Chapter Forty-Three: A Narrow Escape
Fiyero got up and began to leave the room.
"Where are you going?" Sarima was still awake. He had hoped she wouldn't be.
He looked at her and felt guilty. They'd been married that night, but still, they hadn't consummated. He'd come into the room and she'd been naked. But he couldn't… She had offered to help, told him (as she'd probably been coached) that it happens and she wasn't upset. They could try tomorrow night. But he knew now he had no intention of that.
The moment Elphaba had run from the room, his parents had packed his things and dragged him back to Kiamo Ko, pulling him out of Shiz. Three days later, he was getting married. Fiyero thought he could go through with it for his parents, for his family, but when he had walked into the bedroom that night and looked at her…
She was beautiful, by Vinkun standards. She was downright lovely. But he did not feel anything. So, finally, he turned to her. "I am not feeling well. I think I am going to sleep in another room. I don't want to be throwing up in our marriage bed."
"Do you think that's why you couldn't…?"
He nodded quickly. "This way the servants can tend to me and you can sleep in peace."
"I hope you feel better," she murmured.
"Thank you."
He knew what he was about to do. He went back to the bedroom that had been his. His things had not yet been moved. He grabbed one bag. He threw clothes and every piece of gold and money he owned into the bag. The castle was dark and he left the room and went down towards the stables.
It wasn't worth it. He couldn't stay here and do as his parents wished, not like this. He loved his parents, his siblings, but Elphaba mattered more. He was grown now. This was the kind of love that mattered to him. He couldn't love anyone else.
He fed his horse a few sugar cubes and vegetables that sat outside the stall before he mounted up. Sarima could remarry. They had never consummated, so his father could have the marriage annulled and she could marry some village boy. Sure, she'd be sad she'd lost a Prince, but it wasn't like she'd really cared about him, anyway.
As his parents had thrown his things into suitcases (glaring at him when they found two days' worth of Elphaba's clothes in one of his drawers), he begged and pleaded. It didn't matter what he said, how much he loved her, his parents did not care. They made an arrangement, and nothing would change that. By the time they got to the carriage to head back to the Vinkus, he'd gone hoarse from yelling and begging. He said nothing the whole two days.
And just that morning, his parents had merely told him that his marriage was to be today and sent him with his servants to prepare. As they dressed him and bathed him, he tried hard to think, but nothing would come. It was too fast. It wasn't until he'd stepped into that bedroom that he'd known what he had to do. Well, somewhat.
He didn't know exactly how to find her, or where she'd gone. But he knew what his first stop was going to be. He rode almost non-stop to Shiz. His horse was exhausted and he left it at a stables to get some rest while he did what he needed to do.
He went to Glinda's room immediately. To his surprise, Nanny answered the door, looking confused. "What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here?"
"I live here. Glinda needed an Ama and she and Nessarose were friends, so when Elphaba left… and you…"
"I need to speak with Glinda. Now."
Glinda squeezed into the doorway. "I'm right here. Fiyero, what happened?"
He looked at Nanny, and Nessarose now peering at him. "Can we talk somewhere else?"
"Let's walk over to Suicide Canal."
"Wait. I want to know what happened. She's my sister." Nessarose demanded.
Fiyero sighed and stepped into the room. "Fine."
"So…?" Glinda said, waving him towards the chair that used to be Elphaba's.
"So we were in my apartment, like usual, and my parents came in."
"They came in and she was there… so what?" Nessa asked.
Fiyero bit his lip. "So we were naked, Nessa. And I was telling her that I loved her."
Nessarose's cheek darkened. "Oh."
"And then my parents revoked her tuition and sent her packing. She had only a few minutes to get out. She didn't tell you this, Glinda?"
Glinda's eyes teared up. "No. I wasn't here. I was mad, so I went to Pfanee and Shen-Shen's."
"I'm sorry."
