NOTES: Back for more! Sorry for the delay, I've been working on NaNoWriMo all month and therefore had to focus on that. Now that I've hit the initial goal, I can work on fanfiction a bit more than I have been! We've had this much of it written up for weeks, it just needed heavy editing (because sometimes in the moment we misspell a lot of stuff, haha). This chapter is a tiny bit shorter but it simply fell at a beautifully elegant stopping point.
Hopefully you enjoy it as much as the beginning!
~ Chapter Two: Research And Disclosure ~
Lady Anna was shocked to see a visitor at the dinner table the next morning. She froze entirely. Garbed in heavy, rich clothing, the Countess was a beautiful sight to behold. Perhaps it was an unforeseen benefit from the blood of the temporary servant, but her pale cheeks almost seemed to have a flush. In contrast, Anna herself looked like a mess; there were heavy bags under her eyes and there were practically tear stains. Kai was smiling kindly at her, nodding encouragingly. Anna gave him a dark glance before backing away a few feet.
"My apologies, it seems I've lost my appetite," she muttered mutinously, her teal eyes burning into where her sister sat.
"You may have done, but you still need to eat," Elsa said, her voice very careful to avoid phrasing it like an order. "Or you'll feel far worse later. Especially if you've been at the spirits last night, as we both know you have." She gestured to a chair a few seats along with one hand as her other stirred her tea.
"No," Anna said coldly, wanting to force her sister to act. "You're not my mother – and don't try to act like you care."
A deep sigh floated out of Elsa's throat as she let the spoon fall. "Of course I'm not your mother. We have the same mother, in case you've forgotten. Which you seemed to have last night."
Anna's face turned bright red and she gnashed her teeth together, frustrated. Her sister's face was blank, cruel and expressionless. She stayed at the door with her back to her sister, anger building. "I have my doubts about us being siblings. After all, you're a monster and I'm a human," she added cruelly.
"You're right. I am a monster." The first sentence had been said from her chair at the table. The second one was whispered directly into Anna's ear, as was the third: "You'd better never forget that again."
A shiver rushed through Anna's body as her sister whispered in her ear. How could it be possible for any creature, no matter how preternatural, to move so fast she had only exhaled once and she was there? Her sister's presence was cold and solid, and Anna resisted the urge to lean into her, to touch her. Instead, she stiffened and drew away. "I'll make sure I don't."
Elsa nodded appreciatively, then leaned casually against the door frame - a decidedly non-regal thing to do. "That said... don't you dare imply I care nothing about you. Haven't I kept you clothed and fed the past few years, even after our father's... disappearance?"
Disappeared? Why had she phrased it that way? "You encouraged me to get intoxicated last night; I think we both know you should stop pretending to care. I wonder if monsters like you can even feel anything but hunger?" Anna grumbled sourly, the memory of her sister's needy gaze coming to mind. Admitting defeat, she walked past her into the dining room.
"Anna..." Sighing, Elsa went back to the table - at a normal, human, pace - and eased into her chair. "Yes, I gave you the bottle. It was there for you to choose if you so wished. Knowing the sort of conversation we were about to have, it seemed the absolute least I could do was give you something to numb the pain." Shrugging lightly, she continued stirring her tea. "Then again, you seem quite certain that I'm apathetic about my own sister. Insisting that I care is spitting into the wind at this point. Think what you will."
"You questioned father's death. He didn't disappear; he and mother died on a ship to Corona." Hardening her gaze, she flung at her in an accusatory tone, "Perhaps you're more of a monster than I know of."
Of course, she didn't actually believe Elsa killed their parents but it felt right to say, it made her feel somehow powerful. She wanted to hurt Elsa like Elsa hurt her the night before. The passive look on Elsa's face did not change, but all of her movements stilled. When she spoke again, her voice was curt and clipped.
"I'll forget what you just insinuated. Then again, you're working with... partial information."
"Then I'd like an explanation," Anna snarled, frustration clear in her voice at the sight of her sister's unchanging expression. She clenched her fists before forcing herself to calm down and delve into her breakfast. Once her sister was done speaking, she decided she would treat her to a well-deserved silence.
