That Winkie Prince, Fiyero

The heavy wooden door was forced open with a crash, and two men stepped inside. They were clad in the same emerald uniforms as the prince, and were armed. The Wizard’s guards!

“Nessa, surrender my rifle at once so I can flee and no one gets hurt! Please!”

Nessa’s hands shook violently. What in Oz… what had she been thinking? She looked down at the gun in her fragile hands and suddenly thrust the damnable thing into Fiyero’s arms, where the vile thing belonged. Overcome with an almost foreign feeling — was it compassion? — she suddenly shoved him forcefully towards the rear exit of the house, behind the grand staircase. “You utter fool, you have led them here!” she hissed. She internally thanked the Unnamed God, for if Elphaba had remained in this place— no, there was no use dwelling on such a thing! “We are here under the orders of His Ozness, inquiring as to the wherabouts of the Wicked Witch of the West.” A gruff voice spoke these words, cutting through the air; though the younger Thropp could not tell which of the men had spoken. They looked equally menacing, and the presence of both sickened Nessa to no end. When would they leave her to rule in relative peace?! The ‘Wonderful’ Wizard had done nothing but throw Munchkinland into absolute chaos since before Nessa had risen to power, and it was now time to enforce His will, and judge the two sinners before her. The shoes gave her little confidence to step forward, but step forward she did, all the same. This was her burden to bear; her test. And by the Will of the Unnamed God, she would put these ridiculous idiots back in their place. “You have no business here; no right to intrude!” She spat, gesturing in an accusing manner. “The creature you call Wonderful has absolutely no power or influence over my own ruling of Munchkinland. Under the guidance of the Unnamed God I must ask you to disarm yourselves and leave, cretins, or else you will face the consequences.” Her eyes bored into their skulls like pickaxes, and as cold as ice themselves.

Fury and fear danced within her, like two flames, each attempting to consume the other. When the men did not budge, Nessa thrust out an arm, and sure enough the straps securing the guards’ weapons snapped loose. The intention had been to disarm, but inflicting humiliation was equally as rewarding. Nessa felt her lips curl slightly with satisfaction; glee rapidly outweighing the fear. She held out her hands, steadying herself, but she supposed nothing could truly prepare her for the crude, brutish weapons the Gale Force favoured. A gunshot rang out. Nessa staggered sideways, colliding with the staircase railings.

After finally retrieving his rifle, he strapped it on and held tightly to the treacherous instrument. Though he knew his pride and ego could have crumbled down at the mercy of this woman, he patted himself at the back for being able to be a gentleman and respect the lady. It was his own way of coping with the shame of begging for some petty object he had placed much sentiment on.

It was time he fled. He was here for more than what was due for their meeting and it could not result to any positive results. And noticing that either of the men who broke in weren’t part of his escort team, he knew they were under the command of the Wizard. It will not end well if he did not flee.

He understood he’d pay for it eventually.

Yes, this foolish prince decided that it was the better choice to stay. If he had left Nessarose, Oz knows what these men would do to her. Sure she can magic her way through them, but something told Fiyero that she would eventually wear herself out and cause inevitable harm to herself. She could alternatively call her guards, but these men are here now and they can immediately cause harm to her once they find it was right to do so.

Now was the time Fiyero put himself into good use.

Though when he decided to do something, Nessa had already started to Magic the two men’s rifles and the arms were floating around just like his own a few moments ago. Fieyro looked at the levitating objects, amused that Nessarose Thropp, the young lady that kept on harping at Glinda for being so into sorcery, was indulging herself in such blasphemy. Fiyero didn’t think sorcery was blasphemous, but he knew Nessa did.

His nostalgic trip to Shiz was cut short after a gun shot was heard. He didn’t know what happened exactly, but he saw Nessarose in what seems a very cliché slow motion falling to the railings of the stairs. He, instead of ducking, ran to her side and made sure she didn’t fall down and hurt herself. He didn’t touch her and she was safe.

The captain then looked at the two guards. None were injured and Fiyero didn’t know if he was to be relieved or to be worried about that. They were both still very startled at the fact that they were unarmed by such a spell. Fiyero knew what they felt very well as he was also stripped of his rifle by this woman. The thought of Nessa having this inclination with such arms crossed his mind, but he dismissed it as it is clearly not the time to be distracted.

He also checked himself and he was safe.

