"Frozen" and its characters and settings are the intellectual property of Disney. The picture that inspired this fic is called "My Knight" by patronustrip.
Her Knight
"Your Majesty, I really wish you would reconsider my proposal. I truly feel that a closer relationship between our kingdoms would bring unprecedented prosperity to the people of both..."
Queen Elsa of Arendelle barely repressed a sigh at one of the most obnoxious suitors to have approached her throne in the three years since her coronation. Usually all it took was an arched eyebrow and a politely worded "no" to have even the most confident suitors scurrying from her presence as quickly as good manners would allow. This man, however, would not take no for an answer, and it was beginning to try the Ice Queen's patience.
"Prince Cassius," she interrupted. "While I appreciate your concern for Arendelle and its subjects, I'm afraid that a bond of marriage between our two nations just isn't feasible at this time. Rest assured that this will have no impact on the continued good relations between us, and trade will continue as usual. Now then, I believe your ship is scheduled to leave at noon. You are free to enjoy the hospitality of Arendelle until that time. Good day, Prince Cassius."
Prince Cassius blinked in surprise at Queen Elsa's frosty dismissal. He had been warned of the Ice Queen's limited patience for those who sought her hand, but he had yet to meet the woman who could resist him when he poured on his charm. Not quite willing to accept defeat, he tried one more time.
"Your Majesty, please, if you would just-"
"Enough!" The temperature in the room suddenly dropped until the prince could see his breath in front of him. His guards and attendants all began shivering in the sudden cold, but the Queen's people seemed unaffected. The prince suddenly worried that he may have pushed too far when he noticed the queen's piercing glare pinning him where he stood.
"I believe I have made my position abundantly clear," she said. "However, should you continue to press the matter, you may find my hospitality to be in suddenly short supply. Do I make myself clear?"
The prince glared back, rage etched into his features. Sensing his lord's mood, one of his attendants quickly stepped up and grabbed his arm which had been inching toward the sword at his hip.
"Don't be a fool!" He hissed. "You'll condemn us all!" Receiving a grudging nod, the attendant turned and bowed to the angry Ice Queen. "Your Majesty, we thank you for your indulgence. It is clear that we have overstayed our welcome, so we shall take our leave. Your Majesty." The man bowed again and began leading the prince from the throne room. Just as they reached the heavy wooden doors, the prince suddenly threw himself into his attendant, shoving the man into the prince's guards.
"What the hell are you doing?" The attendant cried. He tried to reach the prince but found himself held tightly by the prince's guards. The prince himself had drawn his sword and turned to face the queen, only to find his path cut off by a wall of razor sharp ice spikes. Rather than try cutting his way through them, Prince Cassius raised his voice to be heard over the cries of outrage filling the hall.
"Queen Elsa of Arendelle! You have been approached by every eligible suitor in the Seven Kingdoms and not one of them has met with your approval. By the laws set forth by the Charter of the Seven, you are responsible for the continuation of Arendelle's royal line. Should you fail to produce an heir, you will be deposed as queen and a suitable ruler installed in your place."
Elsa glared at the man from her throne, which had frozen solid in her fury. "I'm well aware of the laws of the Charter, Prince Cassius. What I'm unaware of is how the continuation of my line is any concern of yours, nor how you plan to explain drawing your sword in my presence."
The prince laughed darkly. "Oh, but it is my concern, Your Majesty. As I am the last eligible suitor to ask for your hand, you must accept my proposal or be found in contempt of the Charter. The only way out is if you have already chosen a suitor, which my sources tell me you have not."
The queen's glare suddenly morphed into a victorious smirk. "It seems your sources are mistaken, Your Highness. My hand and my heart are already spoken for, and they have been since shortly after my coronation. You can expect an announcement throughout the Seven Kingdoms by the summer solstice, as we are planning on a winter wedding. Now, sheathe your weapon and leave my castle immediately. Your welcome has just expired."
The prince's smile was predatory. "Not so fast, Your Majesty. I hereby claim my right to challenge this mystery suitor to a duel for the right to your hand. Let him show himself, if indeed he exists, and let us see who it is that could melt the Ice Queen's heart, hmm?"
