Hey guys, sorry this one took so long. I've been a bit busy now that finals are upon me, and I'm also getting a bit depressed as my college graduation looms closer. It kind of only hit me this weekend that I only have two weeks left, so I've been a bit on that sad side.
But anyway, thanks for your reviews, as always. Special thanks to RavenCurls for giving me my 400th review. That's pretty cool, not gonna lie. Anyway, I hope you like this one. It's a little short, but the next one will be on the longer side to make up for it.
They walked quickly and in complete silence for what seemed like an eternity, though whether the silence was a product of fear or exhaustion was anybody's guess. Fiyero supposed it was a bit of both. They hadn't seen any signs of Gale Forcers since they'd left the other group behind, but they all knew that didn't guarantee their safety. They tried to veer left and right in their attempt to throw off any pursuers, but the strategy also added time to their journey.
Everyone was looking a bit worse for the wear at this point. They had been eating very meager meals and hadn't slept in almost 24 hours. Glinda in particular looked as though any step might be her last, though she hadn't said much in the way of complaint. Fiyero imagined she didn't have the energy for it.
It wasn't until they'd been walking for two or three hours that Elphaba halted their progress and deemed it safe enough for them to rest. It wasn't clear to what extent she actually believed that, but it was plain to see that their small group couldn't go on much longer in their current state.
When they stopped to make camp, Fiyero silently moved and took up his post for the first watch. Elphaba eyed him for a moment as though she might protest, but Fiyero held his ground and she eventually moved to make up a bed without complaint. Fiyero knew she would never admit it, but that spell had most likely taken a lot out of her, and she needed the rest more than he did at the moment.
When they began walking again, everyone seemed to be in slightly better spirits. Elphaba was the first to speak. "So I got a bit of information from those guards back there," she said. Elphaba directed her attention towards Glinda and said, "They kept shouting at me, asking where I'd taken you. It seems that Morrible and the Wizard have told everyone that I broke out of the dungeons and kidnapped you against your will. They haven't implicated you in my escape at all. If you want to, it should be safe for you to return to the Emerald City. If Morrible and the Wizard have opted to make you a victim in all of this, they can't very well turn around and arrest you when you get back. If you play along they should be inclined to restore you to your old position."
Glinda seemed to take a moment to process this new information, but after a time she responded, "I don't think that's the best idea right now. We've traveled a long way, and I don't exactly like the idea of trying to travel back on my own. I'm not even sure I could manage a bubble for that distance on a good day."
They passed out of the forest not long after that, and being out in the open without the dense trees to hide them seemed to make them all a bit ill at ease. However it didn't last very long, for they soon passed into the rocky, mountainous region that would finally bring them up to Kiamo Ko. Fiyero knew the path well, but the terrain was still difficult and made for slow going, especially for the now weary group of travelers.
When night fell they decided to sleep again, as it was too difficult to find their footing in the dark. They did manage to find a cave to hide out in for the night, which served to put their minds at ease even though they were quite certain no one had followed them out of the forest.
When they finally saw Kiamo Ko looming over them in the distance, Fiyero could feel the relief well up inside his chest. There had been times on this journey when he'd been sure they'd never make it, but now the end was in sight. The next ordeal was going to be explaining his presence and the strange company he was keeping to the guards on duty.
"Who goes there?" came the shout as they drew nearer to the front gates. Fiyero was aware that Elphaba had tensed and seemed ready to bolt at any moment. Swallowing his own apprehensions, Fiyero tried to look as authoritative as was possible in his current shabby state.
"Prince Fiyero Tiggular," he shouted back, his voice belaying a confidence he didn't quite feel.
Yet it seemed even unshaven and dressed in someone else's mismatched clothes, Fiyero still looked enough like himself for the guards to recognize him. "Master Fiyero!" one of them said as they snapped to attention.
Fiyero waved off the formalities and nodded to the two guards manning the entrance. They were familiar but he didn't know their names. They seemed surprised to see him, but it was nothing compared to the expressions on their faces once they laid eyes on Elphaba. Still, they said nothing, obviously trying as hard as they could to keep their attention focused on Fiyero.
