AN. This update is for PocketSevens, who made my day with your PM :) well, the opening line of it, haha.

Chapter Twenty

No word came from the King to Elphaba's rooms, and as the days passed, she sunk more and more into a depression. She spent all her time in bed, and barely touched the meals that Dillamond ensured were sent to her.

After four days, Dillamond was so concerned he sent Boq to escort Aysha and Galinda to Kiamo Ko, hoping having her best friends around her would help Elphaba.

"She's really not well," he told them in an undertone as he led them to her rooms.

Galinda was furious. "Does the King know what's happening?" she demanded and Dillamond sighed.

"I have tried to tell him, but he refuses to listen. He's already planning another attempt at war, he spends all his days locked away in his office with his war council."

Aysha was concerned. "We can't afford another war, can we?"

"No," the Goat admitted. "If he were to listen to Fae, I'm sure she could make him see this. But he won't see her."

"Who would say such awful things about her?" Galinda asked. "Fae would never cheat on him!"

"And how could he believe them?" Aysha added.

"Truthfully, I'm not sure who brought the rumours to his attention. As to your question, Miss Aysha…. The King is in a very low place at the moment."

"So, he brings Fae down with him," scowled Galinda, muttering under her breath.

When the two girls entered Elphaba's rooms, they were startled by the difference in their friend's appearance. Elphaba was curled up on her side in the foetal position, her eyes open and staring dazedly into space, her gaze vacant.

Her skin was an odd colour and she had dark circles under her eyes.

"Fae?" Aysha called gently, to alert her to their presence.

It took Elphaba a moment to register who was there and even then, she only blinked at them, unable to speak. Galinda didn't hesitate before crossing to her bedside to give her a tight hug.

"Fae, are you okay?"

Elphaba shook her head faintly, looking up at Galinda. "I… Yero… he thinks-"

"We know," Aysha cut her off gently, as she struggled to say the words.

Dillamond felt relieved as he shut the door quietly, leaving the three girls alone. They were the first words Elphaba had spoken in days.

"I didn't," Elphaba whispered.

"Of course you didn't!" Galinda assured her. "Don't worry, Fae. He'll come to his senses."

A lone tear trickled from Elphaba's eye and onto her pillow. "Why did I think I could do this?"

"Do what, sweetie?" Aysha asked.

"Be queen… be a wife… why did anyone think I could do this?"

Aysha joined the others on the bed and hugged Elphaba comfortingly.

"Because you can. Because you're beautiful, and brilliant, and the King loves you."

Elphaba's only response was to sob brokenly.

From that day on, Aysha and Galinda made it their mission to make Elphaba better. Some days they were there together, some days it was just Aysha and some days it was Galinda. They'd sit by her bed and make her talk, and prod her to eat something, and try and convince her to sleep.

They weren't having much success, Elphaba still had not been out of bed and was not sleeping; but she was at least eating something.

It had been two weeks and Fiyero was walking the palace grounds restlessly. He wasn't doing much better than Elphaba, but he was at least up and about. He'd been feeling restless and disconcerted ever since he came home, and what had happened with Fae did not help matters any.

The king did not have the luxury of taking to his bed in his misery. He missed his wife maybe even more than he had whilst away at the front, but he wouldn't summon her to him.

Every time he thought of her with someone else, it made him feel sick to his stomach, and the feeling of betrayal hit him all over again. He wasn't sure what to make of what he had been told, he just kept wondering how well he really knew his wife.

Did he want to think Fae was capable of cheating on him? Of course not! But his source had been adamant about what he had seen, and she herself had admitted to walking to the gate each day. Why would she suddenly develop the routine if she was not meeting a person in particular?

His source had not named any specific guard, but Fiyero didn't need a name.

And then there was the fact Fiyero felt slightly ashamed about what he'd said to her that night. Yes, he was hurt and angry and upset over losing the war, but perhaps he could have found another way to broach the subject. He hadn't even had a moment to enjoy being home again before all this unpleasantness happened.

Lost in his thoughts, Fiyero paused in his steps as he suddenly realised he had made a full circle around the castle grounds and was within distance of the front gate. Suspiciously, Fiyero studied the men stationed along the gate as he passed, wondering which was the one that the queen made her special purpose to visit daily for the past four months.

There was four men on duty at a time, and he knew that it was usually around this time, in the mornings after breakfast that the Queen had visited.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," one of them called out, happening to look around and seeing the King standing there.

