Here we are! The sequel to 'A Royal Romance'. We'll get to see our favorite characters from the previous story, as well as a few new ones! Let's begin!

It was the simple, quiet moments that made King Fiyero the happiest. Being the king of the Vinkus came with so much extra pomp and excess embellishments that he relished the modest, simple moments he could share with his wife.

Currently, he was leaning against the doorframe to their bedroom, lovingly gazing at his wife, who was sitting at her vanity, brushing out her hair. He had been standing there for a few minutes, taking advantage of the fact that she hadn't noticed him yet, for he knew the moment she did, she would berate him and demand to know why he hadn't made his presence known.

She was still beautiful, even after all these years. Especially after all these years.

"How long are you going to silently stand there staring at me?" a soft voice interrupted his musings.

The king smiled and walked over. "You knew I was there?"

Elphaba put the brush down and turned to face him with a soft smile. "Of course I did. This isn't the first time you've done this, and I know it won't be the last. Is there any specific reason why your favorite evening activity is watching me brush my hair?"

"Because you're beautiful." He kissed her cheek. "My wife is very beautiful."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, I'm glad I can still impress you after eleven years and three children."

As if on cue, they heard the familiar, hurried footsteps that sounded like a heard of elephants coming down the hall. Fiyero smiled and rested his chin atop Elphaba's head.

"Incoming," he whispered, turning just as their three children hurried into their room.

"I apologize, Your Majesties," their nanny said with a curtsy. "But the children wished to say goodnight."

Elphaba smiled as their youngest daughter, five-year-old Kenzin Hodiah Carme, hurried over and leaped into her arms. Their middle child, eight-year-old Nessarose Alyena Maelay, approached more calmly and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. Esaias, now ten, settled close to his father, resting his head against his side.

"Goodnight, Mama," Nessarose yawned, kissing her mother's cheek. "Goodnight, Papa."

"Night-night," Kenzin grinned.

"Night, Papa. Night, Mama," Esaias smiled.

"Good night, my loves," Elphaba smiled, getting up and returning Kenzin to her feet.

"Sleep well. We'll see you tomorrow," Fiyero smiled, kissing each child and watching as the nanny took them back to their rooms, closing the door behind her.

Elphaba took her husband's hand and led him over to the bed, snuggling under the covers and closer to him. "What's your day like tomorrow?"

"I have to meet with the new prime minister tomorrow. Lord Deor Oper."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic."

"Because I'm not. He's an extreme conservative who is conservative in every aspect except his language."

"Have you met him before?"

"No."

"Well, I wouldn't judge him before you get a chance to speak to him yourself. Many rumors have been proven wrong."

"I don't like change. I liked the old prime minister, Mr. Lenx. Now I won't be able to invite him over for a hunt without everyone thinking there was some conspiracy taking place. Apparently, the monarchy is supposed to be above politics, but everything I do is perceived as political." He sighed. "I'd rather not talk about work anymore."

"Then what would you rather talk about?"

"I'd rather not talk at all."

Elphaba smirked, pressing her lips against her husband's. Before she knew it, she was laying on her back with Fiyero on top of her, kissing her neck. "Slow down," she chuckled, gently pushing him off and pushing herself onto her elbows. "We already have three children."

"What do you have against the number four?"

"Nothing. It's just that… you barely survived Kenzin's birth."

During the birth of the youngest princess, Elphaba had "accidentally" punched Fiyero in the face, bruising his cheek. In her defense, she had asked him "nicely" to "shut the hell up" more than once, but he had insisted on being "encouraging".

"You don't have to get pregnant, though," Fiyero said in somewhat of a whine.

She glanced at him. "You said that as if I have much of a choice. I don't have an on/off switch I can just flip whenever I want to get pregnant or not."

The king pouted, but settled for another makeout session before drifting off to sleep with his wife in his arms.

The next morning, Fiyero woke up before his wife (a rare occurrence on weekdays). He turned over and smiled, admiring the way the morning sunlight reflected off her skin.

"Good morning, beautiful," he smiled when her eyes fluttered open.

"How long were you staring at me?" Elphaba moaned, her voice gruff with sleep.

"Not long enough. I won't get to see you all day, so I'm taking what I can get."

The queen rolled her eyes, but pushed herself up and kissed her husband. "Good morning, love." She moved to get up, but Fiyero wrapped his arm around her waist, stopping her. "Yero, what are you doing?" she yelped.

