Chapter 11: The Honeymoon
Fiyero heaved a sigh. "I have a problem."
None of the others looked up.
"Just one?" Micah said.
"Just put some cream on it, and it'll clear up in a day or two," Corin added, his head buried in a magazine.
He yelped as the pillow Fiyero threw made contact with his head.
"Not cool, dude," Corin scowled at him.
"You're one to talk," Fiyero scowled in return.
"What's your problem, Yero?" Boq asked.
Fiyero sighed again. "Well, planning the honeymoon..."
"How is that a problem?" Corin demanded in disbelief. "If it's a half decent honeymoon, you'll spend all the time in bed anyway. So, does it matter where you go?"
Micah rolled his eyes. "You're such an ass, Corin. Yero, what's the issue with the honeymoon?"
"Well, Ioulia said a good idea is a place that Elphaba and I have always wanted to go, right?"
"Yes," Micah agreed slowly.
"So, the place Elphaba has always wanted to go most... is here. It's hardly going to be a great honeymoon if I just tell her we're just going to hang out here for a few more weeks, is it?"
The boys considered that. "You have a point, there," Boq admitted.
"There's nowhere else in Oz Elphaba has wanted to go?" Micah asked sceptically.
Fiyero was thoughtful. "No. She's from Munchkinland, which isn't exactly the most thrillifying place. She's seen the Vinkus, and she's seen Gilikin and Quadling Country is just... nothing. What's left?"
"The Glikkus?" Boq suggested.
"Well, that's the epitome of romance," Corin said sarcastically.
"So, you see my dilemma," Fiyero said.
"I'm sure that Elphaba wouldn't object to spending more time here after the wedding," Micah pointed out practically.
"I know," Fiyero admitted. "But it's our honeymoon. I want it to be special."
"The Vinkun people," Ioulia began, breaking the silence that fell as the boys tried to think of a possible honeymoon venue.
"They must be excited about getting a princess."
"Are you kidding?" Corin grinned. "Everyone's thrillified. We never thought this one would settle down," he slung an arm around Fiyero's shoulders, who shoved it off with a roll of his eyes.
"Thanks a lot, Corin."
Fiyero looked back to Ioulia and shrugged. "He is right though," he admitted, a smile spreading over his face.
"The people are happy. They accepted Fae pretty quickly."
"And... the fact that she's... green?" Ioulia asked delicately, not wanting to offend Fiyero.
"Well... they were surprised," Fiyero couldn't deny that. "But it was made very clear very quickly that neither I or my parents cared, and I've never heard anything said about it since."
Micah nodded. "No one cares anymore. Elphaba is smart, from a respectable family, and she loves Fiyero. Fiyero loves her, and he's changed so much since he met her. It's obvious to everyone."
"Elphaba's clearly spent a lot of time in the Vinkus," Ioulia prodded.
Fiyero nodded again. "Yeah. She really loves it there, which helps," he grinned slightly.
"Not that she's seen all of the Vinkus," Corin pointed out.
"True," Fiyero acknowledged.
Then he paused.
"And he has an idea," Boq said, recognising the look that crossed his friend's face.
"The Vinkus is big, and Fae hasn't seen it all," Fiyero told them. "The royal family has like a dozen royal residences all throughout the kingdom."
"That's true," Micah agreed slowly. "What's your idea?"
"I'll take Fae to one of the royal residences in the Vinkus for our honeymoon!" he said brightly. "She'll love it, and we can have as much privacy as we want."
"The people in whatever region of the kingdom you went to would love it," Micah agreed thoughtfully. "And Elphaba probably would love seeing more of the Vinkus and the people... even on your honeymoon."
Corin made a face. "It doesn't sound very romantic to me, but if that's what Elphaba likes... who am I to argue?"
"If there's a dozen residences, which one would you take her to?" Boq asked.
That led to another ten minutes of debate before deciding upon the royal castle in the Outer Vinkus, Chorimall Irr.
"I must say, I am extremely excited for tomorrow," Corin said conversationally once they had everything finalised.
Fiyero snorted. "It's cake. It's going to be the best day ever."
Boq's face lit up. "Do you think we'll get samples?" he asked hopefully.
