The next group conversation was much easier to interact with. Takoda was among the small party and chatted with all of them as if he had been friends with each of them for his entire life. He even got the two from the Gillikin to joke with him and Emerald City #1 to gesture wildly in a way that Elphaba had only seen Takoda do.
As she was moving from one of the later groups to the next, Elphaba snagged a glass of wine from a servant circling the room. She didn't know how she had managed to make it through four groups without so much as a sip of wine. Her decision had perfect timing, too, she thought as she approached the next group, which was merely Avaric, the second man from the EC, and Baako's mother's sister.
"This parlor is absolutely stunning, Majesty," Baako's mother's sister commented in lieu of a greeting.
"Oh, thank you," Elphaba replied with a small smile. "My family is rather fond of it."
"It reminds me of a room in my grandmother's winter cottage," the EC bachelor told her. "Hers is not nearly as spectacular, of course, but I'm amazed at how comfortable I find myself here."
Baako's mother's sister fixed Elphaba with a look that was barely hidden from the EC bachelor.
"Perhaps your grandmother would love to visit at the next party we have?" Elphaba suggested. Their group paused for a moment as they heard one of the Gillikinese on the other side of the room talking about how well-bred he was. "At Lurelinemas, the entire room smells like peppermint sweet rolls."
The boasting Gillikinese man commented on how any child he sired would be worth more than any child in Oz. Baako's mother's sister put a comforting hand on Elphaba's arm.
"My grandmother would love that," the EC man said, glancing over at the Gillikinese when he laughed loudly at something.
"As long as that one isn't invited back, yeah?" Avaric added, and the EC man snickered.
Once again, the Gillikinese's drunken voice carried over the already buzzing parlor as he told whoever he was talking to that he came from a very long line of pureblood Gillikinese.
"Excuse me," she nodded to her companions.
Elphaba maneuvered her way to the back of the parlor as surreptitiously as she could after talking with Jin a little. The moment she saw her chance, she made a break for the back gardens. She didn't need to run away from all the utter ridiculousness occurring. She merely needed a breath. She needed to be in a place where men weren't following her like hounds. She needed a place where mothers weren't pointing out her flaws. She needed to be in a place where her every move, every smile, every damned blink didn't need to be calculated to serve some ridiculous purpose. She needed-
"Fiyero," Elphaba sighed upon seeing him pacing the length of one of the alcoves of the hedge maze.
He grinned at Elphaba. "I just needed a break."
"If you don't mind, I think I'll join you. If you do, I'm terribly sorry for your misfortune."
"I would never mind your company, Fae." Fiyero grinned again when Elphaba motioned for him to follow her. She chuckled softly at something but otherwise remained silent. Fiyero glanced around the area and stayed near enough to Elphaba that she could feel the heat radiating off of him. It chilled her more than the night air, but she maneuvered closer to him without overstepping boundaries. Fiyero spoke after a few moments, "Have you ever wanted something, Elphie? Wanted it so arduously but were constantly reminded it's not yours for the taking?"
Elphaba cocked her head slightly, her brow furrowing as she considered his question.
"Are we talking about a person? Because given my current circumstances, and my feelings on my current circumstances, I would be much more comfortable giving this abstract 'it' proper recognition."
"Well, I was actually referring to the stock of Munchkin whiskey in your cellars, but I can see how you could confuse it with a person."
"Oh, then, yes," Elphaba replied. "Coincidentally, also the Munchkin whiskey."
They walked in relative silence for a few moments with Fiyero fidgeting incessantly with his fingers. Elphaba could hear the merrymaking continuing without her in the hall, and she was certain she could even hear that abhorrent Gillikinese man talking about his lineage still. She closed her eyes and tried drowning them out with her own thoughts, but each time she managed to find some calm, a peal of laughter from somewhere would drag her back to reality.
Fiyero's fingers brushed across her hand every now and then, and Elphaba wanted to take his hand but settled for returning the action sporadically. He had a lopsided grin on his face the first couple times she did it, but then a more serious expression took over.
