Chapter 3 - Getting to Know You

The Crown Prince stood in front of Elphaba's cottage. "Nice neighborhood."

"Thank you for showing me your garden. I enjoyed it very much. And thank you especially for these lovely flowers."

"You're very welcome," Fiyero said. "I'm sorry, we should have stopped somewhere to eat. You must be famished."

"It's alright. I usually make me a sandwich and hot tea on Friday nights. It's too late to cook."

He fidgeted in place, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants as if waiting for an invitation to enter her home.

"Would you like to come in? For a late dinner? It's not like your castle, but it's home to me," Elphaba said, opening her front door, surprised that a real life prince would want to be in her company. She thought fairytales were only make believe.

Fiyero rubbed his hands together. "Sounds good to me. I'm starving."

There was a twinkle in his eyes as he quickly scanned the living room.

"It's nice and cozy here. Clean and neat. Who does your house?"

Elphaba slightly smiled, and headed to the kitchen. "I'll put these flowers in my glass pitcher. I'm my own housekeeper."

"You work and keep house? It's just that I have someone who looks after me. So, what's for dinner?" He called out as he picked up a book out of her dozens of books on her shelf.

"Turkey sandwiches with lettuce and tomatoes, mustard and mayo. And Lavender tea."

"My favorite," he said.

"Since when?"

"Since now. And lavender tea is one of the best. It keeps you calm and relaxed. And it helps with insomnia, fatigue and stress."

"How do you know that?"

"I read it somewhere."

"So, the Crown Prince does read."

"Sure I do. You read children's books?" He held up a copy of The Velveteen Rabbit.

"Just one," she called out from the kitchen.

Fiyero sat on her sofa flipping through the pages of the book. After several minutes, Elphaba walked out with two plates of turkey sandwiches, placing them on the dinning room table.

"I'll wash my hands and get the tea," he said.

She followed him into the kitchen. "Mustn't forget my flowers. It will look lovely on the table while we eat."

Fiyero watched Elphaba as she delicately ate her sandwich. Grabbing hold of the teapot, he refilled her cup.

"Thank you. You must have been hungry. You finished in no time. How come you're all dressed up tonight? You don't have your gardener's clothes on."

"Well, I didn't want to look like a scruffy old gardener."

"I didn't say you were old."

"You implied. And I shaved."

"I noticed," Elphaba said.

"Just in case you happened to pass by tonight." His face turned a rosy hue. "Did I say that out loud?"

"It's called a Freudian slip," she said.

"What?"

"It's when you're thinking of something and you unconsciously say it out loud. Actually, you were likeable and very handsome in a shabby sort of way." What had just happened? Elphaba Thropp had just flirted with the prince. She felt a rise in her temperature, and for the first time was thankful for her skin color which covered the glowing redness on her face.

Fiyero laughed. He raised his teacup and tapped hers as if to toast her.

They smiled at each other.

"Best meal I've had all day," Fiyero said, breaking the awkwardness. The Velveteen Rabbit is your favorite children's story?"

"Yes."

"Not your typical fairytales where you live happily forever after with the dashing young prince?"

"It's just a figment of the writer's imagination."

"True. Your book, it's worn out. You've kept it since you were little?"

There was sadness in her eyes for the loss of her loved one. "My mother used to read it to me every night. She died when I was only three. No one would read to me after that."

"I'm sorry. And your father?"

Elphaba shook her head. "He had no time for me. Ashamed of me because I'm green. I've always had the feeling that he wished I was the one who should have died. I can't recall him ever hugging me, nor has he ever comforted me in times of need. I wasn't allowed to cry. Said it was a sign of weakness. The times I cried, he'd hit me and say I'll give you something to cry about. So, I'd wait until I was all alone and then do my crying."

"He just lost my vote for father of the year," Fiyero said. "Crying is a sign that you're human and have feelings. My grandfather, my dad's dad, told me royalty should not cry...especially little boys. What does he know? Nothing's wrong with crying. So, no one read to you?"

"No one took the time. Every night I'd flipped through the pages. I couldn't read. But it made me feel as if my mother was still with me. Her book is a comfort to me and I also have a perfumed sized green bottle of hers which I keep on my nightstand in the bedroom. They're my keepsakes, my own family heirlooms."

"I would have read to you every night," Fiyero said.

"You can be quite charming."

"Well, I am a prince."

Elphaba felt the pitter patter in her heart which she had never felt before.

"I've heard stories of your father, Governor of MunchkinLand and your sister. That's why you moved here? Away from them?"

"Yes. I was more like a personal maid to Nessa rather than an older sister. If she wasn't feeling well, or whatever the matter was, I was blamed for everything. Little sister could do no wrong. I had to get away."

"I'm very sorry for how you were treated," he said. "I'm glad you got away. So, you're all alone with no family."

She swirled her tea cup and stared into it.

"You read tea leaves?"

Elphaba crinkled her forehead.

"You're staring into your cup as if you're going to read your future."

She placed her teacup down. "I didn't realize I was doing that. I have no future. What is it about you? I find myself pouring my life story to you."

"I'm a good listener." Fiyero's voice softened, almost in a whisper. "You're a million miles away. Where are you?"

Elphaba blinked as if to stop the tears from slipping out of her eyes.

"That's why you have a love for books. Because of your mom. You love to read, and became a librarian."

"Yes. Went to the University, graduated and never returned home."