"Oh, I'll give you one. You won't like it, and you won't believe me. Knowing those things, do you still want it?"
"Again, you question my desires. Do you think I am ignorant, sister?" she asked coolly.
Finally dropping her pretense, Elsa snapped, "I know you are ignorant, child; that is why I am offering to educate you. However, education is wasted on the unwilling student, and therefore I will ask you again. Do you want to hear the truth?"
"I know what I want!" Anna shouted, standing with her hands on the table. Then, embarrassed at her outburst, she relaxed and stared into her sister's eyes, expression calm. "I know what I want," she whispered, knowing her sister would hear her and understand. "I deserve to know," she muttered more quietly still.
"Very well." In two breaths, Elsa's face and voice had resumed its usual collected demeanor in response to Anna's similar effort. Then she began to speak.
"As you recall, several years ago our parents were taken from our lives while on their way to Corona. Yes, they were aboard a ship, and we have not seen them since. For the sake of your sanity, and because to do otherwise would have revealed... my true nature, up until now that is how I have left the details." Again, she picked up the spoon and stirred. "They did not go down with the ship. In fact, it never sank."
Anna waited patiently, then snorted, "So you're saying our parents are off vacationing somewhere? They're going to come home one day and shout 'Surprise!'?" She shook her head, disbelieving.
"Unlikely," she said with a tight-lipped smile. "Our mother is most assuredly dead. Father ate her."
The sarcastic smile washed from Anna's face. Along with the color. She didn't say another word, just sat there, slack-jawed.
"Oh yes, Anna. Do you know how far it is to Corona by ship? Several days' journey. He hadn't fed properly the night before they left. It took all of his willpower to resist taking his thirst out on the crew. Mother fed him willingly, but... he could not stop, could not stay sated. They were within a few paltry leagues of shore when she died from blood loss."
"No..." Anna whispered, shaking her head. "You're lying. Mother... he couldn't have." Unbidden, she imagined being the one being fed from. Imagined Elsa on top of her, teeth in her throat, draining her of her blood and life force.
"He did. Often, as he had told me, being what I am." A light shrug as she tapped the spoon against the edge of the teacup and lifted it to her nose, inhaling deeply. "But never so deeply she would be hurt. Not before that day. Mostly, he fed from the villagers; seduced them and drew them in, then made them forget afterward. He was... less careful than I am, and less considerate, but still he was not very deeply evil. This was merely an unfortunate situation with disastrous results."
Anna nodded numbly. "I see... yeah, I understand." She was finished with breakfast, despite having only taken a few bites. "I don't want to hear anymore," she whispered, and then was silent. Her mind was racing. The image of Elsa killing her kept showing itself like a waking nightmare. If her father had been careful, if Elsa were to feed, would it end like this? Even so, Anna wanted it. From the moment she saw her sister bite into the woman's neck she knew she would never be able to be at peace until her sister had given her the same treatment. She sipped at her milk, eyes dim and unfocused.
Elsa set the teacup down, never having taken a single drink. Her plate was also empty. "There's little else to tell. No one knows what became of him after the ship reached shore." With a small sigh, she stared off toward the curtained windows. "I had hoped you'd never have to know this. That you could succeed me, or be married off elsewhere and live out your life without having to carry around this, this... putrid offal." Shaking her head, she stood and began to walk toward the door. "Should have let Gerda fetch me that carriage after all."
"I guess you should have," Anna tried to say coldly, but she couldn't hold back her smile. "Either way... I shall not be married off somewhere. I'm staying here. With you..." She stood, stepping cautiously towards her sister. Her face was still calm as she grit her teeth and added, "Even if you want to get rid of me."
"Hm." Pursing her lips, Elsa took a deep breath before speaking her mind. "Fair sister, I would never turn you away. Our home belongs to both of us. But if you're going to... if you're planning..." Why was she shaking? "What happened last night will not happen again. It can't. Even if we weren't related, I..." Unable to stop herself, she turned and brushed a lock of Anna's unkempt hair behind her ear. "Believe me or not, you really are the only person or thing I have any care for in the entire world. I'll protect you from anything. Including me."
