Tell me it's not true
A lot can change in three years.
The Vinkun people got more used to their future queen, and nobody could deny how completely in love the two young adults were. Whenever they were seen on trips, with or without their children, they could not keep their hands off one another.
Glinda was still travelling to visit her friends. She had eventually married a Gillikinese nobleman, much to her parents' relief, and had a daughter a year after the twins were born.
The Prince and his family remained in their little cottage and he and Elphaba were being given more royal duties. And Elphaba settled into motherhood quickly, but unsteadily.
Where Leila-Rose was content with whoever held her, Liir settled only with his father, and Elphaba's heart cracked a little more each time over the months he was like it. The defences Fiyero had torn down were now back up, and she was pretending to be happy, pretending that she was alright when she just wanted to cry. And her family were completely oblivious to her silent suffering. The first time she'd heard him say 'ma' at ten months old, he wasn't looking at her, and even though Fiyero tried to point her out, he didn't say it to her for another two months.
It wasn't until their first birthday that he finally did want to be held by his mother and he didn't cry as soon as she was in his sight, he seemed to be taking the lead from his sister. She was happy and content with this strange woman, so he could be too.
Now, at a rare point in time that they were home, Elphaba revelled in the noise her children made, the shrieks and the laughter and the bond that made their little family quite inseparable. While she would never be fully convinced at her own mothering abilities, and she did still cry herself to sleep occasionally when the memories were too much, she wasn't as depressed as she had been.
She finished putting some fruit into a bowl when her ears caught the silence. The moment the two of them began to walk she knew she'd have to prepare for any eventuality. And when they were quiet it usually meant they were about to do something they shouldn't. She ventured out of the kitchen on to the back porch, scanning the forest surroundings for them. Her heart stopped in her throat when she saw Leila-Rose talking to somebody. A man she recognised all too well. A man who should never have returned to Oz. She stormed forward, her dark eyes set unforgiving on the old man who had ruined her life all those years ago. "Leila, where's your brother?"
Oscar had righted himself and watched the tall, green woman- his own daughter stood before him, talking to her children. Regret flooded every pore at his own actions towards her all those years ago, and he knew she may never forgive him for it, but he had to at least try to put things right. He saw a smattering of small blue diamonds on her left cheek which descended below her collar, whatever trailing pattern they took travelled down her left arm to her hand and her ring finger where the pattern seemed to end.
The little girl pointed behind her to a nearby tree, and Elphaba followed her direction.
"Liir Grantaire if you climb any higher, child!"
The green-eyed blond haired boy whipped around as his mother scolded him and he lost his balance on the low tree stump, falling with a dull thud into the grass, but he didn't cry on impact.
"Leila take your brother inside please."
"But mama-" the dark-haired little girl cast bright blue eyes up at her.
"Now, please."
The two three-year-olds pouted and they obeyed their mother, scampering back to the safety of the cottage hand in hand.
"Elphaba. It's good to see you looking well-"
"Save it!" she spat venomously. "What right do you have to be poking around in private grounds? What right do you have to talk to my child? You should have left when you had the chance, there's nothing for you here."
"Elphaba, please. I know that I've done a lot of unforgivable things to you, and you owe me nothing in return."
"Oh, good, we're on the same page. Now leave."
"Please, allow me to explain things. Elphaba, I wish you and your family no harm. I promise."
"That's funny because I vaguely remember what it was to be nineteen again and believe in you and the promises you made to me. As I recall it didn't quite work out and it ended badly for me."
"That was before I knew the truth. If I'd have known-"
"You'd have what? Pretended everything was alright? Placate me with a lie about overturning Animal Banns? Called off a sick witch hunt?"
"I wouldn't have lied to you. I know I have in the past, but had I known you were my daughter, I'd have done things differently."
