Alright, I know this is the part everyone's been waiting for! XD

Description: Some positions in life are inevitable, and the strong pressure to uphold family expectations and legacies could form diamonds. Determined to not be crushed by this pressure, Elphaba and Fiyero must learn how to interact with their new roles, new peers, and each other.

Elphaba always preferred to be alone. Being alone meant that no one could stare or whisper or reprimand. It meant she could have quiet time to read. She could hear her thoughts.

Now that she was in the Vinkus, she had no time for herself. She found herself constantly being surrounded by her two attendants, as well as other castle staff and people who came to prepare for the wedding.

She was taking her time processing the fact that the mystery man who had helped her in the forest was the man she was going to marry in less than twenty-four hours. She was trying to reconcile the version of him she had concocted in her head with the version that stood in front of her, but it was proving harder than she thought. Even though the real version seemed much nicer than her fictional version, she told herself that she couldn't let her walls fall just yet.

Currently, she was hiding from Sissalíne and Tsie, whom she had been avoiding since their argument that morning. She was still having trouble understanding most of what they said, since they insisted on always speaking at the speed of light, so she figured avoiding them as much as possible was her best option for the time being.

The castle was so big that hiding proved easier than it did back home at Wend Farleigh. If spotted, she figured she could've easily said she had gotten lost. But that would mean they would probably personally escort her to wherever she needed to be.

"Elphaba!"

Now was her chance to test it out. She turned and saw Hannalyn quickly approaching her.

"There you are. We've been searching for you."

"Sorry. I got lost."

"There's one more thing we need you to see before the wedding."

Elphaba nodded. Hanna looked like she didn't believe her, but didn't say anything about it. She followed her to one of the small sunrooms on the far side of the castle. When they entered, they saw Amalie and Baxina standing behind a large table with a big book open in front of them.

"Elphaba," Baxina smiled, and beckoned her forward.

Elphaba slowly approached the table, her eyes dancing between the three Vinkun women. "What's this?"

"All Vinkun royals have umvambos as a rite of passage. Those born into royalty receive them on their eighteenth birthday. Those who marry in receive them the day after their wedding."

"A what?"

"Umvambo."

Elphaba still looked confused. It took the three women a moment to realize that Elphaba didn't understand the word they used. The Chieftess sighed and flipped the book around to Elphaba.

The green girl looked at the illustrations on the page, trying to figure out what they meant. The Chieftess turned the page and she saw some of the same markings, this time on body parts. That's when it sunk in.

Elphaba stared at her. "I must get a tattoo?"

"Yes. A traditional, blue tribal tattoo. Now, the markings are specific to each of the four tribes, but we've already opened it to the Arjiki section. You can choose any of these designs. And you may get it wherever you wish on your body."

"When do I have to decide?"

"The wedding is tomorrow, so by the end of the day today," Amalie said.

Elphaba frowned. That wasn't a lot of time to decide on something this permanent. Why hadn't they told her sooner? They couldn't possibly expect an answer so quickly.

"I can help you, if you'd like," Hannalyn offered.

Elphaba could see that Hanna was still trying to make peace with her, so she accepted her help. The princess took the book from her grandmother and led Elphaba out and up to the library. They settled at Elphaba's usual table and studied the book.

"There are many options for tribal tattoos, and some people like to get creative. Others keep it simple," Hanna said.

"I will keep it simple," Elphaba decided immediately.

"Diamonds are the most common Arjiki markings. Our ancestors were hunters, so hunting symbols are also acceptable, though they've been phased out."

Elphaba remembered the diamonds she'd seen on Fiyero. "What do you have?" Elphaba asked bluntly, then realized she might've asked a very personal question. "Sorry, I –"

"No. It's alright. I have this." She rolled up her right sleeve to reveal three blue diamond shapes in ascending size on her forearm. "I got these to represent me and my two brothers."

"The biggest one's faded."