Elphaba assumed she was the one Fiyero was referring to. She had to be, didn't she? Fiyero wasn't cruel. He wouldn't have presented the situation without intending to act on it. She didn't know what she could say or what more she could do to assure him she was open to whatever he was thinking. Or maybe he was second guessing himself. Maybe he realized whatever he wanted—whatever she wanted—wouldn't likely last the moment. Whatever they did would be selfish, and Elphaba thought it may be more detrimental to act on it than let it simmer somewhere in the back of their mind.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Elphaba muttered when she couldn't stand her own thoughts anymore.
She gripped the lapels of Fiyero's jacket, steering them backwards into the shadows of the path while she met his lips. For a split second she thought he would pull away despite so eagerly accepting her advance. Fiyero wasn't doing anything with his hands, and Elphaba thought that translated into his indecision. She wanted this, of course, but she didn't want to keep at it if he didn't feel the same way. Her nerves dissipated, though, when his hands rested at her waist for a moment before holding her firmly and pressing more into the kiss.
It wasn't perfect, but she honestly didn't know what she expected. Their noses kept bumping in a way she wasn't sure was supposed to happen. Keeping her hands on his lapels felt awkward for her, but she worried Fiyero would think she was pulling away if she moved them. But perhaps he wanted her to be the first to break. She was shaky from the adrenaline and her general inexperience, and she knew her lips were dry from pursing and licking them throughout the night. Maybe he just didn't want to hurt her feelings. Did he know this was her first kiss? He couldn't have. She hadn't even told Glinda, but Elphaba suspected most assumed.
How long had it even been? Was it too late to pull away? No, that's ridiculous, she thought. It wasn't too late or too early. But she didn't want to stop. She knew it probably wasn't Fiyero's most memorable kiss, or maybe not even an enjoyable one; but Elphaba wanted to be selfish, and she wanted to keep kissing him until Fiyero said no more.
So she risked his reaction and moved her hands from his jacket to mirror his own hands' placement. Rather than end the kiss, Fiyero cupped her face, which she took as an invitation to deepen the kiss.
After a few more moments, Elphaba pulled back, and her heart stuttered when Fiyero followed her for more.
"Fiyero," Elphaba said, and her hands went right back to his lapel.
He drifted his hands down from her face to her neck and over her shoulders, eventually planting them on her waist once more. Fiyero looked pleased, happy even, but Elphaba didn't want to presume he felt anything. He knew the situation at hand, and she could hardly blame him for wanting nothing more than a kiss from her. Honestly, she couldn't even give him that. As soon as they emerged from the shadows, nothing could have happened.
"Fiyero, I can never ask you for more than that," she said, rubbing at a spot on the fabric.
"I know," he replied. She could feel his heart pounding. "I would never ask," he added and stuttered out something incomprehensible. He corrected himself, "I mean, I would never…ah, that is, I'm happy to be near you, Fae."
Elphaba laughed lightly and stole another kiss. Softer this time. Less rush and less fervor.
"We have to get back," Elphaba whispered.
"You have to get back. No one will be missing me."
She grinned and laced their fingers together. Her smile widened and immediately fell upon thinking how well her green skin looked against Fiyero's tattooed one.
"My quarters aren't guarded at night," Elphaba told him before losing her nerve.
This time, Fiyero's face fell, and Elphaba's heart began racing. She had been too forward? Of course. He was quite possibly the shyest man she knew, the most modest. She had been too forward. It wasn't attractive and would have him reeling back. The thought made her frown. She was a forward person, and Elphaba wouldn't change that. Not even for Fiyero.
"I can't," he said hastily.
"Of course," she replied a little curtly and removed her hands.
Fiyero jumped for them as soon as the pressure lifted from his chest.
"It's not that I don't want to, believe me," and Elphaba did. "I mean we can't. We're not in a position to say consequences be damned."
"Your tongue was just down my throat."
"I remember."
"Well, it's starting to slip my mind."
Fiyero barked out a laugh, and a small smile tugged at Elphaba's lips. He let her capture one more kiss before nodding in the direction of the ballyhoo.
