Elphaba bit her lip, feeling like a ton of rocks was squashing her chest. "I…"

"She's a deceiver! She lied to us! She's an evil witch who has no business here! She could've hurt the children!" Sarima cried, glaring and pointing a menacing finger at Elphaba.

"Sarima, calm yourself," Amalie warned.

Sarima's gaze darkened. "Well?"

"It's true," Elphaba said softly. "I have magic."

The royals gasped, and a slew of inquiries followed. Their voices mixed into a cacophony of indistinct noise and Elphaba covered her ears, wishing everyone would just be quiet.

"How long did you believe this would be a secret?" Baxiana asked, her voice rising above the others, and her neutral tone blocking her true feelings. "Everyone, quiet!"

The noise stopped instantly, and Elphaba took a breath. She was aware she was about to cause an international incident, and knew she had to be careful. "I was born with magic. No one knows how or why –"

"Like your skin?" Sarima frowned.

"Sarima, enough," Amalie said, pulling her daughter-in-law back.

"I taught myself to suppress it because magic is a controversial topic in Munchkinland. My magic wasn't public knowledge, but I wanted to learn to control it and why I have it. I wanted to study at Shiz University, and utilize the magic section in The Three Queens Library," Elphaba continued.

"That's one of the largest libraries in Oz," Raal said.

Elphaba nodded. "Before I could, I was sent here. I knew the Vinkus's rules and views on magic were less strict and taboo than Munchkinland's, so I thought I'd be able to find answers here."

"So the Eminent Thropp knew of this when he arranged the marriage?" Marilott asked.

"Yes. And he commanded me to keep it a secret, not knowing of my plans to learn more."

"She was flying and playing with fire!" Manek exclaimed. He opened the Grimmerie and flipped through it, stopping when he saw a drawing of a large fire. "This one!"

"Manek, that's dangerous!" Raal said, snatching the book from his grandson. "Elphaba, where did you find this?"

"In the library." She refused to admit the book glowing or pulsating in her hands. "I found other old books on magic, as well."

"Magic has been dormant in the Vinkus for generations, even in the more traditional tribal parts of the country. There's no protocol on how to deal with it within the royal family."

"Deal with what within the family?"

Everyone looked up as Hannalyn and Fiyero hurried into the throne room.

"Auntie Elphaba is a witch!" Irji shouted.

"What?" Hannalyn blinked, which started another round of indistinct questions and comments from the adults.

Fiyero's eyes locked on Elphaba, searching for an explanation. She nodded subtly, confirming the truth. His face dropped.

"She should be arrested for deceiving us," Sarima said, surprisingly calm. "We should send her back to Munchkinland. She'll no longer be our problem."

"We cannot void this transaction," Marilott sighed gravely.

"Why not? Munchkinland sent us a defective –"

"I am not defective!" Elphaba argued with a scowl.

"And I suppose your green skin isn't an outward manifestation of your twisted nature."

"I never asked for this."

"You just didn't think you'd get caught."

Having heard enough, Amalie grabbed Sarima's arm and dragged her from the throne room. Irji and Manek ran after their mother and grandmother. Nor hadn't said anything the entire time, just stared at Elphaba. Eventually, she hurried out of the room, going out of her way to avoid her aunt.

"You are a Princess by Law. You have been granted lifelong protection by the State of The Vinkus," Marilott said, running a hand through his thick beard. "We cannot revoke that."

"There's no proof other than what the children saw. We all know what wild imaginations they have," Hannalyn said, still having a problem believing everything she heard.

"I saw the book."

"And you just believe them without proof?"

"Why would they make something like this up?"

"Yugo –"

"Don't 'Yugo' me, Hannalyn. This is a serious matter."

She turned to Elphaba. "You have magic?"

Elphaba bit her lip and nodded. "Yes."

"Show me."

Elphaba glanced at the older adults, then recited a short spell, and the papers and books on the table floated into the air and floated around their heads.

"Fascinating," Baxiana whispered as the table's contents returned to their exact places.

"Indeed. But this is still information we should've been informed of in advance," Marilott said, no longer sounding stern or angry.

