Prologue - The Way We Once Were
The campus was much more quiet in the mornings, Anna had learned. At her old school back in her homeland of Genovia, she had remembered things were a lot busier. More students in the main yards, talking, chatting, socialising. Here in Arendelle, things were more professional, stiffer.
It didn't surprise her much though, despite being a party girl much of her life. That was partly why her parents had sent her here to this place after two years in Genovia. They thought that she needed some straightening out in her life, but Anna didn't care. She'd have her fun here if it ever came her way.
Besides, even though she was more of a party girl, she was of pretty much the same social class as the rest of the students here anyway. Anna was the daughter of a wealthy noble family from Genovia, with her mother taking the title of a duchess.
In the modern world, such titles didn't have much meaning. There was no need for royalties or such forms of an aristocracy. No, those days were over. the countries of the world were run by politicians and in the eyes of some, that was no different.
Anna didn't really care about becoming a true heir to her family's legacy. She had two older sisters who were much more suited to the role, but her parents wanted their youngest child to be much more acceptable in society.
Young. Anna liked the idea of remaining in her youth. Even though she was 21 years old, she still looked like a teenager, with some of her fellow students wondering if she was even old enough to even be in university. She'd prove herself though. She was one of the smartest students in the school, despite acting like a total dork a lot of the time. Blame her over extroverted personality.
Right now though, it was supposed to be lunch break and Anna hadn't eaten half her sandwich yet. Why she had bought herself such a massive baguette she didn't know. Still, at least she was thankful she didn't have a class right after this. No more classes for her today, but there probably was chess club at around 4 o'clock. That actually was quite fun and the place where Anna had made the most friends.
Although, she knew the friendships wouldn't last. Not due to the relationship itself, no she enjoyed the company of her few friends, but she knew that once this year was over, it was probably back to Genovia for her and never seeing them again... unless she bothered to look them up online.
As Anna took a chance to relax by the tree she was sitting under, ready to bite into another chunk of her massive sandwich, someone then caught her eye.
Walking across the courtyard, with a bundle of books and papers in her arms that were held close to her chest, was a young woman, probably around 2 or 3 years older than her. She was of a very slender build, with very pale, yet fair coloured skin. Her eyes were like ice and her hair was a very pale blond, almost as white as snow. Had she not be wearing a blue jacket and white shirt, with navy coloured pants, Anna would have sworn she had walked off the sent of a fantasy movie.
Anna didn't know the names of any other student, aside from the ones in her classes and the chess club, but Anna wanted to know the name of this young woman. She had never seen someone so eye-catching, so... mysterious in all her life.
Part of Anna wanted to go up and say hello, but this woman was a total stranger. She didn't want to seem like a creep or anything. Besides, this woman was clearly NOT her type. And yet, there was some strange force pulling Anna towards her, something about that woman calling to her heart.
Before Anna could dwell on the mystery girl any further, she then saw the blonde suddenly trip over the sidewalk and crash onto the pavement, dropping all her books. Anna heard an audible grunt and being the selfless girl she was, quickly got up from under the tree, heading over to the mystery woman.
Arriving at the scene, Anna could notice several books and papers all spread over the ground surrounding the woman. She collected as many papers and books as she could carry in her hands, before touching the woman on the shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?"
Looking at Anna with her blue eyes, the blonde nervously nodded. "Y-yes, I'm okay," she stuttered a little in a quiet, shy sounding voice.
Anna then passed the woman her books. "Here, you dropped these. I'm pretty sure there's more of them... Ooh, here's one." Anna then picked up the book and dropped it onto the pile in her arms. "There that should do it." She grinned, before smiling at the woman.
"T-thank you," the woman said, smiling. "I'm sorry... I wasn't looking where I was going."
"Hey it's alright," Anna stated. "Do you have all your things? I'd have hated to have missed anything."
The woman then started to look through the pile in her arms, checking. Suddenly her eyes widened and she started to panic. "Oh shit... My geometry paper! It was right here and now I've lost it!"
"Wait was that important?" Anna wondered.
"Yes... I was on my way to hand it in, and if I don't, my professor will probably have a fit at me."
Anna then steeled herself. She may not have had superpowers, but Anna would gladly help this woman in need. She then put her hand on the woman's shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile. The woman seemed to be visibly terrified, so Anna knew to tread carefully.
"Hey don't worry. I'll help you find it," Anna promised. "I can't have gotten far."