Then, he noticed the both of them were reaching out to their rifles and seeing that Nessa wasn’t in top shape to cast another spell, Fiyero decided that it was up to him. For real this time.

“Halt! Do not dare to touch your weapons or Oz be damned, I will strip you both from your positions.” Fiyero exclaimed as he stood up and pointed his rifle at the two men.

If this was a play of power, Fiyero had been equipped for this ever since he was born. He was the Prince of the Arjiki tribe, the tribe that ruled Kiamo Ko and stretched even to the Thousand Year Grasslands. His tribe held so much power that these two guards could not even comprehend. And though they are in direct orders from the Wizard, he was still their captain and if they had disobeyed him, there will be consequences. Or so Fiyero hoped.

And just then, before the guards had done anything in reply to his orders, the prince looked back at Nessarose; just a glimpse to see how she was taking all of this. It was not what he wanted to see.

Nessa was not safe.

She was bleeding and Fiyero had no idea what to do. He looked back at the guards with new emotion stirring inside him. He was enraged, another feeling Fiyero had not been a fan of and have never felt so intensely about until today.

#ooc; I apologize for my slow replies #I have not been well lately #Ugh #I only realize now how terrible of a schedule I have for this school term

Fiyero's Thoughts #11

"I know I shouldn't be so attached to that thing, but if someone were to find– may Oz Forbid– Nessa dead with my rifle in her hands, I will not be able to explain myself to anyone.

"This entire thing is way out of hand. I usually am capable of excusing myself from everything, but this one would be one thing I would not be able to simply slip away from.

"Oh Oz, what have I gotten myself into?"

Nessa stared long and hard at the gun hovering before her. She raised her hand, watching in disbelief as the weapon followed suit. It was awe inspiring. Had she felt that it was righteous, she could have easily pulled the trigger with little more than a snap of her fingers…

A strong hand reached out and tore the rifle out of her line of vision, and she lost her focus. Of course, the prince could not let her, an innocent weakling handle such a situation. Nessa seethed at the very idea.

She winced; pain throbbed in her temples. A welcome sensation, for it meant her power was justified. Everything had a price, especially when one used such power through the will of the divine Unnamed God. Nessa stood hunched over slightly, leaning against the railing at the bottom of the staircase. Such enchantments were were most definately draining, to say the least.

Turning to face the prince, Nessa spoke with urgency. “There is a back door behind the stairs; only my old Nanny appears to use it,” she stopped dead in her tracks, and attempted to swipe at the loaded rifle in Fiyero’s hands. Every fiber of her being seemed to radiate panic; anger; an unexplicable sort of fear.

“You are likely to put all of us in danger! Though make no mistake, Captain of the Guard, I worry not for you.”

She took the rifle again. Again. And though he wanted to take it back, she took it not with her magic but with her bare hands. Fiyero would never dare to take something from a woman, nor grab an object out of reach. He respected her too much to even touch her without permission.

But it was his rifle; the one thing that he could use to protect the people he cared about most. And though Nessarose Thropp did not care about him, he did for her; quite a lot, frankly. She is the sister of the woman he had felt intensely of and the last thing she wanted was to get them both hurt.

In this situation, he thought of three possibilities: one of them gets hurt, none of them gets hurt or someone else gets hurt. And he didn’t know how it would go nor did he want any of those to happen. He was indeed panicking by this time.

Did she know how to use a gun? Well, probably not. Would it be smart to take the deadly thing from her? Not a good option either.

The prince was divided. This predicament is much more difficult than the conflicts he had with the neighbouring tribes back in Vinkus. All he had to do there was give them some articles from his tribe in return for non-confrontation, a win-win situation; this one had no win-win situation.

He simply stared at her take the damn thing from his custody. And the thing is, that wretched tool was strapped onto him, but somehow she had torn it away from him and he had no choice but to let her take it.

Meanwhile, the banging started to sound more forceful. This was the cue had to leave soon or else they’ll get caught. What stopped him from running was the fact that he didn’t want to leave the rifle on the hands of the Thropp. There were just so many things that could go wrong and sure, blame the man for his pride and ego, but that’s what most men are made of anyway.

His heart was racing terribly by this time. He was like a lost child in a store looking for his mother while she tried on some clothing; not even a clue on where to begin searching. He just simply stood there and stared at the woman with the big gun, waiting for the action she would take.

