The story occurs approximately two springs or, to be more definite, one year and nine months after the original story line.
Following the marriage of Anna and Kristoff, Elsa is beginning to rethink of her own non-existent love life. Meanwhile, new characters with new revelations appear, thus new conflicts arise, forcing Elsa to set aside her personal issues... Or will she? FemOCxElsaxOC
Disclaimer: I don't own Frozen.
Chapter One: Wedding Blues
Everything was set.
The gates were opened. Visitors flooded the ports. Music filled every corner of the kingdom. The halls and the yards were all ready to accommodate the aristocrats and the common folks alike. The air smelled of flowers and anything spring, and the weather was just the right warmth. Everything was perfectly going as planned for a perfect wedding day.
Yet Elsa couldn't seem to bring herself at the best of mood.
She didn't understand. She prepared for all of these. She's always been a big fan of well-planned things. Still, there was something in her head that kept bothering her. Maybe she was just putting it off the entire time that's why she got sooo into setting everything up for almost an entire month, and now that she should finally be relaxing, it all came crawling back into her.
The sound of the door's latch turning cut short Elsa's stream of thoughts, and drew her attention away from the majestic sight outside her balcony. Her younger sister, Anna peered head-first into the half-opened door, sporting the same old cheery look in her face that she always wore. Only that, this time, there was a hint of almost undetectable melancholy in her eyes.
"Mind if I come in?" she asked, smiling still.
Elsa's eyes softened at her sight. "Of course, I don't. Please, I've been waiting for you." She replied, extending a hand towards her dear sister.
Normally, Anna would be simply walking in a she pleases, barging in with her bouncy steps and unmindful air like it was her own chambers ever since Elsa and her finally came into terms. However, she was still mindful enough to know how to be a bit more sensitive with her behavior on a day like this. The day was too special to rub her sister off in the wrong way, and ruin everything especially that she knew that Elsa's been on edge lately because of fatigue, and mostly because of the changes that might happen after this.
As someone who was as thoroughly organized as an ant who has mastered the art of the same thousand steps it walked, Elsa wasn't very keen to changes.
Anna entered, not forgetting to close the door behind her. She paused to let her older sister take in the looks of her. Her voluminous gown wasn't the usual aerodynamic design to fit Anna's personality, but nevertheless, she looked stunning. It was, after all, a time for her transition from a playful young girl to a graceful and refined woman, just like her sister.
She walked across the room as gracefully as she can, though she still landed a few awkward steps or two, and finally made it to Elsa, holding her hand once it was within reach.
"There is my lovely, little sister." Whispered Elsa, half smiling and half sighing at the same time. Anna tried to pull a scoff as teasingly as she can, "Oh, please. You don't seem that excited to see me. I had to look all over the palace for you!"
But Elsa could only manage a shrug, and she was so ashamed of the attitude she was showing to her sister that she had to turn away. "I need to get a breather that's all. I'm not a huge fan of being crowded, you know that."
This was getting painfully awkward for Anna. All these things that made both of them too busy to talk to each other the entire month almost seemed to have made Anna forget how to communicate with Elsa again like they were back from the very start, right at the uncomfortable dead-airs during Elsa's coronation. But Anna knew that that wasn't the case. It was the wedding itself.
Finally, she has had it. She was not a patient as Elsa was on the idea of a gap forming between them once again. At least, someone has to open the topic, and it doesn't look like Elsa, being the passive-aggressive one she tended to be sometimes, will be doing the talking first.
So Anna let out a sigh for a head start. "Look, we could just call off the wedding if you don't feel good about it."
Elsa abruptly turned around, with a look in her face that was more into the bewilderment on the absurdity of the idea rather than the surprised relief of it. "What?! No! That's- absolutely not!" She stammered.
"C'mon, Elsa, you're clearly not into it. At least, you don't look like you are. And don't give me that 'I'm just tired' shit. I've seen better from you, SISTER." Anna, crossed arms, went on, emphasizing the last part to remind the other girl that they have that kind of relationship to claim that they know each other well enough to say if the other one was talking bullshit.