Anna smiled pleasantly, cupping her sister's face. "Nothing happened last night, if I recall... except your rejection. So you won't repeat that, hmm?" she teased gently, stroking the vampires jaw, brushing her finger over her soft lips.
The pain in Elsa's eyes was an odd counterpoint to the shiver that shot through her entire body at the feeling of Anna touching her so tenderly. "You... are going to land both of us in a lot of trouble, Annie-Candy."
Then her eyes shot wide. That name had not been uttered in over fifteen years by either of them.
Anna froze and practically burst into laughter, her face lighting up brightly. "I remember that name!" she chuckled, petting her cheek again lightly. "It sounds even sweeter now... and if this is trouble, then I like it. Your skin is like silk, Elsa."
"No. No, don't say things like that," Elsa whispered, though her hand came up to rest atop Anna's. "Don't... why do you keep doing that? Tempting me, even though you know I'm straining not to give in?"
"I need to know. I need to know if you feel the same." Her teal eyes were incredibly warm and needy as she ordered, "Kiss me, Elsa... just once. I need to know if you feel it too, need to feel it in a kiss. So kiss me."
Elsa's face loomed closer for a moment before she drew back and petted Anna's hair gently, smoothing it down. "That is not an option, no matter how much you wish it were. Or I do." Again, she had said something she didn't mean to say. "A-and now, I must sleep, if you'll excuse me."
Even as her sister drew away, Anna smiled. She had felt the implication of more, felt it in her hesitation, felt in her adorable stutter. "Goodbye Elsa," she said softly.
"Enjoy the day," Elsa breathed as she swept from the room, her cloak billowing out behind her.
~ o ~
The sun was just setting when Elsa felt her awareness creeping back in; the day had passed, and her supernaturally-imposed slumber was fading. For a long moment, she only lay in her bed and stared up at the canopy, thoughts swirling. Now Anna knew. All night she had been thinking over it, debating what else she might do or say. She had no better idea now than she did when she first scented her sister in the chapel.
Anna knocked on the doorway to her sister's bedroom. "Elsa?" she called softly, waiting for a response. She hadn't changed into her night clothes; in fact, she had slept for an hour or so and felt oddly rested. Now, she simply wanted to talk to her sister.
"Go away, Anna." Hearing the terseness in her own voice, she added, "I'll be down in a moment, I'm indecent."
Anna smiled mischievously. "Isn't that all the more reason to stay?"
Slowly, Elsa pushed herself to a sitting position and rolled her stiff shoulders. "Can't you give it a rest until I've been awake longer than ten minutes?"
Anna snickered but retreated. "Alright, find me when you're done," she bade her and walked away, knowing her sister would.
As the Countess began to shed her nightgown and struggle into the regal garments Gerda had laid out for her during the daytime, she thought back over this exchange. It was beyond all her expectations that Anna would move past the shocking news this soon. That she would accept her condition. Unfortunately, this also seemed to come at a price: her desperate longing for more than simple friendship. That was an option she could not entertain. Anna would simply have to accept that, in time.
~ o ~
The Lady Anna was practically hidden in the corner of the library, sitting in a soft chair, shadow cast over her. She had a thick leather-bound tome in her hands, eyes scanning the pages. It was a book on vampirism. There were more books on this subject in their library then she had originally realised. In the one in her hands, she had found a fun fact she would be sure to exploit - or perhaps test would be the better word.
"Ooh, that's a classic," came a bemused voice from behind her chair. "Found it most helpful when I began the change."
Anna snapped the book shut, cheeks flushed. "'Red dreams', hmm?" she teased with a slightly flustered smile. "Dreams that cause an incredibly powerful surge of bloodlust. A wet dream with added effects. Do you still have those?"
"Not in a few years. But yes, I've had them - especially at first, when I refused to feed. They got more and more powerful the longer I denied myself. Of course, once I began going to the church on a regular basis..." One of her hands fluttered out to the side from where her arms were crossed over the chair back, as if wafting smoke away.