"Can't we stay in bed a little longer?" he pouted.

"Don't you have to meet the new prime minister today?"

"I repeat, can't we stay in bed a little longer?"

Elphaba chuckled. "You can, but I have to visit the Oradin Institute today."

"That's today?"

"Yes."

Fiyero groaned and pushed himself out of bed. "Alright, I'm up."

Elphaba watched him shuffle away and went to get herself ready. When she came out of the bathroom in a slip, Xizi, now her senior dresser, was waiting for her.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," Xizi curtsied.

"Good morning, Xizi," Elphaba nodded as she sat at the vanity, and the maid busied herself with her hair, styling it into an elegant bun.

"Would you like the royal purple or navy blue dress today?"

"Navy."

Once dressed, she met Fiyero and the children for breakfast. Kenzin happily told her mother about her dream, while Nessa seemingly ignored her sister, and Esaias lazily spread his food around his plate.

"What's wrong, Esaias?" Elphaba asked, noticing her son's look of apprehension.

"Nothing," he muttered.

"I think it's something. You're not eating your cheese eggs."

Nessa rolled her eyes. "He's afraid of –"

"Shut it, Nessa!" Esaias snapped.

Fiyero frowned. "Don't talk to your sister like that, Esaias."

The prince scowled at his sister, but kept his mouth shut.

"What are you afraid of?" Elphaba probed.

"Nothing," Esaias said, giving his sister a sideways look, daring her to say something else.

Nessa shrugged and returned to her eggs.

Elphaba was about to repeat the question, but the clocked chimed the hour, signaling that it was time for her to leave. "I will see you all later this afternoon," she said as she stood, kissing the top of her children's heads. "Be good."

"Yes, Mama," Kenzin smiled.

"That goes for you, too, Yero."

The king pretended to look offended. "I will if he will."

"Fiyero."

"Okay, fine."

Elphaba walked out to the carriage, hoping she wouldn't come home to an incident report between her husband and the newly elected prime minister.

After her day at the Institute, Elphaba was more than happy to return home. She knew her children would be in their lessons, so she inquired after the whereabouts of her husband.

"The king is in his office, Ma'am," Quirk bowed.

"Thank you, Quirk." She made her way up the stairs and knocked on her husband's door. "Yero?" She heard her husband's hummed reply, and slipped inside. "Are you alright?"

Fiyero was standing by the window, a glass of (what Elphaba could only assume was) alcohol clutched firmly in his fisted grasp. "Sure."

She wasn't convinced. "It's a bit early for a drink, isn't it?"

"I think I deserve a drink after what I had to endure today."

Elphaba walked over to his desk and poured herself a glass of whatever he was drinking. "Was it that bad?"

"I hate the new prime minister! He's such a… pet mouillé!"

Elphaba promptly choked on her drink. Fiyero rushed over to her and gently patted her back.

"Are you alright?"

"You're… the king… of the Vinkus…" she choked out in between straggled coughs, gasping for air. "And the best insult – or what I can only assume is an insult – you could come up with was… 'wet fart'?"

"Well… maybe not the best, but the most accurate."

Elphaba's eyebrow rose. "Dare I ask why?"

"Would you want to be around someone who let out a wet fart?"

"No."

"There you go, then. I don't know if I can take four years of him."

"Perhaps he'll resign."

"I doubt it. He's so intent on his proposed changes. It's like he wants to undo all the progress the Vinkus has seen in the past eleven years. Everything I've done. Everything we've done."

She laid a hand on his shoulder. "You're a great king, Yero. Everyone thinks so."

"I know, but Oper is intent on proving that statement wrong."

"Well, he won't. He can't, because it's the truth, not an opinion."

Fiyero sighed, but let the subject drop. "How was your day?" he asked, hoping for a happier subject.

"If you're hoping for a happier subject, I don't have much to offer."

"What happened at the Institute?"

"Nothing. Or well, nothing bad happened at the Institute. I was coming out when a young girl came to me, begging for spare coins. The guards pushed her away and she fell on her face. I wanted to help, but they practically pushed me into the carriage and sped off." She took a breath. "I feel awful."

"Their job is to protect you, Fae."

"Protect me from a little beggar girl? Yero, she was harmless."

"Yes, she probably was, but there's also the possibility that she wasn't."

"I could have helped. We need to do something to help."