"Oh, fine," she conceded, "you go on ahead. I'll stay out here until I'm dragged back."
"Elphaba…"
"If you won't stay with me, at least leave me alone."
He hesitated for a moment but ultimately left her with a swift bow and a chaste peck on the cheek. Elphaba huffed out a haggard breath when Fiyero was long out of sight. What had she been thinking? How could you be so stupid? she thought as she tore off the lone flower growing in the hedge. Propositioning herself like a common whore. Elphaba scoffed and twisted the flower in her hands until the heat emanating from it caused her to drop the flower. She stared at the plant in mild horror as it fell to the ground, its edgings singed and smoking. Elphaba glanced around nervously then kicked gravel over the thing. She had probably been too rough with it, and the friction was too much for the flimsy flower.
Elphaba's conscious nagged at her as she settled onto a bench tucked in one of the dead ends. It was unfair of her to lash out at Ozian whores just because they could exert a degree of liberty she was not allowed. She supposed calling them whores was probably also unfair.
Fiyero probably had sexually liberated women throwing themselves at him all the time. It didn't matter if he had little money, a title was enough for some women. Being a sexually liberated woman attached to a high ranking Ozian was better than being a common man's sexually liberated woman. Fiyero probably thought her no better than any of those women.
"The last thing he needs is another who—sexually liberated woman," she muttered to herself, looking back at the patch where the flower was still smoking.
A few minutes later, the snap of a twig drew her attention out of her own thoughts. One of the servants, followed closely by Romen, was beginning to light the lanterns in this section of the maze. She looked briefly in Elphaba's direction and then went back from where she came at Romen's order. Her grandfather stood with his hands fisted behind his back and waited until he could no longer hear the servant's heavy steps against the gravel.
Elphaba watched him carefully as he did this. He looked nothing like what Elphaba remembered of her mother, though people frequently told her Melena was the spitting image of Romen. His features were sharp and hawk-like, and Elphaba remembered her mother to have delicate ones. Romen's hair no longer showed the same connection people made: his once lauded locks were a light grey and slicked back with more product than Elphaba used in a month. Melena had, had curly auburn hair that was so thick that she couldn't keep it down in the summer months unless she wanted to chance a heat stroke. Elphaba grinned to herself, thinking back on a vague memory of Melena teaching Frex how to braid when she was heavily pregnant with Nessarose. Her grin faded. She wondered if Melena was teaching Frex, because she sensed she would not live long past Nessa's birth.
Once again, footsteps drew Elphaba out of her thoughts.
"Your grandmother used to flee to these gardens, too," he commented, taking a seat beside Elphaba. "Your mother, too, now that I think about it."
"Until she fled to Rush Margins, that is," Elphaba replied.
Romen hummed in agreement. "She used to sneak around with your father in the shadows of the gardens. I think she went to her grave believing her mother and I didn't know."
Elphaba sent him a side glance. She wouldn't ask him to go on, and he didn't press the comment if there was an insinuation packed in there. Instead, Romen took out a hand pipe from his jacket and a small pouch of tobacco. He packed the bowl in silence and took his first hit without so much as a glance in Elphaba's direction. Romen did, however, look towards where the flower was still smoking in the middle of the path. His brow furrowed, and a small panic shot through Elphaba. Then, just like that, the smoke snuffed out, as if reacting to Elphaba's anxieties.
"Hardly any of them are worth the energy to consider," Romen said, and Elphaba let out a surprised cackle. "I imagined some of them would be bores, but I hadn't expected to seek out the company of your father and the Vinkuns."
"A couple of them don't even know where they're at in Munchkinland, just 'the main part'," Elphaba admitted with a laugh.
"These are not the only men, you know?" Romen asked, frowning at the hedge before them. "They're merely the fish we grabbed from the barrel."
Elphaba brushed out the wrinkles in her skirt.
"You could bring me a new barrel every week, and none would contain a fish I found appealing."
"You'll have to stomach one of them eventually."