Elsa has no reason not to be honest right now, and so she grunted to begin. "Anna, it's true that I do feel sad that you're getting married. But really, I have nothing against it. Besides, you've know Kristoff 638 days longer than the last one."
Anna chuckled at the memory, but pulled herself back into a stoic look. "I am not convinced."
The older sister was able to see through the bluff of her sister. She chuckled as well and placed a tender had on the younger girl's cheek, easing her stance.
"If I am so against it, would I have gone through it all with you two?"
"Huff!" Anna's cheeks puffed. "You're just doing it for me."
"Yes, I did. But if I did it only for you, I wouldn't have gone as far as convince the court that a non-royal like Kristoff can be married to a princess, and at the same time organize his training for months. Now we can see that he has grown into quite a gentleman fit for the eye of the many-"
"But still the same ol'goofy Kristoff we know." Anna giggled.
Elsa managed to laugh as well. "See, if I wasn't that into your marriage, I would have just invested on the wedding, not on both of your future."
"And so, you did." Anna continued, convinced and grateful.
"I'm glad you now understand. See, Anna, as your sister, I just can't help but feel lonely with the idea of giving you away to another person's care, but I love you also enough to think better than to deprive you of your happiness just to have mine. Kristoff is perfect for you, as you are for him. I am already happy just knowing you'll have a perfect future with him. I only have to learn how to adjust to the changes."
Touched by Elsa's words, Anna reached out for Elsa's face. The latter thought that she was going to caress it as well, but was surprised when the former pinched her on both cheeks instead.
"Silly!" Anna laughed, pulling Elsa's face tauter. "It's not like Kristoff and I are going away forever, you dumbass. We're just gonna be off for a week-long honeymoon. Jeez, for a second right there, you sounded like a paranoid puppy!"
"Anna- your language…-Ouch! Stop! You're hurting me!"
When Anna let go, Elsa was already teary-eyed and felt like her cheeks were already as loose as a pug's. Anna drew back.
"But, of course, we still do have plans of moving out and starting our new home." She confessed.
"I admit; that DID bother me as well."
"Well, not until you found yourself a man, you know." Anna teased, wiggling her brows up and down.
Elsa reflexively ribbed her sister. For some reason, she was still embarrassed at the thought of being affiliated with men outside her family (excluding Kristoff), like a prude virgin despite the fact that she nearly lost her virginity at one occasion (Yes, she did).
Anna grunted a laugh quite breathlessly. "Come, let me help you dress up."
She led Elsa to her vanity and sat her in front of it. Anna undid her hair and began working on a more dashing design on the queen's platinum, blonde hair, something fitting for the occasion.
"You know, I still find it ironic that I outdid you, you know? Getting married ahead, I mean." Anna began while her hands were busy.
"Not that it bothers me, though, but is it because I'm older?" Elsa smiled.
"No," the younger sister replied, but paused for a moment to finish Elsa's hair. When she did, she lowered her smiling face beside Elsa's as she talked to her through the mirror. "It's because you're much prettier than I am, and you had more suitors within one year that I did my entire life."
"Anna, the palace was closed before. If it wasn't, then you would have had a more plenty share of suitors than I ever did. Besides, there were only three of them, and you already had Kristoff by the time they came around."
Anna pulled an exasperated face, "You mean, out of seven, you only entertained three. And besides, knowing how haughty royalties are, if they were at least half interested on me, Kristoff's presence wouldn't have bothered them." She proceeded to her sister's room-sized closet. "Should I call a maid to assist us?"
"No, thank you. I already have an outfit in mind. The rest were just flirtatious, drunk men." Elsa went back to the topic while twisting and twirling her hands in the air to transform her typical dress into a more regal one. "Not to be taken seriously. Those three who you spoke of at least had the guts to approach me with sober heads."
