Sheep (Guest): Yay! I'm glad someone caught the 'cousin' reference. The composer of the 'Ever After' musical teaches at my school (I'm not a composer, so I only see her in our Core class).

Elphaba wasn't surprised when Galinda didn't come to her room that evening. She figured she was probably recuperating after her magic performance. She didn't look the best when she finished, but had put on a brave face only the green girl was able to see through. Unlike herself, Galinda didn't need constant insisting to take breaks and rest.

She made her way to the blonde's room to check up on her, a piece of chocolate cake in hand.

"Come in," Galinda called to her knock.

She slowly pushed the door open to find Galinda lying on her stomach on the bed, aimlessly kicking her legs in the air, and Kaat, sitting at the vanity, pulling numerous hairpins from her hair. Malky was fast asleep on the bed, curled in a little ball on the pillows.

"It wasn't pouring," Kaat hummed, her gaze on her lap.

"If you needed an umbrella, it was pouring," Galinda countered.

"It was hard drizzle."

"There's no such thing as 'hard drizzle'."

"Yes, there is. It's harder than a regular drizzle, but I didn't need an umbrella."

The younger Upland was the first to notice the princess and immediately jumped to her feet and dipped into a curtsy. Galinda looked up and gave her friend a tired smile. "Hi, Elphaba."

"Hi. I just came to check on you," the green girl said softly. "You looked pretty tired after…"

"It's a privilege to be asked by His Ozness to perform. I'm honored he enjoys my magical entertainment. I'm also very grateful for Kaat's help."

Elphaba knew the first part of that statement was most likely said for Kaat's ears, and smiled at the blushing girl. "You're very talented, Kaat."

"Thank you, Princess," the still-blushing girl whispered.

"I'm glad your sister, who loves every opportunity to show off and bask in everyone's lavish praise, had agreed to share a bit of the spotlight with you."

The younger girl didn't register the princess's teasing tone, and looked to her sister for her reaction and help with formulating an appropriate response. To her surprise, Galinda giggled and pushed herself up.

"I suppose my desire to be reunited overtook my need to be the star." She went over to the vanity and lovingly pulled her sister into her arms, kissed her cheek, and pulled a missed hairpin out. "Kaat asked to stay here for the rest of the week, instead of the townhouse with our parents and brother, and after witnessing our dazzling magic display, His Ozness couldn't say no."

"Thomi didn't like the idea of leaving me unchaperoned, but I assured him that Galinda will keep a close eye on me, even though she's only a year older than me."

She gave her another kiss. "I will take my chaperoneship very seriously. You will not leave my sight."

Elphaba smiled. She knew how much the two sisters missed each other. As fun and playful as Galinda was, being with Kaat brought it out more, and she loved watching the siblings interact. In the back of her mind, it made her wonder if she could have been the same way with her own sister. But she pushed that musing aside. There was no use thinking about things that never came to pass.

"I know I won't. I told you I would be perfectly fine in one of the guest bedrooms, but you insisted on bringing an extra bed in here," Kaat protested playfully, trying to wiggle out of her sister's arms.

"I only gave in because I didn't want to give the servants extra work this week, and I'm too exhausted to conjure a bed."

"Are you sure you're alright, Glin?" Elphaba asked.

"I'm better now," Galinda reassured her, then redirected her attention to fussing over her sister.

She had a feeling her friend wasn't telling her the full truth, and trying to deflect by focusing on Kaat, but let it slide. She knew she felt it was easier to not resist and argue. "I'll leave you two to continue catching up."

"Please stay, Elphie."

She was momentarily surprised by the request to stay, but nodded and settled on the blonde's fluffy, pink sofa. Before she could formulate a question, Galinda flounced over and took the cake from her hands. "And what, pray tell, made you think the cake was for you?"

"Why wouldn't it be for me?" She took a bite with a cheeky grin. "Kaat was filling me in on everything going on back home. Though, it'd be easier to follow along if she told her stories with some regard for chronological order."

"I see that's an Upland genetic trait," Elphaba said with a knowing smile, and both Upland girls blushed.

The three girls chatted, and Elphaba directed most of her time trying to get to know Kaat. Between her sister's fussing, and trying to formulate good answers to the princess's questions, the younger girl was starting to feel overwhelmed. But after she witnessed more of her sister's banter with Elphaba, her shyness slowly melted, and she loosened up.

