Chapter Thirty-Eight: Maybe

"I love an excuse to put on a nice dress," Glinda smiled, twirling in front of the mirror.

"This will probably be the only time I ever wear a nice dress." Elphaba commented, taking a deep breath. The bodice on the dress was constricting.

"This and your wedding."

She froze. "I… wedding?"

"Elphaba, you realize that's where you and Fiyero are headed, right?" Glinda said gently, walking across the room and putting a hand on her shoulder. "You did ask me just the other day to go to your engagement party."

"My fake engagement party."

Glinda laughed. "For how long? Elphaba, you can't tell me you're going to refuse when he proposes."

"When?" She knew she shouldn't be shocked. He'd made plenty of implications and they'd already talked about children. Of course he had intentions. But she'd done her best to focus on finishing at Shiz instead of focusing on her relationship with him. Perhaps because she still didn't know her answer.

A quiet knock came at the door and Glinda smiled. "He's here. Oh, I'll bet you two look beautiful together." She rushed over and pulled the door open.

Fiyero stood in the doorway and looked at her as he stepped inside. "You look different, Fae." He took her hand and smiled down at her comfortingly. "Not in a bad way, darling. You look absolutely lovely."

Her cheeks flushed. "You look nice."

He kissed her cheek. "I know you don't want to do this, but it'll be over before you know it. We can duck out as early as possible and head back to my room." He lowered his voice. "And then I will pleasure you in every way imaginable."

"I don't want to know what he just said," Glinda muttered, powdering her face.

"Can't we just skip to that part?" Elphaba pleaded, ignoring her roommate.

"Oh, you'll be begging me for mercy by the time we're through, Fae. But later." He wrapped his arms around her waist. "And we can sleep late tomorrow and read all day."

He knew exactly what she wanted, didn't he? He always had. And at that point, she realized she knew what her answer would be, and she'd known it all along. She kissed him. "I can live with that."

"You two just go already. I need to be fashionably late, anyway, especially considering I don't have a date. But you should actually be on time. I'll see you there." Glinda shooed them out the door.

He held out his arm for her to take and they walked out the door. "This will be over before you know it. And I'll make you forget all about it tonight, anyway. You really do look beautiful tonight. I mean, you always do. But tonight, you look extravagant. It's different."

"Oh, Yero, please don't. You're too good." But she liked hearing him talk like that, at least a little, though she wouldn't tell him as much. "And you… you look… very handsome." She didn't even know how to put these things into words, but he did look quite nice, though there was never a time when she looked at him and didn't like what she saw. "You clean up well," she teased.

"Only when it comes to you," he laughed. "Now, you know they're going to announce us when we walk in. They're doing it to every couple and every person, actually. They have one of the students who knows just about everyone doing it. I know that'll make you uncomfortable, but just smile and it'll be over with in moments."

She nodded, appreciating how much he was talking her through everything and making this easier for her. Sometimes he puled her out of her comfort zone, yes, but he was always so good about being patient with her, too.

When they reached the ballroom, Fiyero paused before they entered and pulled her to the side, away from the other couples who were entering. "I love you." He kissed her deeply. "I might be a little biased, but I've clearly got the most gorgeous date of the evening. Are you ready to go in?"

"Yes. I'm also ready for you to take a break with the compliments for a few minutes, my sweet." She squeezed his arm. "I'll be fine, and you know the compliments only make me more uncomfortable, not less." While she did enjoy them, he also was starting to go overboard and she didn't need that.

"Of course." He put a hand on her waist and gently guided her through the doors.

"Prince Fiyero Tiggular of the Arjikis and his date, Miss Elphaba Thropp, soon to be his princess, I understand." Came a booming voice that she barely recognized. Someone had magicked the boy's voice so that it amplified around the room.

Elphaba faked a smile and as soon as they stepped away from the doorway, she looked at him, "The entire school knows we're 'engaged,' don't they?"

"I believe that was the point." He reminded her.

"True. Sometimes it feels wrong, though, lying to our friends."

"It was worse before, when we weren't even actually together, Fae. At least this is just an exaggeration, not an all-out lie." He swept her into his arms and onto the dance floor. "We need to dance once. We practiced, remember?"

She let him guide her, following the steps he'd gone over with her. Apparently, part of his training as a boy had been learning things like this. Her father had never bothered with that. He couldn't teach Nessa, since she couldn't walk straight, so he hadn't bothered to teach Elphaba, either. The steps were simple back and forth. She felt strangely refined and calm, focusing only on the rhythm and the movements. When they next song started, they continued to dance.

"We'll stay for a few minutes after we eat and sneak out, how does that sound?" He said as they sat down at a table.

There was some commotion at the door, and Madame Morrible was seen shouting at someone. Upon closer examination, it was Crope and Tibbet. Apparently, Tibbett had decided to be Crope's date, rules or not, and had dressed the part of a woman complete with make-up and fake breasts. Surprisingly, it was quite realistic. If they didn't know Tibbett's face so well, they'd have assumed he was female.

Fiyero brushed an arm over her shoulder. "I had a feeling they'd do something stupid."

"It's not stupid, though. It's silly that they can't bring each other. They love each other, Yero. No one should tell them they can't."

"Fae, the advocate for the disenfranchised," he commented.

"Always," she replied. "You can't tell me it doesn't frustrate you to see how people or creatures who aren't considered 'normal' are treated, Fiyero."

"I does, Fae, but..."

"But not enough to make you want to do something," she finished for him.

"What can you do, Elphaba?"

"I don't know!"

"Fae, calm down. This is a stupid formal, remember?" He put a hand over hers. "Come out to the Vinkus with me this summer. When I'm crowned, I promise I'll help."

"Really?" It hadn't occurred to her, really, that as his queen she could do more than she could as just a regular person. Of course, she wanted to marry him, but the responsibility that came with it scared her. Except maybe there were some responsibilities that she would gladly take on.

"Really, Fae." He kissed her hand. "There would be no disenfranchised people or creatures in the Vinkus, not with me as the king."

"I think I'd like that."