Author's Note: This story began as an interesting thought that refused to leave me alone: Anna and Elsa being interviewed for a television show. I decided to give that thought a life of its own outside of my head. Please note that this story does NOT share continuity with "Feel, Don't Conceal." It's its own little beast in its own little world. While what's written in this story is obviously important, equally important is what's not written. With this being a modern AU, I didn't want to break the mood or feel of the story too much, so much is left implied and not outright stated. However, feel free to read between the lines. A lot.
Cover Art for this story was done by the wonderful Guilia. She's awesome. You can find her pages on my Bio. And yes, this particular piece was done for "Feel, Don't Conceal," but it's too good not to use it. Consider it an indulgence on my part.
Exclusive!
by Jo K.
In a world so hard and dirty
So fouled and confused
Searching for a little bit of God's mercy
I've found living proof
-Bruce Springsteen, "Living Proof"
As Viola Collins entered the cozy television studio—small by her standards, but entirely workable—she found herself oddly nervous. She had been a reporter for five years now, covering stories across the world in situations ranging from peaceful celebrations to civil war, but this simple assignment was making her heart race and her throat tighten.
"The Queen and the Princess will be here in two minutes, Ms. Collins," said a production assistant, his Nordic accent faint but still a reminder that she wasn't in San Francisco or New York City anymore.
"Viola is fine, and thank you," she said politely, forcing her annoying nerves deep inside. It was quite cool in the studio; when she had pointed that out, she had been told politely but firmly by the Arendelle News Network staff that the Queen and Princess both liked it cold, and cold it would stay.
She was the first reporter to ever do an interview with Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of the tiny country of Arendelle, and she still didn't know exactly why.
—O—
"Collins!"
"Yes sir?" she had said, looking up from her desk and the half-dozen folders strewn across its laminate top. Her supervising editor was standing over her, his face oddly red as he glowered down at her.
"Pack a bag. You just landed the biggest interview of your career."
Viola blinked twice, slowly. "Um... thanks?" she said weakly. "I wasn't trying to get an interview that I was aware of."
"Have you ever heard of the country Arendelle?" the white-haired older man barked at her.
Viola smiled and nodded. "Actually, I have. It pops up in games I play on Sporcle."
Seeing the look her boss flashed her, she stammered, "Uhh, I mean, when I play it at home! On my own time!" She shook her head. "I'd never play it at work, no sir!"
She continued to wither under her boss's look for a few seconds until he snapped, "Well, it's a damn good thing you've heard of it, because you're flying there tonight!"
"Tonight?! Is someone inside the castle actually going to talk, finally?" She looked outside, seeing the gloaming already approaching over the city's buildings. "But it's winter, and Arendelle gets more snow than any other country on the planet! Will their airport even be open?"
The sharp smack of a thick stack of papers on her desk made the young woman jump in her seat, with several photos and smaller pieces of paper blown off the desk and now fluttering to the floor. "Queen Elsa has been ruler of Arendelle for seven years, and she's never given a single interview to the media over that time. Neither has her sister, Princess Anna. The two of them had rarely attended a few EU meetings and a few other conferences in the past, but since the princess's daughter was born three years ago, they've all stayed in Arendelle."
Viola considered what she knew about Arendelle and its royal family. "Their parents died when their yacht capsized in a storm, right?"
"That's right, over ten years ago. Other than that, we know almost nothing about them or their family. Arendelle is fairly wealthy due to natural resources and their limited tourist trade, but the people there are extremely protective of their royal family. No one has ever been able to interview either of the royal sisters." He stopped, and the terse smile that spread across his face was so foreign to Viola that it actually made her uneasy. "Until now."
Viola was silent for several seconds, holding her chief's gaze until the conversation caught up with her. "ME?!"
He nodded. "YOU. They asked for you specifically."
"Why me? I've never met them, I've never done an article on them, I've—"
"If it matters so much, then I suggest you ask them when you meet them. Your flight leaves at 9:30 tonight. The Arendelle airport says that there should be a window in the snowstorms by the time you're due to land there, so don't be late!"
—O—
Viola brought her attention back to the present as the door to the small studio opened. She stood, smoothing the dark green fabric of her dress's skirt as she did so. She silently rehearsed the proper forms of address for both the Queen and the Princess once again, resisting the urge to take a drink of water and risk smudging her lip color. Force of habit saw her reach down to check her Galaxy S5 phone, but it had been surrendered to the custody of the advance Royal Security Team who had inspected her belongings and her person, albeit in a professional and surprisingly gentle way. Two female members of the security detachment had conducted the search while the three men had left the small workroom, a small consideration Viola had been surprisingly grateful to receive.
She glanced down at the small table placed between the chair she had just been seated in and the loveseat beside it, the two seats angled in such a way as to facilitate conversation while still allowing the cameras to capture the faces of all three participants. The table placed in front of the chair and loveseat had three small glasses of water around a short vase of light purple and white crocuses, which the studio crew had arranged just a few minutes ago. The national flower, she remembered.
As a soldier clad in the dress uniform of Arendelle's army entered, pistol holstered at his side, Viola checked the small notebook she was holding, with several important topics already neatly jotted down. She had spent as much time as possible on her laptop before and during the flight, trying to learn as much as she could in a short time about Arendelle's royal sisters in the hours before the interview. The result was the list of topics she had carefully written in the small moleskin notebook. At the very bottom of that list, however, was a single word which had been underlined but then marked through.