"We may share the same DNA. That does not mean that we will ever be family. That does not mean you get to be my father. We are not the same. I am nothing like you. And if you come near my children, or me again, I will not hesitate to have you tried in these lands for treason against the Crown." She glared daggers at the older man. She didn't care how he came to find her. It wouldn't have surprised her in the slightest if all he'd done is ask a few questions about the strange green Crown Princess of the Arjiki clan. The strange green woman who should have died nearly four years ago.
Oscar looked upon her with one last pleading look before he nodded, bowing his head in defeat. "I do extend my sincerest apologies for everything, for all the pain I caused, Elphaba."
"You've got three seconds before I cast a spell to set fire to your feet and have you running from here." the threat seemed to do the trick, and he turned on his heel with one last apology and he left the gardens.
She followed him to make sure he left, being careful not to alert him to her presence. Once she was sure that Oscar had gone, she rushed back home. "Mama scared a strange man away." She heard her daughter explaining to someone.
"And why were you talking to strangers when you've been taught not to?" Fiyero's voice travelled out to her.
"Because the Wizard is still a manipulative piece of work and he probably convinced her to." She spoke as she entered the kitchen and handed Leila the small plastic bowl containing the fruit. Liir hurtled to her on sight and she picked him up, gently brushing his head checking for bumps from his earlier fall.
"How did he know to find us? Why is he still here?" Fiyero looked over at her while Leila-Rose skipped out to another room to find something else to play with.
"As for the why... I wish I knew. Probably some misplaced conception of a happy reunion now I know the truth. The how? Really, Yero?" she had to smile at that. "Your wife is green for Lurline's sake. I've been telling you this from the moment we met." She held her son tighter when he buried his head into her neck and clung to her. "Hey, it's alright." She cooed gently.
"Mama, don't want you to go." He whimpered.
"I'm not going anywhere, baby. What's scared you to thinking that?" she gasped and closed her eyes when he put a small hand to the column of her throat. Immediately she realised he was sharing a vision with her. But it didn't make sense. What had that bastard said to him to play of a little boy's fear of losing his mother?
"Fae?" Fiyero stood, watching them with a concerned look. He walked to them and hugged them both to him.
It wasn't long before Liir had had enough and wanted to be let down again so he could join his sister and Elphaba finally let him go.
"Fae?"
She sighed. "I'll tell you later." She smiled a little.
He nodded and kissed her, grinning against her lips when she responded and he gently pressed her into the kitchen table.
She caught her balance on it and she giggled. "Yero, this isn't a good idea," She made no effort to move, tilting her head when he kissed her neck.
"On the contrary, I think it is," he smirked. "Just cast a spell to lock the door."
"But... -" She lost her argument and her train of thought when he kissed her again. She giggled when he lifted her on to the table, but only then did she come to her senses and she put a hand to his chest to stop him. "Wait."
He froze and he looked at her. "What is it?" he gently stroked her hips with his fingers over her dress while he waited for her.
"We can't. Not in here." She shook her head. "Fiyero, the last time we did this we broke your desk in your office at the castle, and all you could say was that you annoyed me and my magic got out of control." She smirked. "What exactly do you plan to tell your mother about this?"
"Nothing. This is our home, you are the love of my life and if I intend to have you on our kitchen table, then I will." He smirked back, repositioned himself against her and dipped his head to her neck.
She laughed. "With our children in the other room? I'm not exactly quiet and this is not a conversation we need with our far too curious children." She gasped softly when he delicately and deliberately bit the hollow of her collarbone, and she gripped him closer, curling her legs around his hips. "Stop it, I'm trying to talk to you."
"Has anybody ever told you you talk too much?"
"You may have mentioned it."
"Then stop talking," he smirked again. "Or... We could go out there."
She rolled her eyes. "Absolutely not." She finally found the strength and the willpower to push him away and she stood up, righting her dress with a smirk as she headed for the door. "Are you joining me or...?"
He followed her, both making sure that the twins were distracted while they headed to their bedroom. He had made sure that the doors were locked which kept his family safe inside on the way.