"She left a note. But it just said you guys got caught and that she'd miss me. I had no idea… The next day, both of you were gone."
"They pulled me out of here as fast as they could. Listen, Glinda, I don't have time to talk about this or explain more. Where did she go?"
"You think she told me?"
Fiyero's heart sank. "I guess not. But I thought maybe you'd have an idea."
"I do."
Fiyero looked at her, hopefully, "And?"
"The City. You should know that. You know what she'd be doing, too."
Looking for the Resistance. Of course. "I have to go."
"Fiyero…"
"What?"
"Tell her I'm sorry, and that I miss her, too." Glinda wrapped him in a hug so tight he could barely breathe. "And take care of her."
"I will."
It was only half a day's journey to the City then, so he mounted back up, despite the warnings from the stablemaster that his horse might need more rest. He'd get more rest when he reached the City. The horse looked ready to collapse by then, but he made it. Again, he left his horse at a local stables.
It was late, so he found a cheap motel and got some rest. He would spend the next day looking for her.
She was looking for some sort of rebellion. He did not know the first place to go or who to ask, but he thought that he wouldn't find what he was searching for near the Palace. So he strayed towards the seedier side of the City, the side of the City that the Palace didn't want people to see.
He had been walking for hours when suddenly he saw a flash of green dart by across the street, pursued by what looked to be the Gale Force. Fiyero couldn't be sure it was Elphaba, but it was the best lead he had, so he went after them. Several blocks down, the flash of green he'd seen tripped over a small child in the street and was advanced on by the guards, both of whom were carrying spears. Fiyero ran faster and hid behind an empty box to get a closer look.
It was Elphaba; he bit back a gasp. Her clothes were torn and she was wearing some sort of blanket (a very dirty blanket) as a shawl. She stared up at the guards with fear in her eyes, but also with rebellion.
"Girl! What were you doing with this?" To Fiyero's shock, the guard took a gun from beneath the blanket wrapped around Elphaba's shoulders.
Elphaba swallowed hard. "This is a tough part of town. I was protecting myself!"
"We chased you from a procession outside the Palace! Madame Morrible was being honored. She seemed to recognize you when she saw you take off running as we got close."
"I…"
The other guard piped in. "I think she needs to be taken to Southstairs and scheduled for execution."
Fiyero came out from behind his box and surprised the first guard with a brick to the head. The other guard whirled on him, missed his stomach but hit his forearm. From behind the other guard, Elphaba kicked her feet out and tripped the guard. Fiyero held the brick over the guard's head.
"Please, sir, don't!" The guard was looking from Fiyero to his friend, who was bleeding severely from his head, possibly dying.
Fiyero lowered the brick but took the gun that the guard had confiscated and held it steady. "We're getting out of here." He pushed Elphaba behind him and backed away and around the corner. From there, he grabbed her hand and ran.
After several blocks, Elphaba pulled him into an abandoned building. "Fiyero, sweet Oz! What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't do it, Fae. I couldn't live without you." He grabbed her hand.
"You're an idiot! I left so you could have your life. Please, go back." Elphaba turned away.
He paused for a moment. "I can't."
She looked at him skeptically. "Your parents will forgive you. Don't act like this."
"I'm not talking about my parents. Fae, that guard saw me. Only noble Vinkuns get shapes tattooed on their skin. It won't take long for them to figure out who I was. If I go back, it could start a war. The Wizard would never allow me to become King out there. He'd send an army!"
Elphaba looked at him, shaking. "Well, what do we do, then? We can't stay here! The two of us would attract too much attention."
"Then we'll leave."
"And go where?" Elphaba sighed.
"I don't know."
They were both silent for a moment. "Wait. I have an idea," Elphaba said. "When I was sent out to the Vinkus, I was in a caravan. Some of the people were headed out of Oz. There were caravans headed other directions, too."
Fiyero nodded, slowly. "Can you go back to the mauntery and ask?"
"I could try…"