A/N: So hi, uhm. I'm apparently incapable of writing anything thats not a period AU. So hiya, its 1800s this time. I was considering making it in London during the Victorian Era, but it'll take place in multiple countries, but mostly Austria. I'm getting inspiration from a variety of books and interactive stories. If you can catch the references you get brownie points. Anyway, this is going to be dark fantasy. Most definitely Elsanna, they're unrelated this time. There's some fluff in the first chapter so hey a running start. Please R&R, I'd really like to hear people's thoughts.
Our Dearest Anna,
We hope for your memories of us not to be soiled by the bleakness of our remaining days together, but instead remember fondly the times we so enjoyed. Our last thoughts were of you, and we wish for you not to linger in the past pain of bygone days, and instead face the morning light with a high head and bright eyes.
As such, living arrangements have been arranged to ensure your comfort and livelihood. You do remember darling little Elsa, do you not? As it so happens, she shall soon be named Countess of Arendelle, having received the title passed down to her from her late parents. Much of our wealth and property has been put under her care by the time being, and shall be passed on to you in a years time when you come of age.
Do be kind to Elsa, she longs for a companion. Her reclusive tendencies do seem to get the better of her, and she tends to isolate herself for extended periods of time. She does so miss you, however, and has asked about your well-being numerous times over the course of our correspondence. While the transition may be awkward and shaky at first, do remember she has shouldered the burden of political turmoil and upstanding for many years now, following the deaths of her parents.
We only wish for your good health, and we both love you very, very much. We hope that you can understand the decision we have made in entrusting you to Elsa for the time being, and our arrangement with her included a joint-ruling that shall commence during the day of Elsa's official coronation as the Countess of Arendelle.
In this same envelope we have entrusted our Last Will and Testament to both you and Elsa, and we hope for the very best in your future endeavors. Anna, we love you very, very much and do wish we could remain by your side as you blossom into the beautiful young woman we so believe you will be. May your future remain bright and unhindered in the wake of our deaths, and please, live well.
Sincerely yours, forever and always,
Your Mother and Father
Alone in the room sat Anna, her hands steadily holding the paper in her hands, her eyebrows furrowed into a look of confusion. Not but a day ago had her parents's funeral occurred, after their tragic passing from Typhoid, and already curt messages of inheritances and the ilk were shoved in her face. To think, such a flimsy piece of yellowed paper adorned with shakily written words could seal her fate in such a permanent manner.
She slipped her gloved hand into the envelope, removing yet another piece of folded paper and gazing at its contents with bated breath.
I, Henrik Sheridan, an adult residing at Doolin, Ireland, being of sound mind, do declare this to be my Last Will and Testament. I revoke all wills and codicils previously made by me.
I appoint the Countess Elsa as my Personal Representative to administer this Will, and if she is unwilling or unable to serve, then I appoint my daughter Anna to serve as my Personal Representative, and ask that she be permitted to serve without Court supervision.
I direct my Personal Representative to pay out of my residuary estate all of the expenses of my last illness, administration expenses, all legally enforceable claims, all estate taxes, inheritance taxes, and all other governmental charges imposed by reason of my death without seeking reimbursement from or charging any person for any part of the taxes and charges paid, and if necessary, reasonable funeral expenses, including the cost of any suitable marker for my grave, without the necessity of an order of court approving said expenses.
I devises, bequeath, and give my total wealth and property to the Countess Elsa of Arendelle, in the country of Austria, to handle and maintain until my only daughter, Anna, turns eighteen years of age.
Should Elsa not survive me by 30 days, custody of my wealths and properties will be handed over to government until Anna turns of age.
Anna swallowed the words on the crumpled paper as she gazed at the black suitcase filled to the brim with what little belongings she could still truly call her own. 'Elsa' this, and 'Elsa' that, she scoffed inwardly, the very idea of her distant childhood friend controlling her entire family's collected wealth was incredulous to her. All she could do was fold the papers neatly into her dress pocket and drag her leather suitcase down to await the carriage that was sure to come. How she'd miss the lively shores of Ireland, with the gulls chittering and the people indulging themselves in all manners of fun. How she'd miss the island home she was so used to, hidden away farther mainland and accessible only by a small boat. To be torn from her home of fifteen years and pulled to some manner of schloss hidden away in the frigid alpine mountains of Austria, oh how she steeled herself for the shocking change in environment that was sure to come.
