May 5th; Jenny had been waiting for that day for months—twelve, to be exact. The reason was simple, really. Twas her birthday after all. The eternity that was a year had finally come to a close, and the date of her arrival to the world had come back around. The wait had chafed, per usual. Lessons had afflicted the feisty, red-haired girl all throughout the year. As it always did, unfortunately. Jenny was the princess, after all.
Not that she wanted it.
Jenny was painfully aware the title was about as helpful as knowing which fork to use first at dinner. She had a sibling. She was the oldest. But…her sibling was her brother—Dag—and thus, he was going to be king.
But then, where did that leave Jenny?
At the moment, in yet another lesson—the blessed last before her birthday went into full swing.
Jenny glared absently at the paper on her desk, twirling a quill in her hand. The paper was blank, but as she somewhat listened to her math teacher drawl on about complicated figures and equations, she knew that wouldn't last long. He'd give her a problem to solve, then wait for her halfhearted attempt. Eventually, it came, and Jenny sighed as she began scribbling. As she was one who loathed lessons, one would think her handwriting would suffer. Contrary, actually—as she wrote out the problem and started working it, the numbers and symbols came out quite well. Not that Jenny cared to make them at all, but making them presentable was infuriatingly required.
The last minutes of the lesson as the mathematics teacher forced a few more problems on her were achingly slow. But, as with time, it finally passed, and her teacher dismissed her.
Jenny was halfway out of the door in a blink.
"Princess!"
She paused reluctantly and turned around.
Mr. Brayik gave her a sympathetic smirk. "Happy birthday, Your Highness."
In spite of the abhorrent lesson, Jenny felt herself smile ever so slightly and nod her thanks. Without a second thought she resumed her flight out of the room and through the castle halls. As she ran, the wild mane of red hair she'd inherited from her papa blazed behind her. Having ran through the corridors several times over her (now) sixteen years, Jenny had acquired the proper reflexes to dodge the servants she encountered along the way. She ducked under platters held aloft by some and all but spinning out of the way of others. Yelps of surprise and chuckles of amusement sounded in her wake.
These did not matter to Jenny right now. She had a very specific destination.
Jenny reached the front doors swiftly, having ran the entire length from the classroom to there. She pushed them opened and hurried through even as the doors had only cracked open. As she rushed through the courtyard, the redhead made a beeline for a secluded corner that a certain, special beast made his domain. But as Jenny approached the stall-like shelter, excited and planning all sorts of adventures, those faded at once when she saw no sign of its occupant. Jenny slowed to a stop and frowned, confused, before turning around and quickly making her way back into the castle.
But…Birger's always there, he's always waiting for me…so where is he?
As the young princess reentered the stone castle, she stopped the first servant she came across and inquired after the fluffy guardian. But they did not know, so she asked another and another and another. No servant she questioned knew as to the whereabouts of Arendelle's resident frost dragon. Infuriated, and feeling somewhat slighted, Jenny switched her focus and searched for her mother.
Per usual, the queen was in her study, finishing last minute duties before the celebration that would begin before nightfall. As Jenny opened the door, she muttered a soft "Mama" that alerted her mother to her presence. Elsa glanced up briefly before she frowned and took a double take at her daughter's apparent distress.
"What's the matter, is something wrong?"
Jenny bit her lip and shuffled in place. "B-Birger wasn't in his stall like he usually is. Do…do you have any idea where he might be?"
Elsa stared worryingly at her for a moment before she set her quill down and closed her eyes. Jenny knew well what she was doing. Her mother was contacting Birger, using their mysterious and wondrous bond to reach the dragon. Once, Jenny had always wished she could do that—talk to the beast as mama did. The day it finally happened had surprised her, and was easily one of the happiest days of her life so far. Jenny hadn't exactly felt like telling anyone, keeping it her and Birger's secret—though she suspected the dragon had informed her mother of the event. The only reason she didn't try calling him herself was because of how new the connection was, and how so very feeble it was compared to the one the Birger and her mother shared.
Simply put, she couldn't reach him.
Jenny's attention was brought back to her mother she sighed and opened her eyes.
