"Interesting party, huh?"
That was an understatement. Elsa looked from a pyramid of clowns to a woman eating fire to a man in a top hat forcing a rabbit out of a hat. The Queen rapped her fingers against the table she was sitting at and sighed. Anna had been throwing some weird functions in her attempt to combine bonding with the people of Arendelle and discovering new things. This was "The First Annual Arendelle Circus Party". Elsa reminded herself to make sure the second would be held in the town itself, because the castle courtyard was ruined.
"I kind of like the acrobats," Elsa responded, the guard standing next to her nodded in agreement.
"This is better than 'The First Annual Arendelle Murder Mystery Party'. At least I don't have to pretend to be dead at this party," the guard lamented. Elsa giggled at the memory of him lying on the floor, bored for an hour while Anna tried to explain the rules of solving the mystery. The guard's normally rosy pallor was simply cadaverous by the end of the night. How appropriate, she thought with a smirk.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"You made a good corpse," Elsa teased. She looked up at him and was pleased to find him smiling. His sunken cheeks and soft jaw made him look exactly his age at twenty-six. His dark brown hair was tussled lazily and his face showed hints of stubble. She tightened her lips. "Are you still pretending to be dead or do you no longer care about how you present yourself?"
His eyebrows sank deeper on his brow. "I was wondering if you would notice that I didn't shave today," he said as he rubbed his chin.
"How could I miss it, Hank?" She smirked mischievously. "Were you too busy this morning? Maybe, with a 'friend'?"
Hank rolled his eyes and pulled out the chair next to Elsa. "The only person I spend a lot of time with is you." He sat down and relaxed in the seat. "This kingdom sure needs a lot of guarding for such a tiny place."
"I just like to fill the castle with friends, it keeps me happy," Elsa admitted.
"As long as you aren't freezing me over, I'll work whenever you want," Hank remarked. Elsa frowned in reminisce. "This is a pretty good way to earn money though. I'm actually enjoying guarding this thing." He waved his hand in the direction of the festivities. The tables were arranged around all the entertainment like the circus tents Elsa saw in books she read as children. It was rather charming.
"You don't enjoy your other shifts?" Elsa wondered aloud. "The ones where you guard from a couch while I sign official documents? Where you guard on ice skates in the courtyard playing hockey? Where you guard the horses when I feel like feeding Sven a carrot or two? Where you-"
"Okay, I have a great job," Hank agreed. He looked around and saw a castle butler walking near. "Am I allowed to drink on my job?"
"No," Elsa answered. "I have to draw the line somewhere. I'll have a glass of red though, go get me one and earn your pay."
Hank grumbled and got up to go find that butler. Elsa leaned back in her chair and started to watch the magician pull handkerchiefs out of his sleeves. She always found some charm in that kind of fake magic. She used to read books on it and even practiced some herself back in the day. She figured her real magic made the fake kind even more impressive somehow. She turned her attention to the clowns who were now riding around on unicycles. In a series of unexpected circumstances one of them slipped on a patch of ice and fell, leading to a chain of falling and a five clown pile-up. Elsa giggled along with the children watching the performers.
"That was rude," Hank observed, placing a glass of wine in front of the queen.
Elsa shrugged and picked up her glass. "Ice in July. It can happen." She eyed her drink suspiciously. "Did you take a sip of this?" she asked her guard.
"I would never," he replied quickly, sounding slightly offended.
"You should have," Elsa said. She took a sip then held out the glass to Hank with a wink. The soldier looked at the glass and creased his eyebrows as if he was deciding something. After Elsa pushed the glass further towards him he took the drink and had a small sip. He passed it back across the table.
"Afraid of wine or my germs?" she accused. She uncrossed her legs then re-crossed them the other way.
"I'd rather have a beer," Hank explained. Elsa smirked and took another sip of wine. She made a point of wiping the spot she drank from then passed the glass back to Hank. He laughed lightly then took a larger drink of the liquid. "This stuff tastes too empty. It's deceiving."
"Maybe I'll be in the mood for beer after I'm finished with this glass," Elsa said before taking the wine from Hank and downing it with one big gulp. She calmly set the empty glass on the table and wiped her mouth with a finger. "You know what, Hank? I think I want a mug of beer. Could you please fetch me one?"