Though while she was steadily wondering about what manner of castle would be located in such an isolated area of the country, a loud clacking of hooves against cobblestones echoed through the fairly empty nighttime boards of the small dock she awaited at. Anna glanced up to see a pair of stalwart, black horses trotted abley up to the building she was waiting before. As the carriage came to a gentle stop, a portly man dressed in black and navy finery hobbled out from inside, dabbing his face with a white handkerchief emblazoned with some pastel blue symbol.
"You must be miss Anna." he stated, gently taking the suitcase and waving off whatever help Anna attempted to give him. "The Countess has been speaking very highly of you for weeks indeed." the man chuckled, fiddling with the lapels of his jacket as he opened the door for Anna. "The entire manor has been renovated thanks to her incalculable desire to impress you, my lady. She is quite taken with you."
"Thank you, sir." Anna whispered, ducking her head under the top of the carriage and hoping sincerely her clumsiness wouldn't show as she entered. After a smooth transition inside the carriage, with a click of the door shutting, her heart began to slow as she allowed the tension to ebb from her consciousness. How she did hope not much conversation would be sparked through the ride, simply wishing to board the boat and arrive at the castle in a timely manner. This of course wouldn't be occurring for several days, so her dreamy mind ran rampant with a myriad of fantasies involving the hidden magics of the castle and the idea of exposure to more than a handful of people. And while the sting of her inheritance and the heartbreak of her loss still prickled at the edges of her heart, the only power she had was that over her own mind and person; and so then and there she decided to take her parents' advice and look forward, to new days, and new times.
Nothing could be more picturesque nor solitary, Anna decided, as the umpteenth carriage she had been in for the past two weeks carted her through the vivid green landscape of the Austrian countryside. Higher and higher in altitude the carriage pulled on, where the forests grew thicker and the shade grew darker. The stone paths turned to finer dirt paths as they advanced onward through the trees that seemed to stretch higher and higher into the sky.
The road suddenly became very old, and very narrow. Before her through the thick stretch of trees lay a drawbridge, to which the horse gracefully trotted upon, towards the many windowed schloss with its spindly towers and Gothic chapel. Beneath the drawbridge bustled snowy-white swans that swam between the water lilies that stuck out through the water in a calculated position as if it were some flowery maze.
Before the gates lay a homely glade, with all manners of wildflowers poking out from the viridian grasses. The aura of loneliness emanating from the schloss was almost suffocating as Anna fought back the growing nervousness that fluttered within her chest.
"Is it always this lonely?" Anna murmured as she gazed out the window into the melancholy area.
"Yes, indeed." stated the portly man, who had days ago introduced himself as Kai, one of Elsa's most trusted hands. "The nearest inhabited village is a good seven miles off."
"Nearest inhabited village?" Anna pointed out, catching the subtlety in the man's words.
"Yes, well… About three miles westward of our manor lies a village of Karnstein, the owners of which have long since died out and the village itself has fallen into quite a state of disarray." the man stated. "Its once quaint church is now roofless, and the desolate château overlooks the ruins of the town. It is not a safe place, my lady." he grumbled, visibly uncomfortable by the mention of the odd little Karnstein. "I'd advise you not go there."
"I shall take the utmost care not to venture there." Anna nodded, though secretly inside she made it a point to someday investigate the strange ruins of Karnstein. And while she would've been perfectly content daydreaming about whatever supernatural encounter she would face in the ruins, the carriage came to an abrupt stop and the shuffling of boots and cloth forced Anna's mind to stray back into reality. Kai shifted in his seat and clicked open the latch of the carriage door, hobbling down the steps and holding a hand out to Anna. She took it and allowed herself to be tugged onto the gravelly courtyard of Arendelle Manor, her eyes narrowed against the brilliant summer's sunset, shifting uncomfortably at the melancholy mood brought by the orange sunglow.
"Are you all right, my lady?" Kai inquired. "You seem a bit… distracted, if I may."