"How unbecoming of you dear, perfect sister," Anna giggled as she set the tome back on its shelf, slipping out another one. "I've been busy today. I've discovered that running your tongue along a certain part of the vampire incisor awakens a kind of powerful hunger. Generally, it's blood that causes this reaction, but saliva works, as well. Interesting, no?"
"Hmm," Elsa half-laughed, staring down at her sister. Her energetic, cheerful sister, doing her best to make all of the horrible new developments in her life into some kind of positive thing. "Perhaps 'interesting' isn't the word I would choose, but you're right. I've read most of these back-to-front by now, though. Surprise me."
"Say, does it only work if you run your tongue over them? Or do other tongues work?" Anna purred, setting that book aside as well, turning her eyes on her sister again and smirking wide.
"Only other tongues. Think about it; how would it be if every time I ran my own tongue over my own fangs, I went chasing off in a ravenous frenzy after my next kill?"
"Fair point. Now... on to the topic I wanted to discuss. We need to find Father, Elsa."
The pleasant expression - perhaps the first one Elsa had truly worn in years - slowly vanished, replaced by a pensive one. "Thought that might be your next question. Is... there any way I can dissuade you from this? Ask you to forget about finding him?"
Anna shook her head. "No. And I have no idea why you would want to. He's family, Elsa. How do we know he's not suffering? Or causing other people suffering in his grief? We need him here; this is his home more than either of ours."
"Yes. Yes, I thought that might be how you felt. Which is why I brought something down with me this evening." Eyes flicking to the door to make sure they weren't being watched, she withdrew a rolled up length of parchment from her sleeve and offered it to Anna. "His last known whereabouts were in Turkey. That was the correspondence from the man I had following him; a man who turned up dead of exsanguination." One eyebrow raised as her sister's eyes scanned the document. "You do know what exsanguination means, don't you?"
"You think father doesn't want to be found, then," Anna mumbled softly as she gazed at the report without seeing. Thinking back to her childhood, he had never cared much for Anna. Elsa, yes, of course; she was his light, and in turn, Anna was nothing. Now, running her tongue along her not-so-sharp canine teeth, she realized why that might have been the case.
"I'll send more men if you wish," Elsa promised her quietly as she replaced the letter up her sleeve. "Two more. Ten more. I just... don't want you to have unrealistic expectations that it will make any difference. If I had been the one who did that to Mother, I... I probably would never want to show my face around here again, either."
Sighing, Anna reached out and clasped her sister's hands. "Don't think like that. You're different from father, Elsa. You told me that, while he was not an evil man, he was not quite a good one. You gave your vessels a choice in the matter. You held back from me last night. Y... you're different."
"Not different enough. Not human." There was physical pain in her face as she forced herself to speak again. "Anna, can you please forget about these... these unhealthy thoughts you have for me? We are sisters! I'll admit you have a flawless figure, but it is one I cannot touch! Is there anything I can say to make you turn your gaze from me and onto someone less... nocturnal, or familial?"
Anna smiled gently, tracing her fingers over her sister's hands. "I will accept no one but you, Sister. And while I am quite sure it is difficult to resist your nature, I am positive that you can. Though if... you do find someone with the same gentle, soft lips and beautiful eyes, and basically everything about you that makes you 'you'... then fine, I will definitely give up on you."
"Then I'll start looking right away. He... or she?" A slight shiver ran down Elsa's spine as she contemplated that her sister might only be drawn to women; it wasn't unheard of, simply uncommon and frowned upon. Sadness plucked at her heart as she contemplated her precious sibling having to endure that fate in such an unsympathetic world, though she personally would never think any less of her. "Well, that person will be all you dream of. And if enough time passes..." She fell silent.
"Good luck finding a clone of you, dear sister," Anna cooed, placing a kiss on her sister's throat. Soft, quick, and loving.
Such a simple gesture nearly unmade Elsa on the spot. How could her sister's touch set off such a reaction so deep within her? It wasn't fair and it wasn't acceptable. Yet she was powerless; all she could control was her reaction, how she moved on from that moment. It was far from simple.
