Alyssa (Guest): Thank you! And yes, some Fiyeraba time might make this more bearable. But we have a while to go before that.

ElphieNeedsAHug: Anna and Elsa? I honestly didn't think of that. And we'll see Galinda a bit later.

Satilliteheart: No, Frex wasn't murdered.

Michelle Katic: Thank you! I'm glad you're addicted to this story!


"So… where's the paper we sign?" Fiyero asked after they had eaten lunch. Boq had gone back home and Nessa opted to take a nap, but not before giving her sister one final look. Currently, he was in Elphaba's office, sitting across from her at her desk.

Elphaba stared at the prince, actually wondering if he was serious. "There isn't a paper to sign just yet, Prince Fiyero. We have to come up with the terms of the trade first."

Fiyero blinked.

"You've… never done this before, have you?"

"Have you?" the prince challenged.

Elphaba bristled slightly. "No, but I did my research beforehand."

Of course she did, Fiyero sighed inwardly.

"Two of the main exports of Munchkinland are corn and wool, something I heard the Vinkus could use more of. And two of the main exports of the Vinkus are silk and spices, something Munchkinland could use more of."

"So you give us corn and wool, and then we'll give you silk and spices," Fiyero said. Why was she making this so difficult?

Elphaba sighed. "It's not that simple, Prince Fiyero. We also need to decide on the tariffs and the quantity of the goods that will be exchanged. Also, we need to discuss how often the goods will be exchanged, and how they will travel across Oz."

Fiyero blinked blankly. This was a lot of work. Oz, why couldn't his sister have done this instead?

Elphaba bit her lip. "Here," she said as she stood up and turned around to the bookshelf behind her desk. Her fingers scanned the book bindings as she searched for what she wanted. Finding a thick tome, she pulled it out and placed it on her desk, sliding it over to the prince.

Fiyero took the book and looked at the cover. "Regionalism, Multilateralism, and Economic Integration: The Recent Experience."

"It's a book detailing all of the aspects of creating a stable trading system, including the profits of the goods and the structure of all the economies of Oz."

Did the governor think he was stupid? He knew how his own economy works… a little bit… okay, not a lot… or at all.

"I suggest you read it as quickly as possible, since we need to get started very soon. A week and a half goes by very quickly, and I don't want you to leave having not accomplished anything."

"Do I have to read the whole thing?"

"No, just the first paragraph."

"Really?"

"No. You have to read the whole thing. You can't expect to learn anything if you don't study it."

Fiyero bit back a sigh. The governor was starting to sound like his mother… which was kind of creepy, since she certainly didn't look as old as his mother. Then again, his mother didn't exactly look her age, either. "How old are you?"

Elphaba sniffed, startled by the sudden change of topic, but quickly bristled it off. "How is that relevant to anything?"

"It's just… you're sounding a lot like my mother now, and it's very creepy, especially since you're not even half her age… or at least, you don't look half her age."

Was she supposed to be offended by that statement? "Hasn't anyone ever told you that it is considered impolite to ask a woman her age?"

"It was just a question. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I was just… curious."

The green woman rolled her eyes with a sigh. "I'm eighteen."

"Eighteen?" Fiyero gasped in shock.

"Yes," Elphaba said stiffly. "Why must you know?"

"You're so… young."

Green tinted lips curled into a frown. "And? What does that have to do with anything?"

"In the Vinkus, you would still be considered a child."

Elphaba laughed dryly. "That explains a lot about you, doesn't it?"

It was Fiyero's turn to bristle. He was not expecting that. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You're technically still a child also, since you're only nineteen. You think that because you're technically still considered a 'child', that it's okay for you to act like one."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you, the 'dancing through life' prince who doesn't have a single care in the world, who ignores his responsibilities and doesn't even want to open up a book for the single reason that it doesn't have any pictures in it!"

Well, that hurt.

"You just go through life not having to lift a finger, while everything gets handed to you on a golden platter. You've never had to work a day in your life, and you've taken advantage of that for your entire life. You don't know how to work or how to try to cooperate with others, and you don't even care."

In all honestly, Fiyero had no idea why Elphaba was bringing that up, but he was too shocked and fumed to really dwell on that. "Hey –"

"You may be older than me, but I'm clearly more mature than you are. I've had to grow up much quicker than any child ever should, and you don't see me dancing away my responsibilities. Age is but a number, but it can still carry some weight with it."

"For your information, Governor Thropp," Fiyero huffed, rising to his feet. "I have had to work. I've had to work very hard in my life."

"Not as hard as I have," Elphaba sneered.

"How hard have you had to work? You were the first-born child of the governor of Munchkinland. You've probably gotten just as many golden platters as I have. You're pretty much Munchkin royalty. You've probably had just as many privileges as I have."

Elphaba bristled, but still had a comeback ready. "At least I am not afraid of my responsibilities and can face them head on. I don't need to put on an act to hide from myself."

"Hide from yourself? You couldn't hide from yourself if you tried," Fiyero said, gesturing to her, clearly talking about her skin.