She smiled sadly. "Yes. That was intentional. Eszno died a few months before my eighteenth birthday."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

The princess glanced at her companion, and realized that talk of her dead brother was starting to pull her attention away from their task. There would be plenty of time to talk about Eszno later, but right now, she had a job to do.

Elphaba stared at her choices. Nothing really caught her attention; then again, she supposed they weren't supposed to. Tattoos weren't common in Munchkinland, which limited her exposure to them. This wasn't part of her upbringing or culture, but she supposed it would be now. She had said she wanted to get something simple, but she knew how important tattoos were to Vinkun culture, and she was sure no one would appreciate her not putting much thought into this.

"You like that one?" Hanna asked, noticing how Elphaba was staring at a string of diamonds design. "It's meant to look like a bracelet or necklace, depending on where you get it."

"Or chains."

"Nothing like chains. Our Baboynias -that's the man who applies the tattoos- is highly skilled so he can do it smaller to look like rings."

Elphaba had never been particularly fascinated with jewelry, but this design was simple, yet elegant. "I suppose if I must be branded, I will choose this style."

Hanna scowled. "No. It is not being branded. That implies animals. This is a sacred tradition that goes back hundreds of years. It is important to the Arjiki people, and to the Vinkus as a whole. We wear our tattoos proudly and do not take any of this lightly. And you have no right to treat it so disrespectfully!" She grabbed the book and slammed it shut, taking it with her as she marched out of the library. She took a few steps away from the door and stopped.

She took a breath. She knew it wasn't Elphaba's intention to be disrespectful of their culture. She was still learning, and she had to admit, the way her family sprung this on her was quite disorienting. Figuring she might've overreacted slightly, she went back inside to talk to Elphaba, but she was no longer at the table.

"Elphaba?" she called, her voice echoing throughout the quiet library.

She heard or saw nothing to give away her location. She knew she couldn't have gone far, so she began her search, calling on the most recessive part of her tracking genes to assist her. It took some time, but she eventually found Elphaba sitting on the floor, her back against one of the stacks, and her knees pulled up to her chest.

"There you are," Hanna said, stopping a few feet away. "I told you the Arjiki had some hunter-tracker blood."

"You tracked me? Like you were hunting an animal?" Elphaba asked, her tone emotionless.

"No," the princess quickly backpaddled. "No, I… I'm sorry I snapped at you. I know you weren't intending to be disrespectful. I know this is a lot for you to process and I promised myself I'd be mindful of that."

Elphaba hadn't looked at her the entire time. She took a deep breath and hugged her knees closer. "This morning, as I was grabbing my ahai, Sissalíne and Tsie gave me a different headwrap to wear instead."

"A gele," she supplied gently.

Elphaba worked her jaw. "They tried to take my headscarf from me, right out of my hands, and told me that I must put my 'Munchkin clothes' away now." She ran her hand over her scarf, which she wore tied in a large triangle over her head and folded over her hair, safely hiding it from view.

"I'm sorry, Elphaba."

"I don't want to miss the place that got rid of me, but it's all I know." She finally met her gaze. "Ever since I was told of this alliance, I knew I would have to adopt Vinkun culture. And I'm going to. But this alliance is pointless if everyone tries to erase the fact that I'm Munchkin."

"I understand. None of us have considered what all this change is like for you."

"A few months before I came, my younger sister was trying on ahais for the first time to begin covering when she turned seventeen. When she didn't find what she wanted, she became frustrated, and admitted she feared this development in her life. That is a change. This is a…" She didn't know the word for 'upheaval', "bigger change." That wasn't anywhere near what she wanted to say, and she grunted.

"A metamorphosis," Hannalyn said.

"Don't make it sound beautiful. I'm nineteen years old, and suddenly I am informed that I am to be shipped off across Oz to marry a man –"

"A prince."

"A man whom I've never heard of before. Suddenly surrounded by strange language, strange food, strange clothes, and strange people. And I also must deal with being the 'strange one'."

"What do you want me to do to help?"

"There's nothing you can do. It's something I must deal with on my own."

