I'm sorry updates are so irregular - I keep forgetting, I'm pretty busy. In any case, thanks again so much for all your reviews!

10.

All she really wanted after that disastrous ball was to flop down on her bed and sleep for two days; but unfortunately, she was woken up early the next morning by her maids, who apologetically explained to her that the Wizard had requested her presence. Half an hour later, she stalked into the throne room in a possibly even fouler mood than she had been in the night before.

"You'd better have a really good reason to have dragged me from my bed so early after last night," she hissed, crossing her arms, but Oscar just smiled at her knowingly.

"How are your feet?"

"I can't feel them at the moment." She scowled at him. "Why am I here?"

He sighed, growing serious. "El–" She gave him a sharp look and he corrected himself, "Cassadi... I would like to get to know you a little better. Now that we know... well, what we know... I realise that we will probably never have a real father-daughter relationship. I've hurt you too much for that." He hung his head. "But I'd like for us to try to at least get along."

She snorted. "You do realise that only letting me get a few hours of sleep is not a great way to start getting me to like you, right? Couldn't you get to know me in the afternoon?"

He grinned a little. "Sorry. You could take a nap later today," he offered.

"Could I?" she asked sarcastically. "Because I seem to recall the people being told that you and I would be in the square at noon to answer questions about your little announcement yesterday."

Oscar had the decency to look sheepish. "Yes, well... perhaps you could nap afterwards?"

"Never mind." She sighed and slumped down in a chair. "Go on ahead, then. How do you propose you and I could get along?"

"Well, we could start by exchanging information about ourselves," he suggested, taking a seat across from her. "After all, aside from the things I learned about you on that day you first came here..." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "You know, when..."

"When you made me a wicked witch," she said sarcastically. "I remember."

"Right." He shook his head. "Did I ever apologise for that?"

"You did, but it wouldn't hurt you to do it again."

"Right," he said again. "Well, I... I hope you know that I'm really sorry about what I did to you that day. And not just because you turn out to be my daughter," he added. "I realised very soon that what I had done was wrong. I should never have listened to Morrible. I was too easily influenced and it might have cost me any chance at a relationship with the only child I will ever have."

Elphaba didn't say anything. Part of her wanted to reassure him and tell him that there might still be a chance to have that relationship after all; but she wasn't sure if that was true and she did not want to make a promise she wouldn't be able to keep.

"It's why I sent her away so many times since you came here," he told her. "Morrible, I mean. She's been trying to get me to make more changes – she doesn't like the fact that I'm restoring the Animals' rights and she doesn't like my relationship with you. She still doesn't trust you."

"Well, the feeling is mutual."

"I figured as much." He shook his head. "She wants me to use your magic for some things that I do not entirely... agree with. I've been sending her on trips throughout all of Oz until I can figure out what to do with her," he confessed.

"Fire her," Elphaba told him bluntly. "You don't want her anywhere near you."

"I fear that would only prompt her to go against us completely," he said. "She has magic."

"So do I."

"Still. It might be too dangerous." He thought about it for a moment. "Although perhaps we could make her some kind of ambassador in a distant part of Oz... I'll have to think about that. In any case, El– Cassadi, this is about us, not about Morrible. Tell me something about yourself."

She shifted, uncomfortable. "Like what?"

"Like... what's your favourite food?" He smiled at her surprised look. "We'll start out slowly."

Over the course of the next hour or so, somehow he managed to get her to tell him more about herself – and told her things about him in return – and she found that by the time she left, she felt like she knew him better... and they actually had a lot in common. Perhaps they could indeed learn to get along. She supposed that would certainly make things a lot easier.

Morrible might pose a problem, she mused as she walked back to her chambers, but she had no idea what the older woman could possibly be planning. She did want Elphaba on their side, after all. Her magical powers were useful to Morrible and yet the woman had not yet tried to use them in any way. Elphaba didn't think she would try to harm or kill her... but perhaps she would try something else – like blackmailing her somehow into performing magic for her that she was not willing to perform. The fact that Morrible had not asked her to use her powers yet was somehow rather suspicious and it made Elphaba suspect that the old hag was planning something big. She'd have to be vigilant. In any case, she was glad Morrible was gone for the time being.