"No, no. I'm all right." Anna tore her gaze away from the golden fire that was the sunset-stained sky. "I was just… admiring the view." she chuckled, tucking an invisible strand of hair behind her ear in a tell of awkwardness.
"I see. Well do hurry along to the garden." he nodded towards a small gate that was position between a thick hedge; an extra addition to the overall storybook flavor of the manor Anna had found herself in. "The Countess is generally in the gardens, and I'm sure she's simply too eager to see you."
"But my suitca-"
"Nonsense! That's why I'm here." chuckled the man. "Now do run along now; the poor woman is probably already anxious enough that it took us several days to return here. I'm sure she's been pacing to and fro through the hallways each night."
"Does she do that?" Anna giggled, an unfamiliar warmth blossoming inside of her.
"Yes, indeed. She'll spend all night pacing if she's particularly nervous. Oh, how she scared the poor serving girl when she suddenly paced from the shadows. She does have the strangest tendencies, but you'll have to excuse her because she does everything she can. She really does." he mused, nudging Anna in the shoulder with his elbow. "Now do run along before we spend the entire evening simply talking about the Countess!"
"I'm going, I'm going!" Anna giggled as she trotted off towards the hedge. A flowering nervousness bubbled inside of her as her hands trembled against the black iron handle. She simply stood there and admired the vines that snaked up and around the intricately designed gate, wondering what exactly she was going to say to Elsa, the little girl whom she hadn't seen in years. Had she changed? Did she still like chocolate? Why did she never respond to her letters? All manners of questions swam around Anna's head, but she simply shook them off as she pressed confidently upon the handle and allowed herself through the natural archway.
Before her, the storybook nature of the manor seemed to increase exponentially while before her lay all manners of beautifully tended flowers. Each single flower had a personality at its owned that seemed to whisper and tickle at the very fiber of Anna's being, and she could barely make her way through the outskirts of the garden, which spiraled around a magnificent glass building that was modeled after some Taj Mahal, Anna believed. Oh, how she could've stood there forever, admiring the ballroom of petals and leaves that were arranged before her, the sweet scent of their nectar wafting into the air and delighting Anna even further.
Almost as if the being embodied the flowers that encompassed her, a woman in a high-collared dress colored navy blue and gold stood in the middle of the glass building, her back turned to Anna as her gloved hands gently ran across the snow white flowers she was tending to. Anna swallowed hard at the striking familiarity of the woman, all the nervousness of minutes ago suddenly flooding into her body at tenfold. Oh how the woman gently watered the neighboring flowers with such grace and care, that one could be convinced that they were of her family. How Anna shuddered wonderfully at the thought of being cared for in such an intimate manner, but at the sudden shock of such thoughts she quickly dismissed them and headed for the entrance to the transparent palace.
At the opening of the door, Anna was suddenly faced with such a thick humidity that she felt as if someone were smothering her with ten fleece blankets. She swallowed the thick air before clumsily bending around the circular maze of flowers within and searching for the woman. Clearly she had underestimated the inner size of the building, for she suddenly found herself lost within the miniature jungle, gulping loudly as she searched for some indicator of the exit. Stumbling backwards as she attempted to peek through the plants, she tripped over some manner of garden utensil and found herself falling backwards, slamming hard onto the ground and cutting her finger on some sharp thing. Anna moaned in pain as sudden footsteps were heard slapping across the smooth ground, a rather flustered looking woman standing before her.
"Anna!?" she gasped, quickly rushing to her side and sliding down to help her up. "Anna, when did you arrive? Are you hurt? What happened?" she asked, worry apparent on her face as she helped Anna to her feet.
"Oh gosh, how embarassing." Anna mumbled, her cheeks turning a pretty shade of crimson.
"I'm already making a fool of myself, and I haven't even gotten a chance to say a word to you yet." she laughed self-deprecatingly, glancing to the ground in shame.
"No, no. Not at all." Elsa sighed, glancing down and becoming startled at the sight of red on Anna's hand. "You're hurt! Oh, Anna. I'm so sorry." she murmured, bringing the girl's hand closer for inspection.