"I understand," Elphaba nodded. It slowly dawned on her that this wasn't the international incident she thought it'd be. "You can tell my great-grandfather if you must."

"You said he already knew of your magic, correct?"

She nodded.

"Then I see no reason to remind him. And I also see no reason to let this get out to the public."

"Sarima –"

"Amalie will calm her down."

"Do you plan on practicing magic, Elphaba?" Baxiana asked.

"No. I never have. I just got tired of suppressing it. Pretending it didn't exist didn't make it go away. It's just hard to forget when I get emotional and windows shatter and doors slam."

"It gets that violent?"

She quickly realized her mistake. "No. At least… not anymore. When I was younger, yes. But I control it now."

"I think we've all had enough excitement for today. Dinner is in one hour. There will not be any talk of magic until tomorrow."

Elphaba, Hannalyn, and Fiyero bowed to the monarchs and left.

"Fiyero!" Elphaba called after her husband as he hurried away. "Fiyero!"

"Let him go, Elphaba," Hannalyn said, grabbing her arm. "He needs a moment."

Elphaba jerked away. "No. I need to explain this to him. Fiyero, wait!" She ran after him, grabbing his hand. "Fiyero."

He shook her off and kept walking, his balled fists shaking at his sides.

Elphaba fought to keep up with him. "Fiyero, listen to me! Please!"

"Why don't you just magic me to do what you want?" he hissed, finally whirling around to face her. The fire in his eyes almost melted Elphaba's resolve, and he glared at her before turning his back again.

"I'd never do that. I'm not evil."

"You lied to everyone! You lied to me!"

"I didn't lie!"

"So you're saying I should've asked if you had magic? I had no reason to suspect anything before your display in the throne room."

"Because I've worked my whole life to keep my magic a secret."

She held out her arm to stop the garden door from slamming in her face, and hurried outside after him. She honestly felt like freezing Fiyero to get him to stop and listen to her, but knew that wasn't the way to handle it. She wasn't going to give them any more reasons to fear her magic. He stopped under a large Marula tree, leaning against its trunk with his arms crossed. He noticed Elphaba stop a few feet away, but only looked at her through the corners of his eyes.

"My whole life, I dreamt of being normal. That included my skin, magic, and even my title. I couldn't ignore my title or hide my skin, but I could do something about my magic. But I knew I couldn't just survive on suppressing the rest of my life." She stepped forward, but stopped when she saw him stiffen. "I know I lied to you, but I lied to everyone."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

"No. But it's my explanation. Hiding my magic was what was best for my family, which, in turn, was best for Munchkinland. My great-grandfather could pretend he didn't know anything about it; my father was pleased with one less embarrassment to worry about; my mother felt less shame; my sister thought she saved my soul; and my brother was clueless.

"This is what you were doing when you would disappear for hours? Up in the attic?"

She nodded with a hum.

He sighed, finally looking at her. "What would've happened if I found out about your magic the hard way?"

"I've never hurt anyone with my magic. Maybe I've messed up a hairstyle with a surprise gust of wind, or scared someone with a slamming door, but I've never physically hurt anyone." She took another chance to close the distance between them.

Fiyero didn't stiffen or move away, and Elphaba took his hand. They locked eyes, his gaze softening as he tentatively pulled her into a hug. Elphaba tightly wrapped her arms around him, relaxing into his forgiveness.

"We're moving soon, about to start a new life. I promise to answer all your questions. So far, this isn't a government issue, and your grandparents want to keep it that way." She looked up at him. "I'm sorry."

He kissed her. "It's okay. But I must ask; is there anything else I should know?"

"No more secrets. I promise." She rose to her toes and kissed him.

Elphaba and Fiyero supervised the staff as they loaded the last of their luggage into the carriages. Everything was set for their departure, and the royals gathered in the foyer to say goodbye.

"Goodbye Yuga, Yugo," Fiyero said, hugging his grandparents.

"Bye, Yero," Baxiana smiled, kissing his forehead.