Soon, the entrance to the Thropp mansion opened wide. Fiyero couldn’t make out the two men that came barging in, but they weren’t Munchkins. Their silhouette says at least that much about them and they were indeed armed.

Were they his troops? Was it some rebellion squad out to kill him or the Eminent Thropp? If they were his troops, he could easily fix the situation… could he? Everything happened too fast for him to properly assess what was happening. He didn’t even know if he should stay to defend Nessarose or leave and let her handle it. She had his gun; she can take these two men and call it a break in. But his rifle!

“Nessa, surrender my rifle at once so I can flee and no one gets hurt! Please!” he pleaded and stretched an arm forward hoping that the woman would hand over what was rightfully his.

The rifle lay on the ground, harmless and unloaded. Nessa let out a breath she hadn’t realised she had been holding, and let her hands fall limp to her sides. Despite her nerves, Fiyero’s little speech seemed to further reduce her suspicions, and even calmed her somewhat.

Though whatever Fiyero’s motives, it did not change the simple fact that they were surrounded by the Wizard’s armed guards. With their sights set on Elphaba, it was only a matter of time until they extended their interrogations to those close to the green woman. It was unjust, and Nessa was certain that she would have revenge, under the guidance of the ever watchful Unnamed God.

Nessa smoothed down her skirt, and folded her arms across her chest, determined to retain some sense of authority over the prince. “Failure or not, Elphaba and Glinda narrowly escaped. you mustn’t dwell on it, for what good would that do you?”

She descended the remaining steps, addressing Fiyero in a whisper — an anxious hiss, almost. Her ice cold eyes gleamed in the light of the chandeliers hanging overhead, glistening as bright as the shoes on her feet.

“I can see it written all over you, Captain. You are an open book; and oh so easy to read. If you are lusting after my sister, you must be severely unaware of her aversions to that sort of… emotion.” Nessa leaned in closer, the look on her face unreadable. “I must ask you to not let such base desires cloud your judgement. I shall pray for your soul, Fiyero.”

Nessa’s expression twisted into a frenzied look of panic, and her eyes darted around the vast expanse of a hallway. “No one must know you are here; they must not know that this meeting, if one can call it that, ever occured—”

All of a sudden, a loud bang emanated from the main door, causing the entirety of the lower floor to shudder. Before Nessa knew what was happening, she found herself staring at a now fully loaded rifle, aimed at the door, hovering in mid air at her command.

#nessarose-t #ooc; sorry it took a while #had to do homework

Lust for Elphaba? Was that what he felt? Surely it could not. Was it?

Is it possible to lust for a person without thinking of them in ways they should not be thought of? Elphaba intrigued him, in truth. Her distinct figure, though quite difficult to accept at first, is quite magnificent to look at over time. She wasn’t at all repulsive. Clearly, she didn’t look like a hog or an asparagus in context of her skin. She is beautiful and only someone without taste would not be able to appreciate the exquisite beauty this woman had to offer them.

She is lovely, but that wasn’t what caught his eye. No, that wasn’t it. There was something more profound to his attraction, something that sets apart the physicality of lusting for someone. Lust is a physical want and even if he cannot admit that he had shunned such thoughts away, it wasn’t what tripped him.

It was the details: dark tresses when let down seemed to shine even under the moonlight, that oddly painted skin that seemed to smell like roses as she passed by, her quirky gentleness behind the sarcastic remarks, the care she had for that little lion cub in Dr. Nikdik’s class. Fiyero saw it when no one else did. The genuine compassion she had beneath the mask she wore.

That was it, the thing that intrigued him so much of her. He had finally understood.

And now she is gone and it’s too late for him. The realization always comes in the end. Though he was used to doing things on impulse and making the most out of the consequences of his actions, he didn’t know if he could actually take this on.

Realizing that the younger Thropp was leaning towards him, he felt quite uneasy. Though, he didn’t move and simply absorbed what she had told him. Unfortunately for him, it was already too late. His judgements were already clouded. Wasn’t it already obvious? Elphaba consumed him. He had given up a life of carefree living, of dancing through the ballrooms of what life has to offer just to find her. He had even left his life in Vinkus, a life of frivolity with his wife and her sisters.

