Chapter Six: Manipulation

Elphaba didn't leave her room except for kitchen duties for the rest of the day. She wished the lock on the door actually worked, but in a servant's room nothing was expected to. What if he came after her? What if he wanted more than to touch her hand? She was a servant; did that mean she'd have to obey him? Elphaba shook her head. As irritating as he was, Prince Fiyero didn't seem like the type to do such a thing. She thanked Oz for that. The maunts never would've sent her out here if they had thought she'd be expected to submit to the sexual desires of some obnoxious prince.

She realized, though, that she may have jumped to a conclusion far too quickly. In all her time in the mauntery, she had only seen the maunts touch the people they were trying to heal, and they did that even sparingly. The maunts hadn't touched her since she was old enough to walk. No one had. She jumped if someone accidentally brushed her on the street when she was running errands in the City. Perhaps in the Vinkus, customs were different. Perhaps he was only trying to be friendly. But she wasn't about to go apologize.

It was a shame, really. He had been right. They had been having a good conversation, for all of five minutes. For all their gossiping, the maunts refused to talk about anything that happened outside mauntery walls. They did not wish to take sides. No one had ever discussed current events with her. Finally, she was talking to someone, and he had to go and act like an imbecile!

He didn't come to observe her all week. Every morning she waited, wondering, maybe even… no, she wasn't hoping. She saw him when the servants served meals. And occasionally she saw him shadowing his father around the castle. He looked at her, but never said a word. When he didn't come bother her after breakfast on Saturday and insist on teaching her, she had enough. If he was going to act this pathetic, she'd have to talk to him herself. Just to get rid of the tension – that's all.

As she approached his room, she wondered if servants were even allowed to go to anyone's room without being summoned. To hell with it. She knocked anyway and put her hands on her hips, tapping her foot as she waited for him to open the door. She wasn't shocked by the surprise on his face.

"Miss Elphaba?"

Suddenly she didn't remember why she'd come. She opened her mouth and had no idea what to say. For a moment she stood there looking clueless.

The grin that crept onto his face made her angry. "Since you seem to be at a loss for words, I have something to say. I apologize for scaring you. I didn't mean anything by it. I just wish someone would talk to me like a normal person, and actually have an intelligent conversation with me. I'm bored here. It was just such a relief to actually talk to someone. That's all."

Elphaba lowered her eyes and nodded. "Prince Fiyero, you must realize that I grew up in a mauntery. That kind of environment doesn't leave room for any sort of touching, whether friendly or even helpful." Even an innocent, friendly brush of the hand was alarming. It was different. Her hand felt warm, just for a moment. But she didn't need to think about that.

"I understand. I didn't think about that. I should have."

"You told me yourself that you have no idea what it is like inside a mauntery; you could not have known." It was tough to admit, but she had been a little wrong. "Is it custom in the Vinkus to be so… friendly?"

Fiyero laughed. "It depends. Technically, you are not supposed to touch someone above your station. But friendly handshakes and hugs are quite common."

"That's good to know." Elphaba stood in the doorway, unsure of what to say or what she was doing. She knew she shouldn't stand in the doorway. If someone came by and saw her standing there it would look strange. But she couldn't leave and she wouldn't enter his room uninvited.

"Do you want to come in?"

"I'm not sure if I do, but I will."

Fiyero chuckled. "Okay, Miss Elphaba." He sat on the bed and patted next to him for her to sit beside him.

Seriously, he thought that after her reaction last week asking her to sit on his bed was a good idea? Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Prince Fiyero, I think I would much rather sit over here, if that is okay."

"Do what you want," he said.

"You could command me to talk to you, to be your friend, you know." Elphaba only said this because she knew he wouldn't.

He nodded solemnly. "I know."

"If you're so desperate for conversation, why don't you?" This question had burned at Elphaba for days.

"It's not fair, and it wouldn't make me happy, either. Knowing someone is only talking to me because he or she has to wouldn't make me feel very good, would it?"

"Probably not."

"Do you really think I go around forcing people to do everything for me?" He asked, looking a little hurt.

"I don't know what I think about you, Prince Fiyero. I haven't made up my mind."

"Good."

Elphaba cocked her head. "Good?"

"Yes. It means you don't hate me."

"Not yet." She was only half serious. He was winning her friendship, if it could be called that. She wasn't quite sure what friendship was. But he didn't seem to know the concept any better. As spoiled as he was, she could understand how being a prince could make one feel a bit isolated. He didn't mean her any harm, and he was smart enough. She could be stuck with much worse. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she was lonely sometimes, too. The other servants, as Fiyero said, were not at the same intelligence level. All they did was gossip, much like the maunts. A genuine friendship wouldn't be so bad. Suddenly she realized something and glared at him.

"What?"

"You manipulative…" Elphaba stopped. It might not do well to insult the crown prince, "friend" or not. "You avoided me so that I'd come talk to you, didn't you?"

"I wasn't sure it would work," he admitted, smiling proudly in a way that made her want to smack him.

She huffed angrily and folded her arms across her chest. "I should get up and leave and never talk to you again."

"But you won't."

She bit her tongue. "It wouldn't be right of a servant to do that."

"You can say that's your reason if it makes you feel better, but I think you might actually want to talk to me just a little bit."

He was bold. That must come with being a prince. She shrugged.

"You're not denying it."

"I'm not."

He smiled that obnoxious smile again. "So, let's talk." Fiyero shut the door of his room.

Elphaba looked at the door, a little alarmed. Why had he done that?

Seeing her look, he said, "You do realize you are not supposed to be in here, right? I don't care, but my parents might. I'm just protecting you."

"Oh. Thank you, I guess." She was still uncomfortable, but she had no reason to protest.

"And we'll start with that. Miss Elphaba, as much as you refer to me as your 'master,' or giving me the title of Prince, you don't exactly treat me that way."

She bit her lip.

"I don't want you to. I asked you not to think of me that way, and you clearly don't. So can we please drop the formalities?"

"In the mauntery, everyone was either 'mother' or 'miss.' It just seems wrong not to use formalities."

"We're not in a mauntery. We're in the Vinkus. And my name is Fiyero. Forget the fact that I'm a prince."

"That's a bit hard to do."

"Well, Elphaba, just try."

"If that's what you want."

When Elphaba returned to her room later, she found her furniture had been switched out. Her things were still there, of course, but the mattress was nicer and cleaner, the bedside table actually stood up on all four legs and the dresser drawers actually closed. A voice behind her said, "Good, I'm glad they fixed it."

She whirled on him, then. "Fiyero, you're an idiot. You want me to forget you're a prince? Well you can't go around doing things like this and expect me to forget."

He sighed. "You're right. Shall I have them give you your old furniture?"

She raised her eyebrows at him. "I don't want you going through any more trouble, so no." With that, she went into her room and closed her door. What is Oz was she supposed to do about him?