Turning away, the woman shook her head. "No... it doesn't matter. There isn't time. My class is in an hour. You couldn't possibly find it in that time."
"Couldn't isn't a word in my vocabulary, blondie," Anna remarked with a cheerful grin. "I'll help you find it, don't worry."
With a rather reluctant nod from her new acquaintance, Anna then began her search for the woman's missing document. The paper had likely been carried off in the wind, but since it was quite a hot day, the wind wasn't particularly strong and the courtyard itself wasn't too large for the document to be lost easily.
Hunting through every nook and cranny, Anna's search didn't get off to the best of starts. With every corner she found herself in, she was more likely to discover some discarded piece of garbage rather than Elsa's missing document.
However, a few moments later, Anna was by the tree she had put her bags beside while she had her lunch. As she was looking around the stump of the tree, she took a quick glance at the branches of the old oak.
Hanging from a high branch, Anna spied a piece of paper fluttering in the soft breeze. Smiling, Anna confidently knew she had found her prize. She jumped up and clung to the bottom of the trunk, pulling herself up the bark.
She was going to ruin her skirt doing this, but it was for a good cause. As Anna hoisted herself to be beside the branch, she reached out and grabbed it with her hand. "Gotcha! She exclaimed.
Just then, Anna's luck ran out as she suddenly heard the branch snap from underneath her. Yelping in panic, Anna suddenly fell out of the tree, landing on her rear on the grass below with a soft thud.
"Oof, that was nasty," Anna remarked. She then found herself still holding the paper in her hand, seeing a series of questions about shapes and equations printed on it, with several boxes filled in with a pencil. This confirmed it. She had found the woman's test.
With her prize in hand, Anna returned to the woman, who was sitting on a bench, sulking. Knowing how to turn the stranger's frown upside down, Anna called to her. "Hey, I'm back!"
The woman looked up, still shaken from her panic. "Did you find it?"
"Yup!" Anna confirmed, handing the document to the blonde. "I believe this belongs to you," she then said with a heart full of pride.
Breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of her own handwriting, the woman held the test close to her chest. "Thank you ever so much, umm..."
"Anna," Anna introduced herself. "And you are?"
"Elsa," the woman replied, a beautiful smile adorning her cheeks.
And at that moment a beautiful friendship was born.
xXx
Over the next few weeks, Anna started to get to know her new friend Elsa. While the blonde wouldn't dwell too much on her past, Anna already knew she came from a wealthy background. Elsa had that sort of way about herself, carrying a distinct noble tone to her voice.
Even if she was a bit prim and proper, Anna found a kindred spirit within Elsa. The two of them bonded over many subjects since their first meeting. From music to television shows to what classes at university annoyed them the most to even their favourite food (Chocolate, obviously.)
However as the weeks continued on and on, Anna started to feel her connection to Elsa grow deeper and deeper. She couldn't really explain it at first. It was the same mysterious feeling she had felt when she first saw Elsa walking across the courtyard that day.
From the way Elsa's eyes sparkled whenever she smiled, to the way she just felt so warm being around Elsa, Anna could tell there was something between her and the blonde. Although, she didn't feel that way all the time. She figured it was just stress, but Elsa tended to push her away a lot, becoming a bit cold towards her at times.
Elsa didn't mean to push Anna away of course and Anna never felt offended by that, much to Elsa's relief. Anna was just a naive young girl, who would be happy with her new best friend regardless of what happened between them.
One evening, just over a month after they first met, Anna was making her way down to Elsa's room in the dormitory they shared. Thankfully, they were in the same dorm, so they would often say hello to each other in the mornings before they went to grab breakfast together.
However, tonight would be the first time Anna had ever gone into Elsa's room. Their midterms were coming up and Elsa had offered for them to study together, to make the experience a little less... stressful was how Elsa put it. Anna interpreted that instead as Elsa wanting to have some fun together for a change.
As Anna arrived outside Elsa's room, she could hear the sound of things being moved about behind the door. Clearly, Elsa was doing some cleaning of her room. After waiting outside for a few seconds, Anna tapped on the door. "Yo, Elsa you in there!"
"Anna?" Elsa called to her. "You're here?"
"I'm here," Anna reported. "You said you wanted me here at 6:30. It is now 6:32." Anna then smirked. She always liked to call people out on times. In her experience, no one was ever prepared for an exact time they had set.
The door then opened, revealing Elsa, still in the middle of tying her blonde hair into a braid. "Sorry, Anna. I was just doing a bit of a clean up before you arrived. I wanted to make sure the room was to your liking."