"Birger's gone off into the wilds, Jenny. He left last night, actually, and said he has something important to do."
"Will he be back for my birthday? He promised."
Elsa smiled gently. "Birger does this sometimes, little one. When a birthday comes around, there's always a chance he disappears. He'll be back before you know it, and he'll have something special for you."
Jenny sighed, unconvinced, and thanked her mother before she left the study. Thus, she didn't notice when Elsa's smile acquired a sly light.
The day went by with no sign of the guardian's return. It came time for the party to be underway, but Jenny found it hard to be excited. At this rate, Birger was not going to be back in time, making it the ginger princess' first birthday without his presence. She tried her hardest to ignore the absence, but when even Eugene and Rapunzel arrived all the way from Corona, it became near impossible.
Just before the family was ready to attend the revelry, Jenny intercepted Neta. She peeked into her cousin's room and spotted her at the vanity, tying her hair into two separate braids, not unlike how her mother—Aunt Anna—tended to do. Jenny pushed the door open slightly, the consequential creak getting the blonde's attention.
Neta turned around, one braid half tied, and smiled. "Hey, birthday girl!" Her smile faded, though, when she noticed the crestfallen look on the usually feisty ginger's face. "Is something wrong?"
Jenny toyed with a curl before she answered. "I wanted to ask you something…"
Neta turned around in her chair to face her. "All right, what's up?"
The redhead hesitated, and that alone seemed to make her cousin worry more. "Did…did Birger ever disappear on any of your birthdays?"
Neta smiled gently, immediately understanding the situation now. Of all the children, it was well known Jenny loved Birger most, and while the dragon announced no favorites, it wasn't a far cry to assume he preferred the eldest of his queen's children. The blonde stood, purposefully ignoring her unfinished braid and as she walked up to her distraught cousin.
"Yes, there were a few times when Birger disappeared on me too. It's okay, Jenny, he does this all the time! Mama said he did it to her once, and even to Elsa! He never did it to Papa, sure, but even Sven got a birthday departure."
That brought a small smile to Jenny's face, but her brow was still bunched. "D-did Birger come back in time for your party?"
In spite of herself, Neta hesitated. Jenny's smile immediately evaporated and she closed her eyes. The blonde put her hands on her cousin's shoulders and rubbed them slightly.
"It'll be all right, Jenny, I promise. Birger may miss today, but he'll be back with something very special just for you, and you'll wonder why you even worried at all."
Jenny didn't respond. Rather she threw her arms around Neta, burrowing into her as if trying to hide. Neta just hugged her back, nice and tight, hoping physical reassurance would further help ease her cousin's misery.
The party, by everyone's standards, went very well. The decorations were superb, the food was delicious, and the cake the chef slaved over for seven days straight was almost too beautiful to eat. Almost…which was why the chef herself had a portrait of the cake drawn and then didn't attend the rest of the party. Rapunzel, who'd actually painted the picture of the cake, was equally distraught about the loss of the magnificent desert and politely declined a slice. Said slice was given to Jenny as an extra, as a kind of minor birthday gift. Wondrous music filled the room, a famous trio of Celtic musicians had been invited, and when it came time for the more upbeat dances, the ginger triplets spun melodies that left the dancers exhausted.
Jenny would have personally wished to have not danced, still disheartened by Birger's lasting absence; but as both princess and birthday girl, she was required to, and by the end of the night she had danced with quite a few individuals. The required dances didn't go by fast enough for redhead, but they finally came to a close, and the rest of the party proceeded in a much steadier pace. The portion of the party scheduled for the gifts came not long after, and went by terribly slow as well. While she acquired many a present—some she liked, some she didn't, most met with indifference—the glaring lack of a certain dragon continually reared its ugly head in Jenny's mind no matter how hard she tried.
He was supposed to be here…
But, and though it hurt to think, there was nothing Jenny could do but push through and try to enjoy herself. Her family were a welcome aid in this regard, doing everything they could to either distract her or comfort her. Kristoff made several jokes, and seemed to purposefully avoid mentioning ice; Anna and Neta both combed through her presents with her, poking fun at the more ridiculous gifts; her parents did their best to comfort her every time Birger crossed her mind, assuring her he'd come back. Even Dag seemed to realize why she was upset, and somehow managed to be less of an annoyance than usual. Rapunzel and her husband Eugene did their best to help as well, though they weren't as experienced dealing with the frost dragon, having only interacted with him on few occasions.