If Elphaba was hurt by that statement, which she probably was, she didn't let it show. "I've heard rumors about you, Prince Fiyero, and judging by your current behavior and attitude, they don't seem to be very far from the truth. I know how irresponsible you are, always throwing parties and not giving a twig about your future."

"And I've heard rumors about you, too, you know, like how you almost killed someone with your weird, sinful magic powers."

Elphaba paled dramatically at Fiyero's accusation. She opened her mouth, yet no words came out. Tears welled in her eyes, but they didn't fall. She was in too much of a shock to even allow her brain to process any words.

"I'm not as brainless as you think, am I?" Fiyero challenged darkly.

"… You know nothing," Elphaba said in a soft whisper once she regained her ability to speak. "You know… nothing, and until you learn to grow up, I refuse to continue this deal. You have two options, Your Highness. You can either read the book and try, or you can pack up your belongings and go back to the Vinkus. The choice is yours." And with that, the governor stood and marched out of her office.

Fiyero crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled under his breath. He needed some fresh air. He walked out of the governor's office and down the hall to the door that led to the gardens. He opened the door and stepped out, filling his lungs with fresh air as he slowly closed his eyes.

"Prince Fiyero?"

The prince opened his eyes with a soft gasp and looked over to see Nessa sitting in her chair on the patio. "Hello, Miss Nessarose."

"What are you doing out here?"

"I… I just needed a break… and some fresh air."

Nessa, figuring that Elphaba had said or done something to upset the prince, sighed. "I'm sorry about my sister. She can be… hard sometimes."

"She doesn't seem hard with you."

The brunette smiled softly. "She's been through a lot of loss. I have, too, but not as much as her."

"Loss?"

Nessa looked like she didn't want to elaborate on that, so Fiyero let the subject drop. He noticed the magazine she was looking at. It was a catalogue of fancy party dresses and he questioned her on it.

"My seventeenth birthday is coming up this Sunday. The dress is for my coming-of-age ball," the brunette said excitedly.

"You're shopping for a dress?"

"Not exactly. The dress is custom made, but I'm looking at these for inspiration. I get to choose exactly how I want my dress to look." She turned the page and smiled. "My mother's dress looked a lot like this one," she said, pointing to a dark golden dress with a layer of tulle underneath the skirt. "I've seen pictures of her in it. It looked very similar to this."

"Do all Munchkins have a coming-of-age ball?"

"It depends. Most people have a big party to celebrate, and sometimes, others might choose to have a smaller party. But everyone has some type of celebration."

"Did your sister have one?"

Nessa paused and looked up with a slight frown. "No. She said she didn't want one."

"Oh." He looked at the dresses in the magazine over Nessa's shoulder, trying to picture the green girl in the dresses. Most of the images made him shudder, since her green skin would clash horribly with most of the colors.

"Would you like to sit down?" Nessa asked, looking up to see Fiyero looking over her shoulder.

"Oh… thank you," Fiyero said, sitting in an armchair next to Nessa's wheelchair.

The brunette smiled at him and turned back to her catalogue.

"Is it just a ball or an all-day celebration?"

"It's an all-day celebration. There's a morning mass, then a lunch with family and close friends. After lunch, everyone gathers together and presents are opened. The rest of the day is spent getting ready for the ball, which is in the early evening."

Fiyero listened as Nessa talked about the party. She was clearly very excited and had been planning this for a while.

"Also, at the ball, I get to have my first trujuha," Nessa smiled.

"What's that?"

"It's a Munchkin drink made with durian, jackfruit, dragon fruit, strawberries, and longan. They're cut up, then soaked in Munchkin whiskey, which is really strong. Then it's all blended together in a very thin smoothie."

"So… it's your first alcoholic drink?"

"Basically. It's not that much of a big deal, but I hear it's really good. It's only made for special occasions, so it's not an everyday drink."

They continued talking, then Fiyero said that he should probably get back to work with Elphaba. Nessa smiled softly and wished him good luck, watching as he walked back into the house. He went back to her office, but the green woman wasn't there. He asked a passing maid where the governor had gone, and was told that she was in the library. After giving the maid a sheepish smile, he got directions and went on his way.

Fiyero rarely went in his own library back home, but the governor's library was huge. He looked around at all the books surrounding him, suddenly feeling small. He walked around, lost in thought, and trying to find the governor.

"I wondered when you would find the library."

Fiyero jumped and whipped around, seeing Elphaba sitting in an armchair. She wasn't looking at him, but her eyes were cast down at the book in her lap. When she didn't hear him respond, she looked up to find him staring at her.

"Yes?"

Fiyero took a deep breath. "I… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not trying and… and for what I said earlier."

Elphaba blinked, surprised, but took off her glasses to rub her eyes. "Me, too. I didn't mean to snap at you the way I did."

"Could we… start over?"

To his surprise, the governor smiled softly. "Yes. I would like that. It would make coming up with a trade agreement so much easier."

Fiyero noticed her dimples and smiled back. Her eyes were gleaming and for the first time since he arrived, Fiyero noticed how much Elphaba looked like an eighteen-year-old girl instead of the strict, hard governor of Munchkinland.