Arrival Day Part 3

"Elphaba made a chocolate pie for dessert," Nessa volunteered when everyone had almost finished eating and Ibrahim groaned, placing one hand on his stomach.

"Well, on one hand I think I might burst if I eat another bite. But on the other hand, if this chicken is anything to go by, I simply can't refuse a slice or two," he said flatteringly, smiling at Elphaba and making her blush.

"Shall we adjourn to the living room for coffee and dessert, then?" Frex suggested and Fiyero's parents agreed.

Ibrahim and Kasmira followed Nessa from the dining room, but Fiyero hung back, hoping to walk with Elphaba. Instead, he couldn't help overhear as Frex stopped his daughter, his expression menacing.

"Elphaba, you will serve dessert and coffee and then clean up the mess in the kitchen, understood? You will not be joining us for dessert, and when you come back to help Nessa to bed I don't want you saying another word. Your behaviour tonight has been horrendible and I trust for the next three weeks you will show a little more respect for our guests- who, I may remind you, are royalty. Do you hear me, girl?"

Elphaba opened her mouth to argue, but saw his face and said nothing, only pursing her lips and nodding.

With another glare, Frex turned and Fiyero quickly moved ahead into the living room to join the others before Frex saw him. He was both horrified and disgusted by the way the Governor had spoken to Elphaba, but most of all dismayed how Elphaba had reacted. He had never seen Elphaba, who had started a commotion to save a Lion Cub and never hesitated to argue her opinion with classmates or teachers, be so submissive. It made him curious about her relationship with her father, and strangely protective of the green girl.

He watched as Frex made conversation with his parents as they sat down, and Fiyero couldn't help but compare the way he spoke to Elphaba with the way he spoke to the others- especially Nessarose. After a few moments, Elphaba brought in a tray with coffee and the pie and she set it down on the coffee table before preparing to leave.

"I saved you a seat, Fae," Fiyero said quickly, patting the seat on the sofa next to him.

Elphaba shook her head, very conscious of her father's orders. "Sorry, Fiyero… the dishes won't clean themselves," she replied, forcing a smile.

Fiyero turned pleading eyes on her. "Come on, Fae. You might as well wait until we finish dessert or you'll just have more dishes to clean," he argued reasonably. "Besides, I want to ask you something."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Fiyero nodded, aware of the room listening to their conversation. "Yeah. I've got a bit of a favour to ask you."

Elphaba opened her mouth to instinctively make a sarcastic comment, but stopped herself, feeling her father's eyes watching her closely.

"What favour?" she asked warily and Fiyero grinned, turning on the Tiggular charm.

"Well… because you're the most brilliant, kind, generous, wonderful, best person I've ever met," he began and she couldn't help but roll her eyes even as she blushed.

"Fiyero," she cut him off warningly and Fiyero chuckled.

"Horrible Morrible gave me a bunch of summer work to catch up, because I started late," he explained, which Elphaba knew already, having endured Fiyero's whining about said summer work when she'd given it to the prince on the last day of term and in every letter he'd written her that summer since.

"And typically, you've left it until the last three weeks of summer vacation," Elphaba said knowingly, the words slipping out before she could filter them.

"Elphaba," Frex started in a low voice but Ibrahim interrupted with a laugh.

"Miss Elphaba, it is so refreshing to know Fiyero has someone like you to keep him in line. Most of his teachers have always given him preferential treatment because he's royalty. I daresay Kasmira and I owe much to you for the fact Fiyero has lasted at Shiz."

Elphaba looked embarrassed. "I wouldn't say that," she began but Fiyero stopped her.

"I would," he said softly and Elphaba's eyes snapped to him instantly.

His gaze made Elphaba uneasy, there was so much emotion in his blue eyes and it was so intense as he stared at her.

"Elphaba, please sit," Kasmira asked her gently, and Elphaba hesitated, glancing at her father.

Fiyero could clearly see her hesitation as she was torn between being hospitable towards their guests and not wanting to disobey her father. "Fae?"

Elphaba glanced at her father, who gave a small, curt nod and she obediently took the seat besides Fiyero.

"So, what's the favour?" she asked him.

He grinned. "Want to get a head start on our tutoring sessions for this semester?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "The work can't be that complicated, Fiyero."

