DISCLAIMER: in the first chapter...
A/N: Fellow writers! Beloved reviewers! More of "Almost like a prophecy"... Remember to feed the writer.
THE VINKUS
Her son was in the Library; had been there for hours now.
Reading.
…
Brilly Tiggular, crowned Queen of the Arjiki Tribe and predominant Lady of the Vinkus, believed that reading, for pleasure, would be something her son would never do. Parties, yes. Philandering, probably. Reading? Never her Fiyero.
Quietly, she approached the grand arch of carved marble that signaled the entrance to the Library. Sitting, no movement, Fiyero seemed engrossed in a dissertation of some kind and showed no sign of having noticed his mother's presence. Brilly used that to her advantage and took a moment to watch her son.
He frowned every two seconds and sighed a lot.
After a few minutes of this repeated behavior, he discarded the leather bound volume. From his pocket, Fiyero withdrew a folded piece of parchment. Not opening it, he stared at it intensely.
Her majesty's patience ran short.
Brilly stepped fully into the room and made sure to announce her entrance with the loud clicking of her heels against the stone floor. Fiyero glanced up, frown still in place.
"I don't understand women." She tried hard not to laugh at his impromptu revelation, but failed, a long chuckle racking her small body before she managed to sober up.
"What brought this forth, Yero?" He shrugged. "What is that you're holding?"
"An enigma."
"Opening it would help better than staring at it folded, don't you think?" He son laughed lightly, shaking his head slowly from side to side.
"If only."
"Can I see it, then?" Normally she wouldn't have asked, but her son's unexpected and down right out of character mood had Brilly strangely curious. He handed it over, eyes lost within.
The Queen unfolded the wrinkled parchment carefully, revealing an adorable baby gazing out at her. She knew those soulful eyes. A smile graced her lips.
"Who drew this? It's very good."
Sigh.
"Elphaba." That single name, breathed out like a prayer, told Brilly all that Fiyero didn't. It was the artist, rather than the drawing, which had caused such turmoil in her usually careless son.
"And, who is Elphaba?"
"Mom… the day I figure that out, I'll be a happy man." Not good enough, her reproaching look made clear. He sighed again. What was it, the thousandth time? And leaned forward, supporting his weight by his arms and his head by his hands. "She's… a girl at Shiz."
Only a man could be so simplistic.
"And?"
"Elphaba's the daughter of the Governor of Munchkinland. She's really smart and she's always reading. And, though most people wouldn't consider her pretty, I have never seen anyone so beautiful." Pause. Brilly opened her mouth to question him further, but her son was already lost within his own thoughts and didn't even acknowledge her. "She makes me squirm with one look and I loose myself in her eyes and…"
Words failed him.
"Are we talking about the future Princess of the Vinkus?" Brilly could hardly believed it, her son… getting married! A grin graced her lips.
"No." Fiyero frowned and pouted and looked down at his empty fingers. The hope-filled mother felt the corner of her lips falter.
"I don't understand, Fiyero."
"She's a powerful sorcerer."
"And?" Brilly still wasn't following.
"She had a vision of the future" He used his chin to point at the drawing she now held.
She had seen this little boy?
"And?" Brilly couldn't see how that would prevent a relationship between her son and this girl Elphaba.
"And?" Fiyero jumped to his feet, mad. "Mother! Another man's child, a child she loves so much that she actually learned to draw! Practical Elphaba… drawing! Just to put his face to paper before she forgot what he looked like." He deflated. "How do I stand a chance?"
Obviously, Brilly lacked the entire story; details her single minded son wouldn't even think of mentioning. It seemed, however, that she possessed a piece of information Fiyero didn't even consider.
"Honey, look at me." He complied and she returned the drawing to him, face up. "Now look at his little boy."
"He looks like Elphaba." Sadness, longing.
"Yes, that may well be. He looks like someone else, though." Fiyero's eyes flew upwards.
"Who?"
"Fiyero, my dear, you actually don't see it?"
His head shook in denial, his big round eyes presenting an image of lost little boy that tugged at her motherly heart. Men! No matter how smart, they could be so clueless at times.
"He has your eyes, Yero. And I don't know how your Elphaba looks like, but he resembles you at that age." Diamond blue eyes grew big as saucers and a smile lit up his face.
"Me? Liir is my… my son?" He was the picture of happiness and catatonic surprise. Then astonishment took over his features; something clicked into place. "That's why she was so adamant to push me away… It was me! Me she was trying so hard to protect."
"What?"
"She avoids me and acts funny when I touch her and… And she had a vision that horrible things happened, so she decided to change it and…"
"Fiyero, my son, you've lost me once more. Are you in danger?"
And she was destined to remain lost, unfortunately; her question left unanswered. Her son jumped up, swept her into a fierce hug and left, no explanations offered.
"Where are you going, Fiyero?"
"Munchkinland!"
"Why?"
He hesitated at the door only for a moment, an incredibly wide smile upon his lips.
"Elphaba!"
And then he was gone.
Silently, Brilly wished her son the best of luck. Liir's face swam into her mind and she smiled. "I can't wait to meet you, my grandson…" Then, her smile dropped a little.
She didn't have all the details. She certainly knew very little of the whole story. And, Brilly desperately prayed for Lurline to keep her son safe. But she also wanted to see him happy.
"Good luck, my son…"