The two sat in silence for a bit. Hannalyn watched the way Elphaba meticulously relaxed her muscles, signaling that she was calming down.

"You remind me of my older cousin," Elphaba said after a while.

"Do you want me to remind you of her?"

"No, not really. It makes me miss her even more. She was the only one who convinced me that love was possible in our political family." She thought of Naoleine, their conversations before and after her wedding, and how she had promised to put on a brave face for the good of Munchkinland. With a sigh, she reached over Hanna and grabbed the tattoo book, going back to the page with the diamond links. "We can tell the Chieftess that I've made my decision."

Hanna stood and offered Elphaba her hand, but Elphaba stood on her own. "Do you feel better?"

"Not really. But I promised my cousin I would plant flowers on my dirt path –"

"What?"

"It's the last thing she said to me before I left. I am thinking of the good that will come from this, and that is imagining the look on my pious younger sister's face when she learns that I have tattoos." She managed a small smirk and walked out with the princess, her mood only improving slightly as she did.

Fiyero stared at his reflection in the full-length mirror. His father had insisted on one of the servants helping him get dressed. Apparently, this was too big a deal for him to be trusted and left to his own devices. He allowed the servant to assist him with his brightly colored robes and shoes. He tied his dreadlocks into a low ponytail before shoving the cap onto his head, letting the servant straighten it.

He dismissed the servant as soon as he was done and rubbed his face. He really didn't want to dread the Ritjana Feast. There would be food, fun, music, and he would be showered with attention, and have a chance to get to know Elphaba. But enjoying tonight would mean he was one step closer to signing his freedom away.

He didn't want to dislike Elphaba. He knew she had no part in this arrangement. But it was much easier to place blame on her rather than think the whole alliance through. And he couldn't blame her if she was doing the same.

Their first two meetings replayed over and over in his mind. She seemed like a sweet girl. Her heavy Munchkin accent made her Vinkun sound weird, and she mispronounced words, but he knew he shouldn't hold it against her. If she were to teach him Munchkin, he knew he'd sound weird with his Vinkun accent, probably incomprehensible.

He looked at the clock, and hurried out just before it chimed the hour. He had promised Nor he'd say goodnight. She had begged to attend the feast with her brothers, but Sarima said she was too young. She was about the throw a fit when Sarima said that if she went to bed without a fuss, she could stay up an extra hour the following day for the wedding festivities. That placated the nine-year-old and she added the condition that her uncle also had to say goodnight to her.

Fiyero stood in the doorway as Sarima finished a lullaby. Nor was drowsy, but still awake, and stared at her uncle until her mother also noticed him.

"You look fancy, Uncle Yero," Nor yawned.

"Thank you, Nor," Fiyero chuckled, coming in and sitting on the bed next to Sarima.

The Young Dowager Princess glanced at him, but didn't say anything about the close contact.

"I hope your new wife looks pretty, too," she said as she started to succumb to sleep. "Amma, turn off the dark, please."

Sarima got up and lit the small lantern on the wall. One of the servants would extinguish it when they were sure the little princess was fully asleep. When she turned around, Fiyero was tucking Nor in and handing her her lovey, whispered goodnight, and kissed her forehead. Sarima kissed her cheek, and the two adults tiptoed out, quietly closed the bedroom door, and walked down to the ballroom.

"Khát returns tomorrow for the wedding celebrations," Sarima said to break the silence.

"I know. I thought she'd be here tonight, but her travel plans were delayed."

They didn't say any other words until they got to the door. Sarima was about to walk in, but Fiyero gently pulled her back.

"Sarima, I want you to be nice to my wife."

"You've heard about her, haven't you? That's why you're telling me –"

"I know you, Sarima. That's why I'm telling you. Be nice."

"Alright," Sarima promised after a moment. "And… I'm sorry for what I said to you before. I wish I could say that I didn't mean it, but… I'm sorry I said it to you. It's my fault you have to marry that Munchkin, and I will carry that guilt for the rest of my life." She walked inside, leaving Fiyero to gape at what she just said.