Anna giggled. "No need to do that, Elsa," she assured her. "I'm sure your room is very-" She then took a glance into Elsa's room. Suffice to say, it was a complete mess of books, papers and other such school supplies. It looked less like a dorm room and more like an office.
"Wow... it's err..." Anna stroked the back of her head, trying her best not to crack a joke that Elsa might find offensive.
Groaning, Elsa leaned herself against the wall. "I know... it's a complete mess. I don't usually have visitors round so I tried to make the place a bit more... presentable."
Anna sighed. "Well, it is a mess... but it's your mess and you should be proud of it." She then playfully nudged Elsa's arm, rubbing hopeless optimism in her face.
A smile formed on Elsa's face, as Anna walked further into the room, putting her hands upon her hips.
"So... are we cracking open beers or what?" She remarked.
Elsa blushed bright red with surprise. "Wait what?!"
"Well, you and I both know you didn't really need me here to come and help you study," Anna remarked, having figured out Elsa's game. "You and I are too smart to do any studying this early before our exams, so you just got me here to have a fun girls night in."
Embarrassed, Elsa knew she had been caught red-handed, literally since her blush had now covered her entire body at this rate. God, Anna was such a detective, even Batman would be jealous of her deductive skills.
"W-well, I just thought we deserved to spend some quality time together as... friends," Elsa excused, before Anna made her way over to the kitchen to raid Elsa's fridge.
Pulling out a soda, Anna smiled. "Well, I'm all for spending quality time with you, blondie," she chirped, popping open the can and taking a sip from it.
They settled on spending their time by first playing board games together. Anna brought over a box of Scrabble over from her room, even if Elsa had suggested they play snakes and ladders instead.
As they laid out the board and pieces on the table, they began to play. Elsa already got to a high lead with the points, since she knew a very wide vocabulary and as such, played with longer words and grabbing a lot of points.
Anna, on the other hand, played a different strategy, choosing smaller words but placing them on the squares that guaranteed high amounts of points. Within a few rounds of the game, Anna and Elsa had pretty much cleared the board. There were a few places left, so it was likely Anna would win, but the strawberry blonde felt Elsa had a few tricks up her sleeve.
Blushing a little, Elsa looked at Anna. "You've really played a hard game, Anna," she admitted.
"I creamed my sisters at this game all the time," Anna remarked. "Although you're doing quite well... For a newbie."
Elsa giggled. "Thank you... And if you manage to defeat me... I might have a surprise for you."
Raising an eyebrow, Anna gave her friend a rather curious look. "Oh, what kind of surprise?"
"That would be telling," Elsa hinted, before going back to her position. "Alright Anna, it's your move."
Smirking, Anna gladly made her move. She was more interested in whatever reward Elsa was offering but knew that would all come once Elsa was beaten. She pulled a few letter pieces out from the pouch, wondering what best position to lay them in.
She took a glance at Elsa, seeing the blonde bat her eyebrows. She didn't seem phased that she was going to lose. Anna admired that.
And it made her feel no regret about making the winning move. She then chose a few pieces and spelt out a word across two key spaces, gaining enough points to attain victory. She then cheered and smiled. "Whooo! I win!"
"So you did," Elsa noticed, blushing softly. She herself was slightly hoping Anna would have lost, since it would have made what she was about to so much easier. As the strawberry blonde revelled in her victory, Elsa glanced over at her.
Seeing Anna's smile warmed her heart, made the cold icy shell around her centre melt with happiness. She truly had grown to care for Anna, and now.., she would show Anna how much she meant to her.
Smiling, Anna looked at her best friend. "So... what's my reward?"
Elsa gulped. "Um... you'll have to close your eyes for a second." Would that make it better? Elsa didn't know, but it would certainly put her more at ease.
Anna merely laughed. "Okay, I'll play along with your game Elsa. I just hope the reward is as good as what your hinting at." She then closed her eyes, shutting her lids tighter than wooden chests at the bottom of the ocean. "Whenever you're ready!"
Taking a deep breath, Elsa moved her arms forward, gently sitting in front of Anna. The younger girl didn't suspect a thing. The essence of surprise was on her side. You can do this, Elsa, She told herself in her thoughts. Cupping Anna's cheeks, Elsa leaned in closer.
"Mmm..." Anna sighed, feeling full lips press against her own. She didn't know whom they belonged to, but she enjoyed their touch. As she was about to give into the kiss, her eyes shot open, seeing Elsa right next to her face. "Woah!"
