Chapter Twenty-Four: Reconciliation

Fiyero had only been gone a few minutes when Glinda got in. She hadn't had time to cover everything, and she felt the blonde's eyes examining her skin, taking in each piece of evidence. Then, her roommate did something that surprised her. She spoke. "Is he out of your system this time?"

"I don't think he ever will be."

"At least you can admit that."

"We should talk, Glinda."

Glinda plopped onto her own bed. "I had a feeling that was coming."

"I'm sorry. I should never have dragged you into this. It wasn't fair for me to ask you to go along with this when you didn't approve of the idea at all. And I kept going against everything you told me. I went about this the wrong way, and I am so sorry for that. At the beginning of all this, you asked me why I bothered asking you for advice when I was going to do it anyway. I shouldn't have. If I wasn't going to listen to what you have to say, I should've kept this all to myself. I just thought that you wouldn't believe it when we started up with it."

"The funny thing is, I think I might have, Elphie."

The use of the nickname had to be a good sign, right? "But you always see through me."

"How could I have seen through something that was actually true? I know you don't want to hear it, Elphaba, but you are so in love with him it's pathetic."

"You're right."

"Elphaba, don't argue… wait, what?"

"I'm in love with him, Glinda. I love Fiyero. You're right. You've been right all along." She wiped at her eyes, afraid they might betray her by beginning to tear up. They hadn't yet, but she couldn't trust them.

"Does he know?"

"We're going to talk about it. I… I wanted to talk it out with you, first."

"Does he feel the same?"

"I think he does." She shook her head. "This is crazy, isn't it?"

"Absolutely. But it's wonderful." Glinda got up and came over to sit beside her roommate. "I know you didn't want this, but you're happy with him, aren't you?"

"He makes me feel ways I didn't know I could feel."

Glinda giggled a little, and that was when Elphaba knew things between them would be fine. After a moment, Glinda pressed, "Do you plan to tell him?"

"He's been trying to tell me for months and I've been stopping him. I'm not good at being emotional. He's better at this than I am. I'd rather just let him take the lead here." Elphaba sighed. "It's a little scary."

Glinda hugged her tightly. "You belong with him, Elphaba. It's not a bad thing. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"This isn't me. And I don't… Glinda, I don't deserve him. And I know that doesn't necessarily make a difference in love, but I'll never be good enough for him."

"He thinks you're good enough."

"I can't possibly understand why."

"Maybe because you are. And you deserve someone like him, too."

"Why?"

"You work hard. You care about things that no one else bothers to. And you're different. What about you is wrong, Elphaba?"

"I'm harsh and cruel and I don't even know how to do this."

"I'm sure he has flaws, too."

"He won't stop doing things for me that I don't need him to do. That's about the extent of his flaws."

Glinda laughed. "I'm sure he can't name yours, either. Or maybe he likes that you're harsh and he doesn't see it as a flaw."

"Maybe."

After a moment, she said, "I noticed Nanny and Nessa aren't back yet. Usually you'd have come with them."

"Fiyero's visit didn't go like we might have hoped. You know I was trying to upset my father. I may have pushed that a little too far. He threw Fiyero out and Fiyero didn't like the idea of me staying. Father got very rude and Fiyero didn't think it was a good place for me and I realized he was right."

"What did your father do?"

"He tried to hit me."

"Oh, Elphie, no."

She nodded quietly.

"So Fiyero brought you back home with him?"

"He did."

"He really does want to protect you."

"I don't need it."

"He knows. So do I. But you're also very stubborn, and sometimes it takes you a little while to do what might be best for you, like leaving. Or admitting your feelings for Fiyero." Glinda said pointedly.

"Whatever you say."

"I see you're wearing a ring on your finger," Glinda commented.

Elphaba had almost forgotten about it. She'd been wearing it more than a month and it just felt like a part of her. "Right. When we went back to Kiamo Ko, we told his father that we were engaged and that's why I was with him, so that we could tell everyone together. We're not going to make a big deal of telling everyone, though."

The door between the rooms opened and Elphaba jumped. She hadn't heard any movement, and she thought she'd have known when Nanny and Nessa returned. Nanny shut the door behind her. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Did what?" But Elphaba knew.

"Slept with that boy under your father's roof."

Glinda gave Elphaba a look.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I would never be that stupid on purpose. We just got carried away again." Elphaba folded her arms across her chest.

"Look, I don't think what you did was the worst thing in the world, but where you did it was a mistake."

"I realize that."

"And your sister… to wake up and find you gone?"

"What does she know?"

"She thinks you left of your own accord. I wouldn't tell her the truth, if I were you."

"I hadn't been planning on it."

"And before you see her…"

"A scarf. I know." Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that look, Nanny. I'll be in there in a moment."

Glinda hugged her when they were alone again. "So that's what you did? You slept with him again? At your father's house?"

"Not exactly. I… we pretended we were. I pushed too far, Glinda. I just wanted to anger my father. I didn't realize how much it would upset him."

"You're still his daughter. Hitting you is never the right reaction."

Elphaba grabbed for a scarf and began to wrap it around her neck. "I need to not wear low-cut dresses anymore if this is going to continue."

"Maybe you should tell him to just make sure he leaves marks in places that aren't visible."

"He leaves those, too." Elphaba winked at Glinda before she headed in to see her sister.

"Why would you leave like that?" Nessa demanded immediately upon seeing her. "You never even said anything to me."

"Nessie, I'm sorry. Father was… he's never been as loving with me as he has been with you, and he's a good father to you, but to me it wasn't like that. And Father hated Fiyero. He couldn't even try to at least be polite about it. Besides," she decided maybe their little lie would come in useful, "he proposed. Father didn't approve, and we needed to talk to his parents and handle some arrangements. I would've told you, but Father made it clear Fiyero wasn't welcome and I wasn't letting him go without me."

"You're going to marry him? That boy?"

"Yes."

"And what about Eminent Thropp?"

How had that never occurred to her? She swallowed. "I don't know. I don't suppose that I can do that while being his queen. I guess it's yours, Nessa."

"Do this family and your responsibilities mean nothing to you?"

"That's not it. I love you, Nessa. Never misunderstand that. But I never wanted to Eminent Thropp, and this is what's best for everyone. You'll realize that one day. You can always come visit us at Kiamo Ko. Fiyero would love for you to visit, too."

Nessa sighed. "I don't know what to say. You'll never see reason."

"Please, don't be like this. He loves me. And I love him. I know it's not how things were supposed to go, believe me. If anyone understands that, I do. But he's good to me."

Her sister shrugged. "I can't say I approve. But… you're my sister."

Elphaba hugged her. "I always will be."