Wanli8970: Since Melena's death occurred in the past, it couldn't have had anything to do with the attack.
Elphaba stood outside the blonde's door. She made to knock, but stopped. What if Galinda was still mad at her? What if she didn't want to speak to her? What if she never forgave her? Sighing, she raised her fist and lightly tapped on the door.
No answer.
She tried again.
Still nothing.
"Galinda?" Elphaba asked softly, turning the knob and pushing the door open. Her gaze immediately fell on the blonde, lying in her bed. Her face was facing her and she was under the covers. She looked asleep, and Elphaba turned to leave, but stopped when she heard the blonde softly call her name.
"What are you doing here?" Galinda asked, not even turning around.
"I… I came to check on you and… make sure you were… okay."
Galinda didn't respond.
Elphaba slowly approached the blonde's extremely pink bed and slowly sat down, placing her hand on the small of her back. The lady royal hissed softly and Elphaba retracted her hand. "You're hurt. I hurt you." She gently repositioned her hand on Galinda's back and muttered a spell. A green glow emitted from her hand for a clock-tick before fading and the blonde relaxed a bit.
"Is that better?" Elphaba asked softly.
Galinda slowly began to sit up, rejecting Elphaba's help. "Yes."
"I'm so sorry, Glin," the princess whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"I know you didn't," Galinda said, slowly meeting the green girl's gaze. "I'm sorry that I –"
"No," Elphaba interrupted. "You have nothing to be sorry for, so don't apologize. I should have controlled my magic. I promised never to hurt you like that again and I broke that promise. I just hope you'll forgive me."
"Of course I forgive you, Elphaba. You're my best friend," Galinda said as she wrapped her arms around the green girl, smiling as she felt her return the hug. "And my source of income." Elphaba flicked her arm and the blonde giggled. "I love you, Elphie."
"I love you, too, Glin," the green girl smiled, gently pulling away. She was just so glad to have her best friend back.
"What's going on?" Fiyero asked when he saw a soldier waiting for him outside his office.
The soldier of them bowed. "Captain Tigulaar, the Wizard wishes to see you in the throne room."
Thank you," Fiyero said, still wondering why the soldiers were outside his office. He watched as he bowed and left before making his way to the throne room.
"Captain," the Wizard said when Fiyero walked in and bowed.
"Your Ozness, what's wrong?" Fiyero asked, stepping closer to the Wizard.
The Wizard sighed as his tired eyes scanned a piece of paper. "There are many reports of Animal burglaries taking place all over Oz, mostly in the Gillikin and Munchkinland."
"Animals?" Fiyero asked. "What makes it seem like Animals?"
"Eye witnesses, and apparently, pieces of animal hair have been found at the crime scenes."
"I see," Fiyero said, still not knowing what the Wizard wanted him to do with this information.
"I want you to further investigate and take whatever steps necessary to stop this," the Wizard said.
The Vinkun was still confused. Not about what the Wizard was asking him to do, but why Animals were robbing Ozians. "Yes, sir!"
"Good," the Wizard nodded. "You're dismissed."
Fiyero bowed and began to hurry out of the room. He turned the corner and hurried down the grand staircase when he saw the princess going out towards the gardens.
"Captain," Elphaba said, having turned and saw the Vinkun.
Fiyero bowed. "Your Highness."
"Join me for a walk in the gardens?"
Was that a question? Fiyero wondered yet again. The princess seemed to have a funny way of asking questions. She hardly left any room for an answer other than the one she wanted. "Of course."
Elphaba's lips slowly twitched into a soft smile as Fiyero offered her his arm, which she accepted, and the two were off. Even though the weather was still warm, it was very clear that it was going to start getting colder soon. Fiyero heard the princess inhale deeply and glanced over at her.
"May I ask you something?" she asked as the two of them walked.
"Yes?" Elphaba asked.
"Why did you tell me all those things the other day?"
"What things?"
"About your mother and what happened with Galinda five years ago."
Elphaba froze in her tracks and looked at the captain. "What do you mean 'why did I tell you'?"
"You must trust me enough to tell me all of that personal information."
"Am I not supposed to trust my captain of the royal guard?" Elphaba asked, raising an eyebrow.
"With matters pertaining to your security, yes, trusting me would really come in handy. But you… opened up to me," Fiyero said slowly. "You told me things that I probably would never have figured out or found out from somebody else. You trusted me with extra confidential information. You told me like you were telling a secret to a best friend. Why?"