"Anna... I'm begging you not to tempt me any further. It's... you're so..." Clearing her throat, she whispered, "It's been several months since I last participated in... pursuits of the flesh, and with your blood calling to me the way it does, you are placing me in a very... precarious position."
"How many times do I have to tempt you before you break?" Anna whispered impatiently, sliding her lips slowly up her throat and bringing it to her mouth, seizing it as her own. She stared into her sister's ice blue eyes, desire flickering in her own, her face flushed with love.
As it turned out, no more times. Elsa felt her mouth push back into the kiss this time, her hands raising to Anna's hair and resting against it gently. Whether or not this was what she wanted no longer applied. It was happening. It was what Anna wanted, and she was powerless to resist giving the sweet vixen her every desire. Anna wrapped grateful arms around her when she felt her sister accepting her kiss, returning it.
For a few moments, they simply tasted each other's lips. The Countess was thankful for the back of the chair between their bodies; things would have been far more disastrous without its presence. Even so, this situation was not ideal. Her tongue darted out and traced over the younger sister's bottom lip, feeling its gentle give and craving more, so much more, wanting everything she shouldn't want.
Anna nearly moaned when she felt the first sensation of Elsa's tongue along her bottom lip, immediately opening her mouth to hungrily allow her own tongue to dip across her sister's daringly, a blush coloring her face.
Fingers trailed up through Anna's russet locks and latched onto the nape of her neck as their tongues collided. Elsa knew she shouldn't push for more. She shouldn't accept this much, it was disgusting and vile, they could never be forgiven - she could never be forgiven. As the eldest, it was her responsibility to ensure nothing befell the youngest. Why couldn't she remain watchful? Why was she clenching a fist in her sister's hair while she drank of her mouth?
Anna had never felt anything like this. Sure, she had stolen away and snuck a kiss from a few boys in the village, but she had never experienced something so intense, so warm. Her sister was holding her, gripping her hair as if making sure she didn't pull away. And why would she? She was holding Elsa, arms around her back, leaning into the comforting frame of her sister with the mouth so sweet, just like her lips. And much like she hadn't had such an intense kiss, she had never before tried a kiss with tongue and it was causing unfamiliar emotions to pump through her belly, a slick heat. She tried to make the kiss deeper, harder, hoping to feed those flames.
Suddenly, both of them were a frenzy of motion, lips sliding, heads tilting and arms clutching, caressing. Elsa pulled back to draw Anna's bottom lip deep into her mouth, suckling harder than she believed she would dare, hungry eyes turned up to watch for any reaction, whether positive or negative. She needed that.
For a moment, Anna thought her sister was going to bite her lip. And the idea made her head swim with desire. She shuddered at the intense look in her red-tinged eyes, at the flushed heat of her cheeks. God, she was beautiful...
As Elsa let Anna's lip go, watching it snap back into place, she found her eyes could not be torn from the bruised, violet flesh. It stood in such sharp contrast to the pink of the upper lip that it looked painted. Blood was flowing into the bruise, changing its hue. Thick, rich blood.
Anna was breathing heavily, chest heaving, her eyes hot as she licked her slick bottom lip. When she met her sister's eyes, she saw she was staring at her mouth. Anna watched with growing satisfaction as Elsa's tongue wet her own lips so quickly Anna thought she imagined it.
"Want to sample my blood, Elsa?"
It was more as if Elsa felt herself nodding than that she nodded with conscious effort. Her incisors elongated, lips curling away from them as she stared openly at her sister's inviting flesh. One hand raised and pressed fingertips into the bottom lip, then traced affectionately down over the plane of her throat until it came to rest lightly against her collarbone.
Anna stepped closer, and pressed their bodies tightly together. She cooed needily as she nuzzled into her sister's neck, displaying her own unblemished skin. "Feed, dear sister."
Hot breath fell on Anna's neck from the vampire - impossibly hot for a creature of the night. Lips grazed over the flesh, running over it and up to the chin before trailing back down again, pressing inward.
