The more I think, the less I see,
when I'm able to walk,
I'm queen of my world.
I let it rain on my skin.
I don't let myself down,
just wanna be one with you.

I don't ask myself why,
I wanna be one with you,
just wanna be one with you.

Rock Your Soul, Elisa

Chapter 3

The following Monday, Galinda returned to her room to find two envelopes that had been slipped under the door. One was addressed to herself, and one to Elphaba. She laid her roommate's on her bed, and crossed to her own bed to tear open the note. Inside, on ornate stationary in carefully rendered script, was a request that she meet with Madame Morrible at six o'clock in the evening.

Galinda dropped her satchel of books and studied the note. It was ordinary enough, with no indication of intent or outcome. She furrowed her brow, certain she'd done nothing worthy of reprimanding, or even praise, for that matter. Suddenly, she glanced up, remembering the other envelope. It lay on Elphaba's bed, raising a myriad of questions.

She knows…

It was all Galinda could think. Then she began to panic, wondering if Elphie could be expelled for carrying on with Fiyero. Could Morrible possibly know the extent of what had gone on, or had she just gotten word that Fiyero had been in their room? She sat very still on her bed and began to imagine every scenario in which their headmistress could confront her and Elphaba. In every one, Galinda ended up crying and begging that Morrible believe she'd had nothing to do with the green girl's choices.

When Elphaba came through the door some time later, Galinda jumped up with a little shriek.

"Elphie!" she squealed, "You scared me."

"Those are those who say I'm scary," Elphaba quipped, dropping her books, "You look like you ate a rotten grape. Rough day?"

"Um…there's a note for you," Galinda choked out, pointing toward her roommate's bed.

Elphaba turned to find the envelope. She tore it open and studied it, her expression blank, "So six o'clock?" she finally said, "We'll be late for dinner."

Elphaba's calm made Galinda panic more, "Elphie…can you imagine…what she might want?"

"I have no idea…to force us to include my sister in more social events? As though I'm the expert on social events…" Elphaba complained.

"Elphie…" Galinda tried again, "do you think that maybe it has something to do with…" she blushed, unable to finish.

"With what?" Elphaba's tone was guarded.

"With you…and…Fiyero…"

Several emotions flickered across Elphaba's face before she settled on angry defensiveness, "What about Fiyero and me?"

Galinda gave an exasperated grumble, "Come on Elphie…don't be coy. You know what I mean."

Elphie raised an eyebrow, "I have never, in all my life, been coy."

Galinda growled in frustration, "Elphie, just last week I came in to find Fiyero in our room, and both of you were in a less than modest position! Don't you think it's a little possible that somehow Morrible knows! Couldn't you be expelled?"

Elphaba crossed her arms over her chest, "It's possible if you said something to her. Otherwise, who else knows what goes on behind our closed door?"

"Elphaba! Just the fact that he was in here is grounds for expulsion!" Galinda was screeching now, her hands fluttering.

"Calm down!" Elphaba snapped, "If Morrible truly wanted to expel me, why would she ask to speak with you?"

"Because she thinks I was privy to your…your…escapades!"

"Escapades?" Elphaba said with a disdainful smirk, "I see you're not any closer to being able to get the word sex past your pretty lips."

Galinda started to answer, but couldn't seem to find the right argument. She finally just let out an aggravated wail and flopped down on her bed. Elphaba waited for a moment, and then sat down on her own bed and opened a book. They sat like that, in an uneasy silence, until quarter of six o'clock.

As the clock tower chimed six times, Galinda and Elphaba sat side by side in their headmistress' office. Elphaba chewed a fingernail, her other hand drumming impatiently on the chair. Galinda wrung her hands while chewing her bottom lip.

Promptly after the last toll of the clock, Madame Morrible entered from the small door behind the large, ornately carved desk. Her dress was wildly inappropriate for a simple meeting with two students, with a large bustle and a cinched hemline that made her shuffle along, penguin-like. She was as pursed and unhappy-looking as ever. Placing her large spectacles on her prow of a nose, she studied a sheaf of papers on her desk. No one spoke for some time.

Finally, Morrible said, "I hear the two of you are doing well this semester. You both excel at sorcery, I understand."

"Yes ma'am," Galinda answered immediately in a squeaky voice.

