AN: First I want to say I am sorry how long it took to get this up. I have not had a full day off until today and when I did have time to write, life got in the way and things are becoming more complicated for fall schooling plans. My education does come before this, but rest assured I have not forgotten about you all! By the way, on a complete side note: do any of you watch GRACELAND on the USA network on TV? If not you should, because Aaron Tveit is in it and he rocks. I know for sure one of my readers does, but I am curious. Second, I am not sure how I feel about this chapter. I have sort of run out of ideas for the current point in the plot. I know what is going to happen later, but right now is kind of up in the air. Kudos if you read all that rambling, now on with the story. And a Shout out to my friend Briana who will probably not read this as she is not on Fan Fic, but still gave me a few ideas, including editing my description of the room in this chapter.

The next morning dawned bright and sunny with a fresh coating of snow on the grounds of the palace. Elphaba was up with the sun, too excited to sleep. She scrambled out of bed and threw on her threadbare dress and shoes and was at the door before she remembered she had no idea where to go after leaving her room. She shrugged it off and left the room. She wandered around before coming to a set of wide wooden quoxwood doors. She hesitated a moment, her courage leaving her for a moment, thinking that perhaps she should have waited and called for Melena at a later hour that wasn't so early. Quashing those feelings, she drew in a breath and pushed open the doors. The sight that met her made her draw in her breath and hold it, not quite believing what she saw.

Never in all of her young life had she ever seen so many books. The room was circular with a fireplace set against one wall lit with a blazing fire. The library's plush seating was all arranged to take advantage of the light cast by the immense fireplace. Piles of books scattered across the tables and chairs and still towering up the walls of shelves invited her to curl up in one of the nearby armchairs. Tracing her fingers admiringly on a nearby bust her ear twitched, calling her attention to a record player tucked in an out-of-the-way corner.

Elphaba spent some time perusing the books, forgetting her determination to explore the castle on her own. After making her selection, she moved to the fireplace and settled down into one of the chairs, and discovered in shock it felt like she was sitting on a cloud, it was so soft.

Several hours later, that was where Melena found Elphaba, sitting in front of the fire with a stack of books by her side and a book on Animal Rights by a Dr. Dillamond in her hands. She gently laid a hand on Elphaba's shoulder, causing the girl to jump.

"I see you found the library." As far as opening statements went, it was kind of an obvious one, but Elphaba just looked up with a grin on her face.

"I love it in here! I have always loved reading; ever since I stole a copy of Frex's Unionist Bible and taught myself to read at 3 years old. Unfortunately, I never get much to read at the orphanage. Orphans aren't high on the donation list for reading material. "

"As long as you are here, you can have complete access to this library, and if you find a book you would want that is not here, you have only to let me or Oscar know."

"Oscar?"

"You know him as the Wizard of Oz, but he has asked that you call him Oscar."

Elphaba could not believe her luck. Instead of being chastised and punished for being somewhere she wasn't supposed to be, she was given free rein in the room.

"Now come. I will show you around so you don't get lost, then you have an appointment at Teniella's for a new wardrobe and coat to be tailored for you."

Elphaba had never been shopping before but had heard of the illustrious upscale boutique. All the orphans had as it was the one place they all aspired to receive clothes from. She wasn't sure how well this would work with her green skin and was a little concerned. She voiced this to Melena who gave alight, tinkling laugh. Elphaba was entranced, and fell just a little bit in love.

Later that morning, Melena and Elphaba returned to the castle, Elphaba was wearing her new coat, a black pea-coat style with a single row of gold buttons running down the front. It had an attached belt that came together in a small silver flowers clasp. The tailor had taken one look at Elphaba and promptly sent her assistants scurrying for black, deep blue, and other dark colors for the green skinned teenager. Elphaba did not particularly like all the poking and prodding from the pins and the tailor, but her excitement at having more than her one ragged dress for the first time overwhelmed her discomfort.

Upon entering the palace, Elphaba ran to her room and grabbed the book she had been reading earlier and continued down to show off her new coat to Oscar. She knocked on the door to his private study that only a few people knew about, and pushed the door open at the muffled assent to come in.

"Ahh Miss Elphaba. How are you this fine day? Getting excited for Lurlinemas?"

Elphaba shrugged modestly. "Kind of. It's just another day for me. At the orphanage, we never really did anything for it. In fact, Frex always thought it was sinful to celebrate it."

The Wizard looked surprised by that and made a mental note to make this the most exciting Lurlinemas the teenager had ever seen.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Miss Elphaba?"

"Please, just call me Elphaba, and I was just wondering if I could stay in here and watch you work for a while and read?"

"Watch me work? Well that can't be too exciting with someone who doesn't know politics and the law, but I suppose you can." At this comment Elphaba sat down in an armchair next to the desk and proceeded to quote every law he had passed in the last 3 years, what it was supposed to do, and what it meant to the people, before going on to point out possible loopholes, and do so correctly.

Chastised, Oscar backed down and went back to his work, and Elphaba returned to her book. Several hours passed with the only sounds breaking the silence were the scratching of the quill and the noise of a page turning. Every so often Oscar would look up and ask for Elphaba's opinion on something. To her, he could not have given her a greater gift than taking her opinion and knowledge seriously, despite her social status and green skin.

Both people were startled at the knock at the door. Oscar gave the go ahead for the person on the other side of the door to come in.

"YOU!" This was shouted by two voices at the same time. It was a tossup to see who was more surprised, Prince Fiyero Tiggelar of the Vinkus, or Elphaba of no last name.