Incest.
She swallowed, unsure what sort of reaction she was going to get from the questions she had been instructed to ask the queen and the princess, even before she reached that one terrifying word.
When she looked up again, she met blue-green eyes beneath hair the color of burnished copper, styled into an elegant crown braid, slowly walking toward her. The princess's photogenic freckles were accentuated by the light orange dress she was wearing, the skirt falling just below her knees. Immediately behind her was a second woman, slightly taller but with a similar build, brilliant platinum blonde hair pulled into a single long braid that fell over her right shoulder of the elegant royal blue gown, clinging to the woman's torso but leaving her arms entirely bare while falling nearly to her ankles. Both women wore friendly smiles on their faces, though the redhead's teal eyes were excitedly wide while the blonde's sapphire blue eyes were more guarded.
Viola bowed as the two royals approached her, rising to see the two sisters standing before her. "Your Majesty, Your Highness," she said with a smile she hoped concealed her anxiety, "I am honored by being here and meeting the two of you."
"As are we with your presence," Elsa said politely. She looked at the arrangement of seats. "We're to sit on the loveseat, I presume?" she asked calmly.
"Unless you want to do this interview sitting on my lap," Anna replied quickly. "Or with me on your lap."
When Elsa turned to look at her younger sister, Viola expected to see a hint of reprimand or possibly even annoyance on the monarch's face. However, she was wholly unprepared for what she did see in that fair face with icy blue eyes. It was only visible for a bare second, possibly two, but there was a look of adoration and pride that nearly made Viola gasp. Elsa covered it almost immediately with a practiced expression of pleasantness, but Viola was sure she had seen it.
And the way Anna's face, sprinkled with freckles, flushed under Elsa's warm gaze suggested the younger woman not only had seen the same emotion in her older sister's eyes, but she had understood and accepted it.
Quickly gathering her wits, Viola cleared her throat, breaking the soft gaze shared by the two sisters. "The two of you would probably be more comfortable on the loveseat, Your Majesty, Your Highness, but it is your country," she finished with an overly friendly smile.
"Thank you," Elsa said, moving past Anna to sit on the loveseat. Anna quickly moved to sit beside Elsa, close enough that their hips and arms were touching. Elsa gave Anna a quick glance but made no attempt to move or reprimand her.
As the lights atop the cameras lit with scarlet glows, Viola turned to face the nearest camera. "Tonight, we bring you a very special interview with Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle. Arendelle is famous for its skiing, fishing and old world charm, as well as for its cold weather and heavy snows. Its people are loyal, resilient and friendly but tend to politely keep to themselves, qualities that could also be said to apply to the two royal sisters. Tonight, they have granted us a rare opportunity to speak with them."
Viola turned to the sisters. "Your Majesty Queen Elsa, Your Highness Princess Anna, thank you both for inviting me here."
"You're most welcome, Ms. Collins," Elsa said politely. "Anna and I felt it was time to publicly speak on a few subjects that are most important to us."
Anna nodded, lacing the fingers of her left hand with Elsa's right as she leaned forward slightly. "Right!" she said. "We've been thinking about issuing a statement for several months now, and we feel that now is the best time to do so, especially after everything the adoption stirred up."
"You're talking about your sister Elsa recently adopting your daughter Mila—Elsa's niece—as her own daughter as well, correct?"
"Exactly," Anna replied. "Elsa and I are the last of our family, or at least we were until our little snowgirl came along." The princess's face beamed at the thought of their daughter.
As Viola watched the monitor behind the royal sisters, she saw pictures of the toddler princess appear on the screen, transitioning from one to another quickly. The castle had provided those pictures just a few hours ago, all of them from the royal family's private albums.
As the slideshow stopped, Elsa said, "By adopting Mila as my daughter as well, we now have an heir to the throne should anything happen to both Anna and me, continuing our family's responsibility of caring for and protecting Arendelle."
Viola shivered briefly in the cold studio. She had a heating pad behind her back, concealed beneath a quilt draped across the back of her chair, but the chill was still formidable. "But the manner in which the adoption was handled—by your own royal decree, Your Majesty—was what raised eyebrows, both in Arendelle and around the world."
Elsa nodded, her face calm as ever. She allowed herself to smile slightly as she replied, "The adoption was subsequently confirmed in Arendelle's Parliament, who passed a special measure recognizing me as Mila's second mother."
"I really don't get what the big deal was about all that, anyway," Anna said sharply.
"Anna..." Elsa said, her voice softening as she turned to look at her sister. The two of them were still holding hands, and Elsa gave Anna's left hand a gentle squeeze.
"People only ran their mouths because they didn't know that you were already were a mother to Mila! You were with me throughout the pregnancy, you went to my doctor appointments with me, you held my hand while she was being born, you helped me change diapers, you helped me feed her, you've helped me raise her!" Anna turned to look at Elsa, face slightly flushed and breathing a bit more deeply with how obviously passionate she felt about this subject. "I might have given birth to her, but you've been with me every step of the way, before and after. You're rightfully her mother too, and that decree and the parliamentary measure only acknowledge what was already true."