"I prefer the life sciences, myself," Elphaba spoke up, her tone even. Galinda shot her a look of desperation.

Madame Morrible studied Elphaba, "We can't always choose our talents," she said flatly. After a moment, she continued, "Quite a coincidence, is it not? The two of you boarding together?"

Galinda cleared her throat and offered, "Perhaps more of an accident."

"But are there really accidents?" Morrible asked provocatively. Then she chuckled, an odd, wheezing sound.

"Do you have a different room assignment for us? Perhaps something to do with my sister?" Elphaba asked, clearly impatient.

The older woman studied Elphaba again, and then said, "No, no, Miss Nessarose is quite comfortable. I simply wanted to extend an offer to the two of you, to attend a weekly seminar of sorts. It would be conducted by me, personally. I would like to nurture talent, as I see it."

Galinda's face lit up like children during Lurelinemas. She squeaked a little, exclaiming, "I would be honored!"

Elphaba looked thoughtful, her hands folded carefully in her lap, "You know that sorcery is not my course of study," she offered.

Morrible narrowed her eyes, her fingers tapping gently, "It is merely an opportunity, Miss Thropp. However, I should remind you, degrees from this university are awarded on merit earned because of talent."

Elphaba drew a breath and pursed her lips. For a moment, Galinda was afraid her roommate would argue further. However, she simply nodded, adding, "Very well then."

"Good!" Morrible smiled, although her lips curled as though they were more accustomed to snarling. She added, "I also hear you two have befriended young master Boq. He's quite a good student, and comes from a solid family in Munchkinland, an excellent choice for a male companion. Perhaps there is courting in your future? I'm sure you both know that finding a suitable husband is part of your purpose here," she looked from Galinda to Elphaba, "Your family is quite significant in Munchkinland, is it not, Miss Thropp?"

Elphaba nodded carefully.

The headmistress looked thoughtful for a moment, "It's important that we remember where we come from, that we know our natural gifts and use them to work for the good of Oz. I see great promise in both of you, but that is not surprising, coming from Munchkinland and upper-class Gillikin. Fine slices of our great land, and very similar places, culturally. Civilized, growing in wealth, crucial to the prosperity of the Emerald City. Very different from the west, where the Vinkus and the grasslands struggle to be economically viable. Yes, I certainly can understand why you would befriend Master Boq," Morrible took a moment and looked both of the girls over, "I've always thought it very important to associate on one's own social level. I must admit, that was one of my greatest struggles, in allowing students from the Vinkun tribes to attend Shiz. Everyone's promoting equality now, so it was a concession that had to be made, but we'll all be wise to keep our bloodlines pure. Don't you agree?"

There was another silence as Morrible looked from one girl to the other, her expression stern but unreadable. Finally, she curved her lips into a grimace-like smile and dismissed them, "I'll look forward to seeing you in my seminar next week. Study hard girls," she ushered them out, "Your futures are both quite bright, I believe."

When the heavy door shut in front of them, Elphaba and Galinda stood staring at the ornate façade for several minutes. Galinda spoke first, "So it was good news! Think of it Elphie, working personally with the headmistress!"

Elphaba furrowed her brow, "I suppose she didn't give us much of a choice."

"Elphie! How can you be so ungrateful?"

"Come on," Elphaba pulled Galinda down the corridor and out of the building. When they rounded the corner into the courtyard, Elphaba dropped onto one of the benches. They were both breathless from fleeing the building.

"What in the world, Elphie? You're scaring me…" Galinda squeaked.

"Probably won't be the last time," Elphaba quipped, "There were too many ears in there. Don't you see what Morrible wants?"

"What?" Galinda looked perplexed.

"She wants us to stay away from Fiyero."

"No, Elphie, surely not. She's just being proper. After all, what do we have in common with the tribes from the west? They're still so…uncivilized," Galinda shuddered.

Elphaba's face darkened, and her eyes flashed, "Fiyero is no animal. You should take the time to know him."

Galinda scoffed, "So should you! You hardly know him! I'd never known the two of you to socialize until…"

"Oh for the love of Lureline, just say it! We had sex! I didn't even attempt to hide it from you!"

"Well perhaps you should have!"

