Here's the first chapter for Consequences. I won't be uploading the second chapter until I have one or two more already written. I just want to see how many people are interested, so this is more of a preliminary than anything. Tell me what yall think! :)


Her heart beat frantically within the hollow of her chest, leaving a pink flush to her porcelain skin. Ice-blue eyes were narrowed in a dangerous slit, one arm stretched out in front of her and the other to the side. Her body was hunched over in aggression, every muscle tense with anticipation. A snarl marred her otherwise placid and beautiful features. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed several strands of blonde hair had fallen from the neat braid she frequented, but at the moment she couldn't care less. And for the countless pairs of wide eyes that stared in shock at her unusual loss of composure, including her dear sister, even less thought was given. All that mattered was the knife to her beloved's throat, and the man that held it against her.

A man she aimed a pointed ice shard at, ready to send it sailing through his heart.

"Release her!"

The man smirked, tightening his grasp on the knife and the woman in his possession. He held her strategically against his chest, effectively shielding himself from the ice shard threatening to end his life.

"Now, why would I do that?" He taunted, sounding so smug it made the ice-wielder's blood boil.

"Do it or I'll flay you where you stand!"

To which he muttered sarcastically, "Oh, how could I refuse such a charming proposal? Truly, do you think me stupid, Elsa?" She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off, "Best not anger me, My Queen, for I hold your lover's life in my hands."

At the thinly-veiled threat, Elsa growled, "What do you want?"

Ah, they were finally getting somewhere.

"There are a great many things I want, but I suppose you are referring to the reason behind this seemingly ill-advised attack. And really, my answer will probably be of no surprise to you." He paused dramatically, ever the one for theatrics. "I want the kingdom-"

"Elsa, no!" The yell came from the woman being held captive, the gag having loosened enough for her to spit it out. "He will only destroy-"

"Shut up!" Her aggressor pressed the blade more firmly against her unprotected neck, the pressure beginning to cut into the tender skin. She whimpered at the sting, falling silent in fear for her life.

The icicle jerked forward, Elsa having noticed the trickle of blood that oozed from the minor cut. "You will not harm her!"

Having regained his composure, an amused smile twisted his lips upward. "Now Elsa," His tone was patronizing, as if he were speaking to a child. Many spectators glared at the pretentious villain, offended for their Queen. In a society based on respect, to speak such a way to one of a higher status –especially to the Queen- was a most grievous offense that demanded penance. "You know me. I do not care for violence, and I would rather not harm such a pretty little thing, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Give me the kingdom, and the girl is free to live as she pleases. No harm shall befoul her."

Seeing her lover's resolve beginning to falter, the captive dared to speak again. "He's lying! Don't believe him, Elsa!" She ignored his demands for her to be silent and the edge of the dagger digging further into her skin to further implore, "You are the Queen! He'll destroy everything, everyone! Please! I beg of you!"

Unable to silence the girl, the man shouted his own demands, "I will kill her, Elsa! Or I can let her go. All you must do is surrender your kingdom to me indefinitely, and she lives. Those are your choices, Queen!"

"Elsa, no!"

"Surrender!"

"Don't do it!"

"The clock is ticking, my Queen."

And all around, murmurs erupted from the watching crowd, spurred from this turn of events and the Queen's indecision. To many, the answer was a simple one: kill them both, one a traitor and the other not a true citizen of Arendelle. Soon, shouts from her own subjects began to fill the throne room, all attempting to sway her decision to one way, or the other. The sounds were deafening, making the Queen further lose her composure. The icicle darted back and forth, betraying her conflicting emotions and frayed nerves. Her body buzzed with adrenaline, frost misting on her breath. She shut her eyes tightly, feeling more than overwhelmed by the entire situation.

Her few decisions and their varying consequences set her synapses crackling, struggling to figure out a way to rise as the victor. She analyzed every possibility, frantic for any beneficial answer to this act of betrayal. Her mind was consumed in desperation as her body trembled and her blood seemed to freeze in her veins. There had to be a way…

And then, images of her beloved flashed through her mind, memories of their every encounter suddenly fresh in her mind. Her smile, her bright eyes, her warm soul, and the purest heart that she had ever come across, second only to her dear sister.

Suddenly, Elsa knew what needed to be done. A strange, resigned calm settled over her. She released a steadying breath, propelled the ice projectile toward its target, and slowly opened her eyes.

She was greeted with the consequence of her choice.


"Let me go, damn you!"

"Be silent, you insolent human!"

"Fuck you!"

Smack.

Said human fell to the ground from the heavy blow to her cheek. She braced her body with her hands, blood dribbling from her mouth onto the pavement. Her vision swam, blurring and doubling. Almost immediately after she was struck, the guard who hit her and his partner roughly lifted her from the ground. She stumbled as they led her across the vast courtyard she had been found in, still reeling from the strike to continue her struggle. By the time she had recovered, but before she had time to formulate the beginnings of an escape, she was forced onto her knees and held upright by her shoulders.

