Anna, Do You Wanna Know A Secret?
Rating: T, but will progress to M in later chapters.
Pairing: ElsAnna (duh)
A/N: So I was watching Frozen (for the zillionth time) and I wondered "What would have happened if Anna had gone with Elsa when she asked if they could talk alone?" And thus, this ficlet was born! It took forever to write and plan and review because I am extremely over critical of myself and well… I'm nervous! This is my first multi-chapter fic… but if all goes well with this story, I'll be posting more for sure! I have so many ideas… and I'm completely in love with this ship! Please feel free to share your thoughts, comments, suggestions and constructive criticism! They feed my Muse!
Disclaimer/Advisories: I don't own Frozen or anything associated with it or the Walt Disney franchise. Nope. I do, however, own a really crappy laptop, an insane imagination and way too much free time! Now please be advised that this is an ElsAnna fic. So yeah, there's going to be some frick-frackin' patty-whackin' later on. So if that's not your cup of tea… like, what the heck are you doing here?! And if you're underage or this is illegal where you live… I know that reminding you of those things won't make you leave… so please don't print it out at work or read it on the bus or something… or go ahead and do… I won't judge. Great! Now that that's out of the way… on to the story!
Enjoy!
Chapter 1
Do You Wanna Know A Secret?
The summer night was warm and inviting, much like the atmosphere in the grand ballroom of the palace of Arendelle. The room was filled with jovial chatter, intermixed with the sound of glasses clinking and the cheerful music. Elsa, the newly crowned Queen of Arendelle, bowed to another visiting pair, thanking them for their congratulations and good wishes. The celebration of her coronation had gone off without a hitch, but Elsa's mind was far from the freely flowing drinks and waltzes. It was focused on only one person.
Anna.
Meeting her sister after more than ten years of separation, seeing the beautiful woman she had become, filled Elsa with a feeling of joy and contentment she never thought she'd feel again. Their earlier conversation replayed in her mind, making her lips curve into a small smile.
"Hi."
"Hi? Hi- me? Oh! Um- Hi."
"You look beautiful."
"Thank you. You look beautifuller! I mean, not fuller, you don't look fuller, just- more beautiful."
Elsa chuckled, noting that though her baby sister had indeed blossomed into a beautiful young woman, her signature awkwardness and goofy manner had grown with her. Another couple approached her and engaged in a conversation entailing many congratulations and wishes for her reign to be a prosperous one. Elsa nodded, responding with the expected pleasantry and listened politely as the conversation continued, though she soon found her wandering back to her sister.
"This is so nice. I wish it could be like this all the time."
Elsa sighed internally, knowing that her immediate withdrawal from her sister had hurt Anna deeply. Keeping her secret would be harder now that she was Queen and expected to make more appearances around the castle. If only she didn't have to hide it anymore...
"Elsa!"
Elsa excused herself from the conversation she was having and turned to find her sister rushing towards her with a young, redheaded man in tow.
"Oh, I mean Queen. Me again."
Elsa smiled slightly at that. 'She's so cute.'
"May I present Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."
Elsa turned to the young man who was bowing respectfully. "My lady." Elsa nodded once, though something grew in her chest as she continued to examine the young man. Something was... off about him, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Before she could continue to analyze the feeling Anna spoke.
"We would like..."
"Your blessing... of..."
"Our marriage!"
Elsa's brow shot up. "Marriage." At Anna's excited squeal of "Yes!" she shook her head slightly and said "I'm sorry. I'm confused."
"Well we haven't really worked out all the details ourselves," Anna replied. "We'll need a few days to plan the ceremony. Of course, we'll have soup, roast and ice cream and then- wait." Elsa watched as her younger sister turned to Hans and asked "Will we live here?"
Elsa felt her heart begin to pound in her chest. "Here?"
"Absolutely!" Hans replied happily, the young couple oblivious to Elsa's state of panic. "Anna-"
"Oh, we can invite all twelve of your brothers to stay with us-"
Elsa began to panic, a familiar pressure building inside of her chest. "What? No, no, no."