Elsa gasped, pulling her hands back. "Oh gosh... I... I shouldn't have done that."
Feeling her mouth, Anna was in utter shock, but then her surprise turned into a pleasant little laugh. A little bit of anxiety was relieved in her chest as she laughed her surprise off. "Did you... just kiss me?"
Sighing, Elsa nodded. "Yes... Anna, I don't know how you'll take this but..." She gulped. "I have been in love with you for some time now. Ever since you helped me in the courtyard those weeks ago, I've sort of come to see you as my... knight in shining armour for lack of a better term. I'm sorry... I should have been more direct."
Reassuring Elsa, Anna moved in closer, giving Elsa a kiss on the lips of her own. Elsa's eyes shot open, but as Anna wrapped her arms around her, she gave in and started to kiss back. Their lips opened up as both women took kisses from the other's mouth.
Sighing, Elsa wrapped her arm around Anna's shoulder, feeling their tongues dance between their mouths. This had gotten so passionate, so deep, so warm and wet with hot breath between their lips. Soon their lips parted and Elsa and Anna were left speechless in each other's embrace.
"Direct enough for you?" Anna flirted, smirking. "Thanks for the kiss, Elsa. You made me saying this so much easier."
"W-what?" Elsa asked, confused.
Anna smiled and with a confident voice, she said. "Elsa... I love you."
Touched and knowing that both of their feelings were reciprocated, Elsa shed a tear and held a hand close to her chest. "I... I love you too," she spoke, before passionately kissing Anna again.
xXx
Not long after their first kiss and many more afterwards, Anna and Elsa started a relationship. Their love, having bloomed in such a short time, would only grow stronger with each passing day. There wasn't a moment when they weren't apart, when they didn't have the other on their thoughts.
Dates became a regular occurrence for them both, with the two girlfriends frequenting a small bistro just off campus. Anna, in particular, loved the hot chocolate they served there and Elsa very much enjoyed the place's quiet atmosphere.
One night, after another wonderful time together, Anna and Elsa walked out of the bistro, hand in hand, eyes gazing into the others with loving intent. By this time, they had been together for just over 4 months and had gotten to know each other very well, although Elsa preferred to keep a lot of her own personal details to herself, a privacy which Anna respected.
As Anna lay on Elsa's shoulder, the two of them walking back into the college yard, she pointed up at the stars, sighing dreamily. "Look Elsa... the sky's awake."
Elsa giggled. "Yes... but I know you won't be for much longer. You look tired, my love."
"Nah," Anna cooed. "I'm just burning the midnight oil. Besides, my favourite gamers are doing a charity stream tonight and I'd prefer not to miss it."
"You and those silly video games," Elsa teased, before kissing her cheek. "You know how bad they can be for you."
"And you actually believe that stuff?" Anna laughed. "Jeez, you're crazier than I thought, Els."
"I thought you liked crazy," Elsa remarked, with a beautiful smile.
"No, I don't just like crazy," The strawberry blonde responded. "I love it!"
Anna then went on ahead, leaving Elsa a few steps behind. The blonde looked at her hands, closing her eyes and breathing softly. She knew this was probably a good time to mention her two little secrets to Anna. After all, they had been together long enough for Elsa to trust her.
Before Anna could walk to the door to their dorm, Elsa called to her from behind. "Wait for Anna! Do you have a second?"
The strawberry blonde turned, smiling. "Always for you, Elsa."
Drawing in a deep breath, Elsa took Anna's hands. "Anna... there's something I've been keeping from you. Two things actually. They're... quite big."
Anna's eyes widened. "Ooooh! I always figured you were hiding some secrets, Elsa! Not that I would have tried figuring them out! I mean, what you do in your time is your thing and all that stuff." She giggled, giving Elsa a naive innocent look.
"Well, this is a very, very, big secret," Elsa spoke. "You see... I never told you my full name when we first met. I wanted you to know me as the woman you love, not who I... really am." She sighed. "Anna... may I please introduce myself... Crown Princess Elsa, Of Arendelle."
Stepping back, Anna was extremely surprised. Elsa was a princess? But... she didn't even look like a princess. Granted, Anna always knew Elsa was rich, but not freaking royalty. "Y-you're a princess?!"