"Perhaps you shouldn't be so quick to judge Fiyero! You sound just like Morrible! If you like, I'm sure you could sign up now to be her political puppet! You could strip Animals of their rights and refuse education to those from the Vinkus, and anyone else who's not like you!" Elphaba shrieked.

"Elphie," Galinda looked a little afraid, "you're yelling."

"Well, maybe some things are worth yelling about! Maybe I want to do more with my life than sit in an expensive chair sipping tea! Just because things have been a certain way for a thousand years, doesn't make it right!"

"Okay…" Galinda sounded very small all of a sudden, "I just don't understand how…sleeping with Fiyero helps your…cause. Wouldn't it do more good to become a stronger sorceress?"

Elphaba let out a long, slow breath. She took Galinda's hands, as her own sort of apology, "Morrible is right, in a way. Association is everything. Power will come or it won't, but reputation is everything. A man is often condemned or promoted simply by association. We show what we value by our association. I've linked myself to Fiyero, whether Morrible realizes it yet or not. It speaks volumes about what I believe."

"So…you slept with him…to make a point?" Galinda looked perplexed.

Elphaba hesitated for a moment, and Galinda thought she caught a flicker of something in her roommate's face. It passed too quickly, though, and Elphaba threw out, "Sure."

They walked to dinner in an uneasy silence.

Elphaba couldn't sleep that night. She tossed and twisted in bed, her mind flittering over a thousand reasons not to participate in Morrible's seminar, and then another set of reasons why she should. She could certainly make good use of the training, but then, Morrible surely knew that. There had to be an ulterior motive to it all. Why would she want Elphaba to be more powerful? Or was it some sort of psychological game? Did Madame Morrible assume Elphaba would never accept training in sorcery from her? Was she hoping for a rejection? Surely the headmistress knew that to strengthen Elphaba would only strengthen her ability to defend Animals. It was no secret how deeply Dr. Dillamond's death had affected her.

And then there was the sub-textual implication that they should stay away from Fiyero. Morrible clearly wanted the girls to choose to shun him on their own. It would have been simple enough to expel one or the other of them if she just wanted to enforce the rules. This was clearly more than a matter of punishment. It was terribly complicated, and it was all giving Elphaba a headache.

When she finally slept, it was only fitfully, and she got up with the sun. Dressing quietly, she left Galinda sleeping soundly in her fluffy bedding. Elphaba walked aimlessly for a bit, considering her options. She certainly wanted no part of being a pawn for Morrible and whomever she was associated with. She wondered if perhaps the Headmistress had overestimated Elphaba's family's influence. She couldn't know that Elphaba only intended to accept the title of Eminent Thropp if she was free to move Munchkinland in the direction of fairness. She had little use for lofty titles that were merely used to manipulate people.

For all her snarky confidence, Elphaba was not entirely sure what her future held. She fancied herself a diplomat, helping to forge better relations between the very different cultures in Oz. Or perhaps renegotiating the Animal Advocacy Laws. It was a fanciful dream though, because deep down, Elphaba felt that Oz was too corrupt to accept her or her ideas.

Still walking, her somewhat random path had led her to the front of the library. It was early, and its doors had only recently been unbarred. Elphaba pushed her way inside and stood there for a moment, taking in the scent of the books. She wandered over to the history section. She loved history, because it revealed so much about people. It was often subjective, and very much about what one chooses to take from it. Elphaba believed History to be like holding up a mirror to all civilization and saying, Here. This is who you are. What do you see? This is what we can do to each other, or for each other.

Wandering the aisles, she ran her fingers over the shelves of books, thinking, Our reasons for hating each other are so circular sometimes…

Elphaba finally chose a large, dusty volume on the history of the Vinkus, its tribes and culture. She dropped into a nearby chair and began to flip through it. There was the usual information, describing the annexation of both the grasslands and the rocky, mountainous area that became known as the Vinkus. The intricate lineage of the tribes and their chieftains was enough to make Elphaba's had spin. She was almost ready to close the book when she stumbled upon something that piqued her interest.