Elphaba paused. Why did she tell Fiyero those things about her mother and Galinda? Why did she make herself so vulnerable to him? He was her employee. He was there to do a job and get paid for it. And being her friend didn't come with a paycheck bonus. "Am I not supposed to trust you?" she repeated, still trying to come up with a response.
Elphaba was clearly avoiding the question, and Fiyero knew it. "Never mind."
"I don't know why I did," Elphaba said. "I guess… I needed someone to talk to. I obviously couldn't talk to Galinda and my father… I… I can't talk to him." She sat down on a bench and motioned for Fiyero to sit next to her. "May I ask you something?"
"Of course," Fiyero said.
"I know nothing about you."
Fiyero blinked. Was that the question? Was the question going to follow up? He had to learn the difference between when the princess was asking him a question and when she was asking him a question, but it was really a command.
"What I mean is… you obviously know my story now… but I don't know yours."
So… what was the question? Now the Vinkun was really confusified. Did Elphaba care about him?
"Tell me about your family."
Once Fiyero figured out that Elphaba wasn't actually going to ask him a question, he began to tell her the basics about his life. Elphaba listened, not interjecting, as she brushed her bare feet (When did she take off her shoes? Fiyero wondered) against the grass. He told her about his training and the mini-jobs he did before coming to the palace.
"Why did you want to join the royal guard?" Elphaba asked.
Fiyero thought for a moment. "I joined because there was a position open and I believed I was qualified."
"No, I mean… what made you want to join?"
Fiyero sighed softly. "My little sister."
"Your little sister? You never told me you have a sister."
"I don't. At least… not anymore."
Elphaba inhaled sharply, but softly. "Did she…"
"She was coming home late one night from a date with her boyfriend. It was dark and… they were across the street from our house when a carriage came out of seemingly nowhere and struck both of them. Her boyfriend was killed instantly, and she died a few hours later at the hospital." He paused. "I couldn't protect her. I was her older brother and I couldn't protect her. I couldn't save her."
"I'm so sorry, Fiyero," the princess whispered.
Fiyero shrugged, saving the fact that Elphaba had called him by his first name for later. "It happened years ago."
"What was her name?"
The Vinkun paused, and Elphaba wasn't sure he was going to answer her. "Lyanna," he finally said.
"Lyanna," Elphaba repeated. "That's a very beautiful name."
Fiyero was silent.
"Elphie, there you are! I was looking all over for y- oh. Hello, Captain," Galinda said, dipping into a curtsy as her blood rushed to her face.
Fiyero nodded to the blonde and stood. "Excuse me, Your Highness."
Elphaba nodded and watched as Fiyero hurried back into the palace.
"I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something?" Galinda asked.
"No," Elphaba said, still staring at the door Fiyero had left through. "No, you didn't."
The blonde didn't look convinced. "Your father sent me to tell you that the Czar of Mezrix is coming for a visit tomorrow and he's bringing his daughter."
Elphaba sighed. "And I suppose he wants me to entertain her."
The blonde giggled. "Yes. In that wonderful way of yours."
"Did he say that?"
"No, but I'm saying that. You're great at entertaining… when you try… or when I threaten you with a makeover… or when your father's watching… or when –"
"I get it, Glin," Elphaba said, forcing a smile that didn't quite make it to her eyes.
Galinda giggled again and offered the princess her arm. Together, the two walked back into the palace.
Fiyero sighed as he read the letter from his parents. He felt bad for not writing to them in almost a month. He didn't plan on not writing to them. He had just been extremely busy. That wasn't a good enough excuse, but still…
Sighing, he took out a blank piece of paper and a quill. He began to write, but two hours and around twenty pieces of crumbled paper later, he still didn't have a letter to his parents. Grumbling, he picked up the crumpled pieces of paper and threw them in the garbage. It was hopeless.
"Captain!"
The Vinkun looked up, biting back a yawn, and went to open his door, seeing a maid on the other side. "Yes?"
"I've been sent to inform you that dinner is ready," she said with a slight curtsy.
"I will be down in a moment," Fiyero nodded, watching the maid hurry away. Sighing, he went back to his desk. He opened a drawer and took out a small, framed photograph. It was of him, his sister, and their parents. He was twelve, Lyanna was eight. She was wrapped protectively in his arms, with her head resting on his shoulder. Their mother stood behind him and their father stood behind Lyanna, and their arms were wrapped lightly around each other. It was the perfect picture of the perfect family.
"I miss you, Lya," Fiyero whispered, his fingers tracing over his sister's face. "I'll make you proud. I promise." And with that, the captain made his way to dinner.
A bit of a short chapter, but the next chapter is when the fun begins. Well, fun for me, maybe not so much for the rest of you. MWAHAHAHA!