Elsa released Anna's hand and lifted her right hand to gently cup Anna's cheek. "People talked because it was a queen adopting a potential heir, even though her birth mother was still very much alive and part of her life."
Anna folded her arms across her chest as she said, "Well, like I said back then, they can just get over it! The people in Arendelle are fine with it, we're fine with it, Mila is fine with it, and it's none of anyone else's business anyway!"
As Elsa turned back to Viola, her smile still in place, the reporter hesitated as she came to the next item on the list given to her before she left. "On the subject of Princess Mila's father..." she began, only to be cut off by Anna's voice.
"There is no father in the picture!" Anna said sharply. "There never was!"
"Anna," Elsa said firmly, and Viola swore the temperature in the studio became even colder at the tone of Elsa's voice that very moment. Elsa glared at Anna for several seconds before Anna turned to meet her gaze, defiantly holding it for a few moments before finally looking down at Elsa's hands. "Fine," she sighed as she took Elsa's right hand in both of her own, gently rubbing the back of the queen's slim hand. She turned to look at Viola, who had gone utterly still.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you for that question," Anna said. "That's just a very... sensitive subject for me. For us." She took a deep breath and sighed. "Mila has two wonderful mothers who have been with her from the very beginning who love and adore her. There is no father in Mila's life, and there never will be. I'm leaving the subject at that."
Viola nodded. She had been snapped at by people larger and more frightening than the young woman seated across from her, and she had become quite good at recovering smoothly. "Perfectly fine, Your Highness." She looked at Elsa this time before speaking. "What was the reason for you and Princess Anna withdrawing from functions outside of Arendelle for the last three years, Your Majesty?"
"Mila's well-being," the queen said easily. "The early years are most important for a family with a young child, and Anna and I wanted to spend as much time as possible with Mila." She smiled and said wistfully, "They're only babies once."
"We also wanted to avoid the crush of press and paparazzi that royal babies tend to attract," added Anna, her lightly freckled face now returned to its regular shade of coloring. "We've watched far too many other royal families deal with embarrassing photos or videos, being chased by the paparazzi and hunted like wild beasts. We want to spare our little Mila that craziness."
Viola nodded. "So you think by answering some questions, by dispelling some of the rumors, you might be able to defuse some of the gossip circulating about the three of you."
"Exactly," Elsa said with a smile and a nod. "There are more important things in the world than what Mila is wearing, or if Anna and I slept in the same bed last night."
Viola smiled, and she hoped that she was able to express a feeling of humor instead of it coming off as smug or scathing. "Did you?" she asked lightly, forcing the smile a bit more obviously than she normally would with people she was familiar with.
There was a pause for exactly three seconds before Elsa smiled and Anna grinned; Anna lowered her head against Elsa's shoulder as she giggled. "We did," Elsa admitted. "Most nights we do, and Mila wasn't being very cooperative with her mommies last night. By the time she finally fell asleep, both Anna and I were worn out ourselves."
"Obviously the castle staff knows?" Viola asked.
"Obviously," replied Elsa calmly. "It made for quite a few rumors early on, but they've come to accept that our relationship is... unique."
"We don't like being pushed into a little box of how we're supposed to act, or talk, or think," Anna said, having recovered her composure again. "We've done that, and it sucked."
"Anna and I have two overriding interests," Elsa said, "Arendelle and Mila. Those are the two most important things in our lives, and we've devoted ourselves to ensuring the best for both of them."
"Really, the two are pretty similar," Anna said quickly. "Not to say our people are toddlers! But being a good parent and being a good ruler share many qualities. Arendelle has been extremely good to us and to our daughter, and we'll absolutely return that devotion and respect."
"Is that part of why you and your sister have both served as mediators in international disputes and sponsors of various environmental and human rights causes since she assumed the throne?"
With a vigorous nod, Anna replied, "Absolutely! Arendelle has a long history of non-aggression, but we're happy to step forward and help a neighbor or a friend."
"Is it correct that Arendelle has never been successfully invaded?" asked Viola.
Elsa nodded. "Our weather and terrain are rather unforgiving."
"But you've become a successful tourist destination regardless."
Elsa smiled happily. "Arendellans are warm, welcoming people. We appreciate the beauty of nature as well as the danger behind that beauty. Like-minded people with a sense of adventure discovered our country a long time ago, but it's only been in the last decade that we've had the facilities to support much tourism. We've tried to balance the demand to see our country with common sense in terms of how many visitors we can accommodate comfortably."
Viola checked her notes quickly as Elsa was finishing, her eyes once again in contact with the Queen before Elsa's words stilled. "You've resisted opening the tallest peak in Arendelle to skiing or climbers."
"Correct."
"What was the reason for that decision? I understand it was a decision you made personally, against the recommendations of Arendelle's parliament."
"The upper portion of the North Mountain is sheer ice, and while I have no doubt there are a few extremely skilled climbers who could safely and successfully scale it, Anna and I have no wish to see even a single person die attempting to do so."
"Have you climbed it?" Viola asked, more to make conversation than seriously asking.
Elsa smiled slyly. "I refuse to answer that question, mainly so as not to give my daughter any ideas for when she's older."