Some years ago, during the reign of Ozma the Bilious, Oz was driven to the brink of civil war. The lands of Gillikin and the Glikkus in the north controlled a vast majority of the wealth. The emerald mines and the lumber trade from the forests of Gillikin were the driving force behind Oz's economy, and both Munchkinlanders and the Vinkun tribes struggled to squeeze a living from a land on the verge of a significant drought. Under the leadership of an Arjiki tribal leader called Hel-Azakar, several tribes banded together to form an alliance with Munchkinland which, at this time, had not tapped into its full potential as the bread basket of Oz. Together, both regions make up more than half of territorial Oz. Together, they sought to cut off northern Oz from Restwater, the largest and most reliable water source in Oz. In what would have been one of the greatest tactical strategies in Oz's history, the leaders of both Munchkinland and the Vinkus nearly succeeded in wrestling power away from the wealthy north. Unfortunately, word of the coup made its way to center Gillikin, and all that resulted were several bloody skirmishes on the borders of the grasslands. The death of Ozma the Bilius, and subsequently Pastorius, occurred on the heels of this time of unrest.

Upon his ascension to power, the Wizard was quick to placate the regions of the south with the Yellow Brick Road Project. The road was meant to generate income for the south, especially since it would be a direct route into the new City of Emeralds. The southern regions backed down, either to strategize or to see how well they could fare off of charging tolls on the Yellow Brick Road. The newly named Wizard of Oz has been intentional in downplaying how close Oz came to civil war during this time. Some believe he realizes the potential military and economic power the south possesses, and hopes to keep those people ignorant of their real potential. An alliance between the Vinkus and Munchkinland, along with the more recently discovered wealth of rubies in the far south, could bolster the southern regions enough to give them viability as an independent state.

Elphaba read the passage over and over again, considering its implications. She felt warm, as though a flame had been lit within her. She thought back over her time working with Dr. Dillamond, and saw things in a new light. He had been from the grasslands, from a family of Goats who had worked hard to send their only son to school. She remembered how fondly he spoke of his father, and how the older Goat had died hoping for the 'revolution'. Elphaba was horrified, realizing with certainty now that her teacher's death had been no accident.

Everyone knows Morrible has ties to the Wizard, she thought somberly.

Elphaba's swift and agile mind quickly put together the pieces. She might have unintentionally discovered a deep and vast thread of conspiracy running through Shiz. If the Wizard hoped to stall relations between the southern regions of Oz, he would surely have Morrible working to educate the upcoming generations that way. Elphaba felt sick, and she realized that Shiz could be just a front, a way to indoctrinate students into a certain pattern of thinking. Of course, she could also just be weaving her own fairy tale. Perhaps Morrible's subtle hints that she stay away from Fiyero were simply a result of a deeply rooted, personal prejudice. Elphaba swallowed hard, considering.

I need to know what Dr. Dillamond knew. I need to see his office, she told herself.

Her mind raced, as she formulated a plan. Her fingers tingled, as she considered the consequences if she were caught breaking into a faculty member's office. Still, she decided, it needed to be done.

Someone should know the truth. I came here to learn truth, not carefully woven lies.

She left the library then, realizing she was very late for her first class. Breaking and entering would have to wait until later.

Elphaba was exhausted by the end of the day. Lack of sleep combined with a full day of classes, including an Elemental Chemistry exam, had sapped her strength. She trudged back to her room and collapsed onto her bed, leaving her books where they fell.

She woke several hours later, as the sun gave in to twilight. She rubbed her eyes, realizing she had most likely slept through the dinner hour. Elphaba grumbled a little to herself, and then decided she wasn't all that hungry anyway. The morning's events had unsettled her, and she couldn't calm herself. She needed to know if what she'd read was the whole truth. She needed to talk to someone who knew the history, who wasn't jaded by politics. Elphaba found herself wishing terribly that Dr. Dillamond was alive. Then, suddenly, something else occurred to her.

Fiyero.

He was the very one Morrible wanted to keep her from. He might be somewhat feckless, when it came to conspiracy, but his family was significant in the Vinkus. He was a member of the Arjiki tribe. Elphaba drew a breath, leaping from her bed. She needed to talk with him. Now. She flew from the room, her stomach fluttering. She told herself it was from the urgency of her business.

Elphaba crossed the campus, easily scaling the vine-covered wall that separated the men's college from the shared portion of the school. She crept noiselessly to the men's dormitory and considered which room might belong to Fiyero. She knew that he and his roommate, Avaric, had been given a first floor suite, but that was the extent of her information. She was starting to panic when she finally caught a glimpse Fiyero's Arjiki family crest, which he had slipped inside the frame of the window. She slipped behind the shrubbery and tapped on the glass.

