A one-shot I did for Tumblr's Frohana week. Elsa and Kristoff get a chance to really meet for the first time.
It was always a challenge for Elsa to handle crowds. Even before her isolation, groups of more than four people-anyone outside of her immediate family, really- had forced her shy nature forward and made her uncomfortable. When the accident with Anna had happened, Elsa's contact to the outside world was suddenly and completely severed, rapidly turning her discomfort into outright fear. With her powers out of control, one mishap could send unwitting victims to an icy death. It was something akin to a miracle in Elsa's mind that she had been able to make it as long as she had during her coronation before she had set off the unintentional winter.
The weeks after the Great Thaw brought gradual improvement, as the new open-gate policy and her duties as queen forced her into interacting with others. The creation of the public ice rink had been a personal success, but Elsa still struggled daily to work through normal interactions with large groups of people.
It was for that very reason Elsa found herself making quiet excuses to Kai to leave the ballroom less than an hour into her first formal ball since the Great Thaw- a celebration of the coming of autumn. Compared to her coronation it was quite small- the guests were mainly from Arendelle and a few neighboring kingdoms, as the festival was a more localized event- nevertheless, the queen still felt the urge to find some place quiet and alone. Anna, who had been quite happily socializing with some of the guests, saw her leave and a quick smile that conveyed a surprising amount of understanding. She didn't follow, however, for which her older sister was immensely grateful.
The queen made her way out to the castle gardens and to the edge of a small pond, breathing out a quiet sigh of relief. The only noises were those made by nature- chirping crickets, a chorus of frogs, the hoot of an owl. The wind rustled through the foliage, bringing with it the faint but distinct scent of cool, fall air. To Elsa, the smell was highly welcoming- it heralded the eventual coming of winter- "her season" as Anna would call it. In the years of her isolation, winter had meant that it was easier to conceal her growing powers, and therefore made the chance of someone discovering her curse smaller. That same comfort stayed with her.
Lost in her recollections, Elsa didn't realize she was no longer alone until a rather large body ran into her, knocking her to the earth and sending her tumbling down the bank towards the pond. A strong pair of arms quickly gripped her and placed her back on her feet. Just as quickly, the arms released Elsa and she was able to see who had run into her- it was Kristoff, the ice harvester who was… seeing her sister.
"Your Majesty! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to grab you like that… although you wouldn't have fallen if it wasn't for me, I'm so sorry about that, it's just I'm not quite used to these fancy clothes, I mean, they're really nice and all, but, I'm really sorry, I'm so clumsy…"
"Mr. Bjorgman," Elsa quickly put her queenly mask on, although a small smile crossed her features at the large man's awkwardness. "I assure you, I am quite alright, just startled." Kristoff's features relaxed slightly, although his posture remained tense. Several moments passed, as neither the queen nor the ice harvester could figure out what to say.
Elsa took advantage of the time to look over the man who had her sister's interest. Thanks to her busy schedule and continued discomfort in leaving the castle, Elsa had not seen Kristoff very often, and in that time maybe had spoken a sentence or two with him, mostly concerning his new "official" ice duties. Now, as close as she was to him, the queen could get a clear look at the Ice Master. He was quite large- tall and very broad, a man that could make his way throughout a crowd with little to no issues. However, it was quite clear that he wasn't comfortable where he was. He continuously shifted from foot to foot, and every so often he would grab at different parts of his clothing, tugging and pushing as if he couldn't get it adjusted correctly. He was wearing formal cloths that were a far cry from his normal, loose-fitting ice harvesting clothes, and it was clear he didn't like it.
Kristoff broke the silence first. "I'm really sorry for knocking you over like that, Your Majesty. I just wanted a little fresh air, you know? I mean, I'm sure everything in the ballroom is quite wonderful, but..."
"…you needed some time away from the crowd." Elsa finished for him. "I understand the feeling" she added quietly. Kristoff canted his head, looking at her face for the first time and a warm light filled his brown eyes.