"No, no. It's fine, it's ju- oh." Anna gasped as Elsa's cool lips came into contact with the palm of her hand, gently sucking at the vermilion liquid that oozed from the cut Anna had accidentally self-inflicted. She found herself blushing wildly at the woman before her, whose eyes were closed as she gently ran her tongue across the open wound, leaving a wake of cool saliva as she removed her mouth from the wound and pulled a white handkerchief that had been retrieved from her dress pocket, pressing it gently against the wound as she tied the cloth strip around Anna's hand.
"We have a medical kit in the house." she murmured gently, her lips suddenly far rosier than they had been before. "Pardon my forwardness, but I'm simply worried about the wound becoming infected." she admitted, letting go of Anna's hand and nervously bringing her gaze up to meet the girl's before her.
"N-No! Not at all. It was just… a surprise." Anna averted her gaze, tucking a hair behind her ear. "Not a negative one! I was just, erhm, taken aback, is all. Oh, I'm rambling. I'm sorry. It's been so long, Elsa." she whined, taking Elsa's gloved hands into her own and sighing wistfully. "I have so much to ask you, to talk to you about…"
"Everything will be explained, Anna. I promise." Elsa smiled gently, rubbing her thumbs affectionately against Anna's hands before tugging her along through the flowery maze. "Though not before we straighten that wound out, and I make you a cup of tea. I'm sure you're tired after that journey."
"Oh, you have no idea."
The manor interior was gothic and dark, the wood furnishings and walls being a dark mahogany color. Though, there were fresh flowers blooming in porcelain vases at every corner of the manor. There was a staircase leading to the top floor in the main room she was led through, having been gently nudged into the den area. The den, while cosy and homely and complete with comfortable furniture and brilliant paintings and golden candle holders, was even darker than the main room. So while the beauty of the manor never stopped amazing Anna, she couldn't shake the intruding sense of loneliness that clawed at her throat. As it seemed, the inside of the manor was much lonelier than the outside.
And while Anna was left to her thoughts, the Countess left her to wait in the den while she retrieved the medical kit. She rather liked the woman that Elsa had grown into, despite not having seen her for a good many years. Her gaze found itself returning time and time again to the handkerchief wrapped gently around her hand, a strange buzzing in chest chest shaking her to her very core as the memory of Elsa's cool tongue sliding across her skin remained raw in her mind.
Her train of thought was suddenly derailed as the sound of footsteps came nearer. Elsa promptly sat by Anna's side, having returned with a bottle of whiskey, some bandages, and a hand cloth. Deftly she untied the handkerchief from Anna's hand, discarding the bloodied cloth to the side and pouring some of the whiskey onto the hand cloth she had brought.
"I apologize if this stings a bit." Elsa murmured, gently taking Anna's hand into her own and keeping her gaze downwards. She gently slid the whiskey-drenched cloth onto the wound, dabbing at it gently and cleaning it of any dirt or infectants that could have been there. Anna winced at the stinging sensation of the alcohol upon the wound, receiving a soft, murmuring apology from the countess.
"What good will a drop of whiskey do?" Anna whimpered.
"Ahhhh…" Elsa chuckled softly. "And what did they teach you in Ireland? How do the Irish disinfect their wounds?"
"Why… oxygen is a disinfectant. The air around us." Anna replied innocently.
"I see." Elsa sighed, shaking her head. "What nonsense. Leaving a wound to fester like that is exactly what won't disinfect it." gracefully she unravelled the clean, sterile bandages and wrapped them gently around the wound, placing an innocent kiss upon Anna's palm before smiling up at the girl. "There. You're all better now."
"Th-thank you." Anna whispered, gently taking her hand back and flexing it beneath the bandages. Truth be told, the wound did feel a lot better after having been cleaned with the whiskey, and it hadn't really stung all that much, though Anna suspected it was due to the fact Elsa took the utmost care in being gentle with her.
"I'll get some tea then, and then I shall do my best to answer any questions that you have." Elsa kept her hands tucked in close to her person, and her gaze averted as she stood up and left the room in a few graceful movements. Anna sighed and ran her fingers over the bandages after Elsa left. The soft cotton gently hugged her skin with an impossible form of gentleness that could never be administered by anyone else, thought Anna. A strong scent of whiskey still protruded from her hand as the after-sting left the torn skin throbbing slightly.