Upon returning, she found a steaming mug of coffee on the desk and she smiled. At least Oscar was trying. She decided to try as well and give him a chance.

When it was time for her and Oscar to go out and answer the people's questions about their announcement, Elphaba discovered – much to her dismay – that Madame Morrible had returned from Quadling Country. The woman was now giving her icy smiles at every opportunity she got and Elphaba feared that she was planning something.

It wasn't until that night after dinner, however, that Morrible approached her.

"It's about time you start making yourself useful," she told Elphaba bluntly. "I need you to cast some spells."

Elphaba narrowed her eyes. "Watch your tongue, Morrible," she warned the older woman. "You forget that you're talking to your Crown Princess."

Morrible snorted. "Oh, please, little Miss Cassadi," she said, emphasising Elphaba's fake name. "I'll admit that I was a little surprised, too, when I heard about your being Oscar's daughter; but then I realised I shouldn't have been. And you do know what it means, don't you? It means you're a child of both worlds. It means you're probably even more powerful than we already think you are."

Elphaba did not like the gleam in Morrible's eyes when she said that.

"You came here to supposedly study magic with the Wizard," Morrible continued, "so it's time you showed the people some magic."

"Such as?" Elphaba asked carefully, not sure where Morrible was going with this.

Morrible rolled her eyes. "Do I have to spell out everything for you? Impress the people, dearie. Find a healing spell and heal some injuries at a hospital. Invent yourself a flying contraption – such as Glinda's signature bubble – for people to recognise you by. Help some children make their performance of the school musical extra spectacular with some spells for sparks and fireworks. Do something that will make the people cheer for you and your magical powers. After all," she added sarcastically, "we all know how the Ozians responded to your magic last time."

Elphaba snarled at the hag. "And whose fault was that?!"

"Mine," said Morrible smugly. "I still think it was a marvellous little ploy on my part." She brought her face closer to Elphaba's. "Don't make any mistakes about who is in charge, Miss Elphaba," she said in a low voice. "You may hold a title and be on good terms with Oscar now, but that does not mean you hold the power. I am everywhere. I am always watching and I can manipulate pretty much everything and everyone in this palace. You'd better just do as I say and not agitate me or you might just suddenly find our dearest Glinda falling ill or a house dropping on your sister's pretty head... not to mention that other thing I could do to you." She smiled wickedly. "When the time comes for you to help me with some magical issues, you'd better work with me or I might just expose your true identity to all of Oz. We wouldn't want that, now would we?" She straightened and patted Elphaba's cheek. "Just so we're clear, dearie." With that, she left, leaving a stunned and slightly nauseous Elphaba behind.

After everything that had happened, Elphaba was sure she didn't want to come out of her rooms again for at least a week. When Oscar came to see her, however, and suggested she visit another Animal centre, this one in the Vinkus, she instantly jumped at the opportunity. Perhaps it would be good for her to get out of the palace completely for a few days... and at least in the Vinkus, she would be free of Morrible – if only for a little while.

She brought Hero along, as usual; and she watched him play around her feet as she waited for the carriage that would take her to the Vinkus. The journey would take about half a day and she would spend the night in the Vinkus before travelling back late the next afternoon. That would give her plenty of time to interact with the Animals and talk to the supervisors there about their policies. She felt responsible for this entire project and she wanted to do everything she could to try and make it work.

When someone stepped up beside her, she turned her head and frowned. "Fiyero? What are you doing here? Did you come to see me off?" It was the only explanation she could think of; but then she noticed the bag he had with him and her frown deepened.

Hero barked and jumped up against Fiyero's leg, making the prince laugh even as he bent down to pet the puppy. "Actually, it's not exactly that." He straightened and smiled at her. "I'm coming with you."