She grunted from the sharp pain of her knees slamming onto the smooth surface of the ice floor.

Wait…ice?

The woman frowned. She attempted to look around, but the hand on her head kept her gaze on the floor. Grimacing, but deciding not to fight the firm grip on her hair, she sifted through her brain for the answer she was searching for. There was something familiar about ice floors. She remembered her father telling her something about ice magic long ago when she was rapt with childhood fascinations. But what was it?

"My Queen!" She heard one of the soldiers call out.

Queen? The girl frowned. Ice floors? Magic? What was the correlation? It was there, on the tip of her tongue, the edge of her memories, only just eluding capture. So close…

Suddenly, her hair was jerked, forcing her head to angle upwards. She grit her teeth at the discomfort the rash movement caused her neck as her eyes squeezed shut.

"We found this human snooping about your private courtyard. We suspect she is a thief, or possibly an assassin."

"A poor one, at that," the other soldier added in contempt.

Wrong on both accusations, you dumb-asses, she thought in annoyance, one eye opening, if just barely.

"What shall we do with her, my Queen?"

Off with her head!

The girl groaned. How about happy thoughts, instead?

And then, a voice that hinted of untold beauty made her freeze; "Release the human. I shall deal with her, myself."

At once, said human was released. She slumped over as the two soldiers chorused, "My Queen!"

"You are dismissed."

Again, they chorused, "As Your Highness pleases!" The echo of their footsteps grew quieter until it was only her and the Queen, immersed in silence.

A knot began to form in the pit of the captive's stomach, the fact that she was in the presence of a Queen making her false bravado quickly disintegrate. She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. Her desire to look around to discern where, exactly, she was had been shoved into some random corner of her mind in favor of drawing as little attention to herself as possible. Granted, the was a moot point considering she had the Queen's undivided attention.

Crap, crap, double crap! Silence is never a good thing, especially amongst these self-righteous royal pricks…I'm going to die. This is it. So long, cruel world. Can't say I'm sad to see you go…

But then again, I'm only nineteen! I've yet to live! Son of a bitch! How did I even manage to sneak into none other than the Queen's private courtyard? I'm cursed. It's not only that I'm unlucky; I'm just cursed to Hell. Damn it all…

It's freezing in here…

The tips of heels that were icy and blue appeared in her line of sight, and the girl's eyes widened at the implication.

Don't tell me…Slowly, she lifted her head steadily upwards, her eyes trailing the slim figure before her. She noted the slit on the side of the dress where some of the pale leg showed, the way the form-fitting dress left little of the curvy figure to the imagination. She swallowed at the somewhat indecent amount of cleavage showing, only lingering for a fraction of a second. And then, all she knew was blue. All that made sense was blue. All that mattered was blue. Blue so pure and deep, she momentarily forgot the necessity of breathing. It was the shade of glacier blue, arguably the most beautiful hue of blue known to man. It was the gorgeous blue of the Queen's eyes.

Yup. She's right in front of me.

The Queen was undoubtedly stunning, the very definition of both a pale beauty and a cold beauty. She wore her white-blonde hair in a French braid that hung relaxed over her shoulder and her bangs brushed back in a messy, yet somehow regal, fashion. Her eyes, aloof and analytical, were accentuated with black eyeliner and a tasteful amount of blue eye shadow. The only other makeup she wore was the pink gloss that made her lips appear to shimmer in the light that refracted off of the ice walls, floor and ceiling. Her shoulders and arms were feminine, yet gave off hints of strength and power with the way toned, yet soft muscle appeared through the tight sleeves of her dress. Her breasts were of average size, but were otherwise full and perky in their place beneath a prominent collarbone. The apparent flatness of her stomach flowed into the smooth curve of her hips. Based off of how taut the rest of her body was, and the slight glimpse of her lower, outer thigh and calf, her legs were probably endless with white skin stretched over toned muscle. Oh, how beautiful she was!

"Please stand." Her voice was soft, yet the authority it held was palpable.

The kneeling woman stood. She was surprised to see that she was taller than the Queen by about an inch, more if she weren't wearing heels. If the Queen was displeased by the height difference, she did not show it. She also did not so much as glance at the ratty clothes the human wore. Then again, she had more than enough time to evaluate her from her throne.

"I am Elsa, Queen of Arendelle, the city of the elves." She introduced herself respectfully and without arrogance, a trait common amongst most royalty. "What is your name?"

Elves? How the hell did I end up in Arendelle? Though that does explain the pointed ears…

Somewhat put off that the Queen desired to know her name, the woman replied, "Karine." She pronounced it as "kuh-reen". "Um, Karine, commoner of Sweden, a country of, uh…humans?" Karine was unsure of how to properly introduce herself, so she mimicked Elsa's introduction and substituted the title and location with what pertained to her.

A small, amused grin pulled at the Queen's lips. "Karine would have been sufficient."

"Oh. Whoops."

"T'is acceptable. Now," she returned to her authoritative countenance. "Pray tell why my personal guards found you snooping around my private courtyard."

