AN: Apparently the website didn't come through... it's Bol . com. Once it is available, I will, of course, post a direct link to it! (You know, with spaces in between... :P stupid censoring.)
Vinkunwildflowerqueen: In that case, you'll have to read someone else's stories, because for some reason I can never get myself to kill either of them off for real :'). I'm too much of a Fiyeraba softie.
21.
She shook herself from her stupor quickly and hurried over to where Fiyero was still lying on the bed, bound and gagged. She pulled the rag off his face and untied the ropes around his wrists and ankles before stepping back, her eyes glued to the man on the floor. The other one was still unconscious because of her slamming him into the wall moments before; but his comrade was obviously dead, his eyes open and a thin trail of blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth.
"I killed him," she whispered. "I... I didn't mean to kill him. I didn't mean to do anything. It just... happened, and..." She was trembling, obviously trying to keep her composure, but failing. "I've never killed anyone before."
Fiyero moved around the bed and wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to bury her head in his shirt. "It's okay," he said soothingly. "You didn't do it on purpose, Fae. If you hadn't done anything, he would have killed you." He shuddered a little. "Oz, Fae, I thought you were dead..."
"I was faking it," she said quietly, her voice muffled by his shirt. "I've always been a light sleeper, and I awoke when they opened the door to our room, but they didn't know that. When one of them took a pillow from the bed, I just... held my breath and pretended to struggle, then go limp." She shrugged slightly. "I had to think of a way to overwhelm them without risking your or my own safety and when that one man came back to check if I was really dead, that was the chance I had been waiting for." She took a shaky breath. "I just never... I didn't really want to hurt them, I..."
"It's alright, hon, really. Hey." He cupped her face and looked into her eyes. "You saved me from being kidnapped again," he said, "and you saved your own life. All you did was defend both of us. Don't feel guilty."
She lowered her gaze and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Then he took her hand and led her from the room.
The innkeeper looked up when they came out of the hallway. "Ah, Your Highnesses! You're being escorted home, then?" He looked past them with a small frown. "Where are the men escorting you back?"
"Is that what they told you?" asked Fiyero. "That they came from Adurin Iir?"
The innkeeper nodded, clearly confused; and Fiyero and Elphaba exchanged a look.
"They were my kidnappers," Fiyero explained. "They tried to... to finish their job." He squeezed Elphaba's hand as he explained everything. She squeezed back.
The innkeeper was shocked and kept stammering apologies, which Fiyero waved away. "It shouldn't be much longer before someone who is actually from the castle arrives," he said, "so we'll just wait here, if that's alright."
"Of course, of course!" The innkeeper gestured towards some couches in the corner. "Make yourselves comfortable, please! I will make sure the two men in your room are taken care of," he promised before dashing off.
They sat down, both of them staying quiet for a while. Fiyero picked up a magazine and flipped through it; but he put it down again when he saw the look on Elphaba's face. "You're thinking, aren't you?" he asked.
She gave him a small, wry smile. "What makes you say that?"
"You just have this look on your face." He smiled at her and touched her arm. "Are you still thinking about the fact that you..."
"Killed that man?" she finished for him. She looked down. "Yes."
He put his arms around her and she leant against his chest, closing her eyes for a moment. She knew he was right and that it had been self-defence to kill that man, but she still felt awful about it.
Fiyero didn't say anything because he understood why she could not let this go so easily. Instead, he just held her and stroked her hair, pressing his cheek to the top of her head. They sat like that for a long time, neither of them speaking or moving.
And then the door opened and two guards barged in, followed by King Humberto and Queen Danna Tiggular of the Vinkus.
"Mum! Dad!" Fiyero exclaimed, jumping to his feet and then blanching considerably at the pain in his knee.
"Idiot," Elphaba scolded him, but she rose to her feet as well, slowly approaching her parents-in-law, who first hugged Fiyero and then Elphaba.
"We were so happy to hear from you!" Danna said, cupping her son's face between her hands. "Sweet Oz, we thought..." She shivered. "When Elphaba didn't come back last night, and then we still received no word of either of you all day long, we feared the worst." She embraced her son again. "I'm so glad that you're okay, Yero. You, too, Elphaba."
"We do need to see a doctor as soon as we're home, though," said Fiyero. "Elphaba's been shot."