"I think you've made a wise choice," Fiyero said. 'I've never read The Velveteen Rabbit. I don't even know what's it about. Can you read it to me?"

Elphaba laughed, he sounded so childlike.

"I like your laugh. You should do it more often. Will you read me the story?"

"Now?"

"No, silly. Not now. Another night. We could have a sleepover."

Pushing her chair back, Elphaba stiffened. "You're mistaken about me. I'm not that kind of girl, the ones you're used to."

Fiyero noticed her demeanor had changed. "That's not what I meant. I know you're not like the ones I've known. You'll never be one of them. And that's a compliment."

"Thank you. You're very kind."

"You'll read to me until I fall asleep in your living room on the sofa. Maybe next week Friday? I like it here. It's very homey and quiet. At home, everyone's around...my parents, my sister, the household staff."

"Won't you be missed at the castle if you don't go home?"

The prince cleared his throat. "Well, they're used to me not coming home on some nights...you know."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow.

"Look, you're different. I can tell." Fiyero interrupted her when she formed her mouth to say something. "And it's not because you're green. You were going to say that, weren't you? I like being around you. From the first time in the garden. I've seen you around before, but you didn't look approachable. Like you have this invisible wall around you. You're not a trusting person. Time to knock that fortress down."

"You like being around me? Why?"

"What's not to like? I did some checking. And you don't work on Saturdays and Sundays. You can find out a lot when you're a prince." He winked at her. "I also know that you used to work at a bookstore before working at the library. Actually, I asked my mom about you. If you're free tomorrow, I'd like to show you around the castle. You'll like Max, Yasa and Zita. You already know Yasa."

"I'd like that very much. Thank you. But I don't know any Yasa. And who's Max and Zita?"

"Sure you do. You know my mom. It's their nicknames when we're out of town. When we're being just regular people. They don't always go around being King Maziar, Queen Yasaman and Princess Azita. Not everyone knows us in other countries. We're just tourists. And I have Cook. Her name's Corella, but when I was little I couldn't pronounce it. So I called her Cook. She makes the best Monte Cristo sandwiches ever. She's head of our household staff. Does everything for me. She came to us when I was three years old. When she was only twenty three. Twenty five years ago."

"Which makes you twenty eight years old."

"And you?"

"I'm twenty four. I'll be twenty five in three months. And Prince Fiyero, what do you go by? Do you have a nickname?" Elphaba sipped her tea.

"Guess. It's not very hard."

She raised her head to the ceiling as if a name would appear in midair. "My best friend Glinda has a nickname for you. It's Fifi."

He made a funny face. "Do I look like a dog to you? It sounds like a poodle with a bow on top of its head. You get one more guess."

Elphaba smiled. "Could it be Yero? Short for Fiyero?"

"Good guess. That was easy. Your best friend. What does she do? A librarian, too?"

"No, Glinda manages a dress shop and is on a buying trip right now. She'll be back in a day or two. We're complete opposites. She likes to party, dress up, puts on makeup. She's a very perky blonde to a point where it gets very annoying. We were roommates in college, disliked her in the beginning. But, now we're like sisters. Likes to dress me up like I'm some sort of live doll to her. Speaking of nicknames, she calls me Elphie."

"It's cute. Elphie. I like that."

Elphaba pointed a finger at him. "Don't you dare call me that. She's the only one that can get away with it."

"Maybe I'll get to meet her one day. Since we're talking about ourselves, can I tell you a secret? Well, it's more like a confession. And not to mention it to anyone? Especially to your best friend. I've never said this before, only to myself. Not even to Cook."

She stared at him with a concerned look on her face. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Fiyero looked straight into her eyes. "I'm not sure if I would want to become king one day. Sometimes I don't like being a prince let alone a king. Can't see myself ruling a kingdom. There, I said it."

"I see," Elphaba said. "I thought all young boys wanted to grow up to be king. And all little girls a queen or princess. No matter where you're from, there's a lot of expectations in life."

"My mom was a commoner. My dad's parents, my grandparents didn't like her at first. They had an arranged marriage all set up for him. Someone he didn't care to know. He defied them. Eventually my grandfather and grandmother grew to love my mom. She was a librarian like you."

"Which explains her visits to the library. The way she carries herself, I thought she came from royal lineage."

"She married into royalty. I was born royalty. Always being reminded of that. I want to be like my cousins on her side. You know, just normal people."

"But you're not normal. You'll be the future king one day."

"How I wish that I had a brother. Then he could be king. Zita...she's your age, she could be queen. Which means mom will be the Queen Mother."

"You've thought a lot about this."

Fiyero let out a loud sigh. "Don't you just wish you could run away from everything?"

"All the time," Elphaba said.

"Thank you," he said.

"For what?"

"For listening. No one takes me seriously. When I go to my room at nights, I lay in bed and close my eyes. All I see is darkness. Dancing through life? More like trying to run away from it."

"I wish I could magically take your pain away. To vanquish them. To disappear," Elphaba said.

He nodded. "We're not so different. We're just running away from different things."

Fiyero and Elphaba were two strangers who spoke about their lives as if they had known each other for an eternity. She silently cursed to herself. She had heard rumors of the handsome spoiled carefree prince. He had a reputation of dating women and then dropping them as soon as he had no use for them. Although she hadn't known him personally, she had come to the conclusion that he had no heart at all, until tonight, when she saw it breaking.

TBC - Chapter 4