Elsa's Ride
Part one: The Lesson
"Come on, Elsa!" The red-head cried, her braids fluttering in the breeze as she ran down the stairs two at a time. "Let's do this!"
"Wait up, Anna!" Elsa couldn't help but smile. Despite struggling to keep up with her longer dress in the way, she was pleasantly reminded of a late night many years ago, when her little sister had been just as keen for them to thunder down the stairs. Only this time there was no snowman to be involved. She threw their small snowy friend an apologetic glance as she hitched up her hems. "Catch you later, Olaf."
"Have fun!" The snowman waved, his small flurry swirling emphatically. He trundled back towards the balcony the two girls had been chatting at, ready to marvel once more at the sights. Nothing ever seemed to dampen the little guy's mood.
This was the first time in weeks that Queen Elsa had managed to have an entire day set aside as free, with nothing to do but spend time with her sister. No legislation to see to, no diplomats to placate, no trading agreements to sign, it was a very welcome change. The two had been enjoying a morning tea in the last remnants of summer sunshine when the young princess had come up with a program for the rest of the day.
It wasn't one that Elsa would have chosen, but...
"Hurry up, slowpoke!" Anna's voice rang out, challenge loud and clear. "Today, we chase the wind!"
And as if to demonstrate her point, Elsa's freckled sister swung herself around a pillar and started gliding down the balustrade.
"Hey that's cheating!" Elsa let loose a small chuckle at seeing her sister's eagerness.
Elsa felt every bit as eager as Anna to join in a bit of fun.
A smirk forming on her face, the queen of Arendelle twirled as she leapt off the top step, her arms shooting out to the sides as she brought them forward. Before she could even notice, Anna was being raced down the spiral staircase by a slide of ice, the older sister gliding down effortlessly.
"Hey! Now who's cheating?" With practiced ease, Princess Anna slid off the end of the balustrade into a jaunty walk, hands on hips as she watched Elsa expertly skate around the ceremonial suits of armour that decorated the hall. With a curtsy and a wink, the queen dismissed the ice that she had created, a slight flush colouring her cheeks.
"Which way is it to the stables?" She quipped, straightening her robe and looking as smart and sophisticated as always.
Puffing her cheeks in an adorable pout, Anna stuck her tongue out. Then with a grin and salute, she pointed out the door, grabbing her sister's elbow. "Come on, this way. It's out in the front yard."
With wide strides, the two walked out into the warm sun outside. The castle was full of people, the hustle and bustle still impressing Elsa, despite the many days she had spent with them since the eventful time of her coronation. Sometimes she wondered if this was what it would have been like if her powers had never caused her parents to close the gates, if the two of them could have grown up amongst such a jovial crowd, the King and Queen gliding happily amongst the people as the two sisters did now.
They moved over to one of the dustier corners of the yard, big men patting down horses, helping ladies onto their mounts, fjord horses with immaculately trimmed manes standing proudly by their stable doors. With great ease, Anna weaved her way towards a more mature gentleman in a dark green jacket, his balding brown hair more than familiar.
"Kai!" Elsa said, recognition bringing a smile to the queen's face.
"Your majesty..." The manservant bowed a mirthful glint in his eye. "Are you in need of a horse?"
"Yes, Kai," Anna grinned, sleeveless arms crossed as she tilted her head. "We both are."
"I'll get your horse ready at once," Kai nodded at Anna, his bow as smooth as ever. "Is there any preference for the queen's mount?"
Puzzled, Anna glanced at her sister, orange braids flying as she asked her question.
"Elsa, do you not have a horse?"
Shaking her head, the platinum blonde replied. "I never needed one... Father tried to teach me to ride once, but I never got very far."
It hadn't been for lack of desire though... Elsa remembered spending many a teenage summer afternoon gazing out the window, watching her younger sibling get to grips with her pony. Anna had always looked so free and happy on the back of her horse, even when she had had the odd fall. The young heir had always been slightly envious, keen to join her sister in her adventures on the back of a beautiful mount.
Only it had never seemed that it could be...
"Remember," she could still hear her father's mantra, repeating in her head as he had gently guided her towards his horse, brand new gloves covering the girl's shaky fingers. "Conceal, don't feel..."
Don't let the horse see your fear.