At the prince's words the struggling attendant stilled and the color drained from his face. "Prince Cassius, you must not do this! You threaten the livelihood of your father's kingdom by igniting a war with Arendelle! Surely you can see the danger-"
He was cut off as Prince Cassius delivered a vicious backhand across his face. "I'll deal with your insubordination momentarily," he snarled before turning back to the queen. "Well?"
The attendant thought he might have been hit harder than he thought when he saw a look akin to pity flash across the queen's features as she studied the prince. After several tense moments, the wall of ice dissipated and Queen Elsa turned to a large man wearing the livery of the Kingdom of Arendelle. "Kai," she said, "please send for my betrothed and inform them of the circumstances."
The man bowed and strode purposely from the room only to return a few minutes later. "your Majesty," he said with a bow, "your betrothed is preparing for the duel and will join us momentarily."
"Thank you Kai," she replied, nodding for the man to return to his post. The prince paced back and forth through the center of the room like a caged tiger while the queen of Arendelle looked on in stony silence. After a five-minute eternity, the door that Kai had left and returned from opened to admit Princess Anna, clad in dueling leathers with a sword of ice on her hip. The prince and his entourage watched in stunned disbelief as the princess crossed the room to approach the throne. They received yet another shock as the queen's emotionless mien melted into a radiant smile full of warmth and love. Princess Anna matched the smile with one of her own before raising the queen's right hand to her lips to plant a gentle kiss on her knuckles.
"Hello, my love," Anna said warmly. "I take it our secret is finally out?"
"It would appear so, Dear Heart," Elsa replied in the loving voice she reserved only for her sister. "But we knew it would happen eventually."
Anna chuckled and nodded before turning to regard the gaping Prince Cassius with a haughty glare. It was obvious to everyone observing that in a single glance the man had been weighed, measured, and had clearly been found wanting.
"Not much to look at, is he?" She stage-whispered to her grinning sister. "Why, it looks as if he's attempting to catch flies." Her words seemed to snap the prince out of his stupor and his mouth snapped shut with an audible click before regarding Anna with a mixture of confusion and fury.
"You?" He finally managed to say. "You're Elsa's fiancée? What sort of trickery is this?"
Anna's eyes hardened. "Remember whom you are addressing, Your Highness," she spat. "She is Queen Elsa of Arendelle, my sister, my queen, and my love. I am Princess Anna of Arendelle, Heiress and Consort to the Crown, and you are a visitor in our kingdom. You would do well to remember your place."
Prince Cassius scoffed. "You're serious? The queen's own sister, Consort to the Crown? Have you all gone mad?"
"I assure you that what my sister tells you is true, Your Highness," Elsa said. "Now that you have seen the proof of our relationship for yourself, I trust that we can dispense with this unpleasantness before someone gets hurt."
The prince laughed loudly. "Oh no, Your Majesty," he said. "If the Princess wishes to aid you in whatever conniving scheme you're attempting to avoid marriage, then I feel it is only fair for her to bleed for it. The challenge stands. Let's see how far you're both willing to take this charade."
Queen Elsa sighed. "Very well," she said tiredly before turning to her sister with a smoldering look. "Try to make this quick, my love. You know what seeing you in those leathers does to me."
Anna smiled hungrily and gave a short bow. "As you command, my Queen." Turning to her opponent, the princess drew her blade and saluted, signaling her readiness. The prince smiled mockingly and returned the salute, and both fighters began circling each other in the improvised dueling arena that had formed from the spectators around them.
"You don't have to do this, you know," Prince Cassius said. "There's no reason for me to have to disfigure such a lovely woman when it would be so much easier for you both to stop this farce right now."
"Oh?" Anna replied. "And what would become of me once you are crowned King of Arendelle? Am I to be married off to some dim witted cousin to spend the rest of my days as a useless trophy wife?"
The prince smiled coldly. "Hardly, my dear. No, I'm afraid that you will spend the rest of your days in a brothel, spreading your legs daily for the lowest of my father's subjects. After all, what use will I have for you when I'll be busy running this kingdom by day and bedding your sister every night?"
Anna's eyes narrowed. "Over my dead body."