The party came to an end with still no sign of Birger. The guests gave their regards to Jenny before they left to their respective modes of transportation, or wherever it was they would stay till morning. The gifts were moved by servants to a small room where they would await proper storage, not that their recipient was worried about where they belonged. There were a few pieces she really did like, yes, but they were not high on Jenny's priority list at the moment.
With the conclusion of the party, the royal family retired to their rooms one by one, a still troubled Jenny for once not rebelliously attempting to stay up late. This alone worried Elsa, whom Alarik had to comfort in their bed and assure that their daughter would be all right. Thus it was that everyone slept; Jenny herself dreamed of riding astride Birger, only for him to disappear from under her, leaving her alone in the woods.
The next three days passed with still no return of the Royal Guardian, the great white beast still out somewhere in the wilds beyond the city, doing who knew what. His absence was intently overlooked in favor of daily routine, leaving Jenny to fend for herself as she attended her lessons. Her teachers were perturbed by the lack of resistance, watching with concern as she dutifully but silently accomplished her work. Mr. Brayik, the most lenient of them all, even went so far as to ask the princess if she wanted to skip the actual work until Birger returned; needless to say, he was very surprised when she thanked him but refused.
The out of character melancholy troubled Jenny's family greatly, but for some odd reason, despite her own worry, Elsa seemed awfully certain that her daughter would recover very soon. The queen confessed no evidence as to why she so thoroughly believed that, but given her connection to the source of Jenny's distress, everyone simply took her word for it.
It wasn't until the morning of the fourth day that this bleak routine ended.
Jenny slept soundly in her bed, having become painfully used to Birger's absence by this point. The dreams of him disappearing had stopped, but that didn't mean they remained distant while she was awake; hence why she slept well that night. The ginger's sleep was interrupted, however, when she felt a gloved hand over her mouth. Jenny's eyes flew open, and as taught, she tried to scream, but the hand easily smothered that. Unable to verbally alert anyone, she began to resist the hand that gripped her shoulder until a muffled voiced hissed at her.
"Hush! Hold still! I'm not going to hurt you."
Jenny blinked and searched for the intruder's face in the early morning darkness. Given the amount of rest she felt accumulated, the princess assumed it was by all means morning, though the sun had yet to rise. Once her eyes had adjusted to the low light, Jenny finally found the trespasser's face. Or, at least, their head; they bore a cloak, the hood pulled over their head, further hiding their face which was covered to the nose with a mask. Even their eyes were hidden beneath the low hood, and it was a wonder they could even see Jenny.
When she looked downward, the redhead noticed how very odd the person's clothing was; it seemed a combination of a riding outfit and a mountain climber, made almost entirely of leather with some spaces of cloth, straps and buckles everywhere they needed to be, but somehow still looking excessive. It reminded her of pictures of a Viking of old she'd spotted in her favorite book from the library: the dragon book. For a split second, she wondered if this legendary dragon rider had somehow appeared to her now, but that couldn't be—even in the darkness, Jenny could tell that this individual was a woman.
Since she remained still as quiet, the figure seemed to take that as assurance she would continue to be so, as she pulled her hand away from Jenny's mouth.
"Get dressed." Muffled as the figure's voice was by her mask, it was all the princess could do to discern the femininity of it.
Jenny frowned, "Wha—why? Who are you, what's going on?!"
The figure shook their head. "There's not enough time, just get dressed. I need you to come with me."
"Where?"
"You will see, now dress!"
Jenny glared skeptically at the shadows where the figure's eyes no doubt were, but decided to comply. It was better than the monotony the past couple of days had been—besides, she was certain if the woman meant her harm that she could defend herself well enough. Once she got out of her bed, Jenny crossed her room to her dresser, wondering what one wore when being kidnapped by a potential dragon rider. She doubted this happened often, if at all, and finally decided on one of her only pair of trousers, along with a loose fitting blouse and vest. Once she'd tied on a pair of boots, Jenny looked up to see the mysterious figure staring out her window, teased by a hint of the woman's eyes—not enough to discern color, however.