Elsa's reminiscing must have shown on her face somehow, Anna giving her a worried glance as she gently touched her sister's arm. Noticing that she had crossed her arms and was slightly huddled, the queen shook her bangs back off her face and straightened up.
"Now it's your turn to help me learn." She winked at her sister, her vouch of trust giving the princess a fresh enthusiasm for the exercise.
"Right... Right! Okay then." Turning back to Kai, Anna gestured towards the smaller end of the stables, unable to contain the excitement in her tone but working hard to keep some restraint. "Can you get one of the training ponies, then, one of the more placid ones?"
Elsa felt more than ready to receive a few knocks in the process of learning, but felt glad for Anna's consideration. It would be harder to run the kingdom with an arm or leg in a splint, for sure.
The horses were brought forth, and two stable boys helped them lead the hoofed animals into one of the more secluded riding grounds. Anna greeted her horse happily, patting its neck and stroking its nose. The horse nudged her back, the time it had abandoned her, from Anna's telling, long forgotten. Elsa smiled warmly. Anna always had so much love to share. It was always nice to see that her sister's love was being returned in kind.
"Right, let's begin." Clapping her hands gently, Anna took a moment to compose her thoughts, no doubt trying to bring back to memory the lessons she'd undergone as a child. Gesturing towards the smaller animal with pristine white fur, she began. "This will be your ride for the day, Elsa. Her name is Snow. Before we even think of getting you on, you two should get acquainted."
Elsa had feared that would be what Anna would say. She remembered her father's horse, a gentle stead of great power. She had ridden upon its back along with her father many a time, her heart thundering as its hooves raced across the ground. It had been one of the few horses to accommodate her in such a way, yet it, just like all the other horses that her father had tried to teach her to ride on, had balked all the same when time came for her to attempt to ride on her own.
A lot had changed since then. She had changed, her powers no longer a secret, the fear of them no longer a weight in her mind. She had self-confidence in her she had never felt while growing up. With her sister at her side, she felt like she could achieve anything.
Pushing away all thoughts of the past, Elsa stepped forward, her braid resting lightly on her shoulder as she raised her hand up to greet Snow. She thought back to the weeks she had spent with her father, helping out in the stables, getting comfortable among such big beasts. She remembered the beauty and marvel she had felt upon watching her sister ride. She felt once more the pride and respect that she had felt for horses like her father's Harald. Snow was indeed a majestic creature.
For a short moment, as ice blue eyes gazed into dark brown ones, Elsa could feel a connection being made. The horse stepped up cautiously, Anna's hand gently holding its reins. The young woman could feel its breath gently brushing over her fingers as it looked her up and down, walking alongside her to get a better angle. Elsa could hear Anna hold her breath as the stable boys stood ready. Gently, feeling that the horse was ready for it, Elsa put her hand on Snow's cheek.
Barely had her fingers made contact that Snow snorted and pulled briskly away, startling Anna who had to fight Snow's reins to get the horse to stand calm once more, soothing command words pouring forth with practiced ease. Elsa closed her hand, cold fingers squeezed against her palm. The warm sensation from Snow's fur was already dissipating. Head bowed, Elsa did not allow herself to feel disappointment for long. Her father had said so himself, back in the day. Even if she herself did not feel nervous, the horses certainly did when they felt the tingle of her ice based powers.
"I'm sorry Elsa, I..." At a loss for words, confusion written all over her features, Anna looked from the horse to her sister, trying to make sense of what had transpired. "Snow's the most docile horse we own. She never balks."
"It's fine Anna." Bowing her head to the horse, Elsa crossed her hands and smiled at her sister. "I'm used to it."
Passing the white horse back to one of the handlers, Anna frowned.
"I don't understand."
Shaking her head, the queen gestured towards Anna's horse.
"Why don't you show me how you do it? I would love to see you ride."
Not overly keen to let the matter slide, but sensing Elsa was in no mood to discuss, Anna obliged. With a gentle pat, stroke and the aide of one of the stable boys, the princess mounted her horse and began to demonstrate some of the more technical steps she had been working on in her latest riding lessons. Going in circles around her sister, the red head smiled as she saw the pure pleasure in Elsa's features at seeing her ride.
After several minutes of manoeuvres and concentration, the thoughtful expression on Anna's face changed. Eyebrow quirked at an odd angle and with a slightly flippant tone of voice, she stopped the horse and turned to ask Elsa a question.