The prince shrugged and said, "as you wish." That was all the warning she got before he sprang into motion, his sword whistling through the air toward her head. The prince's confident smirk faltered as he hit nothing but empty air. His confidence wavered even further when he found himself on the defensive, barely stopping the icy blade from cutting him to ribbons. Cassius was known in his kingdom for his prowess with a blade, a skill he had been counting on when he thought up this plan to claim Arendelle's throne as his own. He had heard of the failed plot by Prince Hans of the Southern Isles to do the same, and he knew he would be no match for the Ice Queen herself. Expecting to face some lesser-known scion of a minor kingdom, he had been delighted by the unexpected sight of the princess arriving to answer his challenge. However, his excitement was quickly giving way to panic as Princess Anna proved herself to be more than a match for him with a blade.
As he deflected another attack that narrowly missed cleaving his head from his shoulders, he caught a glimpse of the queen as she sat watching the duel from her throne. It was then that he began to suspect that the sisters' ruse may not be a ruse at all, for the queen was watching her sister fight as if it was the most erotic thing she'd ever seen. The obvious lust in her eyes and the swell of her heaving breast may have only distracted him for a split second, but it was more than enough for Anna.
Before he realized it, Prince Cassius found himself on his knees screaming in agony as he clutched the frozen stump where his sword hand used to be. Through the haze of pain he barely registered the princess kicking his sword, with his hand still wrapped around it, across the floor and well out of reach. His attention was immediately grabbed by the point of an icy blade coming to rest at his throat. His eyes followed the bloody sword up past the arm holding it until he met the burning gaze of the Princess of Arendelle.
"Do you yield?" She growled, her sword arm steady as a rock despite the hectic duel that had just ended. The prince looked down at his ruined wrist, expecting to find himself bleeding out. He was both relieved and horrified to find instead that the blade of ice had frozen the wound solid. Realizing that his gambit had failed, he sighed and lowered his head in defeat. He felt the deadly piece of ice vanish from his throat and the strong, angry hands of the queen's guards haul him roughly to his feet. It took him several moments but he finally gathered enough courage to raise his head and look at his victorious opponent, wishing almost instantly that he had not.
Princess Anna stood before him with her sword pointing skyward, the flat of the blade still smeared with royal blood. His blood. The Princess was giving him a vicious smirk that morphed into a half-lidded smile of pleasure as her sister approached from behind and wrapped her arms around her champion, claiming her neck with a possessive love bite. Despite his terror and agony, the prince found the sight incredibly arousing, but his arousal vanished as quickly as it came as the reality of the situation finally set in.
This was no ruse, no strange scheme to keep the queen of Arendelle from having to share her power. As much as he wished to deny it, Prince Cassius could now see that the two women before him were as close to each other's hearts as the most ardent of lovers, and woe betide any who tried to separate them. The prince ruefully corrected his earlier observation. His gambit had not only failed, but it never had a chance of succeeding in the first place, and now his life was forfeit for it.
The prince broke from his musing to find the sisters of Arendelle wearing identical smirks, obviously amused at the dawning realization in his eyes. Keeping her gaze fully locked with his, Queen Elsa spoke to the room. "Kai?"
The man stepped forward and bowed. "Your Majesty?"
"Remove this man and his entourage from my sight. They are to be returned to their ship and sent back to Gastonia immediately. Prince Cassius is hereby banned from entering the Kingdom of Arendelle forever, and shall be executed as an enemy of the kingdom should he return. Are my orders understood?"
Kai shot the prince a steely glare. "Perfectly, Your Majesty."
Elsa nodded, her arms still wrapped tightly around her sister. "Very good," she said, before turning her face into her sister's hair and breathing deeply. "Come, my knight," she whispered huskily. "I have need of you."
Anna craned her neck to give her sister more access to its supple flesh. "As you command, my Queen," she purred as they headed towards their private chambers, shooting each other searing looks along the way.