She ignored the way her heart started fluttering in her chest at that. "You're coming with me? To the Animal centre?" she asked, blinking. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Because I want to see for myself what's happening there," he said. "I'm the Captain of the Guard; I'm supposed to know everything going on in Oz. Besides, you and Glinda were so enthusiastic last time that I can't help being curious. Also, the Vinkus is my home, meaning I could act as your guide, and... well, I figured you could use some company." He suddenly looked a little unsure of himself. "Don't you want me to come?"

"No, I do!" she hastened to assure him. She self-consciously pushed a lock of chestnut hair out of her face, only to nervously start twirling it around her finger instead. "I mean... I don't mind." She cursed her blush. "It'd be nice to have some company, indeed. Hero is the sweetest thing in existence, but he's not particularly articulate."

Fiyero grinned. "Good, then."

"And you probably need some distraction," she added, "what with Glinda being gone... you must miss her terribly." She didn't even know why she said that. Why did she say that? As if she really needed the reminder of their happy almost-marriage rubbed in.

To her surprise, however, his face fell a little and he merely shifted, clearing his throat. "Yes, well, she's... she's a pleasure to be around," he said, obviously evading giving her a direct response. "The palace somehow seems a little less radiant without her."

She scrutinised him, but he avoided her gaze. She narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, look," he said in a pitiful attempt to distract her, "there's our carriage."

The driver helped them haul in their luggage and before long, they were on their way, sitting on benches opposite one another, with Hero curling up in Elphaba's lap and falling asleep.

"Is something going on between you and Glinda?" Elphaba asked quietly, unwilling to let it go.

Fiyero sighed. His shoulders slumped a little and he relented, looking at her. "It's not that something is wrong," he said. "Not really. It's just that... are you sure you want to know?" he asked. "I know you're Glinda's friend..."

"I'm your friend, too," she said. "Or, well, I hope I am. I promise I won't tell her anything."

"Thank you." He took a breath. "It's just that... this entire engagement was not my idea. She took me completely by surprise. She thought I'd love it, and I know I was supposed to love it, but... well, I didn't. I felt cornered. Trapped. I panicked a little." He shook his head. "I don't know if I really love her," he confessed to her, closing his eyes for a moment. "I mean, I love her, I do... but I don't know if I love her the way she wants me to. She's a wonderful person and we've been through so much together, but perhaps we're just not right for one another. Only I can't make her see that. She has this image in her mind of the two of us as the perfect couple and I can't seem to make her see that maybe we're just not. I can't even make her think about the mere idea and that frustrates me."

"I can imagine."

He looked up at her again. "You can?" he asked, sounding surprised about that.

She nodded, absently stroking the fur on Hero's back. "Of course. I've known Glinda long enough to know very well that she sometimes only sees what she wants to see and nothing else."

"And you haven't even known her for that long."

She cursed herself for slipping up again and forced herself to grin at him. "It doesn't take too long to figure Glinda out." Luckily, that was true.

He laughed. "Good point." His smile faded. "I don't want to hurt her," he said. "I care so much about her. I just don't know if it's enough."

"Think about it," she advised him, trying to be detached about this and act like a good friend would. Even if he ever did break up with Glinda, there was not a chance in the world that he would ever end up with Elphaba, so she didn't have to think about that. It would only hurt more in the long run if she allowed herself to hope now. She did, however, want to give him sound advice; if he really wasn't in love with Glinda, he shouldn't lead her on. She didn't want that for her friend. "Carefully. Give it a lot of thought and try to sort out your feelings. I understand that you don't want to hurt her and that's noble of you, but she'd want you to be honest with her. If you respect her, you should tell her the truth."

He nodded slowly. "I think I will," he said. "Thank you. You're a great listener."

She laughed lightly and said without thinking, "I've always been told that I talk too much." She held her breath when she realised what she'd just said. She felt like the biggest idiot in Oz, constantly saying things she wasn't supposed to, but it was just so hard to suddenly have to pretend to be someone else.

Fiyero, however, just had that faraway look in his eyes for a moment that she'd seen on him before and he said softly, "That's not always a bad thing, you know." She gave him a questioning look, but he just waved her off and stared out of the window instead.