He stepped back and bowed before hugging his parents. Elphaba's goodbyes were more subdued, since her magic still hung over them. The children, specifically Nor, gave a properly distanced royal goodbye. Hannalyn promised she'd be there for her with whatever she needed. Elphaba turned to find Fiyero, but saw him in a lingering goodbye with Sarima. She whispered something into his ear, and he frowned, shook his head, and tried to pull away, but she pulled him back, her eyes intently locking with his, and repeated what she said. She briefly glanced at Elphaba, then turned back to him.

'I'm serious', she mouthed.

'So am I', Fiyero mouthed back, finally pulling away and going back to Elphaba. "Ready?"

"Yes," Elphaba nodded.

They turned, hand-in-hand, and left the castle, slowly descending the steps and climbing into the waiting carriage, where Hunfter was waiting for them.

"Auntie Elphaba!"

Elphaba turned as hurried footsteps rushed towards her. She stepped down and met the children. "Yes?"

"Um… we just wanted to say that… we don't think you're a witch anymore," Irji began shyly.

"Yeah. Witches are old and ugly, and you're not old and ugly," Manek explained, then nudged Nor forward.

Nor looked up at the green woman and worked her jaw, contemplating whether she was going to side with her brothers or not. "Yeah."

"And just because you have magic doesn't mean you're evil. The flying was actually kind of cool," Irji admitted.

"Can you make us fly?" Manek begged, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"No," Fiyero interrupted immediately, but kissed his nephew's hair. "Back inside with all of you. We'll see you soon."

"Okay. Bye, Uncle Yero! Bye, Auntie Elphaba! Bye, Hunfter!" the children chorused, giving their aunt and uncle a final hug before running back up the steps.

Hunfter barked and growled, telling the humans to hurry up. Once they were seated and settled, Fiyero knocked on the top of the carriage, and they were off.

"Your arms bothering you?" Fiyero asked, noticing Elphaba rubbing her sleeves. He gently took her hands, stopping her.

"A bit. The dry, cold air seems to irritate it more."

Hunfter sat up and rested his head on Elphaba's lap. She smiled, scratching the beagle's ears, chuckling when his wagging tail patted against the carriage floor.

"I was so busy making sure everything was packed, I didn't apply the ointment," she continued, fishing the vile out of her bag and rolling up her long sleeves.

"They're looking nice," Fiyero said, examining the healing skin. It was still a bit red, but hardly noticeable against the vibrant blue ink. It was only a month since she got them, but the process was progressing nicely.

"They feel much better," Elphaba said, rubbing the clear ointment on her forearms, then put the vile away. She turned to him. "What did Sarima say to you?"

If he was startled by the subject change, he didn't show it.

"Fiyero."

"Why do you care?"

"Why don't you care?"

"We don't have to worry about Sarima anymore. She's not –"

"I promised you no more secrets."

"… You did. And I owe you the same." He rubbed his face. "People never really cared what I did, but when Eszno died, people turned to me, since they knew they'd look foolish turning to a child. Sarima wouldn't let anyone, not even her children, turn to her."

"Sarima treats me like I stole you from her." The thought hit her. "Am I stealing you from her?"

"Sarima… apparently… has always loved me, or at least, had a crush on me. I never thought much of her flirting, since she seemed to love Eszno. I've never returned her feelings, not in the way she wanted me to. I don't know if my parents really wanted me to marry Sarima, but it was a heavily pushed suggestion. She's my brother's widow, and I've never subscribed to that part of 'royal tradition'."

"So you don't love her?"

"Again, not the way she wants me to. I love her the way I love Hannalyn. And I know things about her that I probably shouldn't know. Like her tattoo; it's on her back. It's a large, blue fire diamond inside a heart. She wanted to get an extra special one."

"So you wanted to leave to escape her?"

He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I wanted to leave because we both deserve our own space to start our new life. I won't say that it has nothing to do with Sarima, but it's not the main reason. You are my main reason, Elphaba." He kissed her, gently emphasizing his point. "But since we're being honest with each other; before our wedding, she said that I should've died instead of Eszno. I haven't looked at her the same way since. But yes, I really wanted to get away from her after that."