"I know, Fae, but there's only so much we can do."

"There is so much we can do. Yero, that could be us, our children. That little girl… I was that little girl. I am, quite literally, the embodiment of 'rags to riches'. I can't just forget that part of my life."

The king could see how passionate his wife was about this. And he truly wanted to give it all of his attention. But as the ruler, he had to prioritize his problems, and more pressing issues had to be dealt with. "I understand, Elphaba."

"But?"

"But there are other things that have been sitting on my desk that I've ignored for too long that, in Oper's words, I 'must nip in the bud'."

"What do you mean?"

He held out a piece of paper.

"What am I looking at?"

"This is my most recent report of unrest in the lower villages. Apparently, the silk and mining workers there are coming together to form a union."

"Over what?"

"It's too early to tell what they want." He took the paper back and threw it onto his desk.

"Aren't you worried?"

"I have no problem with them if they're peaceful."

"So it's not a resistance group?"

"I don't think it is, but the government ministers want to put an end to it before we have to find out the hard way."

"But why would they –"

"Elphaba, I have more important things to worry about than your endless questions."

The dismissiveness was evident in his voice, and Elphaba didn't like it one bit. "I'm just trying to understand so I can help you, Fiyero."

"I don't want you to help me."

"Yes, I can see that." She swiftly left, wanting nothing more than to slam the door behind her, but knew it would only make him angrier. She just hoped he would cool down by dinner.

Thankfully, Fiyero's apprehension had tampered away a few hours later. They both tried to keep upbeat, for the sake of their children. Nessa happily talked about her lessons, while Kenzin presented a stick-figure drawing she made of their family, which Fiyero promised to hang up on his office wall.

"Esaias?" Fiyero asked his awfully quiet son. "How was your day?"

"Okay," the young prince replied.

"I got high marks on my ancient Vinkun translations," Nessa reported proudly. "And Esaias only got one point above passing."

Fiyero frowned, and Elphaba looked at the young boy expectantly. "You said you were studying."

"I was!" Esaias protested. "I was studying!"

"ZeZe was trying really hard," Kenzin added.

"If you were trying and studying, you wouldn't have just barely passed," Fiyero said stiffly.

"Well, I don't understand what the point is. No one even speaks ancient Vinkun anyway," Esaias countered.

"It's part of your culture and heritage and you must learn it."

"Why? It's just a stupid language that no one –"

"Enough!" Fiyero boomed, silencing the whole room.

Esaias locked eyes with his father and his bottom lip quivered. He pushed his chair back from the table and ran out, and Elphaba could see him wiping away tears.

"I think you were too hard on him," Elphaba whispered, sending her husband a sideways glance.

"You, of all people, should realize how important this is for him," Fiyero hissed back.

"I didn't say it wasn't important; I said you were too hard on him."

Fiyero grunted, his eyes refusing to look up from his plate.

"Aren't you proud of me for my high marks?" Nessa asked, pursing her lips.

Elphaba forced a smile. "Yes, sweetie. Very proud."

The elder princess smiled proudly, but Elphaba's thoughts were preoccupied with her son and her husband's outburst. What was going on? What was happening to her family?

That night, she was already in bed with a novel by the time Fiyero came in. He didn't speak to her and she didn't look up.

"He needs to focus more."

Elphaba turned a page. "If you ask me, I think Nessa needs to stop egging him on."

"Even so, he mustn't allow himself to get distracted like that, especially since he's older than Nessa."

"Distracted? You really think he's distracted because he's being bullied –"

"I wouldn't call it 'bullying'."

"And I wouldn't call it 'distracted'."

"Well then, what would you call it?"

She glared at him. "I… don't know. Just… not distracted. And his age has nothing to do with it."

"Well, when you come up with a better diagnosis, please let me know. I'm going to sleep. Goodnight." He reached over and turned down the oil lamp, darkening the room and ignoring the fact that his wife had been reading.

"Night," she whispered, knowing both statements were said with insincerity. She removed her glasses and put the book down on her nightstand, not even bothering to mark her page and snuggled under the covers. She understood that Fiyero was stressed, but that didn't excuse his behavior, and it especially didn't justify him lashing out at their ten-year-old.

Perhaps there was more on his plate than she realized. Something he wasn't telling her. He usually told her everything, so why would this be any different? What was he hiding from her?

Secrets and drama in the first chapter! MWAHAHA! Updates will be every other day.