"Yeah, Your Majesty. It was just me and Sven for the most part. Yeah, there were the trolls and the other harvesters, but that was it. It's always been…hard for me to be around a lot of people." His hand went up to ruffle his shaggy blonde hair. Then a smile spread across his face. "But when I met Ann- Princess Anna- that all changed. And now, here I am" he finished with a slight flourish of his hand. Elsa rubbed her hands together, wondering at the similarities she had just heard between her own feelings around crowds and Kristoff's. Struck by a strange, sudden urge, Elsa gestured to one of the garden paths. "Will you walk with me, Mr. Bjorgman?" Kristoff looked startled and a little uneasy, but walked up to her side.
Once more the two were quiet, although the silence was more companionable than it had been before. They followed the path for several feet, and then Elsa gathered her thoughts and spoke. "What do you know about Anna and my past, Mr. Bjorgman?" Kristoff turned his head towards the queen, his gaze suddenly quite piercing. What he said next startled her.
"I know that you both have been through more than anyone should have to endure in one lifetime, and at the same time everything that you both did was out of love."
It was such a straightforward answer, and yet it told volumes. It told Elsa that this man that many believed wild, uncultured and even simple (she had heard the talk among some of the nobles and dignitaries who believed themselves to be out of earshot) had great perceptiveness of the world around him. He didn't say much, but he missed little. Elsa put up a hand to stop him and looked him squarely in the eyes.
"Mr. Bjorgman, you know better than anyone, likely even myself, the pain my sister has endured. You also know her incredible capacity for love, even to the person who truly never deserved it-myself." When Kristoff opened his mouth, she brought her hand up once more, silencing him. "Anna has been hurt by someone she believed loved her. I may have neglected my sisterly duties all those years ago, but I will not allow that to happen again- not while I have the power to stop it."
Kristoff blinked, and then lifted his chin slightly. He knew who Elsa was alluding to. "I wouldn't want it any other way, Your Majesty. I won't ever want for Anna to go through what she did with Hans ever again. She deserves so much more than that. All I want is for her to continue to have the amazing love she has for everyone." In a quieter, much less confidant tone he murmured, "I just hope that one day I can show her I can be a part of that love. I'm just a simple ice harvester."
His words were enough for Elsa. Forcing herself past her normal discomfort, she lightly rested her slim hand on Kristoff's forearm, and then let it fall.
"I do not care what others say. You are much more than a 'simple ice harvester'. You are a good, honorable man and a hero in more ways than one. It is quite clear that Anna means a great deal to you and you to her. As long as you are true to what you have said and you treat my sister the way she deserves to be treated, then I have no qualms." Kristoff tilted his head away from Elsa, and she thought she saw him swallow deeply.
"Thank…thank you, Your Majesty."
"Elsa."
Kristoff's head turned back to the queen, confusion written across his face. "I'm sorry, what?"
Elsa allowed a larger-than-normal smile to cross her face as she looked up at the ice harvester. "I have a feeling that we are going to be much closer in the future, Mr. Bj- Kristoff. So, while we are in private, then I ask that you call me Elsa."
Kristoff's smile matched Elsa's own- small and tentative, and yet fully happy. "Alright, Elsa." He looked as if he might say more, but then a familiar voice floated through the garden.
"Elsa, are you out here? Maybe you've seen Kristoff, too? 'Cause I'm starting to worry he might have run off- he didn't look to happy after that- oh, there you are!" Anna's broad smile was well-lit by the strong moonlight as she stepped up to where Kristoff and Elsa were standing. Her eyes flitted between the two of them, lit with understanding, but for once, said nothing. Instead, she stepped between the two people she adored, linked arms, and led them back into the ballroom.
Had anyone else been there to see it, they might have noticed that the posture of both the queen and the ice harvester were much more relaxed than either had been when they had stepped out.