I do not own Frozen.
This was so fun :D
"Come along children, we're going to be late."
"Coming Mama! Hurry up Anna, you heard what Mama said."
"Can't! Legs short. Carry?"
"Uhm…"
"Awh Esie, ca-rry!"
"Come along Anna, you can ask your father to carry you. He better not be working in his study, he knows what today is."
The Queen of Arendelle marched towards her husband's study, her children jogging behind her in order to keep up.
"Papa's'in tru-ble…" Anna whispered to her older sister next to her.
Elsa nodded with a grin. It was as if their father was connected to his desk by an invisible cord. A cord only their mother's stern expression or ceaseless begging from the girls could break effectively.
They reached the door and found the King of Arendelle hunched over his desk scribbling like a maniac on some or other parchment. The Queen stood by the threshold and placed her hands on her hips in frustration.
"Agdar." She said simply, warning evident in her voice.
The King looked up from his work and winced; he glanced at the clock and grinned at his wife sheepishly. Standing from his desk, his eyes flitted across the parchments strewn on his desk in organised chaos.
"Kai will be able to handle things for the day, dear." Idun informed, softening her expression, "We need to hurry or we will be late."
"So, we're not late yet?" Agdar asked gazing at his papers with concern, "I could still –?"
"No. We're late." She sighed in exasperation, "Come along."
"But Mama said…" Confusion rang in the youngest Princess's voice as she watched her father struggle to extract himself from his desk.
"It's the only way Papa will come with us." Elsa told her sagely.
"My puppy-eye make Papa come." The sisters nodded and giggled knowingly.
Adgar had finally been able to detach himself from his duties as King and strode towards his family. He grinned at his wife in a way he knew would weaken her ire and picked his youngest up. Another sigh escaped the Queen, but this time is was noticeably less irritated as she took her eldest daughters hand in hers.
"Alright, are we ready?" Idun asked looking at her girls in turn.
"Yes!" the answered in unison.
"Esie tie hair!" Anna exclaimed in her father's arms, shaking her head to draw attention to her short red nubs at the base of her head.
"Easy there Button," her father chuckled, stilling the tiny redhead, "You're going to fall out of my arms if you keep fidgeting so."
"Papa catch me." She proclaimed boldly, fidgeting with one of his medals pinned on his chest.
"Always."
"Do you remember what I said to do when we get there?" Idun asked her children.
"Not to touch anything." Elsa answered with Anna mumbling every other word noncommittally.
"Good." She looked at her husband, "Will you be able to keep her still enough for Lars to paint her?" Idun eyed the hyperactive three year old dubiously.
"Of course, we have an understanding of sorts, don't we Anna?"
The redhead looked up from her study of the royal medal of Valour with a blank expression on her face. "Huh?"
"Nod your head." he whispered in her ear, "And smile at Mama."
She did as she was told with much more enthusiasm as was necessary, not fooling the Queen even one bit.
"I'm sure you do." She smirked playfully, "Will you be able to stand still long enough, Adgar?"
The King looked at her with mock affront, "I am a grown man Idun, and therefore I do possess self-control."
Elsa giggled at her parents bantering exchange as they exited the castle. She always enjoyed visiting town with her family. When Anna was born the visits had stopped until the baby reached a certain age, where she could obey simple commands and not run off by herself. Not that Elsa would ever let her baby sister out of her sight. But it helped that she would listen when someone told her what to do.
The sisters' heads swivelled as they took in every sight and sound their tiny minds could comprehend, while the King and Queen wore pleasant smiles and greeted their people benevolently. The walk to Lars' studio was over much too quickly for the youngest of the group who let out a petulant whine as they entered the shop. It was quickly replaced by exclamations of awe when she took her surroundings in.
Paintings of various sizes and colours hung on display on the walls of the room they were standing in, depicting various landscape scenes or people inside each decorative frame. The store was divided by a crimson curtain and glass counter, separating the studio in the back room from the gallery in front. Emerging from behind the curtain, a young man greeted his monarchs with a polite bow. His newsboy cap held two brushes in them, and the apron he wore over his baggy clothes was stained in various colours of paint.
"Good morning, Majesties." His smile was slightly nervous while his tone of voice conveyed confidence. "My father has entrusted me to paint your portrait today. I hope this is not an inconvenience, if need be I will fetch him for you."