Kai watched them go with a fond smile on his lips that turned to stoic determination as he turned to the disgraced prince and his party. "You," he said, pointing to the ashen-faced attendant the prince had struck earlier, "with me. The rest of you are to be escorted to the docks. If you so much as swat a bug my men will kill you where you stand. Now move!" The attendant watched with shame in his eyes as the rest of his kinsmen were pushed from the room by the queen's guard. No sooner was the last of them through the door did Kai find the attendant on his knees in front of him.
"My Lord," the man cried, "I offer my most heartfelt apologies, insignificant as they are, for the treatment Queen Elsa and Princess Anna received here today. If I had been able I would've gladly stood against Prince Cassius in their defense. Rest assured that his father the King will be notified of his atrocious behavior the minute we arrive back in Gastonia. You have my solemn word."
Kai regarded him with an unreadable expression for several moments before a large smile appeared on his face. "I knew I had a good feeling about you," he said as he helped the man to his feet. "Your apology is appreciated, but unnecessary. You did the best you could under the circumstances, and your efforts to avert violence were duly noted. Tell me, what is your name friend?"
The man bowed with obvious relief. "I am called Justin, my Lord. Are you sure that the queen and princess were unharmed?"
Kai laughed. "Oh I've no doubt that they're iin the middle of a very thorough mutual examination as we speak. Trust me, there's nothing wrong that can't be set right with the treatment they're giving each other. Oh, my name is Kai, by the way."
Justin gaped at the man before shaking his head as if to clear it. "I'm sorry, what?"
Kai's smile took on a mischievous glint. "You can call me Kai. I'm certainly no lord, so there's no need for the title."
"No I caught that," Justin said with a hint of exasperation. "What I meant was, are you truly implying that the queen and the princess are... intimate?"
"No," Kai said, "I'm outright stating they are."
Justin's eyes widened in alarm. "But the law, the Charter! They'll be found in contempt! Surely you know that such a union cannot possibly produce an heir!"
"Believe me, I raised the same objections to them when they told me of their relationship," Kai replied. "However, Queen Elsa assured me that they had consulted several 'love experts' who had assured them that an heir was indeed possible from their union, with the proper application of magic of course."
"Of course," Justin said with no small amount of sarcasm. "And I suppose these so-called 'love experts' are who convinced you that two sisters could fall in love, right?"
Kai chuckled. "No, that one I saw for myself," he said. "I'm sure you've heard all about Queen Elsa's coronation three years ago?" Justin nodded. "Well, what most of us didn't know, and in fact it took the queen and the princess quite a while to figure it out themselves, but the truth is that it was their love for each other that was both the cause and the cure for Arendelle's unnatural winter. It was Queen Elsa's fear of losing her sister's love that caused her to lose control of her powers, and it was Princess Anna's act of self-sacrificing love that allowed her to regain it. So, you tell me. If you had seen a love powerful enough to turn winter to spring before your eyes, would you doubt it?"
Justin looked thoughtful for a few minutes. "Well, I suppose when you put it that way, it does make sense. But why then would the queen allow the princess to take such a risk with that duel?"
Kai shrugged. "It was necessary. Prince Cassius was acting within the law when he issued the duel, therefore the challenge had to be answered if they wanted their relationship to be taken seriously. Unfortunately for your prince, Princess Anna has spent the last three years training daily with the best swordsmen in the kingdom. She says that she does it so that she can protect Queen Elsa, but I think the betrayal by Prince Hans changed something deep within her, within them both really. Some days I'm not sure that it was a change for the better, but then I see them so happy together and I know that I would get a different answer if I were to ask them."
"And the people of Arendelle have said nothing about their unusual relationship?"
Kai beamed. "The people of Arendelle couldn't be happier for the royal sisters. They, too, saw the miracle of their love for each other, and the three years since have seen this kingdom's prosperity flourish like never before in its recorded history. No, my friend, the people of Arendelle will be the last to say anything negative about their beloved rulers, nor will they tolerate any dissent from outsiders within their hearing."
Justin studied the other man shrewdly for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. "There's been more than two, hasn't there? Attacks on the queen and Princess, I mean."
"I'm impressed," Kai said with a grin. "Not many would've put those clues together as quickly as you have. There have, in fact, been seven assassination attempts in the last three years, though none have come as close as Hans or Cassius did. Although most have been nothing but friendly and welcoming to Arendelle, there are still a few who see our beloved queen as nothing more than either a shortcut to an easy throne or an abomination to be destroyed. However, we're hoping that Prince Cassius will be the last."