As soon as Jenny stood, the woman swiftly turned towards the door, leaving her behind as she walked fast for someone who was by all means abducting the princess. But then, Jenny proved to be a terrible abductee when she rushed to follow the strange rider. As they strode briskly through the halls, the woman's cloak flapped wildly behind her in protest to her speed. Jenny's legs protested as well, as she hadn't been given much time for wake her muscles before being dragged along as such. The exhausted part of her wanted to just turn right around and go back to bed, mysterious rider be damned—but curiosity mixed with boredom kept her walking alongside the figure. Eventually, the pair arrived at the doors of the castle, wherein they strode across the courtyard to a door in the walls behind the stone building. The rider opened it without hesitation, and Jenny followed her down to the shore.
There was nothing there.
The redhead frowned, and glanced around in confusion before finally looking to the woman. "Is this it? I've seen the fjord before, you know."
If Jenny didn't know any better, she could've sworn the woman chuckled.
"Patience, princess."
Scowling, Jenny crossed her arms and sat down on a nearby rock. It was too early to be practicing patience—the sky was just now beginning to turn orange and rosy in welcome for the sun. With nothing better to do, the young princess settled with watching it, noting how very pretty it actually was. A rustle to her right brought Jenny's attention to the woman, who also stared off into the sunrise.
She wasn't left to regard the woman long, however, as a disturbance in the water brought the gazes of both women. An odd ice floe floated towards them, which somehow bore the momentum to beach itself on the shore. If its mere appearance wasn't odd enough, it seemed to be in the crude shape of a boat, the rim of it knee high to the cloaked rider as she approached it. Without hesitation the woman gripped it and eased it off the rocks, holding it just at the edge of the ground. She looked expectantly to Jenny, who sighed before she stood and boarded the odd berg. Its appearance didn't make sense, but at that point, Jenny didn't bother fretting over it.
This whole thing was strange.
Once she was aboard, the woman pushed the floe out, waiting till the water lapped at her knees before she hoisted herself on. After she crouched down in the icy boat, the rider grabbed a roughly shaped row—also make of ice—and began paddling them to the northern shore of the fjord.
Jenny watched the peculiar activity with a frown, cross-legged as she was in the cold vessel. It was just so weird, what was with all the ice? The woman wasn't making it herself, it just seemed to appear out of no were. Who could've sent it?
It can't be Mama…she's sleeping with Papa, and Birger's still missing.
Since her back was to the opposing shore, Jenny was racing the castle and the rider, so she didn't realize they were ashore until the floe staggered onto the rocks. The woman agilely leaped out and pushed the boat further ashore before she gave her willing captive the go to disembark. Jenny climbed out and walked further inland, only to turn and watch the woman kick the ice floe back out into the water. Before Jenny could protest, the woman strode briskly past her and into the forest. She sighed in exasperation and followed, more skeptical as to whether or not this escapade would be worth it, rather than whether or not it was safe.
It seemed they'd walked through the woods for roughly a mile before a deep hum became noticeable. It was rich and baritone, and soundly oh so very familiar. Jenny scowled in frustration as she tried to place where she knew it from. It was on the tip of her tongue, and by the time it hit her, eyes wide and breath suddenly short, a large white shape thundered before both she and the rider, blocking their path.
Jenny stared at the beast she'd known all her life in shock.
"Birger!"
The frost dragon smirked and winked at her. The ginger's heart melted—how she'd missed that smug mug of his. In that moment, she had yet to remember how he'd disappeared, and thus was without the taint of betrayal as she smiled back at him. Birger was so big; a now 7 meters at the shoulder, having grown twice as big as he had been before Jenny was born. He was fluffier, too; the manes at his shoulders and on his underbelly longer and thicker, with even some new ones having grown on his elbows and the hocks of his hind legs. His tail, as well, was near beyond poofy. Most noticeable, other than his longer and sharper sabers, were his antlers; which had outstretched and only become more ornate with time.