"Have you not met Horrible Morrible? She's evil," Fiyero informed her bluntly and she grinned.

"Yes, you've mentioned that in every single letter. All that time complaining about the work, you could have had it done by now and be enjoying your vacation!"

Fiyero scowled at her. "You sound just like my mother."

"I'm assuming that's meant as a compliment, Fiyero," Kasmira replied dryly and Elphaba grinned.

Fiyero grimaced and quickly moved on. "My point is, I'd love the help of a brilliant friend of mine to make sure I'm going to do well so I can graduate with you guys," he hinted.

"I'm sure Boq would be more than happy to help," Elphaba replied innocently and Fiyero glared at her.

"Do you have to make this difficult?"

"Yes," she said immediately with a wicked grin and Fiyero sighed.

"Elphaba, would you please help me with my summer work before we go back to school?" he asked her and Elphaba pretended to think about it.

"I can spare you an hour or two in the afternoons," she agreed and her stomach squirmed as Fiyero beamed at her.

"Thanks, Fae. I owe you one."

"Oh, I know," she agreed sweetly.

Nessa laughed. "Perhaps he could start by helping you clean the kitchen?" she suggested and Fiyero shrugged casually.

"Sure, why not?"

That meant time alone with Elphaba, for the first time since his arrival, and how could he refuse that opportunity? He immediately collected his and his parents empty dessert plates and Elphaba opened her mouth to protest.

"Fiyero-"

"No arguments," he cut her off and she hesitantly rose to her feet.

"Have you ever cleaned a kitchen before?" she asked as she reluctantly led him towards the kitchen after collecting the other dishes and Kasmira hid a smile.

"Nessarose, I'm so glad you and Elphaba are such good friends with Fiyero. You and Miss Galinda and Boq have obviously been such good influences on him," Kasmira said warmly, subtly hinting around for information confirming her suspicions that there was something more between Elphaba and her son.

Nessa didn't disappoint her. "I think that's more due to Elphaba than anyone else," she admitted honestly.

"From the time Fiyero enrolled at Shiz, Elphaba never gave him any special treatment because of his title."

Ibrahim looked pleased at that. "Good, I wish there were more people who did that."

Nessa smiled at the Vinkun king. She was ashamed to admit that most people immediately judged Elphaba on her skin colour when they first met her and Fiyero, Galinda and Boq were among the few that bothered to get to know the girl behind the green. And she knew that while all five of them were friends, it was different with Elphaba and Fiyero. She saw through him instantly and whenever he tried to act the playboy, brainless prince, she called him on it immediately. And Fiyero was very protective of Elphaba but at the same time respected and admired her independency and her ability to stand up for herself, which Nessa thought was very sweet.

When they entered the kitchen, Elphaba immediately went to work rinsing dishes. Fiyero leaned against the counter for a moment, before stepping up next to her at the sink and nudging her gently with his elbow.

"You haven't spoken in thirty seconds. What's up?"

Elphaba glared at him, sensing his teasing tone mingled with faint concern. "Nothing… I'm just rearranging my schedule a little to accommodate your homework sessions."

"What schedule?" Fiyero frowned. "It's summer vacation."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "From school. I have a household to run, Fiyero."

"And you do that on a schedule?"

She nodded. "Of course. The key to anything is time management," she reminded him and Fiyero grimaced.

That had been lesson numbers one through five when Elphaba had agreed to start tutoring him two months before final exams last semester.

"I remember. So… talk me through this schedule," he prodded and Elphaba sighed.

"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt so you know when to expect meals."

Elphaba's day started at six am when her alarm went off. She would get herself up, washed, dressed and tidy her room before quietly going downstairs. Then she would open up the house and start cooking breakfast, so that it was ready and waiting when her father entered the dining room at precisely seven o'clock. Then, Elphaba would help Nessa wash and dress for the day before the two sisters ate breakfast themselves.

Frex kept an equally as tight a schedule as Elphaba did, shutting himself away in his study every day from eight o'clock to three o'clock in the afternoon. After breakfast, whilst Elphaba cleaned the kitchen, Frex would tell Elphaba any meetings or guests he had planned and she would plan the menu for the day as she cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast.