The blonde nodded. "Yes... I am. I am the heir to this entire country, although of course, I'll never actually rule this place. Arendelle hasn't been led by a monarchy in over 200 years. But... I have a lot of responsibility on my shoulders and I didn't want that to intimidate you or affect our friendship."
Anna blushed. "Well... to tell you the truth Elsa, I'm actually a princess too... okay, not really a princess princess, but I am the daughter of a Duchess of Genovia."
This surprised Elsa. "Y-You are?!"
"Yes!" Anna cheered. "Why? Is that important?"
Elsa nodded, taking Anna's hands. "Yes. It's actually perfect. You see... I was always worried my family would look down on me if I befriended or fell in love with someone who wasn't of noble, but if you are royalty, at least in part, I don't think they would have a problem with us." She smiled. "We can be together, Anna."
Anna then walked forward, ready to hug Elsa tightly, but the blonde stopped her.
"Wait," Elsa spoke. "There is... another thing I need to confess to you. Even bigger than my identity."
"Even bigger than being a princess?" Anna wondered. "Wow... Okay, Elsa... go for it." She gave Elsa a reassuring thumbs up.
Elsa took a few safe steps between herself and Anna before opening her hands. She closed her eyes and looked inside of herself, channelling through her icy frozen centre. Suddenly, her whole body started to glow a soft blue hue, as a slow, steady breeze began to blow across the area.
Looking on in wonder, Anna watched as a ball of blue, magical light formed in Elsa's hands. As soon as the ball appeared, it suddenly shot into the sky and exploded in a flurry of light. Within moments, tiny snowflakes started to rain down around them, like little pieces of heaven falling back down to earth.
Anna suddenly ran around with glee, squealing like she was a little kid again. "This is amazing!" She turned to Elsa. "How the hell did you do that?"
But Elsa wasn't in the mood for answers. Rather she was amazed Anna hadn't called her a monster or some sort of freak. "You... you aren't scared?"
"Why would I be?" Anna wondered, opening her palm to catch snowflakes. "I just found out my girlfriend is a princess with magic powers!" She beamed. "Elsa, you're amazing."
Elsa sighed in relief, before holding her hands close to her chest. "Thank you... if you must know, I'm not really sure how my... powers as you call them, work. They seem to be based around my emotions, so I try to keep to myself often. I'd prefer not to accidentally freeze everything I touch."
"I can imagine," Anna agreed. "But I know you won't freeze me. I'm too much of a warm ray of sunshine." She giggled.
Stroking Anna's cheek, Elsa pulled Anna into a hug as the snowflakes continued to fall. She had never been so happy in all of her life. For the first time in forever, she wasn't afraid of a single thing and it elated her so much.
She pulled Anna close to her chest, hugging her tightly. "You are the only one who knows about this, so you better keep this secret of mine."
"Don't worry, Elsa," Anna vowed, hugging her in the winter's night. "Your secret is safe with me."
xXx
With Elsa's secrets revealed to Anna, their relationship deepened more over the course of the next 6 or 7 months. Elsa and Anna often agreed that Elsa's powers should be kept a secret. However, that didn't mean Anna didn't encourage Elsa to use her strange magic gifts.
They would often play pranks over their college, mostly related to buckets of ice. They were never caught for their crimes and Elsa often did find the experience quite funny, especially when they dumped cold water on some resident preppy jerk.
And they had other uses for Elsa's powers. As their relationship was developed, so had their sex lives. Not long after they started dating, Elsa and Anna had been each others first times. These days, Anna had encouraged Elsa to shape her ice into toys for them to use in playtime.
Elsa was hesitant, but found it very appealing, once Anna was full of icy pleasure and Elsa had touched herself a few times.
Truly they were made for one another and now, Elsa thought it was time Anna met her family. During their spring break, Elsa booked them train tickets to Arendelle's capital, where the royal palace and her home resided. Elsa had a number of official residences as a member of the royal family, but the Arendelle palace where she had grown up was the place she felt most at home.
After a long journey on one of Arendelle's high-speed trains, Anna and Elsa soon arrived in the city, with Anna stepping off onto the platform in awe. The Arendelle station was massive, decorated with many designs and statues, symbolising the nation's pride.
"Woah... The stations in Genovia aren't half as fancy as this," Anna remarked, wheeling her suitcase off the train carriage. It was a big case, one Elsa had offered to pull for Anna, but the strawberry blonde insisted. After all, she knew Elsa was turned on by displays of strength.