Not wanting to waste time thinking about the most selfish apology he'd ever heard, Fiyero walked inside, and was immediately swamped with everyone's greetings. He mingled with everyone, including the invited members of the other three tribes, for almost an hour.

"Uncle Yero, is it true?" Manek asked as he and Irji ran up to him.

"Is what true?" Fiyero asked, fixing his nephew's shirt.

"You're marrying a child!"

A few people nearby turned their heads, and Fiyero pulled both his nephews aside. "Where did you hear that?"

"Auntie Hanna said that your new wife is a child. That can't be true, can it?" Irji said.

"We're children. She can't be like us, can she?" Manek asked.

"No. She's not a child," Fiyero explained with a tired sigh.

The two boys continued to hound their uncle with questions until things began to organize. Taking the hint from the Chieftain and Chieftess, the guests began to take their spots, standing behind their assigned floor pillows around multiple circular tables of food.

A castle steward stomped his heeled foot to grab everyone's attention. "Presenting Her Excellency, Elphaba Melena Thropp of Nest Hardings, Munchkinland, the Thropp Eighth Descending, betrothed to our prince, His Highness, the Prince Fiyero Liir Tigulaar, grandson of the Grand Chieftain of the illustrious Arjiki Clan, Highest House of the Vinkus, His Grandness, the Chieftain Marilott Tigulaar."

Fiyero's eyes locked on the doors as they opened, revealing Elphaba in a dark gold, long-sleeved iro and buba ensemble and matching gele covering her head. Her eyes quickly scanned the crowd before locking with Fiyero. She bit the inside of her cheek and walked inside, ignoring everyone's stares and whispers.

"Your Grandnesses," she said, giving the royals a grand bow.

"Elphaba, this is my grandson, Fiyero, your husband," the Chieftain said, gesturing to Fiyero.

The prince stepped forward and took Elphaba's hand. It was still as soft as when he helped her into her carriage that night in the forest. "Elphaba."

Elphaba didn't move a muscle as Fiyero brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "Fiyero."

The Chieftain motioned for everyone to be seated and begin eating. The center of the tables where the food spun, allowing everyone to grab bits of everything.

"You think they fell for it?" Fiyero muttered to Elphaba so his family wouldn't hear.

"I think they did," she said, giving him a small smile.

"Now that we got that out of the way, officially, hi."

She shifted on the pillow. "Hi."

"Are you alright?"

"These clothes are a bit itchy."

"I will tell the maids to soak your clothes in rose softener from now on. Is this your first time in full Vinkun garb?"

"Other than trying on my wedding attire, yes."

"It's different," he voiced for her, knowing she was thinking it. "You look beautiful, though."

"Thank you. It's… looking at things another way."

He hummed and took a bite of rice. "I must ask you something." He waited until she looked up at him. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"Oh. That makes so much sense."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"My nephews told me that they heard you were a child."

She looked over at the two young boys, who weren't trying to hide the fact that they were staring at her. "Yes. Your sister did call me a child."

"I'm sure she just meant that in the Vinkus, you are not considered an adult, legally or maturely, but you are in Munchkinland."

"I became an adult at seventeen." It didn't go over her head that that was the one culturally Munchkin thing the royals didn't try to erase from her. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-five. I suppose our age gap could've been a lot worse."

"I suppose six years isn't so bad."

He shifted to more personal questions, asking about her life in Munchkinland and her interests. Elphaba answered questions about her family and her title, but wisely left out her magic. She confessed that she was born green, and no one knew why, and that seemed to satisfy him. She asked questions about the Vinkus to find something in common that she could grasp onto, but not much was salvaged from that conversation point.

"You don't eat meat?" Fiyero asked, noticing how Elphaba's plate was mostly rice and vegetables.

"Not in excess. And Vinkun meat is covered in gravies and sauces, so much so that I don't know what it is."

"What is Munchkin meat like?"

"Not as thick, and we don't drown it in sauce."