His gentle azure eyes, however, hadn't changed one bit.
The rider walked right up to him without pause, and Jenny started, half expecting Birger to turn on the woman and attack her. As she approached, the dragon looked away from Jenny to regard her. There was a tense moment when the princess waited for the growling lunge that…never came. She watched in utter disbelief as rather than assault the kidnapper of his queen's eldest pup, Birger crouched down, holding out his forearm to allow easy access to his back. The rider waltzed right up his limb, climbing his fur and sitting between his shoulder blades while Jenny gaped, astonished beyond all reason.
Flabbergasted.
Jenny narrowed her eyes and glared at the frost dragon. He merely bounced his eyebrows before nudging her to get on as well. Left with no other choice—aside from going home and trying to explain what she'd been doing—the ginger just sighed and mounted the beast. She settled just behind the mysterious rider, continually questioning how on earth a stranger was being allowed by Birger to ride him. As far as Jenny knew, she was the only person who'd ever sat on the dragon's back. But as silent as the woman had been, she doubted she'd get her answers—and as stubborn as Birger was, Jenny doubted her odds there as well.
With barely a prompt from the woman, Birger stood tall and started off, slowly building to a run as he took the two girls farther and farther away from Arendelle. They went deep into the mountains, heading north if the steady dip in temperature was any indication. Jenny shivered, wishing she'd brought her own cloak. She closed her eyes as she struggled to fight off the cold…only to open them again as she felt something warm drape across her shoulders.
It was the rider!
Even as Birger ran hard and fast through the forest, the woman somehow managed to unclasp her cape—which was apparently separate from the hood that somehow managed to keep shrouding her face—only to turn around and put it on Jenny behind her. She immediately faced back forward, leaving Jenny to gape at her back.
This was the most considerate kidnapper she'd ever met.
…not that she met many kidnappers, really.
They travelled for quite some time, to the point Jenny began to wonder if they were even still within Arendelle's borders. Not that she minded, of course; riding Birger was one of the few things that managed to bring Jenny enjoyment. But she seemed to be the only one of them who didn't know what their destination was. Birger wasn't running in a random direction, rather he seemed fully aware of where he was going. The rider herself, the way she half-stood half-crouched on his back, gripping his fur with all the gumption and grace of a show rider, seemed equally as knowledgeable.
Jenny didn't have long to wallow in her exasperation as she was left in the dark.
Birger slowed to a stop as he broke through the tree line into a clearing, the rider not bothering to wait till he'd settled before leaping off and landing in the snow below. Jenny would've thought the woman was a cat, the seamless way she made the jump seem so easy. The ginger herself didn't bother to try and replicate it, opting instead to wait till Birger had lowered to let her dismount. She took the opportunity to walk around and inspect the clearing. It was sparse, whatever vegetation that lived away from the trees now covered wholly by the snow. Other than her, Birger, and the rider, the only other thing in the clearing was a cabin bearing the unique Norwegian scales on its walls and roofing.
The rider strode right for it, so Jenny decided to follow, several possible negative scenarios going through her mind. Birger's presence behind her as he followed as well reassured her, however. As she got closer to the cabin, she noticed an engraving on its door. Jenny couldn't tell what it was until she reached it, the rider waiting for her. Her eyes widened in recognition as she stared at the royal crest carved into the wood. She looked up at the rider, hoping in spite of herself for an explanation. The rider smiled, the motion showing through the mask. She gripped the edge of the cloth covering her face and pulled it down, lowering her head simultaneously so that the hood still shrouded her. When the woman threw back the hood, stark platinum blonde hair all but glowed as the fresh sunlight hit it. Cerulean eyes looked up at her, and Jenny nearly had a heart attack.
They were the first eyes she'd ever seen.
"M-mama…?" She squeaked, the answer obvious, but the shock overwhelming.
Elsa smiled gently, her kind face oddly out of place amidst the dragon rider suit she wore. Birger laid down behind her, hovering his head just over her shoulder. Where her mother's smile was soft, the dragon whom was practically her uncle had a haughty one.
"I-I don't—mama, what's going on? What are you wearing, wha…where are we?!"