Soon joining her girlfriend, Elsa stepped off the train, happy to be back at home. She looked at Anna, taking her hand. "You haven't seen half of this place. Come on, there should be a limo waiting for us out in front."
"Lead the way, your highness," Anna teased, as Elsa pulled her along the platform to the station's exit. Once they had cleared their way through the ticket booths, both women were outside the station, by a very busy street. Anna was sort of overjoyed to hear the honking of horns and seeing pedestrians going about their day, but Elsa covered her ears a little. She wasn't much of a fan of noise.
Within a few seconds, Elsa saw the long black car parked beside the sidewalk, with a young man with scruffy blonde hair calling to them. "Elsa!" He shouted.
Elsa turned and smiled. "This way, Anna," she said, leading Anna towards the car. The man bowed in respect as Elsa and Anna arrived.
"It's good to see you back home, Princess," he said in a kind voice.
"Good to see you as well, Kristoff," Elsa replied. "Anna, this is Kristoff, he's been my family's chauffeur and personal servant for the last few years and a very dear friend of mine."
Kristoff gestured to Anna. "My lady."
Anna giggled. "Oooh, he's a gentleman isn't he," she remarked.
As Kristoff loaded their bags into the back of the limo, Elsa and Anna climbed into the back seats, Anna relaxing in velour upholstery. She sighed, relaxing back into the fresh lacker seating. She smiled at Elsa, holding the blonde's hand.
"It's been a while since I was back in the land of luxury," Anna. "Do you still think your parents will like me?"
"Anna, they're going to simply adore you," Elsa said. "I've already written lots of letters to them expressing how much you mean to me. They are very happy for us. This is just... a little formality that's all."
Kristoff then climbed into the driver's seat, starting up the engine. Soon, the great car was cruising through the streets of Arendelle's capital city, Anna amazed by the way the buildings were the perfect blend of traditional and modern architecture.
Elsa looked out at the city as well, admiring the buildings. "I always loved driving down this street, seeing all the buildings so close like that." She chuckled. "I want to try my hand at architecture one day. Perhaps even design a building just like these."
"Well, you certainly have the knack for shapes and stuff," Anna agreed, referring to Elsa's geometry studies.
The car drove across the entire length of the city, Elsa having told Kristoff to do this in order for her girlfriend to see the wonders her country had to offer, but all that Anna really needed to see was the beautiful smile on Elsa's face.
Anna was still a little nervous about meeting Elsa's parents. Her parents had brought her to many parties involving other noblemen in Genovia, but Elsa's parents were a king and queen. That was an entirely different level to her.
Finally, the limousine turned a bend to drive across a small road bridge. Ahead of them, Anna could see a massive structure, built on an island just off the coast from the city. It was a palace, much larger than any other building in Arendelle.
While other buildings had a distinct blend of modern and traditional styling, this place was firmly locked in the olden days. With its wooden roof, rosemaling patterns along the side and the large gates that led into a rather medieval-looking courtyard, it truly felt like one would be stepping back in time just visiting this place.
As they drove through the gates, Elsa held Anna's hand and smiled. "Well, Anna... welcome to my home."
"It's... beautiful," Anna admitted. "Just like you."
Blushing a little at Anna's compliment, Elsa kissed her cheek. "I can't wait to give you the guided tour later on."
Eventually, the car came to a stop just outside of the front door. Kristoff got out and walked to Anna and Elsa's doors, opening them and allowing the two rich girls to get out and step into the open air. Anna got out first, taking in a deep breath.
Elsa walked to her side and took her hand. "So... are you ready to meet my parents?"
With a confident nod, Anna held Elsa's hand tightly. "I was born ready."
Taking that one big step together, Elsa and Anna walked to the doors to the palace, with Kristoff unlocking the door and allowing the two of them to step inside. The entrance hall of the palace was massive, Anna wondering how bigger the castle was on the inside.
The walls and floors were carpeted in red with yellow highlights, very traditional Scandinavian design. On the walls and around the room were various decorations, paintings and busts of monarchs gone by. It was truly a wondrous sight for Anna to see. Not even her own mansion in Genovia compared to this.
Feeling truly at home, Elsa took in the moment, before the sound of approaching footsteps brought her out of her observations. Walking down the stairs towards her and Anna was a man and a woman, both with short brownish hair. The man was wearing a burgundy suit jacket with a few royal medals pinned to his chest while the woman wore a respectable purple dress.
As the man arrived, he smiled. "Elsa.., welcome home my child."
