Chapter Text
This can’t be happening.
Fiyero looked up towards the sky, trying to keep his breathing steady. His head was pounding. One of his hands was entwined with Elphaba's; the other was clutched around a letter from his mother, brought to him directly by one of his family’s most trusted messengers. Someone typically utilized when the matter was critical and highly classified.
As he and his girlfriend were walking towards the Life Sciences building for their afternoon lecture, Fiyero spotted the stonefaced Vinkun standing in the shadows of the building’s main archway. Elphaba had met the man a few times in her visits to Kiamo Ko over the last two years; though he was only ever polite and kind to her, he did have an intimidating presence. She could easily see why they tasked him as courier for their most sensitive documents and communications.
Before Fiyero could ask what he was doing at Shiz, the man silently turned and walked behind the building towards the edge of the poppy fields. The couple turned to each other, a sense of foreboding washing over them both as they followed in his wake.
Once they were alone, the messenger somberly greeted him with a simple “Your Highness” and handed the prince an envelope before stepping away to give the two privacy. Fiyero’s name was written on the front in his mother’s hurried scrawl.
This couldn’t be good.
This is definitely not good.
In the few moments it took for him to rip open the envelope and read the letter, hands shaking with a fear he had rarely felt in his life, his entire future changed.
The letter was a summons; for him to return home.
It was time for him to take his place as King of the Vinkus.
Fiyero had hardly noticed as Elphaba gently guided him through the poppy fields to the forest clearing; their clearing, where they set the Lion Cub free. She didn’t know what the letter said, but she knew he did not need an audience to gather as he processed the news from home.
“Yero?”
Elphaba’s quiet voice cut through the jumble of half-thoughts that he was barely able to make sense of. Fiyero turned to his girlfriend, still in somewhat of a daze after reading the contents of his mother’s letter.
“What happened?”
Her eyes and voice were gentle as she asked; her tone making it clear that she wouldn’t demand the information before he was ready to share it. The problem was, he didn’t have time to not be ready. Decisions needed to be made immediately; but if he was honest with himself, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her what he needed to.
It's too much.
It's too soon.
The directive to return home included an invitation to Elphaba as well. Maybe invitation wasn't the right word; more of a call to action.
They were now dating for two years and Fiyero had long since made clear his intention was to marry her. From the moment he had the epiphany that there was no future he could envision without Elphaba, the plan had been to propose after graduating and to get married sometime in the half a year to a year after. Though he would have happily gotten married after their first date, he knew this was the practical route. Elphaba would want to focus on her studies and making sure they both graduated; that the chaos a royal engagement would bring would take away from their enjoyment of what should be exciting milestones.
This is it.
I’m going to lose her.
If their relationship were to end, he figured it would be because of something he did wrong, or that she finally realized he wasn’t enough for her and that she deserved so much more than what he could give. He did not expect the reason to arrive folded under a wax seal bearing his family crest.
Elphaba seemed to sense his struggle to put words to his thoughts. She held out her hand, “Would it be easier if I read the letter myself?”
Fiyero sighed heavily before handing it over. “I honestly don’t think there’s an ‘easier’ to be found in this situation.”
Glancing at him momentarily in concern, she looked down to read his mother’s words. Fiyero laid his head on her shoulder; unable to bear witness to her reaction and the moment she decided it was all too much. The moment she would decide to walk away.
Dearest Yero,
I’m sorry this news is coming to you in a letter, but between doctor’s appointments and meetings with Parliament, there’s only so much time. I barely managed to steal away to sit and write this; making the journey to Shiz would be impossible.
Your father is sick. He is alive and we have no reason to believe he will pass anytime soon. The condition he has causes muscle degeneration that impacts his facial muscles and his arm and leg movement. Its severity and progress is unpredictable and varies from person to person; but the biggest concern is how abruptly there may be a severe episode. He is already struggling with his strength on a day-to-day basis.
That being said, it is no longer wise or advised for him to continue on the throne. When you return home for the Lurlinemas holiday next week, you will have to begin the transition to take the crown. We will arrange with Shiz for you to complete your degree via correspondence.
