AN: Wow, it's always nice after I start a new story to see the flurry of "favorites" and "alerts" that come up. And yes, those of you who were concerned, I do still plan to work on "Forced Love". Along with that, I have had thoughts about continuing two of the others, but I won't make promises until I've actually written something.

Chapter Three: Prince and the Pauper

Fiyero headed back down the stairs to grab the snack he'd initially wanted to before he had run into that… exotic… new schoolmarm. He hadn't known that green was a skin color. Not that it didn't look good, it just hadn't ever occurred to him. And women in the Vinkus didn't have hair that long – it was never longer than the shoulders. But he'd glimpsed Elphaba's braid and it went down almost to her hips! She was… interesting.

He wanted to know about her. Really, it was mere curiosity. What else could it be? He met so few people from outside the Vinkus. But she didn't seem willing to talk. He wondered what he'd said that had so offended her. Perhaps he should have asked? Maybe he would ask next time her saw her. His siblings had lessons the next morning. He just might sit in on them to see what this new girl had to teach. He had meant it when he said she did look too young to be a schoolmarm. She couldn't be any older than him.

The next morning he offered to escort his brother and sister to the school room (attached to their small library) after breakfast. Elphaba was reading a book when they entered and she looked up. She was surprised when she saw him, but smiled hesitantly at his siblings. "Revienna and Berniel, right?"

"Yes, Miss Elphaba." Revienna replied. She was tall for ten years, but Elphaba was taller and Fiyero taller still. She seemed to shrink in front of the new schoolmarm.

"Prince Fiyero," Elphaba said, clearly strained, "I thought you were done with your learning?"

"I wanted to observe."

He could tell she wanted to refuse, but he also knew she wouldn't. Instead she clenched her jaw and forced a smile. "As you wish, Prince Fiyero."

"You don't need to call me that. Just Fiyero would be fine, Elphaba."

"I prefer the 'Miss,' Prince Fiyero."

No one had ever spoken to him this way before outside of his family. She wasn't being directly rude, but it was clear she did not revere him the way the other servants did. Even the head chef and the previous schoolmarm had called him "sir" or "master," respectfully. But he didn't lecture her for it. He'd never been one to try to discipline the servants. They deserved some respect, too. But this would clearly have been out of bounds if it had been his mother or father she'd been talking to. And something about that made him smile. "Maybe once you've gotten to know me."

"I need to get to know these two right now. They're the ones I'm teaching." Elphaba looked at his siblings and gave them a forced smile. "Sit down, please." When they did, she sat beside them. "Now, I have no idea what the previous schoolmarm taught you or where she left off, so I wanted to talk to you two. What were you reading?"

Revienna handed Elphaba a book. She paged through it. Berniel handed her a children's book. Elphaba glanced at it. Fiyero watched with interest.

After a moment, Elphaba looked back at the children. "What about mathematics?"

"I was learning multiplication," Revienna said proudly. "And Berniel was just on addition."

"I see. And history?"

"We were discussing the third Ozma regent."

"Science?"

"We were talking about plants and animals."

Elphaba nodded and began to look through the books on the bookshelf. "I think maybe we should discuss modern history. What good will it do you to know what happened before if you have no clue what's going on now?"

"Miss Elphaba has a good point," Fiyero opined.

Elphaba glared at him. "Prince Fiyero, it is perfectly fine that you observe, but it would be helpful if you didn't speak too much, as it would distract your siblings from their studies."

"I apologize." He didn't mean it.

"Anyway, you all know that there is no Ozma regent anymore, right?"

The two children nodded.

"Who is our leader now?"

"The Wizard!" Berniel exclaimed.

"Yes. Now, he appeared many years ago, about the time I was born."

"Sixteen years, to be exact. And he appeared in a balloon." Fiyero added.

Elphaba seemed surprised for a moment that he knew these details, but she bit her tongue, folded her arms across her chest and sighed heavily. "Prince Fiyero…"

"I'm just… helping."

"If you're so good at teaching, why am I even needed here?" She retorted.

Fiyero was quiet for the rest of the lesson. When it was over, he tried to talk to her. "Miss Elphaba, I really am sorry for interrupting you."

"I have to get to the kitchen…" She tried to get around him.

He moved so that she couldn't. "I'm sure you can spare a few moments."

"What do you want from me?" She put her hands on her hips.

"I got the impression yesterday that I offended you in some way. I just wanted to ask what it was that I did and apologize for it."

"You didn't do anything. I just don't want to talk to you. Why is that so hard for you to comprehend? Perhaps the other servant girls swoon over you – I've seen them. I won't. Is that your problem?"

"I'm just curious!" Now Fiyero was the one who felt offended. She must think him extremely vain. "I don't care who or who does not 'swoon' over me. I do not have any interest in their swooning. I haven't met many people from outside the tribe. I just wanted to know what life was like outside the Vinkus. I'm sorry if that so offends you!" Fiyero snapped and walked away.

Perhaps he had been a little hotheaded in doing that, but he hadn't appreciated the way she had implied that all he cared about was girls swooning over him. For Oz's sake, all he'd done was try to be friendly! He watched from down the hallway as Elphaba exited the room and headed down towards the kitchens to help with lunch. He hadn't meant to snap at her, although it wasn't as if she didn't deserve it the slightest bit.

After lunch, he sat in his room. Revienna was working on sewing with their mother and Berniel was working on art on his own – he seemed to have quite a knack for it. When he heard a knock and looked at the doorway, he was quite surprised. "Elphaba?"

"Miss Elphaba."

"Miss Elphaba. Whatever. What is it?"

"I wanted to apologize. Even if I wasn't keen on talking to you, I didn't have to be so rude. And you are technically," she swallowed hard and seemed to struggle with the words, "my master along with your parents."

"Please don't refer to me like that."

"Is it not true?"

"I don't like the term. And I don't like the idea that I'm so high above everyone else here. No one bothers to talk to me much for that very reason."

For a moment her face almost betrayed a hint of sympathy, but only for a moment. "Well, anyway, I just wanted to apologize. I have to prepare for your siblings' afternoon lessons." She left without another word.

"Wait…" He called after her. She didn't come back. He sighed. Maybe she would've talked to him. He thought about "observing" afternoon lessons, but maybe the best thing would be to back off for the day. Just the day. Her reluctance to talk only made him more curious, and her attitude only made him like her the better. What sort of contradiction was that?

Fiyero saw her later when the servants served dinner, but he didn't bother her – especially not in front of his parents. For some reason, talking to her seemed wrong in front of them. Like talking to her was forbidden. The interest he had in her was not exactly the sort of interest his father had hoped to be seeing, although she was stunning. He had to get her to talk to him. He had to.