"We'd better," Corin said darkly.
"Agreed," Fiyero agreed solemnly.
"Most bakeries usually do give samples for wedding cakes," Ioulia reassured them.
The boys exchanged broad grins.
"Excellent."
Elphaba had much grander plans for their honeymoon that Fiyero would have expected. Although he had been right in saying that Elphaba's favourite place in Oz was the Emerald City, and ordinarily would have been her first choice for the honeymoon; her solution was much different than Fiyero's.
"Why stay in Oz at all?" she said practically, as the girls were discussing the matter.
"Where would you go, though?" Nessa asked her sister, frowning.
Elphaba spread her hands and shrugged. "Quox, Ev, Fliaan... anywhere. Why not? The world is so much bigger than just Oz. I think seeing other places would be great, and there could even be things that we could learn and use here."
Galinda looked at her in distaste. "Ugh. You were just born to be a politician, weren't you? Thank Oz you're becoming a princess instead."
"Um, she's still going to be involved in politics, Galinda," Nessa said in confusion.
"I know, but princess sounds so much nicer than politician," Galinda explained and Elphaba rolled her eyes.
"Do you just want to leave it at that, or actually pick a specific place you'd go?" Kellye asked the bride-to-be as she scribbled notes.
Elphaba shook her head. "No, I think just somewhere outside Oz is fine. I don't really have a preference."
It was later that afternoon that Kellye came and found Galinda, who was going through her magazines and noting down ideas for Elphaba.
"Do you mind if I ask you a question?"
Galinda looked up with a sweet smile. "Not at all. For the article?"
"More for my own curiosity," Kellye replied, taking a seat. "You and Fiyero dated when he first came to Shiz."
"Yes, for two months," Galinda nodded. "But it wasn't serious."
"But hasn't Elphaba said that you said you and Fiyero would be married? Only the day you met or something?"
Galinda rolled her eyes. Elphaba was never going to let her live that down. "Yes," she admitted. "But... I was nineteen, and I thought Fiyero was... the greatest thing since sliced bread. I got over that."
"Still, it's impressive that you are genuinely ok with Elphaba and Fiyero's relationship. Not everyone's friendship could survived their best friend dating their ex-boyfriend, whether it was serious or not."
Galinda smiled. Kellye didn't know the half of it. When Fiyero had come to her three months after their breakup, and told her that he wanted to ask Elphaba out, she had been surprised but given her blessing. It was only after Fiyero and Elphaba had gone out a few times that Galinda found out that there was more to the story.
Fiyero had finally convinced Elphaba to let him take her to one of the fancier restaurants in town for dinner. Their first few dates had all been in casual and comfortable settings, Fiyero's way of trying to put Elphaba at ease. This meant that Elphaba had escaped any of Galinda's makeovers, or anything more than the borrowing of a nicer dress.
But when Galinda heard where Fiyero had made reservations, she had put her foot down, and insisted on helping Elphaba with her clothes, hair and makeup for the night.
Seeing Elphaba's forlorn face in the mirror as Galinda worked on her hair, Galinda giggled.
"I'm not torturing you, Elphie. You could not try and look so miserable."
Elphaba winced. "Glin, stop."
Galinda frowned. "Stop what?"
"Stop acting like this isn't weird! Isn't this weird?!" Elphaba demanded.
Galinda faltered. "Well... a little," she admitted. "But... Elphie, Fiyero and I dated so long ago. And you know we weren't serious."
Elphaba sighed and spoke so quietly Galinda almost didn't hear her.
"I can't do this."
The look on her face was so alarming that Galinda immediately grew worried.
"Elphie, what's wrong?"
Elphaba avoided her gaze. "Glin... you're my best friend," she said, almost sounding as though she was begging.
"You're my best friend too," Galinda replied sincerely.
"And I just... I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier. But I didn't think it meant anything, so there was no point. And I don't want to hurt you, or lose our friendship, but I can't... I can't let you be so nice about this without knowing the truth."
Galinda's eyes were wide, she was imagining all sorts of horrendible things as she tried to figure out what Elphaba was saying.
"Just tell me, Elphaba. What's going on?"
She sat down, facing her friend as Elphaba looked at her hands.