Now, we must be clear on what this means for you and our dearest Elphaba. As you are aware, it is a requirement for the Vinkun Crown Prince to be married prior to their coronation, so that you and the future Queen are crowned together.
The coronation is scheduled for New Year’s Day. By the time you receive this letter, it will be in approximately two weeks’ time.
I know this was not your planned timeline, and I hate that this situation takes away your ability to propose on your own terms. Regrettably, for you two to remain together it is imperative that you adjust.
We desperately hope Elphaba is willing to take this leap with you, and that we will see you both in the next few days. Not just because we think she will be an incredible queen, but because we think you are meant to be together. However, we will understand and not think any less of her if it is too much too soon. If that is the case, we will unfortunately have to move forward with the worst case protocol; what we established prior to your arrival at Shiz.
Please burn this letter after you’ve read it, to ensure it doesn’t make it into mal intended hands. Most importantly, I send my love to you both, as well as my sincerest apologies. Things were never meant to be this way.
Love you always,
Your Mother
Elphaba took a deep breath in.
Her fingers made their way into his hair, running through the strands as she both attempted to comfort her love and process everything she just read. The realization that life as they had known it had completely changed in a matter of minutes hit her hard; and if it was overwhelming to her she could only imagine how Fiyero felt. After a few more moments her hand stilled, lowering her hand to his shoulder. She hugged him tightly and rested her chin on his head.
“Talk to me, my love.”
The responding huff could barely be heard, muffled as he tucked himself further into Elphaba’s embrace. “What am I supposed to say?”
“Whatever’s going on up there,” she said, gently tapping at his temple.
Fiyero pulled himself out of her arms and tried to gather his thoughts, but he had no clue where to start. Or, perhaps, he did know where to start; he just didn’t want to. “I don’t think any of it will be particularly helpful.”
“It doesn’t need to be helpful, it doesn’t have to be the ‘right thing’, it just needs to be honest. There’s too much to process in this letter to even attempt to filter your words, so don’t even try.” Elphaba allowed herself a small rueful smile and squeezed his hand. “This is me giving you full permission to speak without thinking.”
Fiyero grasped at his heart with a slight smirk, even though the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “A momentous occasion. Though I suppose it is extenuating circumstances.”
With a deep sigh he waved the letter in his hand. “This was always a threat thrown around when I was acting out, you know? ‘Yero, you need to stop this recklessness and start taking your responsibilities seriously. Your father could die tomorrow and you would have to be ready to take your place as King.’” He shook his head, “It just wasn’t supposed to actually happen that way.
Elphaba’s eyebrows furrowed. “Fiyero, love, your father hasn’t died. You aren’t taking the throne tomorrow.”
“No, of course he’s not and thank Oz for that. But New Year’s Day is just two weeks from now, Fae. Two weeks from today I’m going to be back in the Vinkus and expected to be crowned as the new King. It’s not exactly a five-year plan.” He managed to glance up at her briefly, the vulnerability in his eyes making him look years younger. For a moment, he was just a young boy again. Scared for his father, and terrified that the future he tried so hard to resist finally arrived at his door.
Elphaba knew there was nothing that she could say in this moment that would help. Instead, she squeezed his hands in hers and allowed space for his thoughts and feelings to simply exist; freely and without judgement.
As they sat in a weighted silence, Elphaba allowed herself a moment to focus on her surroundings; the winter air blowing through the tree branches, the few leaves left on the ground rolling with the breeze. She heard the sounds of the flowing water of the creek, and the soft pitter patter of whatever forest creatures were making their way through the snow. The gentle thrum of life was all around them, continuing completely unbothered by their presence.
Ironic when it felt like their lives had stopped in their tracks.
The sound of Fiyero’s deep inhale pulled her back from her musings. She turned to make sure he knew her full attention was his. Slowly, he began speaking again, but he was even more tense than when he started. “I don’t know what to expect when I see him, Fae. I don’t know if he’ll seem a little weaker than normal or practically on his deathbed. I don’t know how my mother is holding up. I don’t know how to fix this.” Now that he finally opened up, it was like the floodgates opened; he couldn’t stop the fears he had been trying to hide from spilling out. “I don’t know if I can do this, Fae. I don’t know if I can do this without you.”