The queen chuckled, and if Jenny didn't know any better, she'd swear her mother was blushing.
"This is mostly Birger's idea," She said as she scratched the soft fur of the underside of his mouth, the beast humming in pleasure. "But he and I had something special in mind for you 16th birthday." Her face fell as she bit her lip. "Unfortunately, we couldn't get everything around in time."
Birger's smile faded as well as the pair sent her apologetic looks. "I'm sorry, Jenny." Elsa began, "I know how upset you were that Birger wasn't there for your party."
The dragon himself whined, ducking his head in what seemed to be shame. Elsa didn't seem that far behind him herself.
"B-but, we spent the whole time hard at work finishing your gifts. I kept wondering if it would be worth it, but both your father and "uncle" here assured me otherwise."
Jenny wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or hurt or angry. All she knew for certain was that her mother and uncle-of-a-dragon were both very abashed about the situation, standing before her and seeming to await judgement.
"W-well…" Jenny began uncertainly.
Elsa's eyes flicked up to meet hers as she waited.
"We might as well get the presents…right?"
Her mother took a breath, a barely disguised shaky one at that, before she nodded and opened the door to the cabin. Jenny followed while Birger just laid his head down before the threshold. Elsa left the door open, and Jenny didn't feel like being the one to close it on Birger. The cabin was sparsely furnished, with little but a wardrobe and king-sized bed up against one wall, a cupboard all along another, and a lone fireplace directly across from the door. The bed itself looked very soft and plush, and had sitting atop it two boxes of different shapes. One was longer than it was wide, and was not very tall at all. The other was squarer in shape, and was only slightly thicker than the elongated one. The boxes themselves were not very intricate, and but the wood itself looked exquisite.
Her mother made straight for the boxes, running her slim fingers over both of them near reverently. She lifted the longer one and brought it carefully to Jenny, but not yet handing it to her. Rather, she held it out and gripped the lid with one hand in preparation to open it.
"Now…this one is from Birger."
Jenny glanced back at the dragon's muzzle. Since the door was strangely wide, he had just enough room to squeeze his nose through. Granted, that fuzzy thing and his sabers were all they could of him, but he smiled regardless.
"You know how he loves gems, correct?"
Jenny looked back to Elsa and nodded. "Yeah, he's gotten all of us several kinds of rocks and crystals for previous holidays."
The queen smiled at the white fluff in the doorway before continuing. "Well, unfortunately for him, this repetition left him little ability to come up with anything else to get you. He didn't want to gift you yet another rock for your 16th, but they were all that came to mind. So, it was with help from me, your aunt, and actually Neta as well that we gave him the idea to make you…"
She slowly opened the box and revealed its contents.
"…this."
Jenny gaped at the contents…these two had incited that reaction a lot recently.
Within the velvet-lining laid a sword whose blade was made dominantly from crystal; emerald, to be exact—Jenny's birthstone. The weapon was roughly 100 centimeters long, the blade comprising three-quarters of its length. The hilt was wrapped in stark white leather, the silver cross guard styled with Celtic knots and snowflakes. In the center of the guard on either side were stylized dragon heads, fashioned after frost dragons rather than traditional ones. The pommel had embedded on it another emerald, this one rounded and without any sharp edge, instead solid and strong.
Jenny stared at the crystal sword in shock for so long in shock, she didn't realize she wasn't breathing until her chest began to burn. She took in a breath, shaking her head before looking over at the white nose stuck in the door. Birger held still, but she could still see his fluffy lips pulled back in an ever so slight smile.
"Wha, how—how did he make this?!" Jenny asked in disbelief, looking back at the emerald blade in its box.
Her mother chuckled. "Birger found the emerald portion of it himself, digging throughout the country searching for an ingot large enough. It took him a few months, but obviously he succeeded. He somewhat carved it into shape himself, but only with the help of an old blacksmith friend of his. Who also, I should say, fashioned and engraved the hilt and cross guard, adding the emerald on the pommel from what was left over from the emerald block."
Jenny frowned and opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a loud snort in the door.