"Thomi introduced me to one of his friends, Master Smerdis Wheah. He's looking at me as if he knows what I look like without my corset, but Thomi didn't seem to notice. Father introduced me to Prince Fiyero. He's very charming. I hope to see him again at the ball on Saturday," Kaat reported happily. "But I don't think Thomi liked him very much."

"Thomi is very picky, and would scare all gentlemen suitors away if he had the power. I've become acquainted with Prince Fiyero," Galinda said as if her word carried more weight than her older brother's.

"As have I. He's… more than what he seems," Elphaba added with a small smile.

"That's… good?" Kaat blinked, hoping her eagerness wasn't about to be crushed.

"Yes. I've had the honor of getting to know the real him, as opposed to just believing the rumors. He's very nice."

"Thomi thinks I'm still too young to be searching for a husband, but I just turned seventeen last month."

"May twelfth, yes?"

Kaat beamed. "Yes."

"He should focus more on finding a wife to help him run the estate," Galinda hummed.

"He's been talking to this one girl, Miss Joyie Cofiyé. She's from Bersre, but is staying with her aunt and uncle for the summer in the townhouse next to ours. Thomi's been over a there few times, bringing gifts to every visit. She's delightful, and I think Thomi will propose before the end of the summer."

"Good. Then that will take some of his attention off us."

"You know how overprotective he is. He's also worried about you, sister."

"I don't think he should be. I happen to have a good job with room and board, free meals, all the clothes I could ever dream of, and a wonderful best friend to share it with."

"I paid her to say that," Elphaba smiled, and the Upland sisters laughed. "You two will have plenty of time to husband-search this summer."

"I was hoping to spend some time in the palace library. I heard there are rare books on healing magic," Kaat said with a hopeful smile. "I think that might be my specialty, since it comes more naturally than conjuring and transfiguring."

"I can't let you spend the entire week hiding in the library. I already have to worry about Elphaba doing that," Galinda giggled.

"Well, I would love to share my love of research and learning with someone who will appreciate it," Elphaba countered. "If your sister is only here for the week, we must make the most of our time together."

Kaat clearly liked the idea of siding with Elphaba against her sister, and quickly sat next to her. Remembering herself, she gave her an apprehensive 'Is this okay?' look. Elphaba responded with a smile and took her hand, leveling a satisfied smirk at the blonde.

"You will not turn my precious little sister against me," Galinda warned. "She's very impressionable."

"I will show her all of the hiding places in the library, especially the ones you don't know about."

"We must do as the princess commands, sister," Kaat said, looking positively gleeful.

Galinda let out a playful huff and shook her head. "Very well. I know I can't compete with the promise of the secrets of royal magic texts. If you must leave my sight, at least you'll be with someone who will keep an even closer eye on you."

Kaat jumped up and hugged her big sister. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet. You haven't seen Elphaba when I let her stay in the library for too long. She becomes a completely different person."

They talked for a few more minutes about the rest of the events of the week before Elphaba decided to take her leave, waving Galinda away when she made to follow her out.

"Never leave your sister unchaperoned, remember?" Elphaba reminded her with a pointed smirk. "I'll be fine by myself. Good night."

The Upland girls curtsied. "Good night."

Elphaba stepped out and was about to close the door, but couldn't resist one more comment. "And Galinda?"

"Yes?"

"Kaat's right. There is such a thing as 'hard drizzle'."

"Told you!" Kaat cheered in triumph as Elphaba closed the door.

The Beacon Lighting and Auglire Boat Race went exactly according to plan. Elphaba made sure she was constantly smiling to avoid photos and articles of her being in a 'foul mood'. She stood by her father's side when he addressed the crowds. She held conversations with everyone she was introduced to. She didn't see much of Galinda, Kaat, or even Fiyero, which made the events more stressful without being able to find comfort in a familiar face.

During the Thursday morning Headow Horse Race, she sat in the royal box with just her father, occasionally glancing over at him, trying to read his face. She wished she knew what he was thinking. Did he approve of her performance over the past three days? She was sure she would have heard if he didn't. She didn't pay much attention to the race, except for when she was prompted to present the trophy and wreath to the winning team. During the luncheon, she looked around for Galinda, but she was nowhere to be found. None of the Uplands were there, probably because they were helping Kaat prepare for the dressage competition, which meant she was really on her own.

She put on a brave face, piled scones onto her plate, and tried to spot Fiyero, which was much harder to do in a crowd of fancily dressed young men. She eventually found him watching the impromptu croquette game that had started, and made a graceful beeline for him.