"Good save, baby," said Anna, patting Elsa's back lovingly and ending with rubbing it softly. She turned to look at Viola again. "The North Mountain is dangerous, even for experienced climbers. Plus the Snow Queen doesn't like visitors at her castle." The redhead's smile grew broad at her last quip, drawing a playful push against her shoulder from Elsa.
Viola smiled at the easy nature with which the two royals interacted with each other. It was refreshing, after some of the awkward interviews she had watched different reporters conduct over the years with other royal families. She decided to risk a more thorny question. "What about the rumors that the real reason the two of you have ceased international travel over the last two years was to eliminate some of the more unflattering rumors about the two of you continuing to spend your lives with each other rather than pursue relationships with others? Has all the public talk about the two of you deciding to raise a daughter together as two mothers finally caused strain in your relationship, either with each other or with the people of Arendelle?"
Something similar to anger flashed across both green-blue and ice blue eyes, but Elsa was the first to speak.
"As Anna has already said, we chose to curtail our travel to focus our time on Mila," Elsa said smoothly, willing her face to remain calm despite the irritation she felt at the implication in the reporter's question. "Mila is a little girl, and she is being raised by two parents who love her with all their heart. One day she will be Queen of Arendelle, and it's our responsibility to make sure she's adequately prepared for when that time comes. Those outside of Arendelle who feel obliged to offer their unwanted opinions on the fitness of two women to raise a child or the propriety of two very close sisters choosing to spend their lives together rather than pursue a relationship with a stranger who's somehow more worthy simply because he has a penis—"
"Wow, you did go there!" Anna interjected, a grin on her face.
"—Well, those opinions are about as useful as oil on a fire, and we're not listening to them." Elsa sighed, and for the first time a flash of weariness escaped from the queen's cool visage. "Anna and I don't care what anyone thinks of us except for Mila and the people of Arendelle. We don't care what anyone says about us being together."
A silence fell across the room as everyone became aware of the double meaning in that last word, whether intended that way or not. Anna shifted slightly in the loveseat, but to lean more against Elsa in the wake of the awkward stillness rather than subtly move away like Viola had been expecting.
"You're talking about the rumors of the two of you being..." Viola swallowed, hoping against hope she wasn't about to stomp rather firmly upon a land mine. "Intimate. With each other."
Elsa and Anna both nodded, heads eerily synchronized without looking at each other as they clasped hands more tightly.
"Exactly," Elsa said. "Anna and I are incredibly close. Due to some... health issues when we were growing up, we were separated from each other for nearly fourteen years, when Anna was four and I was seven."
As a tear trickled down a freckled cheek across from her, Viola suddenly felt her chest tighten slightly. While both the Princess and the Queen maintained stoic faces, both Anna's teal eyes and Elsa's blue ones were welling with tears.
"It was a horrible time for both of us," Elsa said slowly, carefully. "That was followed by the death of our parents several years into that separation, although to be quite honest, both mine and Anna's relationship with them had already been gravely damaged by their decision to separate us."
Elsa paused and looked directly into Viola's eyes. "Do you have a sister, Ms. Collins?" she asked.
Viola shook her head before saying, "No. I was an only child." Her mind was screaming at her to stop, to return the focus to the interview's true subjects, but there was a power in those crystal blue eyes transfixing her that seemed to overwhelm her training as a reporter. "My father died when I was too young to remember him, and my mother and I moved a lot growing up. I never really knew any relatives other than her."
Elsa smiled sadly. "I still remember when Anna was born," she said. "For months I had known I was going to have a sister, but I had no idea what that truly meant. It thought it would be like a doll, or better."
"You wish."
"Hush, Anna," Elsa said quickly but tenderly. "Then the night finally came, and I was brought to see my baby sister for the first time. I remember the lights in the room had been darkened, although a fire was going across the room. A few candles had been lit to provide some light, and I remember thinking it felt almost like Yule. I held my curiosity in check long enough to walk across my parents' bedroom with the grace and restraint befitting a princess—"
"Yeah, that sounds like you."
"Anna. Save your lip for later."
The princess grinned and laid her head on Elsa's shoulder.
Elsa returned her gaze to Viola. "And then, I was lifted up onto their bed, where my mother was leaning back against the headboard. She had something bundled in her arms, and I carefully crawled across their bed to get a better look.
"When the blanket was pulled back, and I saw her face..." Elsa paused, and now a tear did escape from her long lashes, skittering down her left cheek. "I had never loved anything so much as I did the first time I laid eyes on her face."
"Awww," Anna said teasingly, prompting Elsa to turn to place a kiss on Anna's cinnamon hair.
Elsa smiled at her sister, not taking her eyes off her. "I wanted to protect her from anything, from anyone who would do her harm. I still feel the same way." She slowly, reluctantly looked away from Anna. "So imagine, Ms. Collins, how I felt to be told that I might never be able to see her again."
"For medical issues, you said?" Viola asked, her voice annoyingly shaky.
"Yes," Elsa said firmly, her tone and the silence that followed indicating that there would be no further elaboration on that one point.
"I was heartbroken," Anna said, and the voice which had alternated between playful and defiant now sounded weak, fragile. She blinked her blue-green eyes a few times, glancing at the flowers arranged in the vase in front of her before looking back up again. "Do you know what my first word was, Ms. Collins?" she asked, a faint smile reappearing on her youthful face.
