The Spore of Mamuth

Chapter One

Tasting her sister's feet was one of the best things about returning to Arendelle.

It took her a week of coaxing to get Anna to agree. Elsa sometimes wondered if more than just her power could cause others to view her as a monster. The love she felt for Anna was tainted, impure. Because in the few instances when she saw Anna—at dinner, for instance—she found herself looking at her sister's feet. Anna's toes poking out from her sandals, delicious, inviting. They implored Elsa to taste them, and she often fantasized about Anna dipping her toes in cake frosting and then offering Elsa a lick.

If Elsa hadn't had a secret that required her to be separate from Anna incessantly, she was certain she would not have felt a blossoming love for her sister that harbored on the taboo. The need to keep Anna alive started to seem less and less like it emanated from an innocent, sisterly nature, and to become an all-encompassing blaze that ate away at her heart, causing her to lust after the very sister she was never permitted to see.

Then came the night of her coronation, a day she had been dreading for eons. Since she'd be induced to open the gates, and let a plethora of people in. She had had myriad fiery dreams about Anna in the days leading up to her coronation, and they grew more searing each night. It would take a lot of caution to keep this from getting out. As she slipped on her gloves, she felt they were not only to prevent her from unleashing the ice powers she still couldn't control, but also to make it impossible for her to touch Anna's skin directly, when she knew that if she did, she'd probably never want to stop making out with her, to the end of time.

She was sure that even one small kiss from Anna's seductive mouth would have an overwhelming effect on her, perhaps enough to allow her to whisper in Anna's ear about the power she had kept hidden from her for so long.

It also crossed her mind that she'd get a thrill from slipping a piece of chocolate onto Anna's awaiting tongue. Her joy would know no bounds if Anna did the same to her, though even as good as chocolate was, she'd rather lick Anna's fingers than have cocoa any day.

At least Elsa hoped Anna would think her gorgeous. They had never spoken to each other before long enough o acknowledge things like beauty. The one thing Anna could tell her that morning, which would make her the happiest young woman who ever lived, was, "You're beautiful, Elsa."

And then the dreaded time came, when she had to command the guards to open the gates. It was done, people were allowed in, and she had to walk up to the foyer to get sworn into her position as queen.

Afterwards, when the dance began in the ballroom, Anna was brought to stand next to Elsa. It took the latter all the courage she had in her to say, "Hi." And then, after she remarked on Anna's beauty, the latter told her the words she had been longing to hear—that Anna thought her beautiful.

Elsa was so mesmerized by her sister that when the Duke of Weselton came to offer her a dance, Elsa thought she had to get her sister away for a bit before she threw herself at her, in an effort to savor those luscious lips,because she knew that if she were left alone with Anna any longer, she'd have to indulge in this yearning or go crazy. So she made a comment to get the duke to take her away to dance, which allowed Elsa time to breathe and think rationally.

Anna was soon free from the duke, and she came toward Elsa. They had an exchange of words, which seemed to be going well for a minute, but then Elsa said something that really hurt Anna, causing her to walk away weeping. Elsa loathed seeing her sister in pain, but it had to be stated that they couldn't have people coming and going every day. Because she was a danger to Arendelle. Though as long as no one found out, things should be all right. The problem was that if they had a big gathering like this every day, someone would find out eventually. Did Anna not understand that?

Then Elsa allowed herself to breathe. Of course Anna didn't know why she had to stay away from people most of the time. With any luck, Anna would never find out. Though the thing that bothered Elsa the most about all this was that her powers shut her away from the sister whose love she craved with all her heart.

The only real upside to Anna going off in an upset state was that Elsa wouldn't be distracted by her scintillating face, though nothing would prevent her from constantly thinking of her sister, imagining the kiss that ought to happen sooner or later, provided Anna felt the same way. But how could she? It was all so ridiculous. Elsa shook her head, trying to get the thought of a very close embrace with Anna out of there.

Though the thought kept coming that Anna might not find her yearning to make out with her, and be all-around lovey-dovey w ith her appealing. That if she ever discovered them, she'd suspect Elsa of being a monster beyond the ice powers thing she had yet to find out about.

"Queen Elsa," said the valet, shaking her out of her reverie. "This is Rapunzel and Eugene."

Rapunzel had short, dark-brown hair, while Eugene wore a green vest.

"It's so nice to meet another queen," Rapunzel said. "You must feel lucky to have such a kingdom as this."

"Are you queen of your kingdom?"

This seemed to cause embarrassment for Rapunzel. She ducked inside Eugene's vest.

"My darling wife is the princess of her kingdom. Her mother is thankfully, still living, as is her father. We hope with Godspeed that her folks will be around for a few decades to come."

"I'm sorry," Elsa said. "I didn't mean to offend."

"Rapunzel was waiting so long to see you. We think very highly of you in Corona."

"I really do find it pleasing to meet you."