"Good morning," Fiyero replied curtly in acknowledgment, coming closer.

"All is well, I trust?"

The man gave a half-nod, half- shrug. "It's not too bad, Sire. We've got a man off sick today with the flu. Is the Queen any better?"

Fiyero was startled. "Excuse me?"

The guard faltered. "We assumed that the Queen had caught the flu that is going around. She hasn't been for her morning walks for a while."

Fiyero's gaze narrowed. Was this the man he had been told about?

"What is your name?"

"Otho, Your Majesty," the guard replied immediately.

"Otho. And you've noticed Her Majesty's absence of late?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Otho nodded slowly. Given that he had been one of the guards to bring Elphaba to Kiamo Ko, and his friendship with Shell, he was one of the few to know the truth. He knew how happy Shell had been for the chance to see his cousin each morning, if only for a moment whilst the King was at war.

At first, Shell had thought nothing of her absence, after all, her husband had just returned home from war. But after a few days he had become worried. Otho suspected it was one reason Shell was now struck down with the flu.

"Well, yes, sir," he answered the King's question.

"Her Majesty always made an effort to ask how we were. It was so nice of her to show an interest. Your wife is a lovely young woman, sir."

Fiyero smiled tightly. "Just how did she 'show an interest'?"

One of the other guards spoke up. "Last month, my little girl got really sick. We thought we were going to lose her, so I took the time off work," he said quietly.

"Her Majesty found out when she noticed I wasn't at my post, and next thing I knew she had a servant sent over with food for us all and with the castle doctor to treat my daughter. I can't tell you how grateful my wife and I were, Sire."

Fiyero was stunned. "Your daughter is well now, I hope?"

The guard beamed. "Yes, sir. Thank you. The Queen sent her a doll when we sent word she was well. My daughter's named it 'Fae' after her, and she even painted it green."

This time, Fiyero's smile was much softer and more natural.

"I'm sure the queen is humbled by your daughter's sentiment. Good day to you, men."

Otho tipped his hat. "Good day to you too, Sire. Please convey our best wishes to the queen. We wish her a speedy recovery."

"Thank you," Fiyero replied quietly and left, heading back inside.

He felt awful. How could he have ever thought that his wife would do something like that? He knew what type of person she was, he'd seen her chat with servants, and he would never forget seeing her stop Memucan from striking Oinone during the candidate banquet.

When he entered the castle, he saw Dillamond bustling about his duties.

"Dillamond! Have you seen the Queen?"

Dillamond paused warily for a moment before answering. "Miss Aysha and Miss Galinda have managed to persuade her to take a walk in the rose gardens," he replied.

"We thought the fresh air might do her some good."

Puzzled, Fiyero hurried out to the gardens, looking for a flash of green. What he saw made him feel worse than ever.

Fae was there, walking slowly in between Aysha and Galinda, her friends holding her upright because she was clearly too weak to do so. Her skin was pale and she looked dreadfully ill. And Fiyero wasn't stupid enough to think she actually did have the flu.

He swallowed hard and walked towards them.

"Ladies."

Elphaba froze apprehensively, completely stunned to see him standing before her- the first time she'd seen him since that night. Aysha and Galinda curtseyed respectfully, but said nothing.

"I'm sorry to separate you, but I would like a moment alone with my wife, if you please."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Aysha replied immediately, but Galinda hesitated briefly. It was only when she caught Elphaba's eye and she nodded minutely that the blonde too, agreed.

If this had happened days ago, Elphaba would have turned to Fiyero with her head held high and made a sarcastic comment about him being there to accuse her of something else, founded only on rumours.

But she couldn't even speak as she stared at her husband, although the sarcastic words were definitely being said in her head.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, and she could only blink at him.

"What?"

"I'm sorry," Fiyero repeated. "I'm sorry for everything, Fae."

He wanted to explain everything, to apologise for every horrid word he'd said and to somehow make it up to her. But the speech he was spontaneously forming in his head flew completely out the window as he watched his wife crumple in tears.

"Fae?"

He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. And as his arms went around her waist, and she clung to his neck as she sobbed, it was only then that Fiyero felt calm… at peace. It was only with his wife in his arms, he realised, that he felt he was home again, and he buried his face in her neck at that realisation, murmuring soft apologies to her all the while.

He was home with her, he knew, and he would make things right with his wife. Whatever it took.