A/N: My latest obsession is Frozen. I've kind of paused my other two works from lack of motivation, sorry, but it comes and goes for me. I hope you peps out there enjoy this!
"I think you missed one!" a cheerful voice called out from behind Elsa. She had been collapsed against the ground weeping loudly but jumped and spun about in response to the unnoticed presence behind her. Her hand darted out in front of her and the familiar magic pooled into her fingertips, ready to be released at her command; however, none was given for she was blinded by her tears. She brushed them away with a sleeve and glared outwards.
A man hovered over one of the guards that had attacked her earlier, Elsa had knocked the guard out, but already he had begun to wake up. The waking man turned to look behind him just in time to have the handle of a crossbow butted against his head. He passed out and Elsa now turned her icy glare upwards and crouched down ready to bolt at a moments notice.
The man shrugged and dropped his weapon onto the ground and gave a big goofy grin, " I would just like to say, I'm such a big fan of yours." He smiled brighter, if you could imagine that, when Elsa's eyes pulled together confused. "Where are my manors," he snapped his fingers and stepped over the maze of bodies on the ground, " the names Edward. I'm an assassin currently tasked with stopping this eternal winter you've placed over Arendelle- but I can do that later, for now I just want to talk."
She was stunned to say the least. She noticed his approach and before he could get too close, Elsa had straightened out of her painful crouch to flick a hand in front of her. When he heard the ground rumbling around him, the man began to think this might not have been one of his brightest ideas. Coils of snow and ice shot up and wrapped themselves around him.
"If you desire to talk, then you'll have to bare with these, I'm afraid. I find myself easily distracted when engaged in conversation. I would rather not end up with a knife in my back, that would be most unfortunate." Her eyes swept over the man now that he was immobilized. He had blond hair like hers but only darker. His outfit matched his profession, dark. A very warm looking overcoat wrapped around his body, which not only protected him from the cold, but gave him plenty of space to conceal weapons. Noticing that he was staring at her too, Elsa avoided his gaze and set off to do damage control. Taking several breaths to calm herself; she called out her magic to fix for the umpteenth time her wrecked castle and to deposit the unconscious men safely down the sheer cliff.
Elsa sighed afterwards and her stomach growled. She thanked the gods that usually when she was attacked, more often than not, they left preservable goods and delicacies behind. It took her only a second to notice the row of satchels lined up against the entrance to her castle. They would not have the resources or the energy to launch a second attack on her; and since there was more than one guard sent this time, she had food to last herself for a long while. Usually hiking up the face of a mountain was, for the most part, best done on a full stomach. She was reassured that they would be forced to retreat and retry again in a month from now.
"Understandable. Although I do find these restraints distasteful. How about if I get rid of all my weapons, would you let me of the hook? I promise I won't hurt you." Edward watched as she bent down and picked up an apple from far away. She looked at him with wariness but took a bight from the fruit and swallowed.
"No, I wouldn't put it past you to double-cross me."
"I disagree, I find myself quite the honorable backstabber." He squirmed against the cold ice but settled down when he heard a soft and delicate laugh. Elsa quickly covered it with a hand and shuddered as she restrained herself back into character again.
"Why are you on my mountain?"
"Didn't I just tell you a few moments ago?" he asked and did his best to work around the restraints so he could shrug in response to her question.
"Did you not think I wouldn't kill you?" She folded her arms in front of her and the ice crackled theatrically around her.
"Well, I considered the possibility. That is why I've been watching you for almost a month, and never have I seen you kill anyone. You always let them go in the end; I expect that you are not the notorious winter queen everyone makes you out to be."
She was stooped at this, changing subjects she asked him another question, "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"Actually, the weather is the first thing that comes to mind..."
"Women, how can you stand living in here alone. I've seen you do nothing but housekeeping along with entertaining murderous guests ever since I got here."
"On the contrary, I find the conditions quite agreeable."
"You're strange."
"Not as strange as an assassin that decides alerting his intended target about his sinister intentions is a smart move."
He scoffed and pretended to be offended "Nothing wrong with a little gallantry. Never mind that now; what are you going to do with me?"
"I'm still trying to decide. I would have released you until I was enlightened that you spied on me for a month and I never even noticed. At the moment I'll keep you here because I don't want to give you another chance to try and kill me. I just need time to think on how I should deal with you."
"Okay…" he started whistling.
Elsa was getting frustrated really fast at the man and was just about to tell him to be silent when she recognized the tune. "Edward-was it? How long has it been since my coronation?"
A pause, "A little less than a month."
"And when did you start to stalk me?"
"About a month ago."
"I want exact dates!"
"Well, I suppose both would be around twenty-nine days ago your majesty!"
"I sung that tune only once, and that was the very day I ran away from Arendelle. You followed me here that same night I left."
"I found the notes along with the lyrics to be quite catchy." He gave a flirtatious smile and resumed, but only this time, humming the melody to her song.
'Let it go.'
Elsa walked away a little embarrassed and more than a little disturbed.