"Papa..." Elsa sighed happily. She ran over to the happy couple, her parents and hugged them tightly. "I've missed you."
"And we have missed you, Elsa," the woman replied, stroking Elsa's blonde hair.
It was a touching scene for Anna to see. A mother and a father embracing and loving their daughter. It reminded her of when her mothers would give her warm hugs like that. She wondered if she should say anything, introduce herself, but she didn't wish to spoil the moment.
However, Anna's turn in the spotlight soon came, as once the family had pulled apart from the hug, Elsa's father smiled at Anna. "So... you must be the girl we've heard so much about," he spoke softly, walking over to her. "Anna is it?"
"Y-yes sir," Anna stuttered slightly.
Elsa's father chuckled. "No need for titles, dear girl. Just because we're royalty doesn't mean we aren't like everybody else." He patted Anna on the shoulder. "Elsa has told us so much about you. I never thought my little girl would ever settle down with anyone, but I'm pleased she settled with a girl like you."
"Papa, please," Elsa said, blushing a little. "Don't embarrass me in front of my girlfriend."
"We're only showing our gratitude dear," Elsa's mother chimed in. "Anna, would you like to join us for dinner? We have a famous Genovian chef cooking for us tonight um... what was her name dear?"
"Tiana, I think," The king replied.
Anna's eyes widened. "Tiana? As in the Tiana Rose? One of the greatest chefs in all of my country? Oh yes, of course, I would love to join you for dinner! Especially to savour some of her cooking."
Taking Anna's arm, the queen gestured for Anna to head up the stairs. "The servants will have moved your clothes to the guest rooms. I'm sure you'll want to change before dinner."
"Ooh, definitely!" Anna agreed. "I mean, I don't know how appropriate it is to have a fancy dinner in just jeans and a shirt!" She then made her way towards the stairs. "See you later, Elsa!"
As Anna headed upstairs to change, Elsa looked at her father. "A Genovian chef? Really? Papa, are you trying to show me up in front of her?"
Elsa's father gave a soft chuckle. "I thought you would be thankful for the effort we went through. After all, we wouldn't want to be bad hosts to your girlfriend, would we?"
"No..." Elsa sighed. "But you don't need to impress her for me, Papa. I won Anna's heart long ago. There is no doubt in her that she doesn't love me."
"And seeing you in love gives me hope," The king said happily, putting a hand on Elsa's shoulder. "Not just for the future of this family, but for you. I'm proud of you Elsa."
Elsa hugged her father tightly. "Thank you, Papa... that means so much to me."
xXx
Dinner was soon eaten and done for Elsa and Anna, with Anna getting along very well with Elsa's parents, even if the strawberry blonde's adorkableness did make Elsa feel a little embarrassed. But when she looked at Anna's radiant face across the table, she was relaxed.
After they had finished their meal, Elsa decided to take her girlfriend on a little-guided tour of her home, although this was more or less an excuse for her to get Anna alone and away from her parents. Striding through the halls together, Elsa smiled as Anna danced and twirled in the beautiful green dress she was wearing.
"That meal was so delicious!" Anna exclaimed, licking her lips. "I've never had such good food in all my life."
"So you've been saying for the last five minutes," Elsa remarked with a slight giggle. "Did you really need to shake Tiana's hand that hard?"
"I was being grateful!" Anna excused. "It was only a polite gesture that I give my compliments to the chef."
"You nearly ripped her arm off," Elsa stated.
"I said sorry, I didn't I?" Anna giggled. "Jeez Elsa, let a girl get away with a few crimes, wouldn't ya?" She then skipped out of the front door, seeing a sparkling starry sky above their heads. Just like on the night Elsa told Anna about her powers, the sky was indeed awake.
Elsa watched as Anna rushed out into the garden, smiling at the younger girl. It was a perfect moment for them both indeed. A beautiful evening, a lovely meal, Anna having met her parents and all the while, Elsa had been relaxed for the entire thing. Usually, during such a dinner, she would have been so nervous she'd freeze everything, but with Anna, everything was different.
She reached into her pocket, finding that her present was still in there. It had probably cost her a pretty penny, but she knew it was worth it. It would truly make the moment last longer in Anna's memory, as the night she became the happiest woman alive.
Walking out into the garden, Anna was sitting on a bench, looking into the stars.
"It's a beautiful evening," Anna admitted. "Just like that night."
Elsa held out her hand, letting go of her ice magic. Sparkles shone out of her hand and blanketed the entire area in snowfall.