Elphaba did a double take, dumbfounded at the words she just heard.
“Why in Oz would you be doing this without me?”
Fiyero looked equally as stunned and confused as Elphaba at this point. “Didn’t you read the letter, Fae? We would have to get married before the coronation. We aren’t even engaged yet and we’d have to be married by New Years. I would never put that kind of pressure on you, how could you even think I would?”
Elphaba recognized the start of a panic spiral when she heard it; she was well-versed in them herself. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to truly absorb her thoughts on the situation until he vented all his concerns, she asked the question she knew was at the crux of his worries. “What happens if we don’t get married right away; the ‘worst case protocol’ your mother is talking about?”
Fiyero shrugged; he was trying his hardest to seem unaffected, but his inability to meet her eyes betrayed him. The overwhelming deluge of emotions was rolling off of him in waves. “I’d have to abdicate.”
Elphaba blinked, momentarily stunned speechless.
“They’d force you to abdicate? Is that even possible? Isn’t there anything your parents could do?” She rose up from where they were sitting, unable to control herself in her newfound anger. “I can’t believe they would accept that! Should we write something to–”
“Fae–”
“No, Fiyero, this is ridiculous.” Oh, she was beyond mad now. She was furious. Absolutely livid. “They cannot possibly require you to relinquish your birthright because you didn’t get married with less than two weeks’ notice. Just wait, I’m sure I can find–”
Fiyero grabbed her hands and pulled them to his chest, stopping her movements. Although he knew his next words wouldn’t comfort her, they had to be said before she jumped in a carriage to wrangle and confront all of Parliament.
“Fae, just listen. No one is forcing me to abdicate.”
“But you just said–”
“I know what I said. They wouldn’t force me to abdicate, Fae.” He took a deep breath. “They would force me to get married. To someone else.”
Elphaba’s eyes widened. “Oh,” she breathed.
“Exactly.”
Her heart clenched as she imagined that reality. They would force me to get married. To someone else. Suddenly images of Fiyero, her Fiyero, with some mystery woman flooded her mind. At the altar sharing their first kiss as a married couple. Walking with him through the gardens of Kiamo Ko. Laughing over dinners and laying in the grass under the stars.
Someone more beautiful.
Someone better suited.
Elphaba shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts before she ran with them. This was a non-issue; she would not allow herself to fall back into the pit of insecurity she spent the last two years clawing her way out of.
Taking a calming breath, resting her fingers on either side of her forehead, she brought herself back to reality. “Yero, you cannot abdicate just to avoid getting married to someone else. I won’t let you.”
Fiyero’s face hardened. “I can and I would, Fae; without a moment’s hesitation. I will not accept being forced to marry someone else, and I will not accept being kept from spending the rest of my life with you. If it means stepping down from the throne, then so be it.”
Before Elphaba could even take a breath Fiyero could practically hear the argument she was about to make; and he intended to promptly nip it in the bud. “Don’t even go there, Fae. I would still abdicate even if you broke up with me today. Both because this situation would’ve caused it,” he smirked, “and out of spite.”
Elphaba rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help a small smile at how well Fiyero had come to know her.
“I just–” Fiyero began again, running his hands down his face in frustration. “So much of my life has been decided for me, and I’m not even king yet. Our wedding, our marriage, was supposed to happen when we were ready. Not on a schedule dictated by an outdated requirement and a bunch of old fools who refuse to change it.”
Elphaba grabbed him gently by the chin, turning him to face her. “My love, I understand how frustrating it is for your future to be out of your hands; but this isn’t new to me. My entire life and future has always been dictated by someone else, Yero. At least with you it’s a life I want.”
He grimaced. “That’s not exactly helping.”