"Of course we have the room. I don't know. Some of them must have-"
Elsa finally spoke up. "Wait. Slow down. No one's brothers are staying here. No one is getting married." The Queen felt her heart clench at the look of pain on Anna's face, as well as her stomach turn at the glint in Hans eye. It made her exceedingly uncomfortable. She and Anna needed to work this out in private.
"Wait, what?"
Elsa took a deep breath. "May I talk to you, please? Alone?" She glanced at Hans, the glint having disappeared from his eyes, replaced with a hurt and worry that Elsa wasn't sure was sincere. She turned back to Anna and saw the petulant stance her sister had taken. "Fine. Lead the way, Your Majesty." Elsa winced at the venom in her younger sisters' tone. But it was then that she knew.
It was time for Anna to learn the truth.
She headed toward Kai, informing him that she and her sister would return shortly before exiting the ballroom and leading Anna to the portrait room. When she was younger, she had slipped out of her room when the isolation was becoming too much. On many occasions, she would find Anna here, slumbering on the chaise longue under the portrait of Joan of Arc. And that's precisely where Anna chose to sit now.
"So, what is it that you need to talk about?" Anna asked as she crossed her arms over her chest defensively. Elsa sighed and looked at her sister. She didn't even know where to begin. "Anna... I think it would be... prudent for you to... perhaps, reconsider... this marriage."
"Why?"
"Because... You can't marry a man you just met Anna," Elsa argued, forcing herself to keep her voice gentle.
Anna lifted her chin slightly. "You can if it's true love." Elsa sighed and shook her head. "Anna what do you know about true love?" Though her voice was gentle, she saw that they had hit a sore nerve in her younger sister. "More than you! All you know is how to shut people out."
Elsa sighed. The words stung, but more so did the truth in them. All her life, she was taught to conceal her feelings, her powers. To hide away, hide who she was, what she could do.
'Conceal it, don't feel it. Don't let it show.'
"What did I ever do to you? Why do you shut me out?" The brokenness of her sisters' voice brought her out of her mind and back to the present. She looked over at the Princess and her heart broke all over again. "Why do you shut the world out?" Anna's voice rose and Elsa watched the tears spill down her cheeks. "What are you so afraid of?"
"Of hurting you! I can't lose you again Anna!" Elsa shouted, her body trembling as she fought to contain her own tears. "I can't... not again."
"What do you mean 'again'?" Anna asked, her voice having softened considerably. Elsa sighed and sniffled, wiping a tear from her eye and looking up at Anna. She thought of how her heart broke every time Anna came knocking at her door, of how badly she wanted to open it every time and take her little sister in her arms, powers, rules and parents be damned. And then she decided. 'The past is in the past...'
'Let it go.'
She walked over to chaise, sitting close to Anna, feeling her little sister tense at her proximity. But she wanted that to be the first thing to change. She pressed closer, taking one of Anna's hands in hers. "I think it's time you knew the truth Anna..." She gazed at their intertwined fingers for a moment, and then lifted her head to lock her eyes with the curious aquamarine pools in front of her. "It's ok Elsa..." Anna murmured reassuringly, giving her hand a squeeze. Elsa nodded and took a deep breath.
"Well, I guess it all started… with a snowman."
And thus, the floodgates of Elsa's heart opened, revealing everything to her younger sister. She told her of the night of the accident, of how the trolls had erased the memories of her powers, of how their parents had decided to keep her powers hidden from everyone and had separated them to keep Anna safe. Of how she had yearned to open her door to her so many times, of the occasions that she almost did.
"When Momma and Papa died, it was the closest I had ever come to opening the door," Elsa explained, tears in her eyes. She looked up at Anna once more. "I wanted to Anna... I just... I did it to protect you." She reached up to cup Anna's cheek, smiling tenderly when her younger sister, leaned into her touch. "I've missed you, dear one. So, so much."
Anna began to cry in earnest and Elsa pulled the younger girl into her lap, rocking her and humming words of comfort in her ear, allowing her own tears to roll down her face unchecked as she felt her sister grasp the material of her dress. She pressed kisses to Anna's temple, forehead, and cheek... to any bare skin she could reach, a feeling of warmth growing in her chest that was familiar and foreign all at the same time.