"No," Viola replied, barely able to get the single word out due to her chest tightening as her eyes silently burned with tears wanting to be released.
Anna laughed once, and it carried the tone of self-deprecation and awkward honesty. "It was Elsa," she said. "That was my first word. 'Elsa.' She was the center of my world, my protector, my playmate, my guide, my teacher, my friend. And then one day she was gone."
"For over thirteen years we had no direct contact with each other," said Elsa as she pulled Anna against her, brushing her sister's coppery hair aside slightly as she placed a simple kiss on the younger woman's temple. Despite her tears, Anna laughed softly and smiled at the contact, and she encircled Elsa with both arms as she relaxed into her older sister's embrace. "Anna tried to talk to me through the door to my room, but I was... too weak. I couldn't talk to her, because I missed her so much that I truly, without exaggeration, thought I was going to die from heartbreak. And I wanted to spare her that pain, because she was younger, she was so much stronger than I was—"
"You know that's ridic—"
"But I wound up making things worse," Elsa continued, cutting Anna's interjection off. "I wish I had been as strong as Anna had been."
"You were," Anna said, sitting up out of Elsa's embrace and wiping the tears from her face in a rather un-delicate way. "You were willing to give up your freedom, your life to protect me, Elsa. You weren't doing it to hurt me."
"But it did."
"Yes, it did, just like I wound up doing things that hurt you too over the years. But we both finally grew up."
"Yes, we did," replied Elsa softly, this time resting her head on Anna's shoulder as Anna kissed the top of her blonde head. Before Elsa suddenly dug her fingers into Anna's ribs, eliciting a high-pitched yelp.
As the royal sisters briefly degenerated into a spirited episode of both of them tickling each other fiercely while they both shrieked happily, Viola found herself truly torn. Just watching their body language, they looked like extremely close siblings, unafraid to play with and support each other. But that was only half of the story.
The other half of the story was written in they way they looked at each other, the way simple words and basic touches carried an undercurrent more appropriate for lovers than for friends or siblings. It was conveyed in how they had been in contact with each other since they entered the room, save for a second or two at a time. Each of them seemed restless or unsteady until they were touching again, at which point all seemed to be right with their world once more. It was still mind-boggling to think the two sisters, so rational and likeable despite what sounded like a shockingly painful childhood, might have crossed the taboo line of committing incest, but their behavior toward each other was certainly unusual.
So what truly was the purpose of this interview? The interview wasn't live, so it could be edited before being broadcast, but still... It might raise more questions than it would answer, and that confused Viola.
"Let's talk about the gay rumors," Viola said, as gently as she could.
"About which one of us?" asked Anna with a light laugh, her face still friendly, eyes still warm and open.
Viola opened her hands in a gesture of encompassing both sisters. "About both of you. Two young, beautiful royal women who aren't romantically linked to equally eligible men does tend to make people talk, after all."
Anna looked down shyly before lifting her eyes up to look coyly at Viola. "Who's to say they're not just talking because they're sore losers at getting turned down?" she asked, a playful tone in her voice.
"That's certainly possible," admitted Viola. "But it's worth noting that Arendelle legalized same-sex marriage over seven years ago. In fact, it was one of your first royal decrees after ascending to the throne, Queen Elsa, correct?"
"Absolutely correct," Elsa said, not the least bit irritated or uneasy. "Arendelle has always celebrated true love as the highest power of all, and Anna and I felt it was appropriate to recognize that in a modern way. No one should ever be punished or shamed for truly loving someone else."
"But in a country as small as Arendelle—and please forgive me, as I mean no offense by saying that—is there really that great a need to legalize same-sex unions? How many gay couples in Arendelle seek to be married each year? Ten? Twenty?"
Elsa sat up straighter, and Viola could see her eyes fix her coolly. "A single couple is important enough to warrant such recognition and protection, Ms. Collins. Love is the most valuable emotion we possess, and it must be encouraged and supported wherever it blooms."
"Love thaws where fear freezes," Anna said slowly, almost reverently.
"Your points are noted, Your Majesty, Your Highness, but surely you can see where people might speculate that such a decree could have an underlying motive of paving the way for either of you to eventually marry a woman?"
"Of course," Elsa replied, her face still stoic.
"Love should be something to be proud of," Anna said, smoothly taking over. "I have no problem with saying that I've been attracted to men and to women during my life."
To Viola's credit, she didn't outright open her mouth and gawk at the princess's surprising admission. But it did take her a second or two to recover enough composure to follow up with, "Um, that's—that's a bit more direct than I had been expecting, Your Highness."
Anna smiled proudly. "Elsa says I tend to have that effect on people."
"She does," Elsa said, nodding patiently. "Especially me."
"So... you've dated both men and women, Princess Anna?"
"Mm hmm," Anna mumbled with a single nod.
"And... are you seeing someone now?" Viola asked slowly.
By the way Anna's eyes lit up, the answer was evident before she opened her mouth. She grinned, jaw briefly opening before closing again. She reached up to tuck a sprig of cinnamon hair that had escaped from its confines behind her left ear, being careful to not jab Elsa with her hand or elbow as she did so. "I am currently seeing an incredible woman," Anna finally said, clasping her hands together and resting them carefully on her knees as she crossed her legs. "She and I have been secretly dating for several years now, and I can safely say that I plan on spending the rest of my life with her."