"Nonsense." The King said, smiling warmly, "If Lars deems you ready to start commissioning artworks, there will be no need to question his judgement."
"Thank you my King." He bowed again.
"There will be no need for such formalities, young man." Idun informed warmly, "If we are to be here for the majority of the day…things will most definitely change in your view of your monarchs."
She looked directly at her husband as she said this, causing him to raise his eyebrow in challenge. The painted relaxed entirely, seeing his rulers act human and not as some demi-gods sent to reign over the pitiful mortals.
"My name is Knud," the painter introduced, stooping to bow again. Luckily he caught himself and grinned awkwardly. Even though he now saw them as mere humans, old habits die hard and whatnot. "If you'd please follow me to the studio then we can begin.
Anna pouted as they moved away from the beautiful paintings and entered a more spacious area behind the curtain. Sunlight streamed in from the high windows lighting the entire room in its golden glow. A large dark tarp hung from a wooden frame down to the floor that would act as the background with a chair arranged in the middle of the tarp. An easel with an empty canvas stood just off centre, primed and ready for it to be painted. A small table next to it held all the paint and jars of water that would be used. A few finished paintings, that were still wet, leaned back against the chamber's wall in order for the oil paint to dry completely.
Adgar set his youngest down while he spoke with the painter; Anna, now free to explore, immediately started waddling to the nearest painting. Elsa saw her sister approach a painting and with her mother's warning not to touch anything while they we're there, she gasped in anticipation perceiving fingers full of paint in a very short time frame.
"Anna." Idun called sternly, having heard her eldest gasp.
She didn't turn to see why Elsa reacted as she did; instead she kept her focus on the men in the room as they discussed various painting compositions. She had only to hear Elsa's intake of breath and see Knud's wide frightened eyes to know that her youngest daughter was doing something she mustn't. Adgar had moved away from the painter to study the various compositional options leaning against the wall, oblivious as to the happenings in the room behind him.
The young redhead paused, her itchy fingers inches away from a depiction of the north mountain in all its glory. Anna looked over her shoulder at her mother, who still hadn't turned to look at her, then down at her sister who stared at her with her hands covering her mouth.
A silent conversation played out between the sisters in that moment.
Elsa shook her head without taking her eyes off her sister, lest she touch the wet layers of paint at any sign of weakness.
Anna set her mouth into a line of determination and glanced up at her mother before settling on her sister yet again. She leaned closer.
Tiny shoulders stiffened in trepidation as the blonde shook her head more vigorously, her magic stirred inside of her in response to her anxiety.
Chubby digits stopped again, much closer this time. Her lips thinned more, still determined, she tried to persuade her big sister that she really, really wanted to touch this thing.
Lowering her hands, Elsa mouthed the word 'No' and shook her head again. More sternly this time.
With a scrunched face showing her vexation at being denied, Anna let her hand drop to her side and skulked back towards her sister forlornly.
When the youngest reached the eldest, she was wrapped into a tight tiny hug and praised for not touching it like she wanted to. Earlier annoyance forgotten she returned her sister's hug and giggled happily. Knud relaxed immensely, blowing out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding before returning his attention to the King.
Glancing down at her daughters, Idun's smile was proud as she joined her husband to help him decide on a proper painting arrangement. That being done the family settled in the middle of the room, standing on the tarp was the King who held Anna in his arms while the Queen sat in the provided chair with Elsa on her lap. The sisters had been told what to expect and what to do while they had to wait. The blonde had no trouble keeping herself busy, observing the every inch of the room as a pencil glided over the canvas lightly, positioning the composition on the canvas where it should be.
Anna on the other hand grew bored in record breaking time.
The littlest Princess fidgeted with her father's medals before she settled on touching his face instead. As long as she didn't run her fingers through his hair, Adgar was happy to allow his daughter's facial exploration. When she reached his mouth he was afraid she'd pull his moustache, so he opened his mouth and made as if he'd eat her fingers. A giggle resounded in the studio as Anna pulled her fingers out of the danger zone. The giggles grew in intensity as the little game played out.
"Please don't move so much, your Majesty." Knud asked from behind the canvas, placing the pencil down and picking a brush up in its place. "I'm about to start painting."
"Knud," the Queen called, making the painter pause in what he was doing to regard her with curiosity. "I'm sorry, but could we perhaps change the composition a little bit?"