"I missed you Elsa," Anna murmured into Elsa's neck. Elsa squeezed Anna once more before pulling away to meet her watery eyes. "I missed you too Anna. More than you can ever imagine." They sat quietly, finding comfort in the arms of one another, soaking in the affection they had both been deprived of for so long, the love that they both yearned for.
"Elsa."
"Hmm?"
Anna sat up in Elsa's lap, looking down into her eyes. "I want to see your powers." Elsa nodded. "Soon enough, dear one. But now, we must return to the party before we're missed," she said, wiping Anna's flushed cheeks of any remnant tears.
"Can we talk more later?" The hope in Anna's voice twisted Elsa's heart, for it reminded her of her own need to simply be with Anna, of how much she had missed her sister. "Of course."
Anna smiled brightly and hugged Elsa once more. "We'll work this out together Elsa. I'm here now. Just- just please don't shut me out again."
Elsa held her sister to her body tightly. "Never again Anna. I promise... never again."
"And so, I think it would be best if, for now, we put of the engagement." Anna bit her lip nervously, looking up at Hans. He really was amazing, but now that Anna had Elsa back, the empty space she had felt in her heart for so long seemed to be diminishing in size. She wanted to be with her sister.
Hans smiled kindly down at her, and Anna felt a sigh of relief escape her chest as he took her hand in his. "Of course, I understand Anna. Take as long as you need." Anna smiled brightly. Hans had to be the sweetest guy she had ever met. Okay, he was the only guy she had ever met, but still very sweet. "Thank you Hans."
"Prince Hans."
Anna turned at the familiar voice of her sister and smiled when she saw Elsa approaching them, her demeanor already much more visibly relaxed. "I would like to apologize for my abrupt behavior earlier this evening. And I would like to extend an invitation for you to stay here in Arendelle as a token of friendship and as a blessing for you to continue to court my sister, if you so wish it."
Anna smiled brightly at Elsa, wanting to throw her arms around her older sister's neck, but restraining herself because she knew for a fact that it would make Elsa uncomfortable. As if the Queen could read her thoughts, Elsa reached for her hand and squeezed it, throwing Anna a quick wink before returning her attention to Hans.
"I thank her Majesty for her hospitality, generosity and for her blessing," Hans replied, bowing deeply. Elsa nodded slightly and then said "Good. I will have quarters prepared for you in the guest wing. Now if you'll both please excuse me."
"Where are you going?" Anna asked, slightly disappointed that her sister wasn't going to stay with her. 'Jeez Anna, needy much?' Elsa smiled warmly and replied "As queen, it is my duty to "mingle"." Anna nodded in understanding, and curtsied deeply. "Of course, Your Majesty." Elsa seemed pensive for a moment, and then said "You may join me later on in the courtyard, to greet our people."
Anna nodded excitedly. "I'd love to- I mean, yes. Yes, of course." Elsa smiled and excused herself once more, weaving through the crowd with elegance, the picture of sophisticated grace. Anna felt a bubble of pride grow in her chest.
'My sister is amazing.'
"There she is! Queen Elsa!"
"Hail Queen Elsa!"
"Long live our beautiful Queen!"
Elsa smiled at the cheering and applause, bowing her head politely. She felt Anna practically vibrating with excitement as she walked next to her, head turning this way and that to take in the palace courtyard. The townspeople had set up what looked like a small fair, with hanging lights, different stands offering all kinds of refreshments and snacks, and even a small band.
The smell of freshly baked sweets mixed with the warm summer air, the salty breeze from the fjord carrying the enticing aromas up and around the courtyard. Elsa and Anna weaved through the jovial crowd, graciously accepting gifts of all kinds from their people. Elsa glanced at Anna, meeting her younger sister's gaze for a moment and smiled at the expression of joy and warmth on Anna's face as she interacted with the children that were playing in the amongst the crowd.