"Is that what you are?" she asked without the vitriol she had intended. "An entrée Partra could stomach?"
Romen answered, "No," as he blew out a plume of smoke. "The Wizard wasn't even born when we wed."
"Well," Elphaba grunted, rising to her feet, "I suppose I should pen the Wizard a letter of gratitude for my crummy and confining life."
"I wouldn't word it as such."
"I should get back to piranhas."
"Stay out of the gardens with Prince Fiyero, Elphaba."
Elphaba rolled her eyes, "I will consider your request," she said and earned a side eye from her diplomat.
A few of them fish were waiting on Elphaba when she returned to the northern parlor. All three of them were Gillikinese and seemed to be bouncing to leave the room. She received a quick bow and a garbled goodnight before they hurried from the room. Elphaba watched them leave, each of them with a sort of pep in their step. She raised her brows. She lived in a large palace with a large staff of single or otherwise deprived attendants. Elphaba knew that gallop when she saw it. Though, it hardly mattered to her if Gillikin 1, 3, and 4 were off bumping uglies with her staff. It wasn't like she'd be extending them an invitation to return, and they assuredly knew so.
The second Gillikinese man was laughing raucously with one of the Quadlings. Elphaba noticed the blush creeping up the latter's neck and staining his ears. Avaric, the fifth and last Gillikin, was nowhere in sight, but he had been with Glinda when Elphaba escaped the prison earlier. Glinda was now with the two men from the Emerald City. Elphaba contemplated going over and joining them. She thought she could probably get used to the idea of marrying someone from the EC. They could have a cozy hideaway home in the City, and Elphaba could take vacations to get lost in the busy streets of the capital. However, as she neared the group, she didn't think she could stand to listen to the Emerald City accent for more than a conversation. Her only option was the last group—Takoda, the second Quadling, Sarima, and Fiyero—drinking in the corner. The remainder of her guests were sprinkled around the hall, some with the bachelors and others clumped with their own.
Elphaba decided on Takoda's group and faltered in her stride when Fiyero caught her eye. A goofy grin spread over his face and a light red quickly spread across his cheeks. Elphaba couldn't do it. She couldn't sit with them and drink. It was asking for a disaster. Before she could convince herself to go forward, Elphaba turned abruptly and came face-to-face with Avaric. He was wearing a shit-eating grin, and Elphaba wondered if it may have been better to test her luck with the drinking group.
"Champagne?" Avaric offered.
"It's bad luck to drink champagne without cause for celebration," Elphaba replied, moving past him.
He followed as Elphaba glanced at the table serving the refreshments.
"We're not even serving champagne. I hope you plan on paying for that bottle."
"Surely Colwen Grounds can afford to let a man have a bit of bubbly."
"I'll be forced to recall this theft when considering who among you I'll take as a trophy for the rest of my life." She prickled a little when she noticed the way Sarima was tracing patterns onto the back of Fiyero's hand. "Don't make a habit of drinking the good stuff and we'll blame the Scrow," she added.
Avaric laughed loudly, startling Elphaba and drawing the attention of several other guests.
"Look at us," Avaric smirked, "already conspiring like a married pair."
"If you'll excuse me," Elphaba said, parting ways with him and nodding to Yazpik who she caught milling at the outskirts.
Yazpik motioned for the attendants to stop moving, and the guests in the room rose to their feet when they noticed Elphaba. When Elphaba gave her goodnight comments, she focused her attention just above everyone's head as not to tempt her gaze to drop back to Fiyero and Sarima. Elphaba knew her tone was terse, but she would rather deal with the reprimands later. Currently, she felt if she remained in the room any longer, she would snap. A chiding from Yazpik was preferable to the chastising she would have given herself had she let her silly emotions get the better of her.
When Elphaba woke up the next morning, she felt more exhausted than she had when she went to bed. She stared up at the canopy which stretched over the top of her bed. The dark teal seemed too bright this morning, and she considered tearing them down and demanding black. She recognized how ridiculous she was being, though. This entire ridiculous situation was turning her ridiculous. Her canopy was fine. The lighting was fine. Everything was fine.