Or maybe it wasn’t so unfortunate. He hadn’t bothered about politics regardless of him being birthed in it until he heard terrible things about Elphaba. It had only been then that he realized how appalling of a ruler the Wizard is. In fact, Fiyero would probably be a better ruler than the Wizard could ever be. After all, the prince did take over his tribe for quite a while and they managed well. Fiyero hated that guy and would rather form allegiance with these ladies– or in fact anyone else– over the Wizard.

Coincidentally, upon being warned that no one could know of this chat they had, someone had to be banging on the door. Really, what great timing! And as committed as he was to his duty, his first reaction was to take his rifle and protect Nessarose from whoever was it breaking in.

It was a moment too late. The Eminent Thropp had already magicked his rifle to rise up and follow her biddings.

That did not sit well for Fiyero. Not at all. He had a strong sense of attachment with the damn thing and his pride just could not handle it. It was his rifle, his own sense of security, his girlfriend if placed in the context of the officer that trained him to be what he is now. He grabbed the floating tool regardless of it being under the power of a sorceress. No one can use his rifle but himself, not until he dies. That was his final verdict.

Holding his rifle dearly, he briskly fled down the stairs and when he reached the base, he faced the woman. “Nessa, is there another exit? Tell me and I will flee at once.” He asked immediately wearing the strap on to him.

The words Fiyero spoke seemed to quell the initial flame of anger; Hatred for the Wizard’s regime, for everything the Gale Force uniform he wore stood for. He did not appear to be lying, yet he was still holding that infernal rifle! Nessa’s expression remained as steely as before, nonetheless.

Nessa watched, vaguely registering the sound of rain pattering against the windows. She observed quietly as the prince’s gaze fell to the floor, breaking eye contact. The whole situation was rather unsettling to Nessa. Fiyero had spoken of the wish to see Elphaba safe; of being free himself. The words seemed to hit too close to home. She paced forward a few steps, though of course making sure to retain some distance between herself and the man before her.

The emotional agony Fiyero appeared to be experiencing seemed to be written all over his face, for all the world to see. If there was one thing Nessa did know about the prince, it was that he was ridiculously easy to read. An open book.

Though for all that she had endured, Nessa was still unsure of how to talk to this man. This one man in particular, who had gone out of his way to make sure Elphaba was still alive and well. It was astounding.

“Elphaba is safe; though I heard the angry cries of the men under your command as she fled,” she spat, frantically clutching at her skirts. “She assured me so herself once she made her escape… And as I am sure you are aware, she did this…”

Nessa kicked up a foot, allowing for a silver shoe to catch the light in all its dazzling glory; her face softened, and a slight smile graced her lips. It was as though she could still not believe that this… this ability to walk was not a dream.

“It seems freeing people is what my dear sister is striving for, Fiyero. I only wish she could free herself. Now, I must ask you to put down that accursed weapon if you truly mean me no harm!” Nessa hissed these last few words, fear in her eyes. She held up a hand as though the action would shield her from any potential threat. Perhaps it would… The power she possessed was mysterious, if not sinister.

“Why are you here, dear Prince? As you can see, my sister is no longer here.”

#nessarose-t #ooc; aksdjalksdj I screwed up like 239129 times. LOL I apologize

“Elphaba is safe;” Safe. She was safe. Safe. Safe safe safe safe safe safe…

The word rang in his head. He felt weak, he felt vulnerable, numb. The information gave him sort of a buzz in his head, blurred his vision for a while. He felt unusually uneasy yet calm and at peace. He grabbed the rail beside him with his free hand and composed himself. He took in a deep breath and sighed silently.

Noticing the silver shoe, it now made sense. Elphaba had come here to help her sister, to make up for whatever she had put her little sister through. Nessarose, the girl that sat on a wheelchair and assisted by a nanny is able to stand and walk because of Elphaba.

“Charming, I must say.” It was all he could muster and that didn’t only mean the shoes. He looked at Nessarose’s face and smiled.

It had always caught him; how Elphaba charmed her way into the heart of this hunter regardless of reach. It was like she never left… which the prince found true because everyone had held her close to their hearts. Even the people that don’t know her kept her close; had a watchful eye out for her. Though she was never physically here, she was here.

He felt certain of this: Every person she met, she had left something with them. And these articles seem to sneak out every single time. Or probably it was Fiyero linking everything to her. The heart turns us insane, after all.

“O-oh! I’m sorry!” he finally caught himself after being ordered to unarm himself.

Having been part of the guards, he had learned to be paranoid. It had become natural for him to never let go of his rifle at no cost at all. Though, he could probably make an exception this time. They were alone, after all.