"It's nice to finally see a familiar face."

Fiyero turned and bowed his head with a smile. "I must admit the same. I'm getting tired of regards and requests from people I've never seen before."

"It's an inevitable part of both our futures."

"I don't know if I can take two more days of this."

She took a bite of a scone. "Am I allowed to make a request, seeing as I'm a person you've seen before?"

He chuckled. "What does my princess command of me?"

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, knowing people were watching. "Pretend you're talking to me about something important. We can't look like we're enjoying ourselves too much."

He fixed his face to appear more serious. "Your father still refuses to smile at me. I honestly would rather have him ignore me than try to keep our interactions politically cordial."

"'Politically cordial' is the best you can hope for with him. His approval is very hard to attain. The only known person who has it is Galinda, because of her magic and willingness to use it whenever he requests."

"What must I do to earn his approval?"

"You want it?"

"I think it will impress my parents if I can get in his good graces."

Her lips quirked. "If you can't learn magic within the next forty-eight hours, I'd say your pretty much out of luck, unless you have some other type of special skill he can exploit – I mean, display."

Fiyero could see Elphaba didn't approve of her father's treatment of her friend. "I'm surprisingly good at napkin folding." He took a napkin from a nearby table and folded it into a swan. "My lady," he bowed, offering it to her.

"I will cherish it forever," she smiled as she took it, then unceremoniously shook it out to dab the corners of her mouth.

He scrunched his face. "You know what? I have another secret talent. I actually can do magic."

"What?"

"I will make that scone disappear." He took the last scone from her plate and ate it. "Ta-da!"

"Hey!" She couldn't help but laugh at the prince's sugar-covered mouth.

"What do you think of my amazing magic?"

"You don't wanna know."

He rocked on his feet. "Yes, I do."

"I'm not impressed."

"Oh." He sounded unbothered, which made her laugh even harder.

"Pardon me, Princess, but His Ozness is calling for you," a steward interrupted politely with a deep bow.

She turned towards him with a forced smile. "Thank you."

He bowed again and hurried away. Elphaba gave the prince an apologetic smile, which he returned with a look that could have been teasingly suggestive, but she was hurrying to meet her father under the tent before he could make her laugh again.

"We are leaving for the dressage competition soon," her father said once she was standing next to him, though he didn't look at her.

"Yes, Father."

He nodded, still not looking at her. "I do not want you talking to Prince Fiyero."

"Why not?" her mouth asked before her brain told it not to.

"I believe you two did all the talking you needed to do in the kitchens. You shouldn't have anything further to say to one another."

Elphaba looked shell-shocked. "But –"

"My decision is final. Prince Fiyero will be informed as well, to avoid any confusion or miscommunication." He nodded to the aid standing next to him, who bowed and hurried to the prince.

Defeated, she let out a quiet sigh. "Yes, Father."

"He shouldn't be here much longer anyway. The Vinkus is close to reaching a settlement that will get the economy back on track. He will be able to return home."

"Does he know about this?"

"He will soon enough."

His tone made it clear the discussion was over, and Elphaba had no choice but to wait out the rest of lunch with him.

"Kaat, you were wonderful!" Galinda smiled as she ran over to her sister at the end of the competition.

The youngest Upland had placed third, and was enjoying the attention and praise of everyone who came to congratulate her. She grinned and accepted the hug, proudly showing off her bouquet and medal.

"Congratulations, Lady Kaatiny," the Wizard nodded, coming up from behind the family and they all dipped into deep genuflects.

"Thank you, Your Ozness," Kaat smiled, then looked to Elphaba.

The green girl only managed to give her a small, yet genuine, smile and a nod. The week's busyness was catching up to her and she felt a non-magic-related headache coming on. She wished she could have more fun than she was, but her life didn't seem to want to allow it.

After more socializing, they were finally allowed to part ways. Elphaba noticed Thomi saying something to Galinda and Kaat, with Galinda looking annoyed, and Kaat looking scared. She was about to go over, but one look from her father stopped her, and she relented to going into the coach with him, watching as her friend and her sister went into theirs.

Upon returning to the palace, the Wizard retreated to his office without a second glance at his daughter or the Uplands. Galinda tried to get Kaat to rest after a long day, but the younger girl still had lots of energy and requested to see the library with Elphaba.

"I want to see the magic books," Kaat said with a pleading look.

