Chapter 38
When Nessa and Nanny left later that night, Fiyero drew her into his arms and kissed her. "I'm sorry, Fae."
"I told you not to call me that in front of them," she murmured as she pulled away. "Fiyero, that was incredibly uncomfortable. Why does it matter what Nanny or Nessa think of you? We're already married and there's nothing they can do about it. How they feel about you doesn't change how I feel."
"Honey…"
"Oh, don't you dare call me that! Ever!" She stomped into the bedroom.
He followed. "You're a little unreasonably angry right now."
"Fiyero, my relationship with my family is complicated. You know that. You don't need to put yourself in the middle of it." She sat down on the bed.
Fiyero climbed up beside her, though he didn't touch her. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I just wanted them to approve of me."
"They don't need to. I love you, Fiyero. That's all that matters. You don't see me acting like an idiot in front of your parents." She leaned a head on his shoulder. "I'm not angry with you, just irritated."
He took her hand. "We won't have them over again."
"You don't have to do that. I'm sure Nessa will insist on visiting on occasion. But please don't behave like that again when they come over."
"I love you, you know."
"You've made that pretty clear." She laughed. "You don't have to tell everyone, though. I'm perfectly happy keeping this to ourselves, my sweet. This relationship has had enough intrusion from the outside world from the beginning."
"You've talked to Glinda about us."
She flushed. "That's different than fawning all over the place trying to get her to like me. We're just talking. She tells me things, too. You can talk to Boq, if you want to. I don't care. I just meant that I don't want you dragging anyone into this. Talking about it is fine." She kissed his cheek.
"That's reasonable."
In sorcery class a few days later, Elphaba found herself getting bored with the usual transformation spells and candle-lighting. "Madame Morrible, are we ever going to learn anything of substance?"
"Miss Elphaba, you do understand that we must begin with the small things." Madame Morrible said haughtily.
"We've been doing the small things for months now. Is this really all there is to magic?"
"Anything more requires special permission from the Wizard, whom I understand you've met. Would you please step outside with me? And Miss Glinda, too?" The old woman glared at her and waved her hand shortly towards the door.
Elphaba reluctantly followed as the woman strode out of the room and cracked the door. "What is this about?" She demanded.
Glinda stood beside her. "Madame, if Elphaba said anything out of line, I apologize on her behalf and…"
"No, no, Miss Glinda," Madame Morrible said, "I wanted to talk to you - both of you - about meeting the Wizard."
"What?" Glinda's mouth hung open.
"Miss Elphaba, I understand that you've met him and that an invitation has been extended for you to speak with him again. I would like Miss Glinda to join you."
"But Fiyero…" Elphaba began.
"He can join the two of you. It's only appropriate someone be there to keep an eye on the two of you. The arrangements have been made."
"Arrangements? For when?" Elphaba didn't like things being decided for her. She and Fiyero had plans.
"Next week. The fall holidays."
"Absolutely not!" Elphaba exclaimed. "That's too soon. There is no way."
"Elphaba, please," Glinda murmured.
"You can't just send us off to the City with no notice like this!"
"Madame, could you give us a moment?" Glinda asked, casting a sideways glance at her friend and giving her a harsh look.
Madame Morrible nodded solemnly. "I suggest you try to talk some sense into Miss Elphaba." She said before she swept away.
"Elphaba, you can't refuse this. If you don't go, then I probably don't get to go. Please, Elphie, don't do this to me. I'm begging you."
"This was not how things were supposed to go."
"And since when did you go see the Wizard? You told me Fiyero took you to the City, but you never said a word about the Wizard." Glinda put her hands on her hips.
"I… it wasn't in the plan." Elphaba sighed. "Glinda, he's not a good man. It's not worth it. You don't want to associate with him."
"That's my decision!" Glinda cried. "Please, give me this."
She'd never seen Glinda so hopeless, so… undignified. "I'll talk to Fiyero about it."
Fiyero reacted almost the same way she did. "I don't think this is a good idea."
"Neither do I." She told him. "But Glinda would be devastated. She already has her heart set on it."
"And you don't want to refuse?"
"Oh, I want to." Elphaba muttered. "But we also have to think about what it would look like if we don't go, Fiyero."
"We have to go, don't we?" Fiyero asked.
"I think we do."
"Well, at least it wasn't the winter holidays. I wanted to celebrate our anniversary in peace. I'd be angry if he ruined that." He ran a hand through her hair. "Fae, I really don't want to go. I wish I could take you away from this."
"Now you're being ridiculous." Elphaba shrugged. "This is our world. We need to live in it. And there are consequences for certain behavior. Don't run away into fantasy land, Yero. Besides, if we had nothing to fight against, how would you be Yero my hero?"
He smiled widely at that. "I love it when you call me that."
"I know." She kissed him.
"I guess you should go see Glinda and tell her the good news," he said sarcastically. "We're headed to the City. Again."