Hello! This is one of a few (or all) entries to notbrilliantbutwicked's #Light&LoveChallenge18 over on tumblr! The prompt for this one was "Anna's Magic". I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think! R&R!
A Perfect Heart
Anna sighed, drumming her fingers on her lap, skirt fabric creasing between them. She'd asked to accompany her sister to a meeting with the foreign dignitaries. At first, she was ecstatic. She'll finally get to see how Elsa conducts meetings and bargains with other countries over political matters.
The princess was in awe of Elsa's composure; especially in a room full of stuffy men who thought they could undermine the queen due to her being an "inexperienced" young woman.
Anna almost puffed her chest in pride when Elsa shut them down with an ice-cold, sharp tongue. But afterward, when the meeting was back on track, Anna's mind began to wander. She'd had to stifle a yawn more than once.
It was only until Elsa had called her name at least three times and placed a hand on her shoulder that broke the princess out of her daze.
"Anna? Are you alright?" Elsa asked, eyebrows pinched into a crease, dark lips curved in a deep frown.
Anna glanced around the room, a few of the council members gave her disapproving looks while the foreign prince leaned over to his ambassador, murmuring something that made the other man chuckle.
The princess's face went hot. She glanced back at Elsa and forced a small smile, despite her hammering heart.
"E-Elsa, I—" she started, averting her gaze to the polished, oak wood of the table.
The queen offered her a small smile and squeezed Anna's hand in reassurance.
"You don't look well, why don't you head back to your quarters and rest? I can handle it from here," she suggested.
Anna relaxed at the comforting warmth that radiated from Elsa's hand, mildly surprised they weren't ice cold.
"A-Are you sure? I mean. . .I can still be of assistance. I-I'll write down notes for you!" she exclaimed, grasping at straws. Elsa couldn't possibly dismiss her, she'd asked to accompany her older sister for a reason. To learn.
. . . Right?
Elsa shook her head, hand retreating to her own lap. Anna's breath hitched at the loss of her sister's warmth.
"It's alright, Anna. We are just about finished anyway, I'll brief you on the details later," Elsa replied, offering a soft smile.
"I—" Anna sighed and bowed her head, then shuffled to her feet. "Okay." Without another word, she crossed her arms and made her way through the double doors. On her way out, the rising murmurs slithered through the crack of the threshold. They embedded themselves within her, further dampening mood.
"She didn't even contribute."
"—shouldn't have even bothered to come."
"What does she know about politics?"
"Useless. Just there to look pretty, and she barely even does that. . ."
Anna's vision blurred. Hot tears rushed down her cheeks. She broke off into a sprint, nearly trampling a couple of servants on the way to her room.
Slamming the door, the princess slid down to the floor and sobbed into her knees.
The spare. That's all she was.
They're right. What was she good for? All she did was get in the way.
All everyone wants is Elsa. It's always Elsa.
But could she really blame them? Elsa was the Queen. Smarter. More elegant. Prettier. Level-headed.
Most of all everyone wanted to see her ice powers.
Though the princess couldn't fault them for that, she was always in awe when Elsa showed off her powers. They were beautiful. Almost as gorgeous as their wielder. People from all over even started traveling to Arendelle just to catch a glimpse of its legendary Snow Queen.
Yet, no one ever noticed the princess. No one ever thought her smart, or elegant, or even level-headed.
All I am is a good for nothing, clumsy, hot-headed spare. There's nothing special about me.
Anna remained on the floor of her room for a couple hours; sobs quieting down to hiccups and sniffles. It wasn't until she heard a soft knock did she lift her head and attempt to wipe her eyes.
"Anna? It's me, Elsa. May I come in?"
The princess rubbed at her eyes furiously as she stumbled to her feet, embarrassed at her irrational breakdown.
"It's open," she whispered, granting her older sister permission to enter.
When Elsa slipped through the door, Anna chewed her lip and fought the brimming hot tears. The sisters stood a mere few feet apart. Her older sister's soft blue eyes made her throat tighten and the concerned wrinkle of her thin eyebrows caused the princess to swallow a sniffle.
Feeling Elsa draw her into her warm arms, Anna broke.
"I-I'm sorry Elsa. I made a fool of myself, and y-you. I'm nothing special. I was never trained in stuffy politics a-and I don't even have fancy powers like you do! I-I'm just—"
"You're not a spare," her sister interjected softly, running gentle fingers through Anna's hair. The queen pulled back and wiped at her warm tears. "Don't listen to what they say, Anna. They're egotistical politicians who have nothing better to do but to demean women and boast about the length of their swords. Only because the patriarchy allows them to do what they like without consequences."
Anna's eyes went wide. She hiccuped, tightening her hold on her sister.
"H-How did you know. . ." The princess trailed off, knowing there was no need to elaborate, still stunned by Elsa's words.
Elsa averted her gaze, "I've heard you talking to the paintings years ago. I-I'm sorry Anna, I've always wanted to tell you but. . ." The queen inhaled and shook her head. "That doesn't matter right now."
"But Elsa. . .what purpose do I have other than being a walking pigsty and getting in your way? I shouldn't have accompanied you. I-I wanted to impress you, to show you that I can do what you do, but all I did was make a fool of myself. . ." Anna sniffed, suddenly finding her boots more interesting.
The princess flinched at the silence that fell between them. She wanted to curl into herself when Elsa sighed and pulled away, feeling as though her worst fears were true; she had no purpose.
Anna didn't comprehend when Elsa led her over to the bed and sat beside her, entwining their fingers.
"Anna, please look at me."
Lips trembling, the princess's watery gaze met her sister's.
"I don't want you to do what I do. You should never feel the need to impress me, because you do that every single day. Anna," Elsa paused, tightening her hold on Anna's hands. "You have a power and a purpose that is unmatched by every single one of those men. They can boast and flaunt their egos all they want, but they will never have what you have."
Anna furrowed her brows, confusion engulfing her.
"Wait what? Okay, I'm officially lost."
Elsa gave a soft chuckle and lifted their hands, manifesting a single heart made of ice. "Love. Unconditional love, Anna. You have the most beautiful, wonderful, perfectful heart in the whole wide world."
Anna raised a brow, though a tiny smile adorned her cheeks, "Perfectful?"
Elsa shrugged, shooting her a lopsided smirk, "You said it first."
The princess's lips trembled. Fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks, dripping onto the magical heart between them as her older sister pulled her into a tight hug, ". . .I love you, Elsa."
"I love you more," Elsa whispered into her hair.
After a few minutes of silence, the queen pulled away, but didn't separate their hands.
"Now to inform you of another matter," she started.
"Hm?" Anna responded. Eyebrow raised in curiosity.
"I sent the foreign prince and his ambassador home."
"What?! Why? You've been working on that treaty for months, Elsa!" Anna exclaimed, mouth open in disbelief.
Elsa merely shrugged.
"I won't form an alliance with a small, neighboring kingdom if they can't even bother to respect my sister. It says a lot more about them than I had originally deduced from our short meetings. Besides," the queen gave a sly smirk. "They need Arendelle more than we need them."
Anna gave her sister a playful slap on the shoulder.
"You're such a stinker!"