At that, Karine ducked her head in embarrassment. "I'm not sure, exactly. I got lost and somehow ended up there." She glanced at the Queen's face, and upon seeing the raised eyebrow, explained more thoroughly. "I don't remember how I ended up in Arendelle. I have been traveling to the kingdom of Corolla from my homeland, Sweden, for the past half-year because I heard of their notoriety for horse breeding. But for a while I've had the feeling that I was lost, though I'm pretty sure now that I am lost." She finished, feeling slightly embarrassed by how off-course she was.

Elsa nodded after a brief moment of contemplation. "I see. It is unfortunate that you shall be rendered unable to continue this quest of yours." Before Karine could even think of protesting, she continued, "Arendelle winters are dangerous to its citizens and deadly to outsiders. It would be unwise to travel any time soon. I advise that you remain here until spring."

A wave of relief washed through the taller woman's body. For a moment, she feared she was going to be imprisoned. Then, Elsa only offered a warning in regard to the life-threatening winters that were fast approaching. It was surprisingly kind and merciful, Karine thought, especially for the elf Queen. Generally, the elven people looked down upon humans as lesser beings. Sometimes, Karine found herself agreeing with them.

They didn't have to act like snooty bastards, though.

"Thank you for the warning, your Highness," Karine smiled, although she felt awkward using formalities. "But I hope you understand if I continue despite it. I've no money or relatives in Arendelle, which makes sense since I'm human, so I don't have anywhere to take shelter for the time being. That said, I'll take my chances. May I take my leave, or do you wish to exact punishment for my trespassing?"

At that, an unreadable expression flickered on the Queen's face. Karine found herself the object of a lengthy, intense stare from searching eyes. She shifted on her feet, feeling mild discomfort at the undirected attention. The way Elsa seemed to see right through Karine was rather disconcerting, and maybe just a smidge intriguing.

It was a curious thing that Elsa did not feel the need to be treated like Queen Elsa of the Elven People by Karine. It was not an issue of her having a superiority complex, for Elsa wished to put aside her duties and responsibilities onto another person and never be required to speak or act on ceremony again. It was maddeningly dull and draining, yet culture dictated her expectations and requirements for herself and others. As such, while she did not wish to be Queen, it was still an affront to her dignity and self-worth to be treated as any lesser status.

As such, Elsa was just as surprised as Karine when she offered to let the human woman stay in the castle until winter ended.

Karine blinked, unsure if she heard correctly. Did she really just offer to facilitate my housing? "I, um…what?"

"It truly is not an imposition. There are more than enough rooms you may occupy. You shall be treated as my personal guest until the time for you to leave arrives."

Karine's eyebrows shot up, the woman quite flabbergasted by the generous and unexpected offer. "I, uh, can you even do that?" Right as the question left her mouth, she winced.

Good job, questioning the Queen's judgment.

To the blonde's credit, she merely looked amused rather than offended, if the half-smile she wore was any indication. "I am the Queen. Who would dare have the audacity to question my decisions?"

"No!" Blue eyes widened at the outburst. Seeing that Elsa was taken aback, Karine amended herself quickly, "I-I mean, I wasn't questioning you, your Highness! It's just that…surely you don't want a commoner in your home?" At the raised eyebrow, Karine slapped her face. "Damn it, no, I don't mean to put words in your mouth or anything-oh God, I just cursed in front of a Queen…" She groaned, any composure she had having been lost. She lost count of how many times she must have insulted the elven woman. Head bowed, she murmured, "Forgive my insolence, your Highness. It was not my intent to question you or cause any insult to you."

Inwardly, Elsa was glad she had sent the guards out of the throne room. Had they been there, she would be forced to punish the girl for her apparent insolence and lack of gratitude. While Elsa did not see it as such, her guards would have and it would not do to allow anyone to be less than cordial where others could see.

Politics, she mused, made common interactions difficult.

"You do not have much experience interacting with the upper class, do you?"

Karine tentatively made eye-contact with the Queen. "Is it that obvious?"

"Quite so."

Karine sighed. "I really am sorry, your Highness. My upbringing did not teach me how to address the upper classes. I never expected that I would ever have an extended conversation with anyone of the upper class. Most certainly, not the Queen of a sovereign nation where respect is Rule Number One." She shifted on her feet. "I just…don't know how to speak to you. In all honesty, I'm surprised you haven't punished me for trespassing or coming across as insolent."

"I do not give out unjust punishment," Elsa stated. "Certainly not for ignorance, which can be addressed by education."

Karine could only stare. "You are very kind."

"Most do not share that opinion," she admitted.

Despite the cool indifference she spoke with, there was an underlying sadness that underlined her words. Being an empathetic character, Karine noticed the sorrow. As such, she dared make a bold assessment: "Perhaps they do not know who you really are."

And Elsa, for all of her regal upbringing and training to deal with unexpected situations, found she had no idea how to respond.


Well, there's chapter one. I feel like I've got something interesting going on, but I'd like to know what yall think. Feel free to review or message me!