Once her father was in his study, Nessa would be settled in the living room with a book or her needlepoint whilst Elphaba begun the housework. This included the usual laundry, dusting, mending, gardening, etc. and the time it took depended on the day. Monday was the day Elphaba washed all the sheets and linens in the house, so that tended to draw the chores out longer than usual, having to strip and then remake all the beds. Wednesday was the household's market day, and Elphaba preferred to go in the morning before doing anything else, as there were less people about. Friday was the day she did the big clean of the entire house, including washing the floors and windows until the whole house shone like new; and Sunday was when she baked breads and anything else for the week.

So, Elphaba did as much as she could of the chores in the morning, stopping around eleven thirty to prepare lunch, which was generally just sandwiches unless they had company, and then she might start earlier. Lunch was served at noon, and again Elphaba cleaned the kitchen afterwards. After lunch came the physical therapy exercises for Nessa, to make sure her poor legs didn't waste away simply because she couldn't walk on them.

That took an hour, as Nessa liked to bathe again afterwards and then at two o'clock, Elphaba would finish whatever of the housework she hadn't finished in the morning. She might have to run errands or entertain any of her father's guests who came calling on official government business. At five o'clock, she began preparing dinner, which was served at six. And once they had eaten and the kitchen was clean, Elphaba had a few precious moments to herself. She might read, or work on dresses she was making for either herself or Nessa, or simply talk with Nessa until her sister went to bed at nine o'clock. Then she would again read, sew or study. It was usually close to midnight before Elphaba turned her light off in her bedroom and then it would start all over again.

Just listening to her rattle off her daily routine, Fiyero was exhausted.

"Don't you have any time off?"

Elphaba considered that for a moment and then shrugged. "Well, I don't do housework on weekends… and we have breakfast at eight on Saturdays," she offered finally and Fiyero rolled his eyes.

"No wonder you're always so organised at school."

Elphaba grinned. "It has come in handy," she agreed.

Fiyero was now regretting asking Elphaba to help him, the last thing he wanted to do was add to her workload.

"I can multitask," she assured him when he voiced his concern. "I just may have to be folding laundry or mending stuff as you're working, that's all."

"Why don't you just move to a smaller house, one that's less work?" Fiyero wondered. With five bedrooms and four bathrooms (Nessa, Frex and the big spare room all had en suites), the house was very large for three people.

Elphaba smirked. "Would your family move to a smaller castle so it's less work for the servants?" she asked pointedly and Fiyero stalled.

"That's different," he argued. He was going to say because they were servants, not family, but he didn't. Elphaba looked like she knew he was about to say it, anyway.

"This is the Governor's household. My father's the Governor. When he steps down, Nessa will take over and I'll run her household. This is my life, and I'm more than used to it."

It troubled Fiyero how casually and accepting she was of her limited, dim future.

"Come on, then. You wash, I'll dry," Fiyero said finally, and she returned to the sink with a smile.

"So, why didn't your father tell you who was coming to stay?" he asked her and she smiled.

"Past experience. I don't usually take the idea of strangers being able to gawk at me in my own home well," she admitted quietly.

"I don't blame you for that," Fiyero said quietly, thinking about how people at Shiz stared and gossiped about Elphaba for her skin tone.

"But I suppose if we must have guests, my father could have done worse than invite you," she grinned at him as she handed him another dish to dry.

Fiyero laughed. "Gee, thanks Fae."

"So, why did you come? I highly doubt you're interested in whatever business our parents have together," she asked practically and Fiyero shrugged.

"Maybe I thought it was a good chance to see you," he replied seriously and Elphaba's mouth went dry.

"You- you couldn't wait three weeks?" she forced herself to try and sound normal, hating the way her throat stuck on the words.

She turned her head to look at Fiyero, and her stomach clenched under his gaze.

"I missed you, Fae," Fiyero murmured softly, reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and causing Elphaba to swallow hard.

"I- I missed you too," she admitted truthfully.

Fiyero grew suddenly more hopeful at her admission, but Elphaba was horrified she'd revealed too much and stammered as she added,

"I missed you…and Galinda… I even miss her trying to force me to wear makeup," she laughed and Fiyero smiled faintly, trying to hide his disappointment.

"Glin does grow on you," he agreed and they silently returned to cleaning the kitchen, a comfortable silence between them.