It was fine that her advisors would expect some sort of invitation by the end of today. It was fine that she had no interest in any of the men here for her hand. It was fine that she would tell her advisor some line about wanting half the men to return much later in the year for a holiday in Munchkinland—even though she had no desire, which was fine. It was fine that she kissed Fiyero. It was fine that he didn't want her. It was fine, despite it being one-sided, that Fiyero was still the only one she wanted among the men here. It was fine. Everything was absolutely and extraordinarily fine.
A sharp knock ruined the silence which had previously engulfed her room.
Elphaba sighed.
"Milady," her lady's maid's voice carried past the door.
"Yes, enter," Elphaba answered.
The woman popped in, "Your father won't be attending tea before breakfast with you and sends his regrets, milady."
"It's fine," she replied blandly.
"He said to tell you that he's taking a couple of the Vinkuns for breakfast in the city, and he'll take tea with you when he returns, if you wish."
Elphaba propped herself up on her elbows, "Which Vinkuns?"
"He didn't say, milady," her lady's maid said as she picked through the dresses Elphaba laid out the previous night.
"Well, which Vinkuns aren't present now?"
"None of the guests have risen yet, Your Eminency."
Elphaba made a noise of impatience. "What good is a gossip-friendly staff if you keep tight-lipped?"
"You'll be the first I tell when I'm told, milady, you know." Elphaba waved her hand dismissively. She knew her lady's maid would tell Elphaba everything. If she said she didn't know, she didn't know.
The two of them worked quickly to get Elphaba ready for her morning. She didn't need to be present for anything until breakfast in a couple hours, so she was allowed to dress plainly so long as she stuck to her private quarters and library. Her lady's maid did up her hair in a way which would allow it to set in waves for later on, and Elphaba oiled her skin while her maid buttoned the back of her frock. In fifteen minutes, Elphaba was shutting her office door behind her and perusing the shelves for a few specific books.
Elphaba crouched in front of the titles she had in this library on Ozian marriage law, but a worn book down the row caught her attention. Ignoring her original intent, she pulled out the well-loved book. It was a journal. Peerless' journal, to be exact, she found when opening it. The date stamped on the first entry was from ages ago. She thumbed the corner of the book, thinking on the date for a moment. He had to have been around twenty-five when he wrote this. What would his twenty-five year old self have to say to her?
She read the first paragraph, "Eilia visited today. She was quite reserved, but I thoroughly enjoyed and devoured fruit she brought with her. Sweet and succulent. The apples she brought from the southern orchard were excellent, too."
"Oh, Oz Almighty, Peerless," Elphaba gagged as she snapped the book shut. She shoved the book back onto the shelf and grabbed one of the marriage law books.
Elphaba wasn't sure how helpful the books would be to her. The publication date was long before the Wizard arrived, and she wasn't entirely up-to-date with all the changes the Wizard enacted. There was so much to cover, she mostly researched what she needed and saved the rest for later. The book was old enough to lack an index, as well, which was what Elphaba was hoping to use to expedite this study session. She would need to get her hands on the updated marriage laws, but Elphaba assumed she would have to do it through Jin or her father. Romen and Yazpik wanted to help her, she knew, but they wanted to help her in a way that she didn't think was particularly helpful.
"You know," Elphaba's musings were interrupted as Avaric leaned against the threshold, "Back at Shiz, if anyone asked me where I saw my life headed, vying for Elphaba Thropp's hand would have never crossed my mind."
Elphaba blinked at her book. She should have locked her door.
"I have no idea what you're on about, Tenmeadows," she retorted.
"Oh, really?" he cackled and crossed his arms. "So if I packed up and left right now, I wouldn't be met with thinly veiled grovels from your master of diplomacy and your spymaster wouldn't be digging up dirt to blackmail me into staying?"
"Romen doesn't grovel, and Yazpik probably already has everything he needs to know."
"Fair enough."
"What do you want?" Elphaba asked curtly, flipping the page of her book with more force than necessary.