The following day, the family of four were out in the village as part of their duty. They were to take part in a hunting exercise, which Elphaba had refused to do unless promised that there no Animals involved and that the twins would not see any creature hurt. She understood it to be part of her husband's way of life, but she would not allow them to see it at such a young age.
Without warning, the twins took off at a run, hand in hand and giggling as they joined other children in the hunting field.
"Be careful, you two!" Elphaba called after them, forcing herself to remain beside Fiyero and not pull them back to her with a protective arm. Even after all this time she still had difficulty in trusting others, Fiyero had no such worries. After all, he knew these lands, had grown up with these people, had lived this way of life.
He gave her a reassuring grin and softly kissed her. "They'll be fine. They're making friends already." He pointed out, nodding to the group of children the twins ran up to, and quickly averted his eyes. The nearby parents were already nervous, wondering why the young Prince and Princess were interacting with their children.
Elphaba glanced over quickly, seeing that he was right, and she relaxed against his arm again.
"How is your aim?" Fiyero questioned after they joined a crowd.
"What?" she looked at him, perplexed.
"Target practice," he smirked, dropping his arm from her and picked up a crossbow from the leader of the hunt, handing it to her.
"Never tried it." She shook her head and took it.
He lead her to the practice area. "Well, here's the chance to."
"Oh, no. Yero what if I -"
"Nothing will go wrong, Princess." one of the tribesmen told her with a smile.
"Not even our cocky Prince could screw this up." another smirked, dodging a playful jab from Fiyero easily.
Elphaba laughed softly, shaking her head. She snuck a glance back at her twins and then back out to the clearing. Fiyero stepped behind her and helped her ready the weapon.
"Imagine the target is your father." he murmured in her ear with a smirk.
"Which one?"
"Whichever comes to mind first."
"Works for me." She gave a slight shrug, trying to keep her concentration and shot, hitting the far edge of the target. "You're a distraction."
He smirked again. "I know."
"Well... Get off me." She nudged him, laughing when he wrapped his arms around her fully.
"No."
"Fiyero, get off!"
He shook his head, laughing with her, letting go when she nudged him again and she took her aim once more, shooting the centre of the target this time.
"Good shot, princess." the male who had been teasing Fiyero good-naturedly commended with an appreciative nod. He seemed to realise the pair had a competitive streak between them. "Perhaps we could make this exercise a challenge."
Fiyero nodded, still grinning and he looked to his wife. He remembered all too well how competitive she could get, having spurred her on all those years ago at Shiz both before and after their moment with the Cub. "I'm in."
"You're on." She nodded.
He may have the upper hand knowing the challenges being thrown at him, having learnt and practised them for years before, but he knew better than to underestimate Elphaba.
The children sensed that there was fun to be had elsewhere and they all joined the group of adults, all huddled together in their new friendship circles. Liir and Leila-Rose squealing and giggling with delight as their parents battled against one another.
"You're cheating, get back!" Fiyero smirked.
"I am not!" Elphaba claimed indignantly. Her ears picked up her twins' laughter and she looked out of the corner of her eyes at them under the guise of scanning her area. She could hear and recognise Leila-Rose's wind-chime like giggles anywhere.
What normally would have been quiet and serious, and most likely taken a lot of time, the young royals made the afternoon enjoyable and fun. Many of the older men who had seen Fiyero grow up were amazed at how seriously he seemed to be taking his role while at the same time allowing himself to be young, free and happy with his family in his home.
"Who'd have thought a Munchkinlander would have such an influence on that reprobate?"
Elphaba smirked as the comment caught her ears and she lifted her head that little higher with pride. At least she hadn't described her as green. She tuned out at that, leaving the gossiping women to it.
"Mama!" Leila-Rose shrieked happily as she ran towards her mother, another squeal of delight rang through the air as she was scooped up by her mother and spun around once in a circle and wrapped in her arms and she locked her arms around her mother's neck. "Where's your brother now?"