The guard's eyes lit up. "You are the greatest Queen in the history of Arendelle, Elsa," Hank raved before standing to go get the drink. Her cheeks tingled a bit from the wine. She probably shouldn't have drunk it that fast, but it was no big deal. Hank would have no qualms finishing off the whole beer if she couldn't drink much of it. She yawned widely and smacked her lips unceremoniously. Bed was an entertaining prospect to her at the moment. Her friend returned in record time.
"I got your favourite kind," Hank claimed as he set the mug in front of her. Frothy foam spilled over the edge of the glass invitingly. Elsa picked up the glass and used her powers to frost the mug and chill the beer.
"I don't have a favourite kind," she said before taking a gulp. It had a hint of apple to the thick taste.
"I know, so I got my favourite and figured it should be yours too." He grabbed the mug she offered him and took a large swallow. He nodded approvingly. "I should drink with you more often if you can make it taste this good."
"Let's not make a habit of drinking together, Hank. I don't want to have to answer for that one day." She shivered at the thought of a visiting dignitary hearing about the queen drinking with one of her subordinates through castle gossip and refusing to trade with Arendelle. "Plus, you're getting paid right now. Try not to enjoy yourself too much or the other guards will get jealous."
"You're approachable," Hank shrugged. "If they want to hang out with you all they have to do is come and talk." He took another drink then passed the mug over. Elsa gripped it and took another gulp. It was pretty good.
"Apparently not as easy a task as it looks, considering the only friends I really have are you, my sister, her boyfriend, a reindeer, and a snowman that I made." She drank again, relishing the fruity tinge of the ale. Hank gripped the edge of the table.
"I can leave if you want to despair in peace."
She smiled warmly and took a long drink. "Nah, I'm okay. That's a pretty fine group considering how often I'm busy with various royal duties. Plus, I think the people of Arendelle like me."
"Who wouldn't like a queen who can drink like that?" Hank commented. Elsa looked down at the mug and was surprised to see right through it. She tilted it upside down and watched the last two drops spill onto the floor.
"I think it's time to call it a night," Elsa decided. Hank got up and pulled her chair out for her. "Thank you, noble sir." He rolled his eyes. "Could you stay a little longer and make sure this party winds down alright?" she requested.
"Absolutely," he replied. "I've got it handled."
Elsa nodded and smiled before bidding him good night and heading into the castle. Hank watched her leave then turned around to find the group of clowns. He needed to make sure there were no injuries from the incident earlier.
Morning. The windows were fogged, her breath painted the air, and her bare skin was treated to the comfortable embrace of a cool winter breeze. She looked around a little and saw a couple inches of snow piled around her bed. She sighed in annoyance; she was using her powers in her sleep again.
With a flick of her wrist the snow was gone, evaporated into deep blue crystals that floated still in the air. She wiggled her finger and those crystals swirled around her body, settling to leave a beautiful blue dress. Purplish ice clung to her bust and crossed her shoulders, getting gradually lighter in colour and tapering out as it went lower on her body. There wasn't enough snow to make the garment go lower than her knees. She pondered conjuring up some more but instead shrugged and got up to brush her hair.
A knock at the door woke her up from the drudgery of morning routines. She set down the brush and called, "Yes?"
"Good morning, your Majesty," a man's voice spoke from behind the door. "I'm here to rouse you for breakfast." He paused a short moment then added, "Like you asked me to."
Elsa smiled. "Just like I asked you to, Hank. Come in."
Hank slowly opened the door and stepped inside casually. His hair and slicked back loosely and, to Elsa's dismay, he still hadn't shaved. "Sorry for interrupting you, Queen Elsa. I can see you were busy."
The Queen rolled her eyes, "Not all of us wake up with the rooster to go for a run." She picked up her brush and continued on her hair, eager to finish the job. "How's your father doing?"
"Good enough thanks for asking."
Elsa raised an eyebrow. Her friend didn't speak that quickly like that unless something was biting at him. Noticing her gesture Hank stood up straighter and smiled a little, "Don't worry, Elsa. Nothing's wrong."
She arched an eyebrow and gave him the best are-you-kidding-me look she could muster. "Then stop tapping your foot."
Hank looked down and forced his appendage into submission.
"What is it?"
"It's…" He shifted his weight around as if trying to avoid the answer. He blinked and clenched his fists. "Your, um…your…" he nodded his head towards her lower body.
Elsa looked down and saw her short dress had hitched its way higher up her legs when she sat down. Everything from mid-thigh was on display and right in Hank's face. "Hmmm, looks like my dress is a tad too short."