While she was left alone in the room, she decided to take the chance to explore the area a little more. At the back of the room hung a massive painting of a man in a regal cloak, holding some sort of golden chalice and baton. Underneath the painting stood a small table covered in all manner of strange objects, two of which she recognized to be the chalice and the baton. However, on one portion of the table was a perfectly circular spot surrounded by dust, as if something had been recently moved.
"I see you're admiring my father." Elsa suddenly said. Anna jumped in surprise and looked back, noticing Elsa placing a tray on top of the small table she had tended her wound at.
"Yes he's… very imposing. Not quite the man I remember." Anna giggled, making her way back to sit next to Elsa.
"Ah well, he'd become a little more… docile, after his coronation as Count." Elsa admitted, pouring a deep, pink tea into two porcelain teacups. Anna sighed happily as the scent of strawberries filled the air, the warm steam rising up to her nostrils as she blew on the top. "I did bring chocolates too." Elsa motioned towards the small tin with a small gesture. "I do remember how much you loved chocolates."
"Thank you, Elsa. You've been very kind to me. But… why you?" Anna asked, tilting her head as she popped one of the chocolates into her mouth. "I mean, there are others, and I have many family members that are still alive." she swallowed, holding back the raw emotions she had suppressed for days now, losing herself in fantasy rather than acknowledging her recent loss.
"It's okay to cry, Anna." Elsa frowned, setting her teacup down. "As for why you were entrusted to me rather than anyone else, well…" Elsa's cheeks colored for a split second, though Anna was convinced it was because of the steam. "They felt as if I'd be more suited to protecting and caring for you. While I don't mean to be rude, but many members of your family aren't as… financially stable as I am."
"I-I see." Anna nodded. "That does make sense. Sorry I-..." she placed her teacup down and sighed, her bottom lip trembling. "I just… It was strange. Receiving such a curt letter that essentially sealed away my fate for the next three years, and I… Just a part of me believes that this is some vacation. And my parents will be back home to greet me when I go back, but there is not going back, and… I…"
Anna was suddenly interrupted by the cool arms of Elsa who had moved closer to her. Again, Anna was struck by her forwardness, but she found that she rather liked it when Elsa was forward, and for the first time in several days, she cried.
The cries she emitted weren't some half-hearted sobs or sniffles of a wounded child, but the mournful wails of a young girl whose life had turned upside down. She clung to Elsa as if she were her only lifeline, staining the woman's clean dress with her fresh tears. Elsa didn't utter a single word, and instead held Anna close to her body, laying soft, affectionate kisses against the girl's head as she cried.
How much time had passed, Elsa didn't know. But the golden sunset had eventually seeped into a blue darkness that wrapped the lonely manor in a blanket of shadows, and the grandfather clock sprung to life at some hour in the night. Anna had eventually drifted off in her arms, eyes swollen and puffy, her vulnerable form curled up close to Elsa for comfort and security. Elsa simply wrapped her arms securely around Anna's sleeping form, lifting her up into her arms and making her way towards the upper rooms. Anna's head lolled against the chest of the countess, unconsciously cuddling closer as tiny whimpers and moans that resonated with heartbreak were uttered from her rosy lips.
As Kai passed by Elsa carrying the girl, he offered in silent gestures to take her to her room for her, to which Elsa simply declined, gliding up the stairs with all the regality of a noble. Truth be told, the warmth of the girl's body against hers awakened a spark within her chest of a foreign kind, a kind of warmth akin to some manner of hearthfire. Oh how the warmth she felt comforted her, how used to the burns of pain and anguish she was. She quickly acknowledged her growing adoration for the girl in her arms, gently pushing the door to the recently tidied up room open.
She had decided early on, when the idea of Anna living under her care was pitched, that she would fix the nicest room she had up for her. This entailed the largest window in any of the rooms, with a perfect view of the forest and fields. The window overlooked the giant greenhouse that stood in the face of whatever celestial light was pouring from the sky as well, the moon and starlight bouncing from the well polished glass in every direction.