Elsa continued greeting the people and her eyes locked onto a set of intense ice blue eyes peeping from behind an older woman cradling a baby in her arms. She walked over and smiled warmly at the woman, who bowed immediately as she approached. "Your Majesty. May your reign forever be a prosperous one." Elsa bowed her head in thanks, then met the ice blue gaze and squatted so that she was at eye level with the little boy. "Hello. My name is Elsa. What's yours?"
The older woman nudged the little boy encouragingly and he stepped out from behind her skirt, bowing and settling on one knee, a closed fist over his heart. With his head bowed, he said "My name is Liam, if it pleases Her Majesty. May your reign be one abundant in happiness and prosperity for many years to come." Elsa smiled at the little boys' eloquence, and glanced at Anna, who was mirroring the same smile. Turning back to Liam she said "Thank you Liam. It is a pleasure to meet you. How old are you?" The little boy looked up with a shy smile, showing off a pair of adorable dimples that made Elsa's heart melt. "I'm going to be six next month, Your Majesty."
"A fine young man then," Elsa said with a doting smile. "I'm sure your mother is thrilled to have you around to help her with the chores." The boys' smile disappeared slightly. "I do not have a mother, Your Majesty." Elsa felt her chest tighten and she looked up at the older woman in question as she straightened out. "Liam is an orphan Your Majesty, as are many of the children here." Elsa looked around the courtyard, watching as the children played, ran and skipped about, their tiny feet pattering on the warm cobblestone.
"There are more than ten of them that are Liam's age, boys and girls. Some of the older ones come and go, trying to make money on the streets doing odd jobs," explained the woman. "And then there are the little ones like Leah," she said, gesturing with her chin to the tiny little girl in her arms. When Leah started to squirm, Anna reached for her gently, cradling in her arms and cooing softly. Elsa smiled at Anna before turning back to the woman. "Where do they stay?"
"There is an orphanage at the edges of town Your Majesty," answered the older woman. Elsa nodded. "And you take care of them there?" The woman nodded. "I and a few other women do what we can." Elsa felt her heart warm at the kindness of the older woman and asked. "What is your name?"
"Selma, if it pleases Her Majesty." Elsa nodded and smiled warmly. "What you have taken on is a noble task, not one many would accept. And I would like to help." She thought for a moment and said "Anna and I will visit the orphanage personally to see what needs to be done. I will need for you to compile a list of materials and supplies that you find yourself needing on a daily basis, as well as a head count of the children and their corresponding names and ages."
"T-thank you, Your Majesty," replied Selma, her eyes wide. Elsa nodded looking down at Liam before placing a gentle hand on his head, running her gloved fingers through his fine blonde hair. "It is my duty as Queen to look out for my people, to make sure they are not lacking anything. This includes the children. They are the future of our fair kingdom, the generation that will lead us into a new age. Sometimes, a little kindness goes a long way."
Selma had tears in her eyes as she spoke. "I know I speak for all the people of Arendelle when I say that we could not be in better hands." Elsa smiled, placing her hand on Selma's shoulder. "If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to request an audience with me," she said softly. Then turning to look down at Liam she said "And I believe I need a fresh pair of eyes to help me review the Royal Guard. Do you know of anyone who would like to help me with that?"
Liam smiled brightly, his dimples now prominent as he bowed his head once more. "It would be an honor Your Majesty." Then, after a second's hesitation, the small boy threw his arms around Elsa's neck, startling the young queen slightly, though she quickly returned the embrace. Despite his slightly haggard appearance, the little boy smelled of crisp green apples and freshly baked bread, with a hint of salt from the summer air. Elsa also noticed that despite the warm night, he was cool to the touch.
After chatting with Liam and Selma for a bit longer and convincing Anna to relinquish Leah, the Queen and Princess continued their rounds through the courtyard, soaking in the joy of their people as they danced, sang and celebrated under the stars.
The fire crackled, making shadows dance along the walls of Hans' quarters. The redheaded prince paced the floor, a glass cup filled with an amber liquid in his hand, his brow furrowed as her glared at the dancing flames.
