AN: Sorry this took so long. I've been writing this a lot, but working with Jamie Jazz on some stuff. I kept meaning to upload this yesterday. I'm further ahead than this, but still ironing out details.

Chapter Five: A Learning Experience

What had gotten into him? She obviously hadn't wanted to talk… though she had started to seem the slightest bit interested once he had gotten to talking. Or was he just imagining that? Was she only pretending to be even a little nice because he was a prince and she was a servant? She could never be his friend, she had said. He hadn't realized it until that point, but he had never really had a true friend, and friend who would talk to him honestly. And he wanted one now more than ever.

Just to remind her of his presence, he observed lessons again in the middle of that week. He thought maybe if he just sat silently, she'd have to talk to him. He sat in the back of the room, not even really paying attention to her. Instead, he read a book. So he didn't realize it when she dismissed his siblings and he was still sitting there.

"Prince Fiyero?" Her voice brought him back to reality.

He shook himself out of his stupor. "Oh!" Fiyero looked around and realized his siblings were gone. "I'm sorry."

"Must be an interesting book. And a long one. It looks rather heavy."

"It's about science and sorcery and how the two can work together. I thought of them more as opposites, but it's really quite a good argument. If the scientists would actually look at sorcery as a respected art and the sorcerers would deign to actually speak to the scientists, so much more could get done."

This seemed to interest her. She sat down across from him. "Really? Would you mind letting me read it when you're done?"

He thought of something. "Only if you'll discuss it with me afterwards."

She actually laughed at that, and it was almost a kind laugh. "I might need to discuss it with you to fully understand it, anyway. The maunts hated sorcery, and there were so few science books in the mauntery. I've always wanted to learn more."

He saw an opportunity here. "Then how are you to teach my siblings science?"

"I just follow the books, I guess."

"Why don't you let me teach you?"

She hesitated.

Before he could even think about what he was doing, his hand shot across the table between them and touched hers. "Please? I'd like to. If you learn science well enough, you'll be better able to teach my siblings and I want the best for them."

She stared at his hand for a moment and slowly drew hers away, as if she was unsure how to respond. "I… I don't have much time."

"You have time on weekends. We could work then."

Elphaba looked as though she were trying to think of a way out of his proposition. She couldn't find one. "If you think it's best," she said reluctantly.

"I do," he smiled at her.

She did not smile back, but stared at her lap. "I need to get to the kitchens."

"I'll see you this weekend."

She nodded. "I suppose you will."

He went to her room immediately after breakfast that Saturday. "Are you ready to learn, Miss Elphaba?" Fiyero moved to sit down in a chair.

"I… it seems strange to be learning in my small room when we have so many books and learning materials over in the library…" Elphaba stammered.

She was uncomfortable with him in her room, he realized. "You're right. Let's head over there."

She leaned over and grabbed a book off of the flimsy bedside table beside her bed. He realized how rundown her furniture was. The bedside table looked ready to fall over. The mattress had a spring sticking out towards the end and the bedding was ratty. One of the drawers of her dresser hung sideways. Should he perhaps say something to his parents? Or would that seem strange? She deserved furniture that at least functioned as it was supposed to.

When they reached the library, she moved to sit across from him at the table in the center of the room. "No, sit next to me. We're going to be looking at the same book some of the time and it'll be difficult for you to read it upside down."

"Right," she said quietly. She sat down in the chair beside him and scooted as far to the other side of it as she could.

Part of him wanted to laugh at her discomfort. Part of it made him sad. If it weren't for his status as Prince and hers as servant, would she be more comfortable with him? "First of all, I wanted to give you that book I was reading. I've finished it."

She looked surprised. "When I last saw you, you were only halfway through it and that book was a long one."

"It can't be that surprising to you that someone else in the world might like to read almost as much as you do?" He teased.

She smiled ever so slightly. "I guess not. You'll do well at Shiz."

"You would do well, too, I'm sure." He had an idea about that, but there was no way it could work… could it? He'd have to work on it. No use talking about it. "Now, when you said you hadn't learned a lot about science, what had you learned?"

She picked up on it quickly. Within two hours, they'd gone through what had been for him a year of material. He had even gotten her to laugh once or twice with a joke or two. They were already discussing the idea of Animals and animals. "I saw an Animal once in the City… well, sort of. What I saw…" She trailed off.

He looked at her curiously. It didn't sound like the story she was about to tell was pleasant, but he still wanted to know. Gently, he asked, "What did you see?"

"The Gale Force. They were beating this old Tiger…"

"The Gale Force? You mean the Wizard's army?"

She nodded and swallowed hard. "I couldn't understand what the old Tiger could have possibly done to deserve such a thing. And that wasn't the only thing I saw. I saw loads of Animals paraded through the City towards Southstairs. But if Animals are just as smart as humans, why do people discriminate against them?" She looked angry by the end of this.

"Well, these books are about fifty years old, maybe…"

"Maybe what, Fiyero?" She snapped, and he realized she hadn't put the "Prince" beforehand, "Maybe Animals suddenly got stupid after fifty years?"

"That's not what I meant. It's just hard to believe that the Wizard could be doing all of this."

"I don't know that he is. You're so lucky you'll be going to Shiz. You'll be so much closer to the news, the action! It would be so fascinating. You could find out who's behind all of this. And you could learn…" She trailed off and bit her lip, as if she felt she had said too much. "It doesn't matter. I can't do anything, can I?" Elphaba laughed harshly.

"But Elphaba, you're right. I can."

She looked at him and he smiled inwardly when she didn't correct him by telling him to call her Miss Elphaba. "Maybe. But the Vinkus doesn't have much power in the City, Fiyero."

He went ahead and dared to touch her again, grabbing her hand, "But this could be a refuge for the Animals."

"You'd get yourself and your people in a lot of trouble, Fiyero. The Gale Force would be out here in no time."

"You're probably right. But maybe it's not as bad as we think it is. Maybe what you saw had a reason. Like you said, I'll be closer to the action at Shiz and I can find out, at least."

It seemed as if she only realized then that he was still holding her hand. "Prince Fiyero," she said quietly, "would you please let go of my hand?" It was like watching her literally shrink back into herself.

He didn't let go. She'd come out of her shell and he wouldn't let her hide again. "Elphaba…"

She shook her head at him and tore her hand away. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I… I just…"

"Please spare me the babbling. I don't know if it's because you think that my being a servant means you can… but I won't… I don't care if I get in trouble… I can't…"

"That is not what I meant." It hadn't been, had it? Now that he thought about it, it seemed appealing. He willed the thought away.

"Then what did you mean?"

"I just got excited. That's all. We were actually having a conversation."

"We were. And then you ruined it. I need to go prepare lunch." And she fled out the door without letting him get in another word.