"I c... I can't," she managed to snarl onto the skin, salty notes floating into her from the minimal contact – but Anna did the work for her, sliding her fingers into her sister's hair and pushing her deep into Anna's throat, encouraging her with a soft noise of want.
"Elsa, please," Anna whimpered, feeling her need build as the fangs pressed flatly against her neck.
Any second now, they would break the skin. Any second now, molten life force would flow into the Countess from her own sister's veins, sating the need that had steadily been growing ever since their first kiss in her bedchambers. Stalling, her tongue flashed out and passed over the skin, teasing them both with the same action.
"Elsa!" Anna whined, cursing her sister for making her wait and teasing her. She rubbed her neck against the mouth, hoping it would tempt her to enter her skin and take what Anna knew she wanted. She was completely hot all over, so hot she was surprised she wasn't baking. The tips of her teeth felt amazingly good...
The next words were more groan than human speech. "Anna, do you love me?"
"I love you more than life," she replied gently, stroking her sister's hair as she spoke.
"Then I am begging you, if you ever cared for me at all... p-please get away from me right now. Don't tempt me so far it's my instinct making the decision instead of my mind, I... you don't know, Anna, you don't know how much I will loathe myself if that's how this happens. I couldn't live with myself!"
Although it took all her willpower and the fact that it sounded like she was physically hurting Elsa, Anna tore herself away. The Countess looked distraught and strained and oddly wild. Her words rang in Anna's head, and she stared longingly at her sister's mouth as she mulled them over.
At first, Elsa seemed to relax. The removal of her sister's body lowered the strain against her heart. Then, with no forewarning of any kind, her hands fell to the back of the ornate chair and rent it down the center as easily as if it were a single page from one of the many books nearby. The bifurcated piece of furniture fell to the floor in two separate halves with a clatter.
"Elsa!" Anna exclaimed, reaching for her sister feebly. "Are you okay?" When she saw the incredible thirst in her sister's eyes, she felt a rush of guilt when she realized what her sister needed – and all because of her.
"I'm... fine." Careful hands smoothed her lapels as she stood straighter. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be needing to make a trip to St. Idun's a day ahead of schedule. Please ask Kai or Gerda to tend to this chair and see that it is replaced."
Anna nodded slowly, hand to her chest, eyes plagued with worry. "I'm sorry," she whispered, staring at the ground. "If I'd known it would be this hard, I... I would never have tried to tempt you as I have."
"You shouldn't have, anyway. This should never have happened. You are my SISTER!" Catching the regret in Anna's eyes, Elsa deflated completely as she braced against the bookshelf for support. "But you are not to blame. I am. Perhaps... it was wrong to keep all of this from you for so many years. Had I been more honest - or had Father been more honest, you would have known better, no matter what your... feelings are. I am sorry." Her eyes squeezed shut. "My God, Anna, what I almost did to you..."
"I wanted it, what you were going to do to me." She nodded towards the shelves and a tiny, reluctant smile parted her lips. "You know, I read about being under the thrall of a vampire. It sounds... incredible. I told you that I know what I want," she mumbled, casting her eyes away, her breath still heavy but not nearly as heavy as her sister's. "And yes, I agree. You should not have kept away from me... you see the results."
With a weak nod, Elsa passed a hand over her face, briefly feeling the sharpness of her own fangs. "So you keep telling me. But the books cannot describe the... loss of control over your own life, the powerlessness and dependency. You will become my slave. You will become a thing. How can you want that?"
"Because I do, more than anything. Last night in the church, I saw what you did and I knew it to be my heart's desire. Don't ask me why, it's... a little unexpected for me, as well. But that's what I want, Elsa. To be yours."
The Countess remained silent for several long seconds as the two stood in the library. Then she strode to the door. Upon reaching it, she turned to face Anna's back.
"I am... going to think over what you have told me. Please do not imagine I'm dismissing it out of hand. However, I... all of this is very unexpected." Turning again, she pushed the door open. "See to the chair. I will be home quite late." And then she was gone, leaving Anna with sundered furniture and confusion.
~ To Be Continued ~