He removed the strap that bound him to his rifle and genuflected on a step. “Why areyou here, dear Prince? As you can see, my sister is no longer here.”

He secured the rifle and pointed the dangerous thing down. “Well,” he pushed the magazine release button releasing the case of bullets on the ground. “I had to push through with the plans.”

He pulled the charging handle. “You see, it would have been easier to have simply–” Returned it back, “contacted you with this new Tik-tok machine,” pressed a button, released the bolt and flicked the trigger. “But I didn’t know how to.”

Within a few seconds, he had successfully unarmed his weapon and laid it respectfully on the ground. He stood up and looked back at the Eminent Thropp. “I thought maybe if I stalled the troops by telling them I’d assist them and they had to wait for me midway, it would buy Elphaba and Glinda time. I do admit it had failed. The Wizard, after all, had more power than I did. Sometimes I even wonder why he had assigned a Captain if he still ordered the guards around.”

He placed one foot on a higher step, held on the rail and leaned on it.

Fiyero's Thoughts #10

Those who don't try never look foolish.

"I barely even tried and now I'm the biggest fool of all." Fiyero sighed.

"Love is such a deceptive little thing, toying with people and making them run in circles. It's intoxicating, addicting. A habit destructive in nature. It drugs and when it burns out, its victims are left delirious in withdrawal.

"Finally, when everything sinks in, it's too late. The damage has been done."

#Fiyero's Thoughts 10

Nessa watched the Winkie prince as he explained himself, leaning heavily against the railings. Back at Shiz, she had never really spent enough time around Fiyero to get to know him, aside from the odd excursion to the grassy banks of the Suicide Canal with Elphaba, Glinda, and sometimes those strange boys from Briscoe Hall.

It wasn’t hard to see that something about Fiyero was different, however. It was odd that he had stumbled into the position of Captain of the Wizard’s guards, though he seemed to claim that his allegiance lay with the Thropp sisters.

“The Wizard is smart, he knows sooner than later Elphaba will not be able to resist her sister. But that’s beside the point. In Gilikin, before Glin-”

Nessa staggered down the first few steps of the grand staircase at these words, and immediately shooed away her servants. Once the frightened, confused pair were out of earshot, the younger Thropp dared to speak, pointing at Fiyero in an accusing manner.

“Elphaba told me she had seen you. I couldn’t believe it, but now here you are. And you dare to dress in that uniform…”

Nessa’s eyes were like ice, boring into the Winkie prince’s own brown, warmer ones. “Why, may I ask, are you so determined to find my dear sister, if you do not wish to hand her in to the Wizard?”

There was something different. Something changed with Nessa. He didn’t understand it but he sensed it. It was right before hi– she was standing! Sure, this younger lady was a bit more cross and had a bit more glow to her, but she was walking! He didn’t know how to react to this, but he knew he was quite surprised and a little glad for her. But right now, it isn’t the time for praises, he knew.

Finally, the two little men left them alone. He felt more at ease now that he was with a familiar face. Though they were distant, he knew that something– no, someone– connected them. They had the same goal, wanted the same result: Elphaba.

“I have no choice. As the Captain of the Guards, I am apparently on duty as each clock-tick passes. Ironic really, I never liked uniforms. I find them ridiculous and too… uniform.” He grinned.

He can’t help it; he just can’t keep a straight face even when it is needed. Clearly, there are times where it is in dire need, but he just can’t help it. Noticing the younger Thropp tread down the stairs, he didn’t know if he should go to her aid or just stand there. He hoisted himself up and hesitated, leaving him in an awkward position. But, after being asked what his purpose was, he quickly decided he should just simply stay where he was.

“I am searchin– no, searched for her because… well, after she left, I felt some sort of an uneasiness brew up. Not just within me, no; within everyone. It bothered me a lot. It bothered me how I actually cared; how I actually thought of things I have never before. I couldn’t understand it at first and I thought maybe if I saw her again, if I knew she was safe, it would ease the tension and eventually free everyone.” He hesitated to say the next words.

The prince just couldn’t. He couldn’t admit his feelings; he couldn’t say what he wanted to say. It was just too difficult. Every time he thought about it, it felt like the broken pieces of his heart were being shattered. And unlike the entire heart, small pieces all together bring out a much larger uproar, a much painful pain. It was terrible, he didn’t know such feelings could be felt, such tenderness could be harnessed. It wasn’t possible… until now.

