Thank you all for the reviews! I was honestly shocked by the response to the chapter, and I hope you will enjoy this next one as much as you did the last.
Chapter Ten: Mothers and Daughters
As Elphaba relaxed into Fiyero's arms, a thought came to her, and she chuckled quietly to herself.
Fiyero felt her shift in his embrace, and he looked tenderly down at his fiancée.
"What is it, my love? Did something amuse you?"
Elphaba smiled up at him lovingly, and explained.
"I just had a thought, Yero. How thrilled Clyara will be that she is getting a new sister!"
Fiyero immediately saw her point and laughed too.
"Tell you what, Fae. Why don't we go and tell her in the morning before breakfast at 9:30. I usually go in to her about 9:00 and play with her when I'm at home, or we just talk. She would love it if we were to tell her rather than for her to find out from my parents."
Elphaba nodded enthusiastically at this suggestion and leant up to kiss Fiyero lightly on the lips.
"You are wonderful, Yero my hero. You think of everything!"
Fiyero hugged her and then made to stand up, pulling Elphaba with him.
"Come inside, my darling. We ought to go and formally announce our engagement to my parents, even though I told them of my intention to propose, and then I for one would like to go to bed."
Elphaba nodded at this suggestion and held Fiyero's hand as they headed back into the palace. Instead of going towards the throne room as she had expected, Fiyero led her down a long, narrow corridor in the opposite direction.
"Where are we going, Yero?" she queried.
"Sorry my love, I forgot you aren't used to the palace. We're going to my mother's parlour, she at least will be there and possibly my father. It's where she goes in the evenings to relax before they go to bed. My father sometimes goes to his study, but more often than not he goes to mother's parlour and they just talk."
He could sense Elphaba's nervousness and touched her face gently.
"Fae, we won't be interrupting. I often go in the evening when I am at home, and my parents don't mind. They will be delighted to get to know you better."
Reassured, his fiancée relaxed, and he squeezed her hand comfortingly. She was going to need to get used to the fact that a private life was not possible for the wife of a crown prince. He knew that she hated to be on display, but a certain amount of public scrutiny was unavoidable for any member of the royal family.
At this point they rounded a corner and stopped in front of a simple door. Elphaba felt comforted by the fact that it seemed more like her door at Shiz rather than the ornate doors of some of the rooms in the palace.
Fiyero noticed the direction of Elphaba's gaze and chuckled softly, explaining that his mother was from a country background and preferred to keep some simplicity in her life, to remind her that just because she was a queen in a palace it didn't mean she should forget about the lives of ordinary people.
Upon hearing this, Elphaba smiled and Fiyero kissed her tenderly.
"I love you, Fae, so much."
"I love you too, Yero."
They hugged each other, and then Fiyero knocked on the door. A soft "come in" answered them, and together they pushed open the door and stepped inside the room. It was small but beautifully furnished, and the roaring fire in the grate gave the room a kind of rustic charm.
The woman smiled at them as they entered the room.
"Fiyero, Elphaba, what can I do for you, my dears?"
"Mother, we have something to tell you and father. May I go and fetch him?"
His mother nodded, but then called the two young people back as they made to leave.
"Elphaba my dear, could you stay and talk to me?"
Elphaba looked slightly flustered, but nodded and sat back down after reassuring Fiyero that she truly was alright and was not simply agreeing to please her future mother-in-law.
As soon as her son had left the room, Queen Sulid took Elphaba's hands and looked into her eyes.
"Elphaba dear, judging by the look on your face and the way you and Fiyero act together, I have very little doubt of what it is you are going to tell us."
Elphaba blushed dark green, and her long lashes fell over her dark eyes.
"Was it that obvious, ma'am?"
"Oh, Elphaba, please don't use such formalities when it is just the family. Please call me Sulid. And in answer to your question, the feelings you and Fiyero have for one another are very clear."
Elphaba was slowly returning to her normal colour and shyly nodded to her future mother-in-law.
"If you are referring to what I think you are, then you are correct. But I shouldn't say anything more until Fiyero returns; it isn't fair to him."
The older woman nodded understandingly and then laughed as the door opened.
"Right on cue! Ulbard, I believe that Fiyero and Elphaba have something to tell us."
Fiyero came over to where Elphaba was standing and took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles to calm her.
"Mother, Father, I spoke to you earlier about my intention to propose to Elphaba. I am delighted to say that she accepted. May I present your future daughter-in-law."
Both his parents smiled in obvious delight, and Sulid came forwards and hugged Elphaba.
"Congratulations my dears" said Ulbard, taking Elphaba's
hands in his own.
Fiyero hugged both his parents and then excused
himself and Elphaba to go to bed after explaining they would tell
Clyara themselves in the morning.
The next morning at 8:45, Fiyero knocked on Elphaba's door, He was answered quickly, so quickly that he wondered if his fiancée had slept at all the night before.
"Fae, did you even go to bed?"
Elphaba laughed and nodded.
"I woke up about half an hour ago, and I bathed and dressed and then read while I waited for you."
Fiyero laughed with her, and then stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him.
"Did I say good morning?"
Elphaba chuckled but played along.
"I must have missed it."
"Good morning, Fae my darling."
"Morning, Yero."
Fiyero pulled his beautiful fiancée to him and kissed her. The kiss had been intended to be light and innocent, but it quickly deepened. He kissed her passionately, running his hands up and down her back and sides.
A few minutes later they broke apart, and Elphaba kissed Fiyero gently before straightening her dress and opening the door.
"Come on, Yero my Hero, there's a little girl we need to surprise!"
AN: I debated whether or not to put them telling Clyara in this chapter but I decided not to in the end, as this chapter is about the same length as the others so far, and this means I can make the scene with Clyara longer. Thank you also to my amazing beta Lydia Monroe (who must think I'm the comma monster), you have really helped with this chapter )