Fiyero was seated at his desk, hunched over a textbook and trying desperately to understand Statistical Factoring.

Why this is important, I will never know, he said to himself, rubbing his eyes. He was still finding it hard to concentrate, and his mind kept wandering. Try as he might to overcome it, Elphaba dominated his thoughts. He was starting to think that this was exactly why his father had warned him to stay away from women.

A sudden rap on the window made him jump, knocking over the chair. Fiyero righted it and crossed to the window. He pulled the curtain aside and suppressed a scream. Just outside the window, in the shadows, stood Elphaba. She motioned for him to unlatch it, and he fumbled with the catch. He finally lifted it open, and she swung herself inside before he had time to speak.

"Thank Oz you're here," she breathed, "I feared I'd trekked all across this campus for nothing!"

Fiyero opened his mouth to speak, and no words came out. Here, he had been obsessing over Elphaba for over a week now, and she was standing in his room. His bedroom.

Elphaba kept talking, pacing as she did so, "Fiyero, your father is an Arjiki Chieftain, is he not? Do you know if he remembers a military coup of sorts, from some twenty or more years ago? I think it's significant. I think there's something to it, something the Wizard wants forgotten. I think it may be why Morrible wants us to stay away from each other!"

Fiyero watched her pace, noting how she wrung her hands and talked mostly to herself. She went on for some time, as though it hadn't occurred to her that she'd broken many rules, as though she hadn't spent a week ignoring him. She didn't leave time for answers to her questions, as her thoughts came out in rambling bursts. He wondered to himself when that had become a quality he found irresistible.

"Elphaba…" he finally managed to get out.

"What?" she stopped pacing.

"You're in my room," was the only thing he could think to say.

Elphaba looked dumbfounded, and then raised an eyebrow, "So? You were in my room."

Fiyero scratched his head, suddenly feeling very warm. It was becoming a common reaction around her, "I know…" he started, "and you haven't spoken to me since…since…"

"Oh good grief! You're as bad as Galinda!"

"What?" he looked confused.

"Just say it. Just say sex. I mean, truly, we're not adolescents anymore!"

Fiyero turned to hide his blush, finding it rather unmanly.

"Don't you think we have more important things to discuss than sex?" Elphaba fired.

"Well…yes. It just seems as though we should discuss it…a little. I mean, I risked my arranged marriage for you," Fiyero admitted.

Elphaba just looked at him, "And I told you my motivations. I'm not asking you to love me, Fiyero."

"What if I can't help it?" he suddenly threw out.

There was a long, tangibly uncomfortable moment when neither of them spoke. Fiyero ran a hand through his hair, wishing he could stuff the words back into his mouth. Elphaba's face was unreadable, although her eyes were wider than he'd seen them. They were beautiful, he decided, full of fire, depth, and mystery.

Finally, she turned away and took a breath, "You don't love me Fiyero. Perhaps I shouldn't have involved you. I didn't know you'd react so…emotionally.

Suddenly, he was angry, "Then how was I supposed to react?" he demanded.

"It was just sex, Fiyero."

He caught the falter in her voice, the tiny tremble that made his heart flutter. He crossed to her, before she could say anything else, and kissed her.

Elphaba started to pull away, but he held her, just tightly enough so she would know this was absolutely what he wanted. He felt her melt into him, finally giving in to the heat between them. After a moment, she wound her arms around his neck, letting him deepen the kiss. She tried to speak again, but couldn't seem to pull herself away from him.

Fiyero's blood raced when she finally thoroughly gave in and began flinging her clothes away. He was suddenly clumsy, as he fumbled with his trousers and kicked off his shoes. They tumbled onto his bed, entangled in each other as they shed clothing and clung to one another. Fiyero struggled to control himself, being quite new to this.

Naked in his bed, she was more incredible than he remembered. She lit a fire in him that blazed unchecked. Their lovemaking was a blur, a moment when time stood still and their senses were filled only with each other. They were a whirl of brown and green, of blue diamonds and coal-black hair. Within a few minutes they lay breathless on his bed, still tangled in each other.