"Do you remember the day that Dr Dillamond was fired?"
Galinda crinkled her brow. She remembered she had skipped History that day, and when she had met up with Fiyero later, he had been so modified and not paying attention to her at all. And Elphaba had already been asleep by the time she returned to the room, although it had still been early.
There had been stories after wards about something weird happening in class that day, but neither Elphaba or Fiyero would talk about it.
"Yeah, sort of. What about it?"
"They had a Lion Cub. After Dr Dillamond was taken away, they brought it in. It was in this... thing called a 'cage'. The teacher said that if Animals were kept in cages, they would never learn to speak. And I... I couldn't stand that idea. I got mad and..."
Galinda cringed. She knew what happened when Elphaba got mad.
"Everyone started acting strangely. Like they couldn't control their movements. Everyone... except Fiyero. We grabbed the cage, and we took it."
"Where?" Galinda frowned. She hadn't seen or heard anything about a Lion running around campus.
"The forest," Elphaba said quietly. "Fiyero and I were arguing-"
"Oh, gee, something different," Galinda teased with a giggle.
Elphaba didn't smile or roll her eyes, which told the blonde there was more to this than a Lion Cub.
"He thought I didn't want his help, so he went to leave. I grabbed his hand to stop him and..."
Elphaba swallowed hard.
"Nothing happened," she reassured Galinda quickly. "He left a minute after that to set the Cub free. But..."
Galinda was very still. "But what?"
Elphaba stared at her hands. "I didn't say anything because I didn't think it was anything. I thought whatever I... felt... it didn't matter. Because Fiyero... you two seemed to be so happy. I thought he loved you."
Galinda winced reflexively. So had she.
"What happened? Exactly?"
Still not looking at her, Elphaba told Galinda everything about that day that she could remember.
Galinda didn't know what to say when Elphaba had finished.
On one hand, it explained a lot; and Elphaba was right- nothing had actually happened between them. But on the other hand, it meant that her best friend and her boyfriend had begun to develop feelings for one another, whilst Galinda and Fiyero were still dating.
Galinda wasn't an idiot. She knew that whatever Elphaba said or believed, Fiyero had felt something just as Elphaba had in that moment. It explained so much, that Galinda had been confusified by at the time. Such as how Elphaba and Fiyero had suddenly been so awkward with one another, but were suddenly getting along. And all of Fiyero's strange behaviour.
"Galinda?" Elphaba finally asked tentatively. "I'm sorry. I just... I thought you should know the truth."
Galinda nodded slowly. "Ok."
Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "OK? That's all you have to say?"
Galinda got to her feet and picked up the hairbrush again. "Let me finish your hair."
Galinda had barely talked to Elphaba or Fiyero for the next day after that conversation, but once she had come to terms with everything Elphaba had told her and what it meant; and after long talks with both Elphaba and Fiyero, Galinda had promised them both that she was truly okay with them dating. And after another week or so, she had realised it was true.
If anything, Galinda learning the truth had made her and Elphaba closer. Galinda was very proud that their friendship had overcome that.
"Elphie's my best friend," she told Kellye. "I want her to be happy. And Fiyero makes her happy. That's all there is to it."
She smiled. "Fiyero and I are much better as friends than as a couple anyway. And he and Elphie are so beautiful together. You can't not be happy when you see them together."
Kellye had to agree with that, even though she had only seen Elphaba and Fiyero together for a short time.
The girls were interrupted as Elphaba stuck her head in the room.
"I'm making tea, would anyone like- whoa."
Elphaba cut herself off, as Galinda jumped up and hugged her tightly.
"What's that for?"
Galinda beamed. "Nothing for you to worry about. We're talking about you, not to you," she giggled.
Elphaba looked bewildered, but let it go. "Ok. Do you want some tea?"
"Let's go get milkshakes," Galinda suggested in return.
Elphaba shrugged. "Sure, why not?" she agreed. "Kellye, would you like to come?"
"Actually, I was hoping to ask Nessarose a few questions. Why don't you two go ahead?" Kellye said warmly.
"We'll bring you guys back one," Galinda promised them and led Elphaba from the room before the green girl could protest and making Kellye smile.