Elphaba's breath hitched. "I… didn't know that. I'm sorry." She snuggled closer to him, both of them now understanding more than their words communicated.

They only took one break to water the horses and give the traveling party a chance to stretch their legs. They reached the manor in the late afternoon. The grand, silver gates opened for them, and they rolled up to the front of the large estate.

The driver hopped down and opened the door, bowing to Fiyero as he stepped down and assisted Elphaba.

"Wow," Elphaba whispered, glancing up at the large, brick building. The exterior was old, yet elegant, with large windows going up multiple floors, and flowers hanging on the wall's trellis. Alinmun Manor was spelled in curved metal above the door.

"Come," Fiyero smiled, offering his wife his hand.

Elphaba quickly took it, and they walked in together. They toured the foyer, living room, drawing room, their shared and separate bedrooms, and the multitude of rooms on the five floors.

"All this is ours?" Elphaba asked when they finished their tour back in the drawing room.

They were sitting on the sofa, cuddling in each other's arms as servants and staff unpacked their belongings. Hunfter was taking a nap by the window, his tail wagging as he dreamed of hunting.

"All ours," Fiyero confirmed, playing with her fingers. "Apline Dur is a wonderful town. And the Thousand Year Grasslands are beautiful. We meet with our work staff in two days, so we have tomorrow to rest and continue exploring, especially since we must find our secret hiding spots."

Elphaba laughed, remembering their deal. "We do. I was planning to write to my family as soon as possible, letting them know that I'm here. If they choose to send letters, I don't want them going to Wistra Ir." She didn't know if her family would still try to contact her. She was all the way across Oz, too far for their minds to think about.

"I'll leave you be if you want to do that now."

"No. It's okay. I'd rather rest… with you."

He smiled and helped her up, and the two hurried past the servants, who were almost finished, and went to their shared room.

Their first few days in their new house went relatively well. They met their staff, continued touring the grounds, and started working on royal projects. Sissalíne and Tsie were given teal shawls with Elphaba's cypher monogrammed as their "uniform", along with a new wardrobe, which they adored. Fiyero's attendants were given monogrammed sashes, which helped display the unity of their new household.

The Chieftain had tasked them with leading the project to build a canal in the Vinkus River to help with irrigation into the Thousand Year Grasslands.

Elphaba glanced at the report over Fiyero's shoulder. "They want to extend the Vinkus River into the grasslands? I thought grasslands were supposed to be dry."

"The most inward areas of the grasslands are drying up to a point where the risk of large fires is too great," Fiyero said. "If a wildfire were to break out, there's no water source nearby, and it could destroy most of the grasslands." He unrolled a map and pointed. "The mouth of the river stops a few miles away from the grassland border. During flood season, which is late spring to early summer, the river floods and can give water to this area," he circled with his finger, "but nothing beyond this."

"Okay. What exactly do they want us to do?"

"Work with the team to survey the land and water, and find the best place and way to build the canal that will irrigate the driest areas. But our main job will be to meet with investors and keep them interested and updated on the project. It will take years to build the canal, and if things start to take a turn, we'll have to keep their spirits up… and their money coming."

"Oh. Alright." She didn't know if she could do this for years, but tried not to think about how she didn't have much of a choice.

"There's a naval division that patrols the Vinkus River that specializes in riverine operations. We will meet with them tomorrow." He looked at her, noticing her sagged shoulders. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "We will have other smaller projects to complete, but this is our only big assignment."

"I can handle this," Elphaba said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

The prince sensed her nerves and stood. "It's time to walk Hunfter." He took her hand and led her outside, where the beagle awaited them, tail wagging and paws excitedly tapping.

…

"It will take years to build, since we will have to work around nature, but if all goes according to plan, I would say around ten years. In the meantime, we can set up interim ways of irrigation to prevent large fires," the engineer said, consulting the papers in front of him.

Elphaba and Fiyero were meeting with the engineer, the navy ship's admiral, the land surveyor, and the project president on the navy's main battleship.