"Woah!" Anna gasped, surprised. "Are you sure you should be doing that?"
"No one is going to see us out here," Elsa reminded her. "Besides, I can just make it all go away with the drop of a hat."
"You sneaky tease," Anna giggled, before Elsa sat beside her and they touched foreheads. They shared a nose kiss before Anna pressed her lips to Elsa's softly. She cupped the blonde's cheeks and kissed her sweetly before they parted. "You're amazing, you know that princess."
Elsa blushed softly, looking down at her other hand. Was this a good moment? Elsa didn't know and now, frankly didn't care. Suddenly, she got off the bench and looked at Anna with a loving face.
Anna raised an eyebrow in confusion, but then her confusion turned to amazement as Elsa then got down on one knee... and a little gold ring appeared in her hand.
Gulping, Elsa looked directly at her girlfriend with a nervous face. "Anna... my love... will you do me the honour of becoming my lawfully wedded wife?"
Covering her mouth, Anna didn't know what to say at first, before she finally knew what the right thing to say was and it was just one simple word.
"Yes!" She cheered, jumping into Elsa's arms. "Oh my gosh, yes Elsa, of course, I'll marry you!" She cried and hugged her tightly. "I never thought this would happen, but yes, of course, my answer is yes!"
Elsa cried, hugging Anna back. She couldn't believe her ears when Anna had said yes, but the weight of the younger girl on top of her assured this was no dream. This was real and she was going to marry Anna. This was the happiest night of her life.
Running around like a little girl, Anna spun around, admiring the beautiful ring on her finger. She held it close to her chest and sighed. "This... this is amazing... we'll have so much to plan. Do we marry after we graduate? Wait, are we going to live here?!"
Laughing, Elsa took Anna's hands. "All in due time Anna. Right now, just be happy that we are going to be married and you will be my royal consort."
"Oooh, I like the fancy title, miss gorgeous," Anna replied, kissing Elsa on the lips. "But I think just being Mrs Elsa Ice Queen will do me just fine."
"Ice Queen?"
"Yeah, because you make snow and shit," Anna remarked, before she started to sprint off across the snowy plain Elsa had created. She then jumped onto a large mound of snow. "Hey, try and catch me!"
"Wait, what?" Elsa inquired, confused, but didn't have much time to react as Anna then leapt off the mound. Quickly, she conjured a slightly taller mound for Anna to land on. She giggled. This was going to be quite fun for them both.
Anna jumped into the air again, with Elsa creating another mound. She did this for some time, both girls elated at their new engagement. As Anna would jump off one column of snow, Elsa would catch her on the other. However, in their excitement, Elsa and Anna had failed to notice how high the columns were growing.
Her eyes darting upwards, Elsa called to Anna. "Anna, wait! Stop! You're going too high!"
"No, I'm not!" Anna remarked. "You can still catch me!" She then landed on top of another column, smirking. "See, I'm just fine!"
"Get down!" Elsa ordered. "Please, I don't think I can build a wall that high!"
Before Anna could respond, she felt the snow give way beneath her feet. She gasped, trying to stay on balance. She saw Elsa running, trying to get to beneath her, but Elsa was too late. Anna's feet lost their grip and she tumbled off the top of the ice pillar.
As Anna screamed, Elsa panicked, trying to find a way to save her beloved from a severe injury. Anna was falling too fast, and Elsa didn't know what to do. In her confusion, Elsa leapt to one side, quickly firing a blast of ice before Anna nearly hit the ground.
Thud!
Landing on her side, Elsa saw her ice blast collide with Anna, striking her head. The strawberry blonde was knocked to one side, not severely injured, but Elsa knew a lifeless body when she saw one. She quickly ran to Anna, stroking her cheek.
"Anna! Anna!" Elsa screamed, shaking Anna's body, wanting her fiancé to awaken from this slumber. "Anna, speak to me, please..." Elsa then sighed and started to cry, holding the lifeless Anna in her arms.
As Elsa sobbed, but ice started to form around them and a streak of white appeared in Anna's red hair.
Crying, Elsa kissed Anna's forehead, wracked with guilt over her actions.
"I'm sorry, Anna... I'm so so sorry."
xXx
Author's note: And so here's a new fic for you all! This one is probably gonna be a long one. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Souls Joined Across Time. That will be finished up in due time. There's not really anyone else to credit for help here, aside from Matty's usual assistance and my beloved girlfriend Nona's amazing as heck cover.
See you next chapter!