Elsa stood there, momentarily mesmerized by the snow white light that poured in from the windows, illuminating the room in an ethereal icy blue glow. Though she was promptly torn from her hypnosis by the moans of Anna, who shivered away from the blue light of the moon and deeper into the arms of Elsa. The Countess simply shuddered at such close contact, something she hadn't felt in years, and violently tore her simple desires in half as she leaned over the bed and lay Anna atop it, tucking her lovingly into the covers.
Just as she was about to leave, the desire for closeness came down full throttle as her body recognized the sudden loss of warmth. So before she left, she hesitantly came forward and leaned down to the sleeping form of Anna and placed a lingering kiss against the girl's forehead. A shock that felt akin to electricity ran through Elsa's body as her lips came in contact with warm skin. She pulled away quickly, startled by the sensation, and simply turned and headed towards the door.
"Oh." she whispered to herself. "One last thing to do." she murmured, eyeing the empty vase that stood on the nightstand next to Anna's bed.
Anna awoke about an hour later, the moon still ripe in the sky as the icy blue glow momentarily stunned her. She sat up and examined her surroundings, wondering exactly how she got to be in that room in the first place.
"Right." she whispered, touching her less-swollen eyes. "I've come to Elsa's. And I… Sobbed into her arms." she groaned, hiding her face in embarrassment. "What a fool I made of myself."
After a good few minutes of wallowing in her own embarrassment, Anna looked up around the room, sincerely taking in her surroundings this time around. At her left was a small nightstand with a white vase; pastel green patterns painted precisely upon the milky white. In the vase itself were nestled a bouquet of pink and white gloxinia flowers, their presence bringing a soothing sweet scent to her portion of the bed. Aside from the flowers, the room was fairly bare. There was a small desk with a chair, and a gorgeous window, which overlooked a majority of the outside of the manor, including the glass palace. However there was one thing that seemed a little out of place, which was a rather bland painting of a boat in the water. It was nicely done, beautiful in fact, it was just… bland.
Anna shuffled out of bed and looked at the painting, running her fingers over the frame. While her fingers glided over the polished wooden frame, her fingers suddenly slid over an imperfection. Or, no… It was words. She picked the painting off of the wall and squinted her eyes at the etching, trying to make out some of the words.
"I've begun my voyage in…" Anna mumbled to herself, reading out the words. She tried to make out the rest of the sentence, but it was all scrawled out. Disappointed, she placed the painting back onto the nail it hung on. She was just about to crawl back into bed when something at the corner of her eye stuck out;
a letter.
Anna picked it up and examined the yellowed paper. An emerald green wax seal broken in two was pasted on it, and it look quite old. She flipped it open and glanced at the first words. 'Dear Elsa', it said. Deciding it would be best to look it over in the warmth of her blankets, squinting her eyes to read it with the moon's light, she crawled back into bed and read the letter to herself.
Dear Elsa,
I feel as if this island is born of my own whimsical fantasies. I wonder how exactly I have come to be here, in this situation, landed here of my own volition. Am I deserving? Is this truly the way it's supposed to go? I realize eventually this faded piece of parchment will lay forgotten in some dark corner of the court, though I'll hope someday, some person could find some remnant of it and learn of you. I return each time leaving fresh markers that I hope, in the full glare of my hopelessness, will have blossomed into fresh insight in the interim.
Don't forget;
some things mustn't be forgotten.
~ Spr.C
Anna stared at the letter in disbelief. Did Elsa harbor a secret lover? Were there more of these letters? What sort of peculiar person would sign themselves as 'Spr.C'? Was it a name, or was it a title?
Anna swallowed hard and folded the letter back up, slipping it under her pillow as she curled up. It seems there is more here than a simple, lonely manor and an equally lonely Countess, Anna thought as she looked out the window, her eyes fluttering shut as she resolved to learn of more of the mysteries that encompassed Manor Arendelle.
And as she fell asleep, the soothing scent of the gloxinia flowers reminded her that whatever mysteries she would uncover in this manor, Elsa was still her childhood friend. She was still the woman who resolved to care for her, and she was still the Countess.
The Countess.