Anna scoffed. "Yet none of them made the cut of your taste."
"The English gentleman could have been nice. Intelligent, well-behaved, well-groomed and all. Only that he reminded me eerily of father so I never really got comfortable around him."
"You're just picky."
"Well, one of them was persistent enough to almost make it. Sadly," One final touch and Queen Elsa was already good to go.
Oh, the conveniences of magic. She thought.
"Sadly, what?" asked Anna.
Elsa remembered to continue. "Well, some things are just still beyond my control for our own good."
Anna paused a moment to process what her sister said, and when she came to a realization, she ended up snorting to hold back a really big laugh. Then she finally gave in.
Elsa couldn't help but join at her guffawing sister despite the sensitivity of the topic.
"You… don't mean-" Anna has to pause in between words to either laugh or catch her breath. "that time went you almost turned—the French Duke's ….." Anna's face was turning red because of laughing; Elsa's turned red for other reasons. "Into a popsicle pickle!" This time, Anna had to help herself from stumbling to the floor by holding on to the wall and her stomach.
"Well," Elsa stammered, embarrassed at the memory. "He was this gentleman at the very start, and then suddenly he just became so coercive." She, herself, blushed at the word. "Anyway, I was pretty shocked that time that my snow power suddenly….. came out of hand." This was ridiculous. She's unintentionally blurting out suggestive statements that are inappropriately making her blush even more.
"Goodness, Elsa." By this time, Anna has already calmed down a little. "You're a little too picky for your own good. Even you power is frightening them away."
Elsa frowned at the thought. "I don't just learn how to control something this powerful overnight, you know. I still tend to lose it when I get nervous."
"Speaking of being nervous," Anna interrupted, setting aside the issue and going back to the one that amusingly ticks her sister off. "Remember the friend of the Spanish ambassador?"
"You mean the old man?"
"No! The younger man beside him! Remember? Mysterious man with short, dark, wavy hair, and enchanting green eyes framed by deep set of heavy lids?" Anna describe with a romantic exaggeration.
Elsa did recall that man, now that Anna mentioned him. She remembered particularly his green eyes and peculiarly shaped heavy eyelids that were always seemed to be in a mischievous squint, especially when his thin lips were pursed tight. She remembered him sitting beside the noisy ambassador, looking bored tapping his fingers on the dinner table after seemingly having heard the same story over and over.
With those eyes, he kept on staring at her. Not in an evil or lascivious way, like how the French duke would stare at her. It was actually quite intimidating like he was studying her, but, for some reason, she was thrilled by him. Yet most of the time, they encounter each other in the most graceless situations.
Elsa could barely recall his name, but he sure did make an impression on her. Once, she confided her nervousness around the man to Anna, which predictably ending up having her sister- considering her passionate personality- come up with the most intriguing conclusions.
Anna couldn't be far from right, come to think about it. If she had not known better, she would have thought as well that the mysterious man was her suitor, and the Spanish ambassador was just a noisy jester invited to entertain them. Heck, he paid more attention to her than the ambassador did to even notice the blatant betrayal of a friend. And so, she had to decline the ambassador to avoid creating a conflict between the two young men.
"Yes, I do." Elsa voice softened at the thought, either by the dreaminess or the regret. "But that doesn't count."
Anna caught on to the tone of her voice. "God, you're hopeless." She said, in an adoring way, making Elsa smile up to her like a pleading puppy.
"Well," Anna bounced to her feet. "Looks like we're going be to staying here for a while. With the progress of your love life, that is. I hope that sounds like good news to you." She said, kissing Elsa on the forehead at the end.
Elsa smiled and offered her arm to her sister. "Never better. Come, we have a wedding to catch."
The customs by the port was perhaps the busiest area of the palace that day. As the ports were flooded by ships and boats, the terminal was a living hell for the officers. People of all shapes and sizes bustled in, out and around the badly ventilated enclosure, most of whom not really mindful of anyone but their own conveniences, creating such a disorder that made the customs look like a market place.