Avaric smirked in response.
"Do I need a reason to visit my favorite green world leader?"
"Yes," Elphaba answered. "There's generally an appeal for an audience, an attendant, and Yazpik sulking somewhere in the shadows."
"Well, I saw Master Yazpik sulking in the corridors, and my appeal must have gotten lost in the mail."
Elphaba remained silent, focusing on the book instead of the present company. Egging him on wouldn't get her anywhere.
Avaric went on anyway, "I notice a lot of things. A benefit of my upbringing and some of the experiences I've acquired over the years." Elphaba made a noncommittal noise. "For instance, the composition of your guests. Ten bachelors? A few married women with influence? It's a Gillikinese tactic. I couldn't even count on two hands how many of these gatherings I've been to since graduation."
"So you're not good enough for at least ten other women."
He grinned in response. "And you, yeah?"
Elphaba sighed and shut her book. "Do you have a point? Or are you just going to babble until I pity you?"
"Pity me? At least ten other women have considered me well-bred enough to marry. That is a compliment I will take to my grave. The difference between those women and you is you need me."
"I don't need anyone."
"I lived with Fiyero and Boq for three years. I know the face they make when they need to eat, need to sleep, and need to shit. I know their go-to outfits. Most importantly, I know what they wear after they experience, ah, a degree of intimacy with someone." Elphaba folded her hands and stared coolly at Avaric. "Fiyero, for instance, goes to his red vest and doeskin pants. Which I happened to see him wearing as he got into a carriage with Master Frexspar. Weird, right?"
"Bizarre," Elphaba agreed.
Avaric motioned to the chair in front of Elphaba's desk. "May I?" He sat down without waiting for an answer. "We know each other, Elphaba. I'm not repulsed by your skin or convinced I'll catch it like half those dimwits here. I'm good company and well-versed in etiquette. We would make a good partnership. I don't care what you do behind closed doors, so long as you afford me the same respect and so long as our business remains behind closed doors."
"I bet every little Munchkin dreams of being proposed to in such a manner."
"When have you ever been like every little Munchkin?"
"Never," Elphaba said.
"You don't need to answer me now. Tell your advisors you'd like to invite me back, and I'll postpone for a while. Give you some time to think. Then you can write me directly when you see this is a great prospect for both of us. You'll get some freedom, and I'll be set."
Avaric pulled out the flower which had been tucked into his front pocket and set it on Elphaba's closed book. He winked at her and left Elphaba staring after him. Part of her was considering his proposition. All things considered, it didn't seem so bad. But an even larger part of her was stuck glaring at you'll get some freedom. What did Avaric know of her freedom? How could she possibly be free when duty chained her down?
She snatched the flower and agitatedly tore off a couple of the petals before squeezing it in her fist. Avaric could bring her home a new man every night, and she wouldn't be able to do anything more than nod at him upon his arrival. So much as an appreciative smile could send her people into a tizzy. And that's merely if the mystery man was a fellow Munchkin. A Gillikinese? A Quadling? Not even the reappearance of Ozma would save her from the wrath the Munchkins would bring down on her. But a Vinkun? They would hate her for making a cuckold of her husband and loathe her for doing so with a Vinkun. The best fate she could hope for is being hanged, drawn, and quartered. Munchkins were forgiving of many things, but adultery would spark a vicious side of them.
His transgressions would be forgiven. Yazpik would go out of his way to hide whoever Avaric was doing on the side. Romen would have dozens of tales already spun in case of a scandal or a bastard child showing up. Avaric would enjoy freedom. Elphaba would see such few liberties. She would be so bogged down that being allowed to pick which leg crossed the other would seem like a great generosity.
Elphaba hissed and let out a string of expletives at the smell of burning herb. She dropped the flower onto the desk and quickly slammed the marriage law book down on the burning flower.
It was fine. Everything was fine.
She sniffed the air outside of her office as she shut the door. It didn't smell like something had been burning. The attendant did his best but barely hid the curious look on his face. Elphaba muttered something about the maids needing to do a better job at cleaning her office and then told him not to let anyone but her in the room for the next few days.