This time, Fiyero held onto her, kissing her languidly so she might know the extent to which she affected him. Neither spoke for a long time. After his breathing finally calmed, Fiyero said, "Isn't this the part where you leave and don't speak to me for a week?"

"Fiyero," Elphaba's tone was warning, "don't be crass."

He sighed, "Elphaba, I…"

She softened a little, at his inability to express his feelings, "Don't worry, I won't leave this time. I have more reason to stay."

"Really?" Fiyero looked hopeful.

"Yes," Elphaba's voice lowered, "Morrible wants us apart. It was more than chance that brought us here. It was history, and therefore destiny. And I need you to help me break into Dr. Dillamond's office."

"What?" Fiyero looked deflated.

Elphaba went on to explain what she had found in the library. She sat up and her voice rose and fell with excitement as she laid out what she believed to be a conspiracy. Fiyero tried to follow what she was saying, as she talked of government suppression of the south and the great potential in the tribes of the Vinkus. He loved her passion, of that he was sure. He loved the way she talked with her hands, the way her eyes lit up. And it didn't hurt that she was telling him all this while sitting completely naked in his bed.

But did he love her? He was too young to know. He'd never considered love before now. All he knew for certain was that he wanted her to be in his room for some other reason than to upset the powers-that-be.

"Elphaba," he finally interjected, "Could you just…lie to me? Tell me that you're here because you feel something for me?"

"I'm not a liar, Fiyero," she defended.

"So be it then," he gave in with a sigh, "I'll commit mutiny with you, or espionage. Call it what you like, just don't leave."

He kissed her again, noting it had gotten quite late. Fiyero assumed she was would pull away and insist on running back to her own room. Instead, she kissed him back, running her fingers over his already bare skin. He shivered and pressed her back into the bed again.

As the night passed, Fiyero took his time with her. Having already spent some of the pent-up tension, he explored and touched her, learning every curve and angle of her body. He was enthralled, intoxicated, and nearly drunk on her. They melded together and wrapped themselves around each other. They explored and learned from each other, discovering that lovemaking was a multi-faceted, sometimes ethereal experience.

Finally, breathless and flushed, Elphaba slipped from the room near dawn. Fiyero fell into a deep, dreamless sleep for the first time in more than a week.

For the next week, Elphaba crept through Fiyero's window each night. Avaric had taken leave to return home for a family funeral, giving them full reign of the suite. Fiyero was a little afraid, because she was becoming like a drug to him. He was still struggling to pay attention, to finish his studies. His thoughts were still consumed with Elphaba, but for an entirely different reason.

She could wind herself around him, brush her fingers over his skin and send his body reeling and wanting more. But then, she would talk, and he began to listen. She was intelligent and passionate, and he really began to try to wrap his mind around her theories about the leadership of Oz, and his role in its future. He argued with her, he agreed with her, and he feared for her, because he knew she could be gone in a heartbeat if given the opportunity to fight for her cause. Together, they struggled with how to gain access to Dr. Dillamond's personal files, because Elphaba's was convinced he had known something of importance.

"And what will you do with this information, whatever it is, if you find it?" Fiyero asked one night about a week hence. They lay wrapped in Fiyero's blankets, as it had turned suddenly cold, "Surely you can't work directly against the Wizard. You're too…visible."

Elphaba shot him a look.

He rolled his eyes, "Don't assume I refer to your color. You're to be the Eminent Thropp. You'd not only be a prisoner, you'd be a political prisoner."

"Then I'll be someone else," Elphaba mused.

"Who else is green?" Fiyero asked.

"Maybe no one. Maybe someone. Who knows. But if I drop my title, change my name, work covertly, I could mastermind something without revealing my identity."

"And who would you be?" Fiyero asked softly.

Elphaba thought for a moment, chewing her lip, "Fae," she finally answered, letting it roll of her tongue like a closely guarded secret.

Fiyero considered, "I like it. It suits you."

"I'm glad you approve," Elphaba snapped sarcastically.

"I've never made love to Fae…" Fiyero teased, kissing her neck in an attempt to seduce her once again.

Just as Elphaba closed her eyes, there was a clicking sound and the door was thrown open. Avaric stood, open-mouthed, in the doorway, clutching his traveling satchels. They all froze, and Fiyero swallowed hard. This was not going to be good.