Justin scoffed. "Not likely. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if he returns in a fortnight with as many of his father's warships as he can wrangle. That man has pride to spare, and his ego will not let this go."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Those are bold words to be speaking about one's lord."
Justin shook his head ruefully. "I'm afraid he won't be for much longer. After my... show of defiance today, I'll be lucky to live long enough to make it back to Gastonia to face my execution. I always knew that man would be the death of me, but at least I will pass on with a clear conscience."
Kai barely kept his fair free from the triumphant grin that threatened to erupt onto it at that moment. Placing his arm gently across the other man's shoulders, Kai began leading him further into the castle and away from the front gates. "Come, I think I may have a solution for you..."
Hours later in the queen's bedchamber, Anna and Elsa lay in a tangle of damp sheets and naked limbs, the sweat from their lovemaking still clinging to their bodies. The princess lay with her head on her sister's chest, listening contentedly to her heartbeat as the queen ran her fingers through her long red hair. As their breathing returned to normal, they conversed in whispers so as not to disturb the calm afterglow.
"He was the last of them, right?" Anna asked.
Elsa nodded slightly. "Yes, Dear Heart, he was the last. I'm surprised that he was the only one to make the challenge, though. I figured the man from Weselton would've been the first."
"No, love, he was the one that brought the poisoned mead, remember?" Anna replied. "Said it was a 'gift of apology from the Duke.'"
Elsa chuckled, a motion that Anna very much appreciated from her vantage point. "Ah yes, that's right. I suppose he took it personally when Corona offered to pick up Weselton's trade contract and give us a much better deal than the Duke would ever consider. Serves the bastard right." Anna reached up to capture her sister's lips in a searing kiss, well aware that the Duke was still a sore spot for her due to his attempt on her life.
When she was sure that Elsa was again calm enough to speak, kissing her a little longer than necessary just to make sure, Anna released the queen's mouth and settled back down on her breast, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist.
"I love your method for cheering me up, Dear Heart," Elsa cooed. Anna just smiled and cuddled in closer. "Anyway," Elsa continued, "That's the last duel you'll be fighting for my hand." Elsa smiled and kissed Anna on the forehead. "I was so proud of you back there. It's one thing to see it in your practice, but to see you actually use it took my breath away. You have no idea the weight it takes off my mind knowing that you can take care of yourself, my Anna."
"Well, you take such good care of me, it's only fair that I learn to protect you, too." This earned her a kiss that curled the younger girl's toes. When they finally broke for air and settled down, it was several minutes before Anna could concentrate enough to ask a question that had been bothering her ever since the duel.
"Speaking of protecting each other, what's to stop Prince Cassius from returning with an army at his command? He doesn't seem the type to give up so easily, and his father had already sent two assassins before he even arrived here."
Elsa frowned. "I know, and he will be dealt with, much like the late Duke of Weselton. I believe Kai is working on a special project as we speak that will provide enough inside information to handle it at our leisure, and with minimal bloodshed. He's mentioned before about having an 'inside source,' but he said he would only be able to do it if the opportunity presented itself. Which, by the way he was acting earlier, I believe it has. As for the prince, I'm afraid he won't be returning to Gastonia. It seems that his father made the mistake of sending him on the same ship that brought the two would-be assassins last year. Apparently someone recognized it, and so while he was up here trying to talk his way into my throne, a few of our loyal subjects were busy switching his ship's ballast with fast-melting ice. It should melt enough to capsize his ship in a day or two, giving him plenty of time to leave Arendelle's waters by then."
Anna propped herself up so she could look into Elsa's eyes. "And how could you possibly know all that?" She asked suspiciously.
Elsa smirked and kissed her nose. "A good queen never reveals all of her secrets, even to her most devoted of knights." Anna's response was to growl and attack her sister's sensitive rib cage with tickling fingers. The queen shrieked and began giving as good as she got, which soon dissolved into far more pleasurable activities that kept the two lovers busy for the rest of the day.