The painter's shoulders sagged slightly, but he agreed nonetheless. After all there was still enough time for changes; he just hoped they wouldn't change too drastically. Idun raised her eyebrow at her husband who returned the gesture questioningly. A sigh of understanding and then he handed Anna out towards her mother.
"Elsa, dear." She whispered to her daughter, "Would you please be a good girl and stand next to Mama? I need to hold your sister."
"Okay Mama." Elsa answered, hopping down from her lap.
She stood comfortably and returned to her observations. From this angle she could see other things hidden closer to the ground, a forgotten paintbrush and splotches of paint on the floor around the easel. Being kept too busy to notice her pouting sister and father behind and next to her.
Knud suppressed a laugh, "Are we ready?"
"Yes." Idun answered, leaving no room for argument.
What followed for the rest of the day was a fidgeting from both the youngest Princess and the King. Anna would try and get her sisters attention with her foot, but her mother placed her hand over it in order to hinder her shenanigans. Resolved to boredom, Anna lapsed into a restrained fidgeting stupor looking at her surroundings with unseeing eyes. The King had to suppress groaning numerous times, opting to sigh instead as he wriggled his toes inside of his shoes and shifted his weight around.
The painter finished the King and redheaded Princess first, knowing that it would be easier to paint the Queen and heir last. They were still doomed to stand there until the last brush stroke, but at least they're movement didn't trouble the process anymore. By the end of the day, Elsa was becoming tired and could feel herself sagging the longer she stood. Her feet were throbbing, aching for movement to help her blood circulation.
As if struck by lightning, the Princess remembered about her ice powers. She grinned and felt around inside of her for her magic. It responded filling her whole body with its cold aura. Willing it to where she wanted it to go, she felt it trickle down her spine and settle in her feet, relieving some of the pressure. Having a new form of distraction, Elsa played with her powers; keeping it inside of her as she moved it around. Ice raced along the track she gave it, along her arms towards her hands.
Her fingertips frosted where she held them before her.
As she was trying to figure out how to make the frost return to its core, a voice interrupted her train of thought.
"I'm finished, your Majesties." Knud announced, his brushes clinking against the glass jar as he rid it of the paint between its bristles.
"Finally." Adgar breathed in relief stretching in over-exaggeration. Anna squirmed immediately demanding to be put down; the Queen only complied because she couldn't keep a hold of the three year old.
"Anna, don't go anywhere just yet." She instructed her daughter as she stood up and stretched as well.
The Princess pouted and jumped around on the balls of her feet, potential energy needing an escape after the long build-up by sitting still for so long. Elsa rubbed her hands together to rid herself of the frost that had accumulated in her palms and looked up at her parents wondering if they could go home now.
"The painting will be dry enough in approximately four days' time." Knud informed, stepping away to allow better access to the painting.
"Oh, Knud," The Queen breathed in awe, "It's beautiful."
"Indeed it is." The King agreed standing next to his wife, "Your father has certainly taught you well."
"Thank you." He bowed his head at their praise respectfully.
"Wana see!" a little voice demanded behind the royal couple.
Idun turned around and picked her youngest up whilst her husband settled his eldest in his arms. Together they observed the finished product with tired smiles. The genial Queen sat straight backed on the ornamented chair with a grinning Anna on her lap. The redhead only had eyes for her big sister who stood all prim and proper by her mother's knees with clasped hands. The King stood just behind his eldest, straight and as stiff as a board; his face a neutral mask effectively hiding his inner torment. All in all it was a quite beautiful piece of work, the colours were bold where they needed to be and muted in certain areas to emphasise others.
"Pwitty." Anna stated after a five second silence, "Go now?"
The adults chuckled at her brusqueness and nodded in affirmation. With a final show of gratitude from the royals, they turned away from the painting and walked to the dividing curtain. Elsa draped her little arms around her father's neck, anchored her chin on his collarbone, and gazed at the painting they were moving away from.
One thing her little mind comprehended as soon as the red curtains obscured her view of the painting was that it had captured the physical aspects of her family perfectly, but it had failed to show the immense love they had for each other.
That love she felt as her father's strong arms held her to his chest securely. She heard it in her mother's warm voice when she taught her something new. She saw it in her sister's gleaming eyes whenever the little one so much as looked at her. She experienced it inside her own heart whenever it warmed at the mere thought of her family.
Elsa smiled contently and snuggled closer to her father as they returned to their home.
The next phase will be up soon :)
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