As thirteenth in line in his own kingdom, Hans knew he didn't have a chance. He knew he would eventually have to marry into the thrown somewhere. Hence his trip to Arendelle once he heard word of the Queen's coronation, his hope of earning the young beauty's hand and a throne all in the same night strong. However, upon arriving in Arendelle, he set his sights on Anna, realizing that, though Elsa was preferable, no one was getting anywhere with her.
But Anna… sweet, innocent, naïve Anna, had been willing to marry him just like that.
Before she and Elsa had the mysterious conversation that is. Hans grumbled, gulping down the last of his drink. He had no idea what the two women had spoken of, but he knew it had ruined his plan for a quick marriage. His resolve, however, was not so easily shaken. He would be king of Arendelle.
There was no doubt in his mind about that.
Long after the festivities had ended, and all the guests had been shown to their quarters, Elsa and Anna walked down the moonlit halls, sides pressed together and fingers intertwined both content to simply be with one another, reeling in the needed closeness. Elsa sighed happily, her heart feeling lighter ever before. She and her sister were finally reunited; no more closed doors, no more secrets, no more hiding away. Her mind was reeling with all the things that they had to make up for. Thirteen years' worth of memories to create, and Elsa couldn't wait to start.
"Elsa?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm really- I mean, I'm so happy, I just-"
Elsa smiled warmly at her little sister, stopping to pull her into a warm embrace, her body filling with warmth when she heard Anna release a happy sound that sounded like something between a whine and a moan as she tugged Elsa closer to her, resting her chin in the crook between Elsa's shoulder and her neck. "I love you Elsa," the Queen heard Anna murmur against her shoulder and she felt a release within her that she couldn't explain. It was almost as if she had been sinking deeper and deeper into the sea and someone had grabbed her and pulled her straight out. Elsa felt a tear slide down her cheek as she pulled Anna even closer, inhaling the familiar scent of her sister's strawberry blonde locks. "I love you too Anna."
They stood like that, locked in a tender embrace, for a long time. Anna was the first to pull back looking straight into Elsa's eyes. "Elsa?"
"Hmm?" Elsa hummed in response, brushing her fingers through Anna's bangs gently. She watched the redhead capture her bottom lip with her teeth, her eyes lighting up with mirth before she said "Do you wanna build a snowman?"
Elsa smiled brightly, because she could finally say "Yes."
Anna followed Elsa into a large hall somewhere between the portrait room and the library, watching as her sister closed the large doors behind them. "Is there were we used to..?" Elsa nodded, a sadness like one Anna hadn't seen overtaking her features. She stepped forward, taking Elsa's hand in her own while using the other to lift her sister's chin and meet her eyes. "Let's make some new memories Elsa." Cerulean blue eyes glittered with light and Elsa nodded and took a deep breath, sliding off her gloves.
"The gloves help control it, don't they?"
Elsa nodded. Anna smirked and nudged her older sister playfully. "And to think, all this time, I just thought you had a thing about dirt." That got a small giggle out of Elsa and Anna reveled in the sound. It was the most adorably soft giggle she had ever heard. She vowed right then and there to make Elsa laugh more often.
They made their way to the center of the room and Elsa turned to Anna. "Are- are you ready?" Anna nodded, the excitement bubbling up in her chest. She watched as Elsa rolled her hands together, a sparkling blue orb appearing between them. Anna's eyes widened as she watched. Her sister's magic was beautiful… 'Just like her.' Taking one last look at Anna, Elsa threw her hands into the air and the orb shot up to the ceiling, exploding into thousands of sparkling snowflakes. Anna felt one fall on her nose and giggled, spinning around under the fresh snow "This is amazing!"
She heard Elsa chuckle and turned back to her. "Watch this," the older girl said, tapping her foot on the floor firmly. Anna watched in awe as ice coated the floor of the large hall and giggled as she began to slide. "Elsa this is so…" Anna stepped forward, losing her balance and falling straight into Elsa's arms. She felt her face heat up as her eyes met Elsa's and saw the love swirling in the clear blue depths, along with another emotion she didn't recognize. "S-sorry."
"It's ok," Elsa said gently, smiling down at her. "Now, let's build that snowman."
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Okay… bye!
E.N.