I and your mother enchanted the blade with our magic. It shall not break, even when used in combat. Besides, my smith-comrade lined the emerald with steel. It is solid both physically and magically. An exhausting and arduous process, but well worth it to see your face.
Unspoken questioned answered, the ginger took a deep breath before meeting Elsa's intent gaze. She slowly reached for the sword's hilt. "M-may I?"
Elsa chuckled, failing to disguise a nervous hint, "Of course, it's yours."
Jenny gulped before she looked back down at the sword and flexed her fingers. She reached for it slowly before throwing all caution to the wind and pulling it from the velvet lining of the box. It was light, well-balanced; the white leather of the grip melded comfortably to her palm. She could hear her mother suck in a breath, almost in worry, but paid it no mind. It helped when Jenny felt assurance and pride waft over the both of them from the dragon outside. Satisfied, and grateful beyond compare, the young princess laid the sword back down in its box. She immediately spun around and tackled Birger's nose, hugging it tight and squeezing handfuls of his fur. Jenny could feel him thrum as he hummed, the vibrations rattling up through her as well.
Thank you, Birger…
The humming deepened.
You are very welcome, pup. Happy birthday…belated as it is.
Jenny merely nuzzled the fluffy muzzle before leaning back and playfully slapping it.
That's what you get for being slow!
The beast smiled and laughed; even her mother chuckled behind her. Jenny turned to see the queen covered her mouth with a hand, as if trying to hide her laughter. The blonde immediately cleared her throat and attempted to regain composure, but the fact she pursed her lips to dam the mirth didn't help her case. Elsa then reached for the other box and pulled it into her grip and as she brought it over.
"This…hmm—this is from me."
Jenny took a deep breath and nodded, eyeing the box. Her mother slowly reached for the latch, and she could've sworn she saw the gloved hand shake. Once it rested on the handle, Elsa paused.
"J-Jenny…" The queen began hesitantly. "I know…I know I haven't exactly been the most…proficient mother… There were so many times I could have done better, could've tried to understand you more. But…" A sigh. "…I've been told, many a time and by many a person, that…that we are not nearly as dissimilar as we believe."
Jenny found herself suddenly sheepish, ducking her head as she scuffled her feet slightly. She found that hard to believe…but then, if Birger was any indication…
"This may or may not surprise you, but before I met your father, I'd actually ridden Birger through these mountains on several occasions."
Jenny's head shot up, and her brow furrowed. "So that's why you have this weird outfit! You…y-y-you're a dragon rider, like that man in the dragon book!"
Elsa shrugged, and actually looked somewhat sheepish herself. "More or less, yes. Which is why…I wanted to give you this."
Her mother opened the box in her arms, and Jenny's eyes widened as she beheld its contents. It was a dragon rider outfit, not unlike her own mother's one. The key difference, beyond size, was that while Elsa's suit was lined with turquoise and ice-blue, this one was lined with crimson and deep green. As Jenny slowly reached forward and carefully, humbly, lifted the material, she noticed it came complete with a cape, hood, and mask—just like her mother's.
Jenny's eyes rose to meet the cerulean ones before her, and she was surprised to see what seemed to be worry in them. At first the princess was confused, until it occurred to her:
Mama doesn't know for sure if I like it…
Well, if that was the case, then Jenny would show her.
The ginger took the box from her mother, set it on the bed…then whirled back around and threw arms around her, burying her face in Elsa's neck as she hugged tight. Jenny knew she wasn't one for hugs, but she wasn't sure what else to do. Having just found out her mama had spent who knows how long, working hard on something special for her eldest's sixteenth birthday, only to be late by a few days. Jenny wondered if her spontaneous hug was a mistake, until she felt her mother's arms wrap around her in turn, squeezing tight. The relief was instantaneous, and greatened as Elsa all but snuggled into the hug, holding her dear daughter close.
The disgruntled snort from behind them, however, was amusing beyond measure.
The hugging mother-daughter pair—without breaking contact—meandered over to the fluffy nose in the door and shifted to hug it as well. Birger hummed contentedly, and the trio remained comfortably so for a long while. It would be some time before they returned to the royal castle; but return they eventually would, where Jenny would feel happier than she had in quite some time.