Smirking, Elphaba decided to pull a page right out of Galinda’s book in the hopes it would bring a small smile to his face. She let go of his hands with an exaggerated huff and a dramatic toss of her hair, reaching for her bag as she pretended to storm off. “Well, I suppose if you don’t want me to want a life with you I’ll just–”
It worked exactly how she hoped, with Fiyero snorting a laugh and rolling his eyes, genuine amusement and affection written across his face. “Oh come off it,” he chuckled as he grabbed her hand and pulled them both to the ground to sit, settling her on his lap.
Nuzzling into the crook of her neck, he took a deep breath to ground himself. “I just hate that our happiness is being controlled by the role I was born into. I wanted to do this right; to give you a perfect proposal. To give you a better future than being stuck in Munchkinland attending to your sister for the rest of your life.”
“Fiyero, our happiness is not being controlled by who you were born as. If anything, our happiness exists in spite of it.” She raised a single eyebrow in jest and they both chuckled; the fact that the green witch was never impressed with his being a prince had become a long-standing joke amongst their friend group. “Our happiness has always been and will always be ours. The timeline is what’s out of our control.” She grabbed his hand. “Besides, you also seem to be forgetting that even if I wasn’t born green, the expectation would have been for me to live my entire life in Munchkinland anyway.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yero,” she laughed, “of course it is. Had I been born looking like everyone else I still would’ve been the eldest child of the governor. Father would have cherished me as much as he does Nessa, and he would’ve never removed me from the line of succession. I would’ve been expected to take his place when he died or retired.”
“I know that.”
Well now Elphaba was fully confused. “Then why wouldn’t I–”
Fiyero smiled lovingly as he brushed a curl that had come loose behind her ear. “Because green or not, we would’ve found our way to each other.”
“You seem rather sure of that.” It was meant as a quip but came out more softly than expected. She couldn’t help but blush at how confident he was in his claim. “Who’s to say I wouldn’t have found someone back home, or before you arrived at Shiz? I would’ve gone to university earlier, right when I finished secondary school. I would’ve graduated before you even stepped foot on the grounds. Maybe I would’ve met my future husband then.”
“No. If there’s anything I’m sure of in this life, it’s that we would find a way to each other in any universe. I was always meant to be yours, Fae.”
She smiled, “I can’t say what would happen in any other universe. But you sure make a compelling argument.” She ran her thumb across his lips. “In any case, I know that the only time and place I want to be in is this one. If you were meant to be mine, I was meant to be yours; there’s no one else for me.”
Fiyero’s eyes fluttered shut under her gentle touch, face smoothing in his relief that she wasn’t about to walk away; despite the daunting future that was abruptly dropped in their laps.
“You are my forever, Fiyero. Whether we got married today or in five years, I have no doubt we will be by each other’s side.” Elphaba shrugged. “Really, what’s the difference? I’d rather marry you today than lose a lifetime together.”
Fiyero stilled and for a moment Elphaba felt like she may have said the wrong thing. Although she was doing her best to remain calm for Fiyero, her emotions were stretched to their limits; she could only keep them in check for so long. The longer they sat in silence, the more she felt her own panic rising.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to quiet the flood of irrational thoughts that suddenly filled her mind. Was I too forward? Maybe he’s so nervous because he doesn’t want to get married yet and doesn’t want to say. Did I misunderstand him? Is he trying to convince me to reject him so he’s finally free of me?
“Let’s get married today.”
Elphaba’s eyes flew open.
“What?”
Fiyero’s eyes were back open, shining and full of emotions; she could see in his gaze the overwhelming feelings of joy, excitement, nervousness, and shock he was feeling at his own suggestion. “You’re absolutely right, Fae. Why shouldn’t our forever start today?”
“Yero, you’re going to be King. Even with all the resources you have at your disposal you can’t manage a royal wedding by tonight.”
Fiyero smirked and waved one hand, as if her statement was too ridiculous to even entertain. “First and foremost, I only need one resource if I really wanted to plan a full wedding by tonight. Let me say, that person would be very offended at your doubt that they could pull something together by then."
