Rifiuto: Non Mirena

A/N: Written: 2006, Found: 2018.- Licia

She sighed, removing the earring and tossing it into the jewelry box on her vanity before getting up and going to the window. The rain that had been falling earlier had turned to snow, turning the world outside the palace white, and after a moment, she moved away from the window. She hated being forced to stay inside; in that respect, she and Nessa were similar- they needed sunshine and fresh air and the earth beneath their feet to escape the caged feeling they suffered from. It had been a normal occurrence for the two youngest girls to go sneaking outside during the winter, to play in the snow while their parents were unaware, their governesses often hurrying to stop them before their parents found out. Oftentimes, it resulted in severe scoldings, of which were worth it for the few precious moments of freedom.

And in the House of Special Purpose, you were even more in a cage than the Winter Palace could ever be.

Letting out a growl of annoyance, she lashed out, kicking the foot of the vanity in annoyance before collapsing onto the stool. Being stuck inside reminded her of the days spent in captivity, of the dreaded hours before they were led to the basement, of the minutes that ticked by before the massacre took place...

A moment passed, before she finally stood, grabbing her coat and pulling it on before slipping into her boots and grabbing her gloves. She couldn't stay inside, not any longer, or she'd go mad. Without a word to anyone, she slipped down the stairs and quickly out the servants' quarters, hurrying through the softly falling snow for the back courtyard of the palace.

It was a winter wonderland that greeted her, and after a moment, she relaxed, closing her eyes and allowing the air to revive her tired senses. Laughter soon reached her ears, and her eyes snapped open; she turned, expecting to find her oldest daughter behind her, but instead, she found herself alone within the light storm. "Faolana? Where are you, honey? Faola?"

The snow picked up, and she covered her face, taking a moment to get her bearings back. It was clearly the wind, playing tricks on her mind.

The laughter reached her ears again, and she shook her head, only to jump, her head snapping up as she was pelted with a snowball. She whipped around-

"Got you, Fabala!" Nessa stood before her, white coat on over the dark blue dress she wore, boots, hat and mittens on, her long black hair tumbling down her back dusted with snowflakes. She giggled, and a moment passed, before Elphaba realized it had been Nessa's laughter she'd been hearing, not her oldest daughter's.

"Nessa?"

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Get you back, of course!" Nessa landed on her butt in the snow, having been pelted with multiple snowballs, and Elphaba turned to see Raina and Elia hurrying to join her. They were dressed in the same clothes Nessa was in, and a quick glance down told her that she no longer wore the green dress she'd put on that morning, or the dark blue coat she'd pulled on before sneaking out of the palace. She was dressed identically to her sisters.

"That's three against one! That's not fair!" She turned back as Nessa climbed to her feet, a grin tugging at her features as she knelt down, scooping up a handful of snow.

"No one ever said we had to play fair, Nessa." She replied, throwing the snow in her sister's face. The snowball fight soon turned, becoming the four girls simply gathering up snow and throwing it at each other. Their laughter filled the air; for a few moments, she was a girl again- no rule, no husband, no children weighed on her mind. Soon, however, other voices cut through their laughter, and she turned, expecting to see her husband. Instead, four young men rushed towards them; they were dressed as warmly as the girls were. A moment of panic flashed through her- these were the young guards, instructed to guard her and her family at the House of Special Purpose. She remembered them, had flirted with them on occasion, when her family wasn't around; it had been her flirtation with a young guard named Liir that had caused Melena and Raina to stop talking to her, days before the massacre. Though they'd made amends- deciding it was better to forgive and forget, especially if they were going to start over in Gillikin- it still stung, that her innocent flirtation had been seen as a betrayal by her family.

Before she could say anything, one of the guards rushed to her, catching her up in his arms and pulling her into a dance. She soon felt heat beginning to warm her skin, and looked up to see flashes of a roaring fire pass by her vision. Someone, not far from them, was playing a garlinka- a traditional Fliaanian folk instrument similar to an accordion- and the music, so light and exciting, was making her head spin. She soon found herself laughing, though, having forgotten the world around her as she partook in the dancing around the fire.

Eventually, she and her partner stopped dancing, and he turned to her, meeting her gaze. It was then that she saw the familiar blue eyes of the Tiggelars, and she stepped back, her breath catching. "You... I know you..."

He reached up, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I'm so sorry, I never meant for you to get hurt." She shook her head, not understanding. But before she could open her mouth to ask, he leaned down, capturing her mouth in his. The kiss was deep, familiar and yet not. It was a kiss she hadn't tasted for a long time- one she no longer wished to taste.

"Fabala!" She pulled away, turning to her sisters, who all stood watching horrified, she opened her mouth, but before she could speak, another voice spoke up. "Fabala!" The sound of footsteps pulled her attention away, and she turned, to see someone rushing towards her. Eventually, she realized exactly who it was, as he caught her up in his arms, lifting her gently off the ground.

"Tr... Trism?"

"What are you doing out here?" He demanded gently but firmly as he set her back on her feet and took her face in his hands. She shook her head, looking around, only to find herself alone among the softly falling snow. "Unnamed God, you're cheeks are ice cold. Come on, let's get you inside before you freeze. What were you thinking, Fabala, my love?"

She turned back as he wrapped his arm around her waist, guiding her back into the palace. "I was just... spending time with my sisters."