"Hey sis, I'm certain I've seen you riding with papa on his horse when we were younger."
"And you would be right." The queen smiled, uncertain what her sister was thinking of. "What of it?"
Her grin widening, the young princess patted the back of her saddle.
"Then that means you can ride with me. Let's give it a go!"
The confused tilt of Anna's horse's head echoed the uncertainty in the older sibling's head.
"I..." Seeing the stubborn look upon Anna's face, Elsa relented. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Father always told me it wasn't too good for the horse to have two people riding on its back."
"That didn't stop papa, now, did it?" Trotting up closer to the ruler of Arendelle, Anna gently got her mount to kneel. "If it's only a short ride, I'm sure we'll be fine. Mama used to ride with me too."
Despite the red-head's sweet smile and encouraging gesture, Elsa was still unsure. Mindful that Anna's horse had bucked back when she had taken it into the mountains she didn't want to be the cause of a repeat, especially without any gentle piles of snow to cushion their fall.
"Anna..." Seeing her sister's glare, Elsa relented. Part of her wanted to turn away, for their safety, for her sister's sake, for the horse's sake, yet... Inside of her there was still this little girl that let caution fly out the window at the prospect of doing what she really wanted to, especially if it were being whispered in her ear by her ginger partner in crime. If this was to be her one and only chance to feel once more what it was like to ride on horseback... Let the consequences be damned. "Fine, I'll give it a try."
Anna's delight was contagious, and the queen couldn't help but grin ever so slightly as the princess turned her attentions to her horse, making sure it knew what they were away to do, letting it know that she was there to keep things right. The horse seemed wary but peaceful, and Elsa gently hitched up her dress as she went to mount, stable boys at the ready should anything go wrong.
She felt her heart in her throat as the great beast gave a shudder beneath her. She could feel her hands go slightly clammy as she fought to find a balanced posture on the awkward seat beneath her. Fingers tightly wrapped around Anna's waist, Elsa focussed on the warm presence of her sister as she let her know that she was on, they were ready.
And then they were up, off the ground. Elsa had forgotten how high one actually was when atop a horse. She barely held back a yelp as suddenly frost covered hands grabbed onto to her sister's green dress. Feeling the cold radiate from her palms, Elsa knew immediately that Anna's horse was going to sense it.
"Whoa! No! Stay calm!"
Distracted by the sound of her sister's voice, Elsa looked up to see her face. There was iron in her gaze as she focussed on her mount, a clear determination to make this work. The two sisters held on for dear life as the horse reared up, the stable boys shouting in alarm. Squinting through half closed eyes, Elsa couldn't help but feel her breast swell with love and pride in Anna. The princess was managing to calm the horse, not letting their predicament affect her. The ice from Elsa's hands melted away, and soon the horse's apprehensiveness had evaporated too. The stable boys cheered as the horse began a slow walk around the paddock, its rider sitting tall and proud, a big warm smile on her face as her passenger sorted her hair and tried to adjust her weight accordingly.
"There! Much better..." Anna's grin was contagious. The red head looked back at her sister with a twinkle in her eye. "How are you finding it, your majesty?"
The quip made Elsa smile. Taking a moment to truly feel what it was she was experiencing, the queen pondered her answer.
The warmth of her sister, the guiding presence as the horse built up to a trot, was welcome indeed as she could feel the saddle shifting subtly underneath. The up and down bounce as hooves hit the ground reminded her of the ships in the harbour, the smell of the horse brining to mind summers with their father. She missed them, but was no longer sad. She loved that this was now something that she and Anna shared. Elated, she squeezed her sister in an impromptu hug.
"I love it!"
"Good," Anna chuckled, "because we're going to go and ride now!"
With a yell and an energetic manoeuvre, the young woman propelled the horse out of the paddock into the courtyard, through the castle's gate and out onto the road to the mainland. Hair flying in the wind, the sisters shared a laugh as the exhilaration of the run coursed through them.
Elsa decided, as they turned a corner and she swept her cape behind her, that this was too fun to be a one off... And who could deny the queen of Arendelle a weekly riding lesson with her sister?
To be continued...
Author's note: Just an idea that popped into my head when I wondered why Elsa went towards the waters to escape from the castle, and if there was maybe a good reason why she didn't go find a horse. Hope you enjoy.