Having been really not that active for how many years, the officers didn't see a commotion like this coming. Not only do they have to check every passenger's luggage (which the common folks have only one or two, and the aristocrats having at least four for just ornaments- not counting the main ones), but they also have to deal with filthy rich people who were persistent on bringing along unreasonably heavy set of furniture made of illegally logged trees and exotic "pets" into the kingdom.
One particular gentleman in a black coat and a silk top hat carried a cage covered with a rag on the checking desk, and placed it in front of a mustached officer who muttered to himself while scribbling on a checklist.
"I can't believe the queen allowed this ruckus… Passport, please. And kindly remove the concealment from the cage for customs' check." He recited the second half authoritatively, quite robotically as if he had done it a hundred times.
When the sheet was removed, a black owl was revealed to be in the cage.
"Ugh, not another one." The officer muttered to himself again. "I'm sorry, sir, but an owl is not a domestic animal. You may leave the cage within the customs. Rest assured that all properties shall under the best care." He recited again.
"Oh?" The gentleman replied in a surprisingly feminine voice. "I always thought owls are the most docile pets there can be." The Posh English accent slightly noticeable in her utterance.
The officer, confused, looked straight at the gentleman for the first time and actually met a pair of strikingly beautiful, bright green eyes of a woman who was smiling formally at him. Her slick black hair, tied in a low pony-tail at her back made her look like a young English man at a quick glance.
"Oh-um…" He began to stammer. "Pardon my rudeness, Madame. I should have been more observant of my surroundings."
"I wouldn't be bothered by miniature complications, love. Been a long half a day for you." She tipped her hat and peered around, her other hand resting on the silver knob of a walking stick. "So, I have no way of getting this bloody Richard through?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Only dogs and cats allowed." The officer replied, although kinder this time.
The lady squinted her eyes and cocked her head to the side, unfolding the sheet in her hand. "Well, then, I'm afraid I have no other option other than to make suitable adjustments myself, do I, gentleman?"
"That is-" He paused, not really sure what kind of adjustments she spoke of, but did the polite thing and affirmed. "That is quite right, Madame."
"Allow me, then, love." With that she covered the cage again with the sheet, and motioned her hand like a magician before pulling it off in a dashing manner.
This time, much to the officer's and the on-lookers' bewilderment, the cage no longer contained any owl, but a black cat in its place instead.
Gasps and murmurs began within their immediate surrounding. Unable to decide how to react to this display, the officer could only grunt and pinch his eyes out of exhaustion. The day has barely begun and he has already seen too much.
"I'm assuming that you're one of the entertainers." He sighed.
The lady paused, and beamed wider. "You're Isle of Wight as the east, officer."
"You could have told me so!" He raised his voice and his arms, surrendering a pathetic chuckle at his situation before slamming his hand on the desk. "Now, then. Are there anything edible in your belongings?" He asked through gritted teeth.
"None of the sort, sir."
"Are there any articles of furniture and livestock with you?"
"Just my cooking fat and my bag."
"Pardon?"
"My feline companion and my piece of luggage, I should say."
The officer looked into her passport.
"Alright, then, Miss Julian Locksmith. Welcome to Arendalle." The officer declared, handing over her passport.
"Do you not have any intentions of inspecting my bag?" She whispered. He leaned closer and replied in a whispery, raspy voice. "Save me the trouble, lass. I wouldn't want to know whatever is in that bloody thing."
Julian simply smiled and tipped her hat. "My sincerest gratitude, officer. Much appreciated."
From there, the black haired beauty walked away from the crowd, into the gates of Arendalle, tapping her stick along with her cat and her suitcase.
Please leave a review if I should continue. ^^
BTW, an OC Description on Ms. Locksmith follows after this chapter. I would like to give an emphasis on each of Elsa's past suitors, but for now, I'll drop a note that Mr. Mysterious guy is closely based after Rufus Sewell's role in the Legend of Zorro as Armand.