"Perhaps it's better to go tomorrow, after the flower show," Galinda suggested, tugging on her arm.

"No. Tomorrow, you'll come up with another excuse for why I can't go."

"Kaat, you've had a very long day and I think it's best if you rest."

"I'm not tired! You said I could go!"

"Yes, but I didn't say when."

Kaat looked to Elphaba for help, and her frown deepened when she was met with a sympathetic shrug.

"I cannot override your sister's decision, Kaat," Elphaba said. "She's in charge of you while you're here."

"Let's get you to bed," Galinda said, tugging on her arm with a bit more force.

The younger girl pulled away with a scowl. "I'm not a little girl, Galinda. I don't need to be told what to do." She turned and hurried up the stairs, her footsteps slowly growing fainter, then silent after a door closed.

"She was tired," Galinda said after a long pause. "That's why she was so argumentative."

Elphaba knew it wasn't her place to get involved. This was something the two sisters needed to work out. Living apart all these years, gave them a different dynamic that they clearly hadn't worked through yet.

"It's been a long day for all of us. Tomorrow will be much lighter, which will allow you to talk to your sister."

"About what?"

She gave her friend an 'I think you know' smile and went up to her room, passing one of the guest rooms, where she heard the muffled, frustrated sniffles.

The flower show was the least stressful event of the week, which gave a good respite from the busy, previous days. Elphaba noted how Galinda barely left her side, with the excuse that she was "attending her", while Kaat mostly stayed with her mother.

"Go talk to your sister," Elphaba said after accepting a small bouquet from one of the booths.

"I'm working," Galinda whispered back, suddenly finding a row of tulips very interesting.

"Being glued to my side and occasionally stepping on my toes isn't considered 'working'."

She muttered an apology about the toes, but stayed by her side.

"I don't like being used as a distraction. Stop stalling and go talk."

"Fine," she sighed, and plastered a smile onto her face as she made her way over to her mother and sister.

Glad for the extra breathing room, Elphaba scanned the crowd for Fiyero. She saw him by a wreath stall, looking at the intricately woven bunch of flowers. She waited patiently for him to look up at meet her gaze. When he did, she gave him a wide grin, which melted when all she got was a deferential nod before he walked away.

"If you're up for it, Kaat will join you in the library when we return home."

She hadn't heard her friend return, and jumped at the voice directly behind her. Something about her tone and face told her the two hadn't made up.

Once they returned, the Wizard departed first, then Galinda followed suit, claiming to have a slight headache and wanting to lie down.

"Can we go to the library now, please?" Kaat asked once she was alone with Elphaba.

The green girl nodded, leading the way. When she pushed the large double doors open, she allowed a few moments of mesmerization before pulling Kaat towards the magic section.

"Most of these books are out of print, and only available here," Kaat whispered in awe, scanning through the pages of an elemental magic textbook.

"I'm not in this section very much. Dr. Dillamond keeps me strictly in the historical sections," Elphaba chuckled, mostly reading over Kaat's shoulder rather than doing her own browsing.

"May I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Is Galinda happy here?"

She regarded the younger girl. "Yes. Very happy. We take good care of each other. Why?"

"When I asked to stay, I didn't think she'd want me to."

"She's missed you, Kaat. Why would you think she wouldn't want you to extend your visit?"

"When you asked her to stay as your companion, she was so eager, she practically flew out the door. We were always so close, often ganging up against our brother, and then she just left. She left me, barely wrote, and now she thinks that she can tell me what to do. I was a little girl when she left, but I'm not anymore." She recited the spell on the page, creating a swirling orb of magic that danced above her palm for a few seconds before dissipating. "She's grown, and so have I, but we were supposed to grow together. I was only six when she left, and sometimes, I feel like I don't know her anymore, and she doesn't know me."

Elphaba took her hands, surprising the girl with the gesture, but kept her gaze steady on hers. "I'm sorry, Kaat. I had no idea you felt this way. And I have a feeling Galinda doesn't know, either. Tell her what you told me. And Kaat, you are more than welcome to visit whenever you want. I will not stand in the way of your desired relationship with your sister."

With a shy beam, Kaat happily wrapped her arms around Elphaba, and the green girl readily returned the hug. She felt happy she could offer some sisterly advice about dealing with sisters, despite not having one. More thoughts of what-could-have-been entered her mind, these a bit easier to bury until later as she focused her attention on watching Kaat perform the spells from the books.