Much to the green girl's dismay, that caused the king and queen to immediately start fussing over her; and they did not stop until she had reassured them that Fiyero was being overdramatic and it was only a graze, which had already been taken care of nicely by the local physician.
"Come on," the king said as one of the guards supported Fiyero. "We should go home. We still have a few hours of travelling ahead of us, and all kinds of things are happening in Oz."
"The Quadlings have told the Emerald City that if they do not retract the Animal Banns immediately, they will start a war," Danna explained. "The Vinkus and Munchkinland have tried to make it clear that we don't want that, but the Quadlings are absolutely furious. Kevon has gone to the Emerald City to try and negotiate with representatives of the other rulers. There will be a meeting tomorrow morning between the Wizard himself, Kevon, the Sorceress of Quadling Country, Frexspar and Nessarose Thropp, and the Dukes of the Glikkus and Gillikin. We hope an agreement can be reached."
"Which won't happen unless either the Wizard or the Quadlings give in, which neither of them is likely to do." Elphaba sighed. "This is such a mess."
"Let's see what will happen tomorrow," said Humberto. "Who knows? They might surprise us." He smiled at Fiyero and Elphaba. "Let's take care of you two first."
Elphaba turned out to be right in that Fiyero hadn't had to worry about her, because the physician at Adurin Iir said exactly the same thing the doctor in the village had said: that it wasn't too serious, he'd bandage it up, and he could give her something for the pain if she wanted to – which, of course, she did not want to.
"Are we going to have this conversation again?" Fiyero complained. "Elphaba, if it hurts –"
"The medication makes me drowsy," she retorted, "and I'm going to need my brain fully operational for the meeting tomorrow morning."
"What meeting?" His eyes widened. "Oh, no. For Oz's sake, Elphaba, after what we've just been through, you're just going to attend another meeting tomorrow morning? This is about that Animal Banns stuff, isn't it?"
"Of course." She sat down at the vanity in their room to brush her long, ebony hair. "We need to discuss what will happen in the Emerald City tomorrow and how we are going to deal with that. If the Quadlings declare war, we need to know if we'll be going to war with them or if we'll try to stay neutral. If the Wizard decides to compromise – which I don't think he will, but who knows – and listen to our side of the story, we will also need a plan."
"I get that, but why do you have to be there for it?"
"Because one: I'm the Vinkun princess, two: I've studied politics, and three: your parents asked me to be there. This has been my cause ever since I found out about what was happening, Yero. Since even before Doctor Dillamond was fired and taken away because he was an Animal." She had a sad look in her eyes for a moment, but then she shook her head and the look was gone. "I want to help."
He sighed. "I know you do, Fae, and I understand. I just think you should rest and take some time to heal before throwing yourself into this mess."
"Yes, well, the Wizard and the Quadlings aren't going to wait for me to finish resting and healing before taking action, right?" she snapped at him.
He looked a little hurt and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry. You know what I mean, though, don't you?"
"I do." He limped over to where she was sitting and dropped a kiss on her hair. "I just wish you'd take care of yourself first for once, instead of always taking care of others. Will you at least come to bed now so that you can get some sleep before tomorrow?"
She gave in and rose to her feet, following him to the bed. As she nestled herself among the blankets, she heaved a contented sigh. "It's good to be back."
"It is," Fiyero agreed, putting his arm around her. She snuggled into his side and he thought she fell asleep pretty quickly.
He started when she suddenly whispered, "Yero?"
"Mmh?"
"I'm sorry I scared you. When I pretended to be dead, and all."
He chuckled softly – it was just such a ridiculous situation – and he drew her closer. "Yes, well, I'm really glad you're not. Dead, I mean."
She was quiet for a while. Then she asked, "Are you?"
"Of course." He was confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean..." She took a deep breath. "Wouldn't you rather have had... you know... that you'd be free again? To choose your own wife, maybe? Or, I don't know, to continue dancing through life?"
He was horrified at what she was implying. "Elphaba!"
"What?"
He pulled her up so that he could look at her. "I love you," he told her. "I really do. Those few moments when I thought they had killed you were the scariest few moments of my life. I already told you all this, Fae – you changed me, and I'm glad you did. I don't want to continue dancing through life and I certainly don't want to find someone else. I want you."
"Are you sure?" she asked uncertainly.
He kissed her in reply, knowing he wouldn't be able to convince her now, but at the same time hoping that someday, he would.
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