"My uh…friends and I were planning to stay here for a while. I trust no one else has been here?" Fiyero said, ignoring the guards' discomfort.
For a moment it seemed that the men hadn't heard Fiyero, before one of them seemed to snap out of his daze and responded, "Uh, no sir, no one's been through here for months now."
Fiyero nodded again and beckoned for Elphaba and Glinda to follow him. The two guards opened the heavy doors for them, and then scrambled out of the way as Elphaba moved to pass them. Elphaba, for her part, seemed caught somewhere between being completely abashed and wanting to snap at them, but she said nothing as she and Glinda followed Fiyero into the castle.
The place looked exactly as Fiyero remembered it from the last time he'd been there, probably when he'd been around fifteen or sixteen years old. He pushed down the feelings of nostalgia and turned to face his travel companions, who had now become his guests.
"There are a good number of rooms in this castle, so you two can pretty much pick whichever one you like. I'm going to go talk to some of the other guards and then I'll see if any of my family members have left clothes here that I can offer you," said Fiyero.
Glinda nodded. She seemed thrilled just to be inside an actual building again. "Well all I'm concerned with right now is having a bath. I don't think I've ever been so filthy in my life and it's absolutely disgusting," she huffed.
Fiyero chuckled a bit and pointed her in the right direction, which left him and Elphaba standing awkwardly in the entryway. She seemed almost shy now, as though she didn't know how to act in someone else's home.
"So, which way is that tower you mentioned?" she asked.
Fiyero smiled. "I though you were joking," he said, teasing.
She returned his smile with a small one of her own and responded, "I would never joke about such matters."
They held each others' gaze for perhaps a few moments too long before Fiyero cleared his throat and said, "Take the first right upstairs, go to the end of the hall and then follow the ominous, winding staircase all the way up. You can't miss it."
Elphaba nodded at him and then turned and began to make her way upstairs. He watched her retreating back, the reality of the situation finally setting in. He was staying in his parents' castle with his ex-fiancée and a witch he had strange and confusing feelings for. He shook his head to clear the thought away for the moment and instead decided to focus on finding the head of the castle guard.
It didn't take long. As Fiyero watched Elphaba disappear at the top of the stairs, the portly captain came stumbling up to Fiyero, looking confused and quite out of breathe.
"Master Fiyero," he said, panting slightly as he straightened up and saluted, "Forgive me sir, we had no idea to expect you. Last we'd heard you were being held captive in the Emerald City."
Fiyero was slightly surprised by the news. He knew that rumors of his capture had been spread to lure Elphaba into the city, but he hadn't realized that meant the public would believe them as well.
"Is that the last word anyone's had of me?" he asked, wanting to know exactly where he stood in the public opinion.
The guard looked slightly nervous as he responded, "Yes sir, last I heard anyway. They said you'd been arrested for aiding the Wicked Witch of the West."
Fiyero wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, so he decided to just be blunt. "Her name is Elphaba Thropp," he said, "And she's going to be staying with us for the time being, so try to treat her like any other guest."
The captain seemed confused by Fiyero's statement, "I'm sorry sir, who is Elphaba Thropp?"
"The 'Wicked Witch of the West' as you called her." he responded, ignoring the look on the guard's face, "Her real name is Elphaba Thropp." He let that sink in for a moment, and then he added, "Lady Glinda, my former fiancée, is with us as well. I believe she's just headed off to the bath chambers."
The guard sputtered a bit, still clearly trying to come to terms with what Fiyero was telling him. Finally he managed, "I'm sorry sir, you'll excuse me if I'm a bit confused."
Fiyero sighed, not feeling at all up to the task of explaining everything at the present moment. After a slight pause he responded, "Is it alright if I explain everything later? We've had a very long journey and I'm completely exhausted. For now, please inform the guards about our guests and tell them to be on their best behavior." With that he turned on his heel and began to make his way up the stairs, leaving the baffled captain in his wake.
And we've finally made it to Kiamo Ko! I'm having a bit of fun writing the next chapter, so hopefully I'll be able to get that one up soon, though I can't promise anything with the work load I have right now. Still, I'll be off soon, and then it's nothing but free time for eight months until I go away to veterinary school in January! Til next time.
S.P.