He spun the table so the meat was in front of them. He speared a small piece and scraped off as much sauce as he could before scraping it onto her plate. "Lamb."

Elphaba's eyes widened slightly, but quickly controlled her face and she took a small bite.

"You don't like it?"

"It's not bad," she said, but didn't finish the piece.

Fiyero nodded and let the silence sit for a bit.

"I'm sorry," Elphaba whispered. "I promised to try. I'm not doing a very good job. I know I should stop being upset that things are so different here."

"You don't have to apologize. I understand how this is for you." He turned the table. "Have you tried the Fufu?"

"What is it?"

He showed her how to break off a small piece of the loaf with her right hand, hold it in between her fingers, and make a small dent with her thumb to hold the food. She tried it with her rice and vegetables, and smiled when she took a bite.

"It tastes like potatoes." Finding a dish that she liked made her more animable to trying the other foods, which got her to open up more. Soups were added to the table, and she carefully ladled out a creamy reddish-orange soup, thinking it was tomato. Along that same thought, she took a big spoonful, and instantly regretted it.

As soon as the soup hit her tongue, her whole mouth felt like it was on fire. She was so surprised that she didn't have time to think of a way to be discreet, and immediately let out a loud gag and coughed, drawing the attention of the entire room.

"Elphaba!" Fiyero gasped, immediately pressing her goblet into her hands.

She had water in her goblet, which only made the spiciness worse. Her eyes watered as she fanned her mouth and continued coughing. Her lips and throat burned, and she felt like she couldn't breathe.

Fiyero heard the judgmental whispers and Sarima's giggle, having heard enough, stood and helped Elphaba to her feet. He ushered her out of the room, silently signaling to Hanna to follow them with a large goblet of the mango nectar.

Once the ballroom doors closed behind them, Fiyero tried to calm Elphaba down enough to where she wasn't trying to talk. She tried to break out of his arms multiple times, but Fiyero held firm until Hanna came out with the drink.

"Drink this," Fiyero said, taking it from his sister and holding it up to Elphaba's lips.

The thick drink cooled her burning mouth and throat, and she gulped half of it down before taking a deep breath.

"You okay?" Fiyero asked.

She blinked away the last of her tears and nodded. Fiyero collected her into his arms and protectively hugged her to his chest.

"The hot pepper soup isn't even that spicy," Hannalyn said.

"It is when you're not used to the spices. Go tell everyone we'll be back inside in a few minutes."

Hanna stared at the couple, but nodded and disappeared back inside. Fiyero realized that Elphaba wasn't returning his hug, and, fearing she didn't want him touching her anymore, loosened his grip and made to let go. The second his hands left Elphaba's body, hers shot up and hugged him.

Elphaba had no idea what elicited that reaction. She was over the spicy shock and was ready to return inside and pretend that nothing had happened, but she liked the feeling of Fiyero's strong arms around her. She had never felt protected like that before. This man whom she'd just met, even though they would be married in a few hours, went out of his way to show that he cared.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," she whispered once her voice returned.

"Do what?"

"All this; helping me out, making sure I had a sweet, cool drink, staying with me to make sure I'm okay."

"Why would you think that?"

"No one had ever gone out of their way to make sure I was okay. But you did. Back home, I would've been reprimanded for ruining the feast." She glanced at the closed doors. "There's still a chance of that happening."

"There's no chance of that happening," Fiyero corrected. He hadn't heard any concern, mostly judgment and nasty side comments from the guests, but he hoped his family, specifically his grandfather, were concerned enough to make his statement not a lie.

"I'm not having as easy an adjustment as your family had hoped. I haven't been easy, and I don't think they like me, but they can't send me back because of the treaty."

"I know this situation isn't an ideal situation for either of us, but I have no reason to dislike you as a person."

Her lips twitched. "I don't dislike you, either."

He brushed his fingers against her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. "Ready to go back inside?"

Though she wasn't ready to fully admit it yet, she could tell that Fiyero would be one of her flowers on her dirt path. "Yes."