"Papa, tree." she pointed to the two.
Elphaba rolled her eyes as Fiyero had sat himself and Liir on top of an old, fallen tree trunk. "No wonder he's forever climbing things if you teach him that. If he inherits your ridiculous dancing through life phase, I'll turn you back into a scarecrow."
Fiyero just laughed, motioning for her to join them. "Come on, Fae, it wasn't all that bad. Besides, little Leila is the dancer here, or have you forgotten?"
She shook her head and walked to them, Leila was taken from her arms by him and she climbed up and sat beside Liir. She smiled when the boy huddled closer to her. Well... the green had to go somewhere, I suppose... She thought as he turned those big green eyes up at her almost the same shade as she was, she kissed his forehead. "If you try standing on this thing, Leila-Rose Glinda your penguins are coming away the minute we get home." she raised a warning eyebrow at her mischievous daughter.
"Sometimes it's hard to tell which one's the bad influence on who," Fiyero smirked.
"And each time it's your genes at work." she sniped back in a teasing tone. "They're both as bad as each other."
He laughed at that and shook his head. "Are you telling me, given the chance you and Nessa wouldn't have been the same way?"
"Of course not, I'm far too sensible for that."
"We both know that's a lie. Sensible people don't do what we did in the Gillikin Forest. Ouch!" he complained when she pinched his arm. "Fine, fine, but you know I'm right." he amended when she nodded to the twins now watching their parents curiously.
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from responding. She was going to lose this one either way and she didn't like to admit it.
"Papa, when is Auntie Linny coming?" Leila asked, suddenly finding his shirt buttons interesting to play with.
"Next week. Unless things have changed?" he glanced to Elphaba who shook her head.
"No, still next weekend, and she's bringing Annalie," she smiled. She shook her head again at Fiyero's questioning look, most likely regarding her husband. "Still having problems." she mouthed silently.
He nodded, not responding to that. His first impression of the man his friend would marry was not a happy one. He'd spent the entire trip complaining about being in the wilderness, the size of their small home compared to the Emerald Palace, and the not too subtle remarks and insults about Elphaba. Glinda had burst into tears one night after he'd gone to bed and proclaimed never to bring him with her again.
Of course, both he and Elphaba had put it down to early pregnancy hormones, they were both thankful that they'd never have to set eyes on what's-his-face ever again. It hadn't come as a surprise to either of them to learn not long after her daughter was born, she'd separated from her husband and they were both living their own lives, she just hadn't told her parents about the split. Liir had been the one to say what everyone else had been thinking; 'Linny happy now!' he'd never been more grateful that his son had inherited his mother's inability to keep his mouth shut at inappropriate times.
He blinked confusedly when he felt her kiss him. "What-?"
"Sorry, couldn't resist, that thoughtful look you had was just the sweetest." She smiled.
He laughed and pulled her close, keeping his other arm around the bouncing three-year-old at his other side to stop her from falling.
Leila then turned her attention to the diamonds on his neck and poked them curiously. "Papa what is that?" she asked, dropping herself into his lap.
"Mama got them too." Liir nodded.
Fiyero nodded. "Yeah, she does." He smiled. "They are tribal markings. They show which one you belong to, the boys get them first, on his first hunt without an adult. The girls will get them when they're older, mostly when she marries."
"Well I won't be!" Leila huffed delicately. "Boys are silly!"
"Are not!" Liir pouted.
"Are too!"
Liir squealed with giggles before he could respond, his mother had tickled him.
"She's got the right idea." Fiyero grumbled.
Elphaba laughed in reply. "Sometimes being silly is what makes a girl like him, Leila."
"I thought it was my charm and endearing personality."
"Charm, possibly. But you were always a cocky son of a-"
He cut her off with a kiss. "That's enough talking from you."
"Never gonna happen." She smirked.
"Papa is silly." Leila spoke in a serious tone and nodded as if it explained everything, and her parents just laughed.