"I'll take tea in the southern parlor," she added.
"Of course, my lady," he nodded and locked the door. Elphaba handed him two notes as well, "Please pass these on to my father and Prince Fiyero, discreetly."
"Of course, Your Eminency."
"If Yazpik finds out, Jin will find out you're quite keen to join the militia."
"Of course, Majesty."
Elphaba paced back and forth in the southern parlor. It was their best parlor but the least used. Peerless had used it as a personal residence for his family. It's where Partra grew up and where Melena learned all her social graces. There were traces of family life throughout the parlor. Lines carved into the threshold where Partra's height was recorded. A lingering scent of Peerless' cologne which seemed to stick to the walls. Sketches done by family members and left tucked in books and in between music sheets beside the piano in the corner. Elphaba never used it herself. Not until now, that is.
She had changed into her second outfit of the day. Her hair was still braided and twisted, but her frock was exchanged for a little more restricting dress. At least it didn't have a corset, she supposed. It's sleeves weren't long enough for her to fidget with, though. She commented to her lady's maid that she noticed many of her dress' sleeves no longer came down to her wrist. Her lady's maid simply shrugged and told Elphaba styles must have been changing. Elphaba knew better, though. It drove Romen crazy when she fidgeted, and her tailors weren't exactly thrilled to find the material at her wrist worn thin in such a short amount of time. So now she was fidgeting with her fingers. Twisting them together and cracking knuckles when she could.
When Fiyero knocked on the door once and entered, Elphaba thought she was going to throw up. Or pass out. Maybe both. Maybe she'd wet herself. It seemed fitting with her luck to lose all proper bodily functions. She smiled at him, though, to give her mind something else to focus on.
Fiyero looked at her and threw a glance around the room. Elphaba paused. She should have told him they would be unattended. He probably didn't want to be here, she thought. He may have still been unsettled from the previous night. She should have asked Glinda to be here. Or maybe her lady's maid. Anyone. Well, not anyone. Elphaba would have sooner been caught dead than allow Sarima to be part of this. The thought of the Scrow gave Elphaba a renewed confidence.
"That outfit looks good on you," she commented, kissing Fiyero's cheeks. His cheeks heated up when she said it, and she felt a swell of pride when she noticed.
"You, too," he replied. "I mean, your dress looks good on you. Not that you wear dresses that look bad on you. Or look bad at…" he trailed off, clearing his throat. "You wanted to discuss something?"
Elphaba took a step forward, close enough to feel the rush of breath he let out when she did. He didn't move as she fixed the collar of the white shirt her was wearing under his red vest, but his breathing was noticeably erratic when she brought a hand down to fix a button of his vest which was close to unbuttoning. Fiyero slowly shuffled closer to her, and Elphaba felt her own heart begin to pound more than it had already been. His breath ghosted over her cheek as he pressed his forehead against hers. Her knees were turning into jam. They were going to give out. She was going to make a fool of herself and bruise herself in the process.
"Just do it," she whispered impatiently.
Her insides twisted pleasantly when he chuckled for a second before kissing her. She was selfish. Absolutely selfish but couldn't be bothered to care. Everything was fine.
"They'll be bringing tea at any moment," Elphaba said, pulling away from Fiyero when he started leading them away from the door.
He stepped back, clearing his throat again and rubbing the nape of his neck, "Oh, right, of course."
Her office attendant appeared not long after. He nodded to the two of them and accepted the small purse Elphaba offered in exchange for his silence. The attendant set the tea down on the table and poured each of them a cup before taking his leave.
Fiyero grinned when he settled into his seat. "Did you get brew yerba mate for me?" It was his favorite, and Elphaba knew it.
"Well, my attendant did. He's rather fond of you, I think."
He gave her his lopsided grin, and she took a sip of her mate to keep from going for another kiss.