Viola's brown eyes widened. "Well," she said, swallowing to collect her thoughts. "That sounds serious!"
Anna nodded. "Very serious."
"Do you plan on getting married soon?"
The princess's smile seemed to fall slightly as she considered her words. "I'd love to marry her, but she prefers to keep the spotlight of publicity off of our relationship." She smiled again as she continued, "I keep telling her that it'd be okay, that even though things would be really crazy for a while, eventually it'd settle down and we could enjoy being with each other publicly."
Viola smiled weakly, trying to convey the compassion she was truly feeling. She had seen what the furnace of publicity had done far too many times. "I take it she doesn't want to take that chance," she said softly.
"Not yet," Anna said, almost at a whisper. "But that's okay," she said, voice lifting again, "because I'll be with her however she wants, secretly or openly. And I can wait as long as it takes, as long as I know she's with me. And I know she is, and she always will be." She reached up to wipe a tear away from her left cheek, only to have Elsa's slim fingers beat her to it.
"How do you feel about Anna's paramour, Your Majesty?" asked Viola as Elsa gently wiped Anna's tears on her dress, taking Anna's hand as she finished.
Elsa smiled as Anna leaned into her embrace. "I couldn't be happier for her," Elsa said, finally shifting her gaze from Anna to the interviewer again. "I know that Anna's girlfriend truly loves her, and my little sister deserves only the best."
"You're the best," Anna mumbled as she closed her eyes and relaxed against Elsa. "Love you, Elsa."
Elsa smiled happily. "I love you too, Anna."
Viola let the two enjoy their moment before finally asking, "How about you, Your Majesty?"
Elsa opened her mouth to speak, then paused as if she was waiting for something. She turned to look at Anna, who was looking right back at her curiously. "Don't you have to something to say?" Elsa asked with an amused lilt in her voice. "This is usually where you'd butt in."
"No, you can handle this one on your own," Anna said pleasantly.
Elsa looked at her sister a bit longer before turning her attention back to Viola; Anna grinned as soon as Elsa was looking away, her fingers moving to play with the fabric of Elsa's sleek gown. Elsa took a careful breath, not so deep as to be patently obvious, but enough to prepare herself mentally. "I'm in love with a woman," she said abruptly.
"There now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" said Anna, gently patting Elsa's thigh.
Elsa smiled brightly. "Wow, that really felt good to say."
Unsurprised, Viola offered a polite smile without allowing herself to appear smug or confident. Those two expressions didn't test well during interviews like this. "Can you tell us a bit more about her?" she asked easily.
Elsa smiled confidently. "She and I have been together for some time, but much like Anna's partner, she prefers to keep her role in my life out of the public eye." Elsa sighed softly, and her crystal blue eyes became moist as she chose her words carefully. "As much as I appreciate and respect my role as Queen of Arendelle, I do wish I could devote more of my time to her. She deserves so much more than I can give her due to the demands of the crown and my responsibilities to my people and my country, but she loves me and supports me, even when our relationship has to take a backseat to my royal duties."
As Elsa paused to wipe her eyes, Anna offered a tissue, receiving a warm smile and a softly whispered, "Thank you," in return. As Elsa dabbed as her eyes, Anna's hands clasped Elsa's free right hand as the redhead gazed softly at her older sister.
"We're not doing this interview to try and complain about how tragic our childhoods were, or protest about how difficult it is to be royalty and balance our responsibilities against the loss of some personal freedoms," Anna said. "Elsa and I understand how good our lives are, and we try to show our gratitude for that every day. We try to use what we have in life to make Arendelle a better place, to make our citizens' lives happier and healthier, to make our world a better, safer, more loving place." She smiled at Viola. "And we do that because when you get right down to heart of things, we're just two mothers trying to raise a little girl in this world we share with everyone else. It's our greatest responsibility to make this world a better place for her and all the other children on the planet. By being more honest, more open, Elsa and I hope to do just that."
A sudden commotion at the door to the studio drew everyone's attention. As a loud bang resounded from the metal studio door, Viola, Elsa and Anna all three turned to the source of the noise. The door swung open, immediately allowing a howling cry to surge into the studio. Anna and Elsa both turned their bodies on the loveseat before Anna turned her head back around to look at Elsa, concern on both women's faces.
"MAMAS! MAMAS!" shrieked a high-pitched voice, followed by a sudden burbling cry and what sounded like... laughter?
The pitter-patter of rapid footsteps echoed through the television studio, followed by the studio door again banging open, this time followed by heavier footfalls and frantic phrases in Norwegian. And then a strawberry-haired blur raced onto the set, leaping onto both Anna's and Elsa's laps in one swift motion, laughing all the while.
As the queen and princess gathered the fiery toddler into their arms, both women wrapping their arms around the squirming, squealing girl in a joint embrace of their daughter, Viola sat back in her chair, absorbing the warmth of the heating pad behind her as she took in the sweet scene in front of her.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, we're stopping the cameras for now," called a voice from the darkness off to Viola's side. The red lights atop the large devices went dark as the camera operators and the production staff quietly left the studio, giving the royal family—and a fairly confused reporter—some privacy.