"One could say that," Hank agreed through a blush.
"But would you?" Elsa asked innocently with a teasing gleam in her eye.
He smiled as if he expected the response. "I don't think a simple guard such as I has the right to judge the world of fashion."
"Oh, good one," Elsa acknowledged with a smirk.
Elsa enjoyed having Hank around the castle. Captain Henrik Eriksson was a royal guard for a couple years before her coronation. He had entered the family business so-to-speak, with every one of his traced relatives working for Elsa's family. A few weeks into her return from North Mountain she made a note of introducing herself to all of the castle staff and was intrigued when Hank told her he had the 'pleasure' of bringing food to her door for years until he finally had served enough time as a squire to graduate to full servitude. He had actually thought she didn't exist after a while of doing this and thought the coronation was an elaborate joke being played on him. She was also impressed that he was the only person she introduced herself to in a week that didn't flinch when she moved. They were quick friends and Elsa had him follow her on most of her royal duties for a while as a familiar presence to help calm her advisors and her subjects. It had been a few years since then and she had expanded his duties into something of a bodyguard. Just recently she had asked him to wake her in the mornings in case she slept in. He seemed to enjoy his new role in the guard but had visual problems adjusting to how personal his job was getting. She was trying to get him over that.
"Want to eat breakfast with me today?" Elsa asked. She set down her brush on the vanity and started to braid her hair.
"It wouldn't be proper for a soldier to eat with the Queen," Hank replied stiffly.
"It would be very proper for a Queen's guard to sit next to her while she eats to make sure that any evil sausage grease doesn't jump out and burn her," Elsa argued. "It would also be proper for the Queen to eat with her friend." The soldier shifted his weight and scratched his neck. Elsa finished her hair, conjuring up ice clips to hold it together. She gave him a warm smile.
"It wouldn't hurt, I guess," Hank smiled, rubbing a hand over his stomach. He was hungry.
"Pass the syrup."
"Say please," Elsa insisted. She grabbed the handle of the syrup container and held it at arm's length.
"Please," Hank added, slightly irritated. She handed him the syrup and he started drowning his pancakes in it.
"For someone who didn't want to eat with me you sure are hungry," Elsa noted. She speared a hash brown with her fork and placed it in her mouth.
"For someone with deadly ice magic you sure spend a lot of time with your guard," Hank countered. He began shoving pancakes in his mouth as if he hadn't eaten in days. He might not have, Elsa thought.
"Don't be an asshole, Captain Eriksson," she warned. He had a nasty habit of getting snippy when he got comfortable. She usually cooled the air around him to keep him on edge. Like she started doing just now.
Hank just kept eating his pancakes. Elsa bit her lip.
"Are you getting paid enough," she pried.
He swallowed his bite and looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"
"Are you getting enough to eat?" She uncrossed and re-crossed her legs. She started to feel stupid for asking about his personal life.
"If I say no…" Hank started, "Will I get to eat castle food every day?"
"You are always welcome to eat in the castle," Elsa answered honestly. "Now, what's really bothering you? I know that a little leg wouldn't get to you like that."
Hank's smile shifted into a tiny frown. He gently set down his fork and knife and sat back in his chair. "My father is dying. I've been using most of my money to buy him luxuries to see him off and medicine to keep him here as long as I can." Elsa's expression changed to one of intense concern. The face of a Queen who cares about every one of her subjects. "Funny how we do that, huh?" Hank chuckled. "The poor guy just wants to go but I refuse to let him."
"Why are you at work?" Elsa demanded sternly.
"Umm, to protect you, your sister, and the kingdom?"
"Don't be a smartass, Henrik. Why aren't you with your father right now?"
"I need to be here or else I wouldn't have enough to keep him comfortable," Hank explained.
"I will give you as much as you need," Elsa offered. "I would give anything to have another five minutes with my father, don't waste the last minutes you have with yours."
Hank frowned. "Elsa, I can't do that. I would rather not have that time than borrow it from your coffers."
"Trust me, that is not true at all. Go home, I want the only time you aren't by your father's side to be spent updating me on how he's doing."
"I would rather stay he-"
"GO!" Elsa yelled. She swirled her wrist and a blast of concentrated snow shot forth, knocking Hank from his chair. The soldier grunted and got up slowly. He very carefully walked to the door of the hall and gave Elsa one last look before leaving. She wondered if it was annoyance in his eyes or gratitude. She decided it was most likely both.