Elphaba rolled her eyes, though there was no malice in her expression. They both knew that Galinda on a mission could probably plan three royal weddings by that night if necessary.
“I mean it though. Of course, we can’t escape the Royal wedding and all the traditions that come with it. But we can get married now, on our own terms, even if it’s just for ourselves.”
“Where will we go? Who would marry us?”
“There’s a Lurlinist church in town–” he cut himself off laughing at the sight of Elphaba looking like she’d just been sentenced to Southstairs. “Not for us to get married there, but I already know the priest. He’s been trying to get me to attend masses there in an attempt to raise attendance. This may be a good time to offer a trade.”
Elphaba tipped her head, still a bit too frazzled by her panic and the subsequent proposal to make sense of his words. “A trade?”
Fiyero shrugged. “I’ll drop into a couple of masses in exchange for him marrying us tonight at Shiz. Right here in the clearing.”
Warmth spread across Elphaba’s chest at the thought of them beginning their future together in the same spot they fell in love. But she couldn’t help but ask one more question. “What if the press finds out that we got married sooner?”
He shrugged, “Then we tell them the truth. I am expected to take the throne imminently, with a Queen by my side. While we respect Royal marriage traditions and plan to partake in them, it was important to us to celebrate our union privately as well. Something that would be meant just for ourselves as we prepare to begin our life of service to the Vinkus.”
Elphaba blinked.
Then she blinked again.
Feeling unassured by her lack of response, Fiyero started second guessing himself. “We don’t need to necessarily say that, I was just–”
Elphaba interrupted him by grabbing him by the neck and pulling him down for a passionate kiss; bolder and more intense than she usually did outside their suites.
As they pulled apart, she ran her fingers through his hair, equal parts comforting and alluring. “That was perfect. Actually, incredibly attractive.”
Fiyero smirked as his eyes began to darken, “Oh, is that so?”
Running her finger along the buttons of his shirt, Elphaba nodded coyly. “Mhm. I actually think it’ll be quite helpful if you practice your statements and speeches out loud moving forward. Just to make sure you’re feeling confident about them.” She winked as she grazed the lowest button. “I'll be more than happy to listen.”
Fiyero’s eyes flashed as he grabbed her hand in his; interrupting its teasingly slow trail down past the waistline of his pants. “Well, that’s good to know. I’ll be needing those services fairly often once I’m King.”
Once I’m King, he thought. This is really happening.
Lost in that thought, his gaze began to wander somewhere else, worrying Elphaba. She gently squeezed his shoulders. “Yero? Did I– did I do something wrong? Sweet Oz, I don't know what I was thinking; I shouldn’t be getting carried away when there’s so much going on.”
Fiyero shook his head quickly to reassure her. “You didn’t do anything wrong at all, my sweet Fae.” His gaze turned reverent as he looked at this incredible woman; the love of his life. His future. “I’m just shocked you said yes. The balance you strike between impulsivity and paranoid caution is one I will never comprehend or predict.”
Elphaba cackled at that. “Well, it’s working in your favor so I’d caution against questioning the ways of my mind.”
Fiyero nodded, knowing how fleeting these moments of blind trust in her own decisions could be. “Good point. Alright, go tell the girls. I’ll send a note back to my parents with the messenger telling them about our plans and to expect the five of us over winter break. Then I’ll tell Boq and Feld and go sort out the officiant. All you need to do is try and survive Galinda, get a wedding dress, and we’ll all meet back here at sunset.”
Elphaba was practically glowing. “To get married.”
Fiyero held her face with both hands, excitement overtaking all the other more complicated emotions and issues of the moment. Today, he would focus on what was most important; he was going to marry Elphaba Thropp. His face broke into the biggest grin she had ever seen.
“Yes, my love. To get married.”
He pulled her back in for another kiss, this one slower, calmer, and full of promise. Quickly, Fiyero grabbed a sheet of paper and pen from his bag and scribbled a few lines to his parents with the most important updates and their love. As they turned to make their way back to campus, they couldn’t help but look at each other and laugh in giddy disbelief; in just a few hours they would become husband and wife.