Elphaba tried not to let the history of the southern parlor fool her into thinking it would bring her some good luck in the conversation. She knew what she would ask Fiyero would be a lot, and that it might not be something he was willing to do. Elphaba reminded herself that she needed to be realistic, but she was also hopelessly foolish. She was a slave to her emotions, and they were currently in an optimistic uproar.
"Avaric came to speak to me this morning," she started after Fiyero told her about breakfast with her father and all the pleasant conversation and mutual admiration.
Fiyero choked out a laugh over his mate. "Avaric Tenmeadows up before eleven? It's a little earlier for him to be conspiring, don't you think?"
"Fiyero."
"Sorry, I'm just not used to seeing Avaric in a diplomatic setting like this. What did Avaric want?"
Elphaba watched Fiyero closely as she told him, "He proposed." Years of exposure in a court setting showed on Fiyero's face. That is, his expression remained blank but not uninterested. It was the expression her advisors wished she would perfect. "In a terribly unconvincing manner, but…"
"But not altogether unconvincing," he finished for her.
"Not entirely, no," she replied. Elphaba laughed nervously. "Things would be so much easier if you could call dibs on me, eh?"
"Elphaba." Fiyero frowned.
She rolled her eyes, "I know, I know. I just…It's just that…You just…" Elphaba groaned softly as she struggled for the right words. "You make me feel like my life isn't completely ridiculous. I look forward to your letters, and I get anxious every time your carriage shows up at the gate." Fiyero only stared at her, silently, so she went on, "My heart pounds when you're near me, and I have this need to fidget when I think about what I'll say to you and how you'll respond. And I can't…I can't finish this thought if you're going to be unresponsive."
Fiyero's brows were tugged together as he stared at his teacup, thumbing the grip.
"What was convincing about Avaric's proposal?"
"Pardon?" Elphaba asked, genuinely unsure she heard him correctly.
"Avaric's proposal. What made it not entirely unconvincing?"
"Ah," Elphaba said, leaning back in her chair. She couldn't help but feel like she was dangling off a cliff. "He has a rather generous open door policy," she told him, not quite sure how to tell him Avaric would be okay with the two of them canoodling behind his back.
He seemed to understand without additional elaborate, though. She supposed it wasn't too hard to piece together when it followed up a confession.
"Fae," Fiyero responded in a way that made her think she wouldn't be too content with what followed. "I, uh," he paused, choosing his words. "Do you remember that night we went to break Boq out of the campus security cell?" It was Elphaba's turn to stare blankly. "I was going to stay behind and finish up some essays, and you wouldn't take no for an answer. You were so passionate and unyielding that I was more worried about letting you down than failing my essays. Then we get there, and Glinda gets the guards to admit Boq was in there for a couple hours, because he was caught spying on the girls' dormitory. And instead of convincing them to let him out, you convince them to keep him for a day—which they did. Boq was so peeved at you: he didn't talk to you for a week. But I think I fell in love with you then." He shook his headed, correcting himself, "I know I did. And have been ever since."
Elphaba didn't know if she was humbled or enthralled, but she didn't think she could be both.
"But I can't be your whore," he said.
Sexually liberated partner, Elphaba thought but didn't say for obvious reasons.
"My people need me to be a prince, Fabala, not someone's secret favorite."
"How would being my paramour be any different than what we've been doing for the past couple days?" she asked defensively. "The looks? The smiles? Stolen kisses in the gardens? In unattended rooms?"
"I'd be broaching a contract, putting our reputations at risk, threatening the stability of the territories we rule. Civil wars and coups have been orchestrated over less, Fae."
Fiyero folded his napkin and placed it on the table as he prepared to leave. Elphaba hurriedly placed a hand over his.
"Please," she whispered, "stay. Most of me knew it wasn't a viable option anyway." Elphaba sipped her mate gingerly until Fiyero nodded and settled back down. "It's there, though, you know. In case my other plans don't pan out."
"Your other plans?" Fiyero asked, pouring himself another full cup and giving her his undivided attention.
Princess Diaries reference, ehhhh?
Let me know what you think, what you like, etc.
(Still working on that bad boy, aka my thesis/defense, so I'll update when that's done.)