Viola watched the three of them for several minutes, playfully wrestling and joking in both English and Norwegian on the loveseat as if no one else was in the room. The familial resemblance was obvious, with the hair color closer to Anna's but the girl's face more suggestive of Elsa. It could easily be explained by family resemblance—the girl was Elsa's niece, after all—but as Viola watched the queen, previously so dignified and elegant, tickle and laugh and sputter with the three-year-old and her sister, it seemed like they were, indeed, truly a family. Two parents playing with their child, with all the silliness and love such activities should involve. Viola felt slightly like she was intruding on time that should have been personal, kept private between the three of them.
"Now kiss!" cried out a child's voice.
Viola couldn't help but look up at that, only to see the little girl's hands on both of her mothers' faces, trying with all her might to push their mouths together. The two royal sisters were only an inch or two apart, both resisting to the point that little Mila was straining. "Ugh! Kiss kiss kiss!" she cried.
As Viola watched, too nervous to utter so much as an exhalation but too enthralled to look away, Anna's teal eyes closed while her lips puckered and extended... and Elsa's brilliant blue eyes slid to look directly at the reporter.
Viola's gasp was nearly silent, but to her it sounded as loud as a crack of thunder. She met the Queen's gaze, which was as solid and unyielding as the glaciers of Arendelle's North Sea. For a few seconds that seemed like hours, the women looked directly at each other, then Elsa's eyes closed as she allowed her head to be pushed forward just enough for her lips to meet those of her sister.
The kiss was tender and intimate in a way that made Viola's heart pound more the longer it lasted; the incongruity of the little girl's laughter and joyous clapping at watching her mothers kiss made her somehow want to laugh and cry and cheer herself.
"Mamas' kisses are the best! They make everyone happier, 'specially Mamas!"
As Elsa and Anna slowly broke the kiss, smiles on both of their faces as their eyes fluttered open once more to refocus on each other, Anna softly said, "You bet they do, baby girl."
Anna and Mila had seemed to forget there was still an audience of one in the small studio, as they shifted to where they were leaning against Elsa while the blonde was sitting back against the side of the loveseat. The look of pure love and adoration on everyone's faces spoke volumes as Viola watched the unspoken language of touches, hugs, sighs and embraces tell its own story.
It was no wonder the television crew left so quietly and unobtrusively.
They knew.
The security teams had to know, of course. And the Queen and Princess had implied the castle staff knew as well. And Mila, of course Mila would know. Such tenderness and affection couldn't be concealed from someone who was part of their lives. Her mothers were in love, and she couldn't have been happier.
As Elsa gently stroked the girl's bare arm, Viola noted how alike their skin tones were. The shape of their faces were, too, leading Viola to briefly consider if Mila might have been Elsa's child instead of Anna's. The tint of Mila's hair was definitely Anna's, though, and her rambunctious nature certainly seemed to fit with the stories she had read about Anna's personality. And, of course, there was no denying the very obvious pregnancy pictures of the Princess, including a few of her in a bikini when she and Elsa had taken a vacation in St. Maarten during her pregnancy. The pregnancy had been real, not faked. So maybe it was just familial resemblance, like she had thought a few minutes ago, behind the similarities between Elsa and Mila. But something about the resemblance...
"Do you still want to finish the interview?"
Viola looked up to see Elsa's icy blue eyes staring directly at her, accompanied by Anna's blue-green gaze as well. The little princess's eyes were firmly closed as she dozed safely in the arms of her mothers.
Viola smiled, and the expression came easily.
No matter what others might say, no matter what religious dogma or public opinion might hold, there was no denying the simplest, most basic truths right before her eyes, sitting on a loveseat in a tiny country lying north of the Arctic Circle:
Elsa and Anna were in love. They were also sisters who had nearly lost everything they had cared about—each other—growing up. And there was absolutely nothing they could have done about either of those truths.
They had a daughter, whom they both loved and adored, and they were doing everything they could to raise her to be a good, considerate, responsible person and a competent, compassionate ruler for their country.
They cared deeply for both Arendelle and her citizens, pushing through laws and reforms on civil rights, economic fairness and environmental responsibility, then working to advance the same causes in other countries around the world.
Viola slowly, patiently shook her head. "Thank you, Your Majesty, but no. I think you and Princess Anna deserve to keep at least a small amount of privacy in your busy lives. This happiness right here," she said while gesturing toward the three Arendellans in a family embrace, "belongs to the three of you and only to the three of you. You shouldn't have to share it if you don't want to."
As she processed the melancholy look that drifted across Elsa's face, Viola came to another realization, equally shocking. "You... You were willing to disclose yours and Anna's relationship, weren't you?" She sat up carefully, shocked at what she had just realized.
"We want to," Elsa said softly, her voice just above a whisper. As she spoke, Anna's eyes moved up Elsa's body, and she carefully lifted her torso to where she could place a lingering kiss on Elsa's lips without disturbing Mila from her sleep. "We're both tired of having to avoid being too open with each other in functions outside of Arendelle."
"We want to be able to act like a family in every way," Anna added softly. "Here, we can, without fear of reprisal."
"Arendelle accepts your love," said Viola, already knowing the truth of her statement. She had just seen it, after all, albeit indirectly. "Because they love you. All three of you."
