A/N: A shout out to James Birdsong. Thanks for the review! So glad you liked the start. :)

Chapter 2

Later that night when Elphaba and Fiyero were alone in their bedroom, the former gave him a look before saying,

"Are you going to tell me what happened or am I going to have to guess?"

"Fae, I…" Fiyero heaved a sigh, knowing that what he was about to say was going to change everything. He finished removing his clothing so that he was just down to his undershorts.

"What is it Yero? Do not hide secrets from me. I have no secrets," she pointed out, as she slipped on a nightgown and crawled into her side of the bed.

"I know and I love you. You do know that right?" He asked as he climbed into bed as well.

"After all we've been through if it's not love then I think you need to be checked by a doctor," she joked. He smirked and leaned over to kiss her.

"What I have to say is not going to be easy to hear but the traditions of my people are something that we do not take lightly. That being said, I have trampled all over them so I'm sure my father will not be pleased," Fiyero started.

"How bad could it be? You've seen what my people are capable of," Elphaba said. He smirked a little before continuing,

"At the very young age of three, I was betrothed to another. It is done this way since the beginning of the Arjiki. At first, it was simply because as a King you never knew how long your reign would be and your successor and his future bride would need to take over. You see, the Queen did not have any say at the beginning. We were a male dominated society and unlike today where women have almost as much say as men, we believed that a Prince should take over the moment his father is no longer able. Some of the Kings of the past were married and crowned by the time they were ten."

Great Oz," Elphaba murmured. She remembered how upset her father had been one particular evening shouting that with no sons his line would end with him. He never showed Nessa that side of him, only herself, as he beat her and reminded her how useless she was.

"Yes well as we moved toward the modern age, that practice stopped. Legally in the laws of the Land of Oz a person has to wait until sixteen to marry and my grandfather adopted the same age. My father married my mother on her sixteenth birthday. Luckily he is only one year older but you can see why we still get betrothed so early as to avoid the awkward age differences between the Royal couple. At any rate, I was betrothed at the age of four, to a girl, who was only one at the time, whose father was a high ranking official in his council. Her name was Sarima and when she turned sixteen we were supposed to get married…"

"Yero please tell me…"

"Fae, I've only ever been married once and that is to you. I would never marry another ever. You have to know that nothing would keep me from you," he quickly said. She nodded but he could tell that the doubts swirled in her head so he continued explaining.

"Anyway, she turned sixteen after I had been kicked out of my previous school. Shiz was my last opportunity to get the education my father wanted me to have. He swore that the moment I had my diploma I would have to marry Sarima and take my place at home in the Vinkus…"

"So that's why you were dancing through life then. You didn't want to marry her," Elphaba spoke up.

"Exactly. She and I were three years apart and had nothing in common. I watched my friends have dates and real girlfriends and get married to women they adored while I was stuck in a one-sided relationship with a woman that I was expected to have children with. I wanted no part it. Then I met you and I knew that my dancing days were over. I love you and everything that we've been through since you started to question the Wizard was for you," he told her.

"What about Glinda? She thought you were going to marry her," she wanted to know.

"The match actually made my father happy. He was trying to figure out how to make it work to his advantage without upsetting the deal that he had made with Sarima's parents. Then came the moment that I pointed that rifle at Glinda and it was all over. The men who came today say that Sarima never married and is still waiting for me. I imagine that she is very bitter. Even though they had gotten word I was dead, her parents refused to let her marry anyone until my father sealed the deal. I have no siblings, only cousins. Both of my parents would have to die and their parents in order for them to ever have any power," Fiyero said.

"So they want you to come back to the Vinkus and marry this girl and take your place as King now that you've proven yourself alive," she heaved a sigh.

"That is exactly what they want me to do. I will have to go and reason with them. You are the one I love and you are the one I married. I will not bend to their wishes. I will renounce my title if need be. Anything I have to, in order to stay with you," Fiyero said.

"I am coming with you," Elphaba told him.

"What about Liir? You can't just leave him and Selvi by themselves. I have no idea how long this trip could take," he admitted.

"Oh I know exactly how long it will take. Glinda is getting married in two months. We are supposed to be back in the Emerald City two weeks before the wedding. We cannot let my best friend down. Not after all she risked to help the two of us. Your family will undoubtedly have been invited as a common courtesy to all of the allies to the Emerald City. They know that if they miss it, it will be considered a very large insult and could threaten ties with the Emerald City. They are not as dumb as my people were. They will not cut themselves off from what Glinda has to offer. We will go together or we do not go at all," she put her foot down. After everything that had happened and after finally feeling as though they could finally be together, this was not going to stand in their way.

"Then we go together. It needs to be settled. If we do not go, they will find a way to bring me back to the Vinkus anyway. I just hope that we can convince them to leave us alone," he sighed as Elphaba snuggled her way down under the warm covers.

"We will. We just have to be civil about it," she said as he moved down with her and pulled her close. Deep down he had his doubts. He worried that Elphaba would become a target of rage and violence again. Turning his head, he noted his trusty rifle was in the corner of the room. They would bring it with them. He wasn't taking any chances.

To Be Continued…