"Thanks, Queen," Eugene said, bowing. "My dear wife was sundered from her loved ones for so long, shut away…you know, and when she was free, the thought of any possible harm coming to them drives her disconsolate."

Eugene walked away with Rapunzel, who still had her head tucked into his vest. Elsa suddenly had a mad need to have Anna there beside her.

She rubbed her hand over her glove, overcome with the abyss that often washed over her, knowing that Anna was so near but one false move could tarnish her sister's love for her…permanently.

The time did not pass well, meeting people from other countries, and all the time wanting to be with Anna, in a boat, with calm waves surrounding the two sisters, no one to interrupt the pair of them…nothing, except the fear of hurting Anna, which would happen every time she reached forward to twirling the softest strand of Anna's hair around her finger…

In her head Anna drew back, jumped into the river and began swimming back to shore, shouting back, "You're a monster, Elsa!"

She nibbled on the ears of a chocolate jackrabbit to quell this nightmarish imagining. Anna would never say that. Would she?

The valet interrupted her thought process, which she was thankful for, because she had glimpsed herself being submerged in ice as a barricade against Anna's fear, which Elsa had instigated by letting her know…

"This is Princess Ellen and Sazorderv, of Poland," the valet said.

"Pleased to meet you," said Elsa, causing her cheeks to spring into a smile.

Ellen had a cascade of honey-colored ringlets. Sazorderv scowled at Elsa, though she didn't know why.

"I've so longed to see Arendelle growing up," Ellen said. "Father told me about how he came here and had a nice banquet with the King and Queen, then two months later everything was shut up for ages. This is the first time the gates have been open in…how long?"

"Fourteen years," Elsa said.

"Gosh. That's a long time to be shut way, isn't it?"

"It is a long time," said the queen.

"Nice gloves, by the way." Ellen winked.

"Thanks."

"Where's your sister?" Sazorderv asked.

"Off somewhere."

"I saw her dancing with a prince from the Southern Isles earlier tonight," he said, pulling out a monocle and beginning to polish it with a handkerchief.

"Well, Anna is free to dance with whoever she desires," Elsa said. And I wish the only one she liked the thought of dancing with was me, she found herself thinking. But she brushed it away.

"I think she was really into him, if you know what I mean," said Sazoderv.

"Again, she can like whomever she wants to like."

"I think you'll have a brother-in-law soon," he said, while Ellen nodded. Then they said farewell to Elsa and went off, but not before telling Elsa that they were getting married in the coming winter.

So many people were getting married young. And that hurt a bit, not only because she'd have to worry about hurting anyone she were to marry, if she ever did…but far more because the one individual alive, whom she would do absolutely anything to get hitched to, could not possibly see her in that light.

Elsa was standing near the refreshments table later when Anna walked up, curtsied, and introduced her to a redheaded man.

Elsa was too busy watching how Anna's hands kept touching this man intimately that Elsa missed what her sister was asking at first. She forced herself to focus on the words and not the mesmerizing sound of Anna's voice. Keep it together.

"Will you bless the marriage?"

So you can marry a man when I fucking love you? No, I will not permit it.

Elsa pulled Anna aside. "Don't you think it might be better to get to know him a bit?"

I'll even tell you about my powers, if you wait. I promise.

Of course she couldn't make that promise out loud.

"He's kind to me, Elsa. Unlike you, who close yourself off from the entire world. Including me."

Anna yanked Elsa's glove off. Her hand briefly brushed against Elsa's skin with the slimmest trace. She felt a tingle up her arm. But she had to keep Anna safe. Not just from her ice, but also her heat. Because Elsa knew that if she got more than a few seconds' touch against Anna's bare skin, ice or no ice, she'd find it impossible to hold back in all her desires. To bathe Anna's toes with her tongue. To squeeze Anna's hip, to lap up melted chocolate that had been poured on her cheek…to love and cherish her, with all the emotions and physicality that entailed.

Anna's hand now touched Elsa's arm. This wasn't a brief embrace. It was a pleading. Try to understand where I'm coming from, Anna's eyes said.

Elsa wanted to send a message back that she understood all too well. But in that instant, it was too late.

Daggers of ice flew out of her arm and formed a barricade along the floor. All the people in the ballroom stared. Rapunzel, a few feet away, had her head tucked into Eugene's vest.

Elsa took one last longing look at her sister before rushing out of the castle. Then she set her foot on the ground, one step at a time, to form an ice path. She would save her sister from her own provocative thoughts. The image of Anna on an ottoman with her leg raised, inviting Elsa to lick it, rose to her mind. Oh, those sweet calves her lips would never graze…the backs of Anna's kneecaps which would make chocolate taste like horseradish thereafter…all these fancies sprouted in Elsa's head. What she knew was that in her self-exile, Anna would be safe from her…both her ice, and her feeling of the need for deep, unbound, everlasting intimacy with Anna, her precious, the darling of her existence.