"They do," Elsa said, smiling again. "They understand that Anna and I have a True Love, no matter how silly that might sound to you."
"It... doesn't sound silly at all. In fact, it sounds... quite wonderful."
"It is," Anna said happily. "And after everything Elsa and I have been through in our lives, we won't compromise when it comes to each other."
"Never. Or when it comes to Mila." Elsa bent her head forward enough to place a kiss on the crown of the girl's soft hair. "She has her mother's hair."
"And her other mother's eyes," Anna said with a smile, looking up at Elsa with unfiltered love in her eyes.
Elsa smiled back. "It must have been magic, I suppose," she said calmly, getting a soft giggle from Anna.
"Would you like to know why we asked for you to do this interview?" Anna said, her voice light.
Viola looked again at the royal family, this time seeing Anna's bright eyes looking directly at her while Elsa had her eyes closed and her face buried in Anna's hair. "A-absolutely."
"Coincidence is a funny thing," Anna said as she briefly looked at the table, eying the crocuses arranged in the glass vase on the table between them. "Two of the longest-serving Arendelle castle staff happen to be like grandparents to Elsa and me. Their health isn't the best any more, and a few months ago they asked us to try and find their son."
"To find him?" Viola asked. "What happened to him?"
"He went to the United States to go to school before Elsa and I were born. Got his college degree, began a career, met a girl he liked, fell in love and decided to stay over there."
"But his parents asked him to move back to Arendelle, and to bring his new wife with him," Elsa said, looking over at Viola without lifting her head from where she was nuzzling Anna. "He and his wife were still debating what to do when he was killed in a car crash."
"But she survived, and so did the newest member of their family," Anna said quietly. "Their... their new baby girl." Anna carefully shifted Mila fully onto Elsa, taking great care not to wake their daughter or hurt the woman she loved as she slowly sat up.
"Oh God," Viola breathed out quietly. "Do you mean..."
"Your mother was terrified that they would try to take you away from her somehow after he died in the car crash," Anna said tenderly. "But she never really knew Kai or Gerda, nor did she understand them. They would never have done anything like that. They just missed their only child and wanted to get to know his family."
"We moved all the time growing up. I thought it was just because my mom was crazy and couldn't keep a job, but I never really understood why."
"How did she feel about you coming to Arendelle?"
"She died last year." Viola looked away briefly before looking back. "Liver failure. She drank a lot and never took care of herself. I hadn't talked to her in over a year when I heard." Despite the time she already had to deal with her mother's death, Viola found her eyes stinging. "We hadn't gotten along most of my life, but she was still the only family I had." She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, trying not to ruin her mascara. "Now it's just me."
Anna smiled at her. "It doesn't have to be," she said gently. "Come meet your grandparents. We can shoot the ending to the interview at the castle."
"They're still alive?" asked Viola, barely daring to believe it.
"They are," replied Elsa, her voice low as she sat up, handing Mila to Anna as she did so. The snoozing girl sighed in her sleep but never stirred as her other mother's hands gripped her beneath her arms, pulling her to the coppery-haired princess's chest. "Their health isn't the greatest, but they're in their late seventies." Elsa smiled at Viola, and the reporter could read the compassion in it. "We're sorry to spring this on you, and please understand that there's no obligation whatsoever for you come with us. Anna and I haven't said anything to Gerda or Kai about who you are or that you were here, just in case you decided it would be too painful or awkward to meet them."
"You... didn't want me to feel obligated... to meet them?" Viola asked incredulously. "After you arranged for me—paid for me to fly across the Atlantic to come here?"
"Elsa and I know all about what kinds of hell someone can go through growing up," Anna said. "And we didn't want you to feel pressured to meet two people you might have no desire to ever see. We didn't know what you had gone through growing up, so we wanted to give you the opportunity to meet your grandparents but not force you to do it."
Now Viola's tears dripped freely. She started to dab her eyes before stopping with the tissue at the level of her mouth. "Fuck it," she said with a laugh, giving up on any attempt at vanity and just wiping the tears away, smearing her mascara and makeup. "I might look like a mess, but I'd love to meet them."
Anna laughed as she stood with Mila in her arms, with Elsa and Viola following suit.
"Somehow," Elsa said with a knowing smile as she walked around the small table and rubbed Viola's back. Her hands were cold, but the gesture still conveyed a warmth that went deeper than simple temperature. "I think they won't mind in the least."
Author's Afterword: As I said in the author's note, this was an idea I got in my head which just took on a life of its own. It kept playing out in my head when I'd try to sleep, so I went ahead and started working on it for real. I do apologize for it slowing down my last two updates for "Feel, Don't Conceal." Credit for Anna's first word being 'Elsa' has to go to patronustrip, who presented that idea in one of her comics (which remains one of the most adorable comics ever) on tumblr.
I have no plans to turn this into an ongoing mAU, because I have several other stories I want to work on, and there are already many amazingly good mAU stories out there which are much better than this. That said, I hope those of you reading this enjoyed it, as it's a slightly different take on Elsa and Anna that what I've been writing. Sometimes it's nice to try something different.
And if any of you are wondering if Elsa has her powers in this story, I remind you of what I said at the beginning of this story: read between the lines. Once you've done that, you should also know the answer to the last big question remaining in this story. Hope you enjoyed this little excursion!
Jo