"I think that's doable," Fiyero nodded, then looked out the window. "Over the summer, there were complaints of increased levels of algae in the Vinkus River. I'm glad it's mostly cleared up now."

"Yes, my prince. The limnologist was able to isolate the problem and fix it."

"It was slowing down our patrol ships," the admiral said.

The men continued their ship talk, leaving Elphaba to do her best not to look as bored as she felt. She fought the urge to play with her headscarf and looked at the papers, pretending to understand the diagrams and numbers that covered the pages. She had no reason to think she'd be tested on this material, but pretended to study it like she was.

"I will be sure to bring all these concerns up to the tribal elders at the next meeting of the clans," Fiyero said, nodding as he stood, and Elphaba did the same. "Thank you all for your time."

The four men stood and bowed. "Yes, Your Highness."

The royal couple walked out, followed by everyone else. There were now two more smaller ships docked, that weren't there when they arrived. A small crew was unloading crates from one ship to the other, supervised by a young, well-dressed couple. A few nosy naval officers were watching, making comments, and pointing to the multiple crates, wondering what was in them.

"Do you know who they are?" Fiyero asked the Admiral, also staring at the couple.

"No, my prince. I have never seen them before." He nodded to one of the junior officers to go investigate.

A crowd had gathered to watch as the junior officer went down to the couple. He and the man had a brief exchange, and the man pulled out a small packet. The officer looked it over, bowed, and hurried back onto the ship.

"A baron and baroness from the Gillikin, sir," he reported. "The man speaks our tongue, though minimally."

"What are Gillikiniese nobles doing here?" the Admiral asked, his brow furrowing.

"They have permits, but their passage papers aren't signed, and they have no escort. Their ship won't make it through the checkpoint."

"With your permission, Admiral Hyuji, if you invite them on board, I will validate their papers," Fiyero offered.

The Admiral considered it, then nodded and told the junior officer to bring them aboard. Everyone watched with intrigue as the young couple made their way aboard the large navy vessel.

"Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Fiyero and Prinzinne Elphaba of the illustrious Arjiki Clan, Highest House of the Vinkus," an ensign announced, and Fiyero and Elphaba stepped forward. "Admiral Hyuji of the First Royal Navy."

"What are your names?" Fiyero asked.

"I am Sir Vilem Chuffrey, Your Highness," the man said with a deferential bow. He couldn't have been older than his mid-thirties, with short black hair, dark eyes, and a neatly trimmed mustache. His dark brown coat stopped at his calves, and he pulled it tighter against himself as a breeze swept past. "My wife, Lady Glinda."

The young woman curtsied, and Elphaba studied her. She looked younger than her husband, but older than her. Her blonde hair was in a large, curled bun, with a few ringlets hanging down the back of her neck. Her dark blue eyes looked around, taking everything in while hiding her opinion about what she was seeing. She came up to her husband's shoulder, and her petite figure was hidden behind a dark pink cloak. Both hers and her husband's pale complexions were a stark contrast to everyone else's dark tones.

"What are you transporting?" Fiyero asked, gesturing to the crates.

"Tea leaves and fruit, Your Highness," Chuffrey said. "And supplies for our emporium."

"Emporium?"

"We just moved from the Emerald City, and are opening an emporium in Oakhair next week."

Fiyero nodded and reached for the papers and a pen. He glanced over the documents, neatly signing the bottom of each one, and handed them back to Chuffrey.

"Thank you, sir," Chuffrey bowed, taking the papers and whispering something to his wife, who smiled at Fiyero.

The prince nodded and took Elphaba's hand, leading her off the ship with everyone bowing as they passed. Elphaba looked back at Glinda, who gave her a shy smile before whispering something to her husband.

"Oakhair is the major market city," Fiyero explained once they were settled in their carriage. "We could take a day trip there, if you'd like."

She thought back to her shopping trip with Naoleine, which seemed like forever ago, even though it was only four months ago, in June. "I'd like that. Before it gets too cold."

"I agree."

The idea of an emporium caught her interest, especially if it meant finding some products from other providences, specifically Munchkin products. But there was something about the blonde woman that intrigued her.

Hope everyone is having a nice holiday season!