“Eventually–“He sighed. “E-eventually, free me.”

He looked down to hide his face from the sister of the woman he had adored very deeply. And though he cannot say nor think of the word he wanted to say and think, he knew what he felt. He knew it was true, but he just had to let it go. Maybe ignoring it, shelving it somewhere and leave it to expire just like a bottle of sour pickles would fix it? Maybe it could.

If he really cared about her, he’d respect her decision and let her go. That was the truth and it hurt.

With the Munchkins out of her sight, Nessa hastily flattened down the pleats in her long skirt, and rushed to her wardrobe to peer into the full length mirror she’d had installed on one of the finely polished doors. She frantically smoothed down stray strands of hair, almost neurotically, before stepping back.

Silver and red shone in the looking glass before her, and Nessa laughed silently, bitterly to herself. How foolish.

It would always be this way; just her, and the girl in the mirror, no matter what she did.

Nessa stood up straight, and inhaled deeply as though the act alone would calm her. With a wave of her hand, the door opened and she stepped out into the hall. Having rarely left her office other than to go to and from her chambers and to attend meetings, Nessa had almost forgotten just how breathtaking her estate at Colwen Grounds was.

The elegance did not outweigh the sheer emptiness of this place, however, despite the large number of staff and officials living in close quarters.

Nessa made her way to the main hall and caught sight of emerald, peeking through the railings at the bottom of the stairs. Gold embellishments. A gleaming rifle.

It was only when she had reached the very top of the staircase that she recognised the man, and found herself immediately torn between surprise, nostalgia, and a strange feeling of betrayal.

“So, it is you! Carrying out orders to hunt down the Wicked Witches of Oz, are you, Master Fiyero Tigelaar?”

A woman appeared above the stairway as he and his escorts arrive at the foot of it. She stood tall and wore a simple yet grand robe fitting for a governess. Though, if one were to ask a male, it complemented her curves very well. That little sweet yet very uptight girl Fiyero had heard of has indeed changed. She was more cross.

The little ones seemed to shiver at the sight of their mistress.

“So, it is you! Carrying out orders to hunt down the Wicked Witches of Oz, are you, Master Fiyero Tigelaar?”

Why does everyone assume that? Sure, he is part of the Gale Force. Heck, he runs the damned guards! And just because he’s placed in that position, doesn’t mean he likes being there. Why does everyone have to be so judgemental? He hates the Wizard with as much passion as these ladies do. Does he really need to keep on explaining himself to every Shiz Alumnae he meets? Oz.

“Nessa, I can explain.” He replies with a very cliché answer.

Honestly, he didn’t want to explain himself. He’s done that with Glinda and Elphaba, even that Leopard Elphaba keeps as her “companion”. How’d she even get to befriend a beast like her? It was all too fascinating and confusing for Fiyero, he decided to just drop it if he were to move on from this predicament.

Well, here goes another explanation.

“I came here on my own. I know this may sound terrible and I’m such a horrible person for letting this go on, but there has been guards stationed in Munchkinland for quite some time. The Wizard is smart, he knows sooner than later Elphaba will not be able to resist her sister. But that’s beside the point. In Gilikin, before Glin-” He took a gulp realizing there were two others in the vicinity.

He didn’t know why he had stopped. He had come here to know if Elphaba is all right. He didn’t care what would happen to him after this event or if he got caught trying to assist the fugitive as they called her now. The only thing that mattered to this Winkie prince was Elphaba’s safety and security. If she had to hide forever just to be safe, then so be it. It would be difficult for his heart to handle, but he has to man up and take it.

It baffled him, why did he cut himself? Could it be that somewhere within him, he feels that there is some importance in the uniform he was wearing? Maybe with it, he could protect not only Elphaba from being caught but also Glinda and Nessarose? His intentions were pure and maybe, just maybe, he could use it to his advantage. To their advantage.

Though, right now, he doesn’t know if he’s doing a good job convincing the woman before him for his own advantage. If he were to be seen as a threat, he would definitely be in trouble. And Nessarose is quite a difficult case to crack. He didn’t know Nessa well; he didn’t even bother to show her that he cared or that it also affected him greatly when Elphaba left Shiz. He just simply ignored her.

Now he realizes how terrible of a person he was and feels extremely terrible about it.