Elsa buried her face in Anna's shoulder, her moans rhythmic, spasmodic as she tried to control her impending release. "Look what you do to me, Anna," she panted into Anna's ear.
Sweat drizzled down her back onto Anna's heated flesh as their bodies writhed together.
Anna could feel the Queen's need, had been feeling it all night—what would bring her pleasure, make her cry out in surprise, and seethe in frustration—and hooked an arm around Elsa's neck and used the other to grip at the Queen's hip, pulling the other woman onto her with desperation.
She spread her legs farther apart and reached between their bodies, connecting them more intimately, hip to hip. When she did this Elsa rose on her elbows and practically screamed in pure pleasure. She thrust against the redhead in dire earnestness, as her pleasure rose to a new height.
The world fell away into an oblivion of pleasure for both of them, and Elsa, no longer had strength left for anything, and her body fell onto Anna's in exhaustion. "Anna… oh Anna."
After a long while, Anna finally opened her eyes. She was in a haze of delirious pleasure, her body hummed in its satisfaction. "Elsa… you are, you are... I can't even find the words."
Elsa was still panting. She looked up and said, "Insatiable?" Her hands, warm from a night of loving, reached up to cradle the redhead's cheeks.
Anna smiled and blew out a ragged breath. "Yes, that's the word."
"You were incredible." The Queen trembled as the aftershocks of her orgasm rippled through her, and moved her pelvis against Anna's again.
"I can't, please, Elsa—oh, god, you are too much." She glanced out the window and saw the beginnings of sunrise. "Its almost morning."
The Queen's head jerked up. "What? Morning?" When she attempted to rise, Anna's arms around her waist stopped her. "I must get back to the castle, Anna."
The redhead frowned. "Must you go?"
Elsa could see the hurt in the younger woman's eyes. "Believe me, I want nothing more than to spend my entire day with you. But I've got to get back before…before…
She rolled off Anna and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I don't know what I'm saying. There is nothing for me back at the castle except for endless hours of dreary meetings, social engagements filled with wearisome people and dignitaries."
Anna rolled on her side and supported her head with her hand. "Then why go back? Why not spend the day with me—in your disguise."
Elsa looked at the uniform lying on the floor. "It may be good for sneaking around at night, but for the daytime. People know my face, Anna. The hood can't hide my face during the daylight."
"So this is it? This is all we are going to have?" The questions were out of Anna's mouth before she could stop them.
Elsa turned around to face the younger woman. "What do you mean?" Her sardonic question was not lost on Anna.
Anna sat up. "I know you like me, Elsa. Why don't you want to spend time with me during the daytime?"
"That's not it, at all. I don't know yet how I can. There are just so many demands on my time—all day, really. It is a rare occasion for me to have even a few hours to myself." She scooted closer to the younger woman and buried her face in her shoulder. "I do want to get to know you, Anna. I just have to figure out how."
"Oh, god. How am I going to be to do this now, Elsa? I mean, I do have to make a living…"
Elsa lifted her head and her eyes went wide. Why had she not considered this before? She didn't want the young woman to continue her profession. Elsa could have slapped herself at her own negligence, and her own disconnect with life and real world needs. Everything was provided for her at the castle; she wanted for nothing. Yet, here she was with one of her subjects who had to sell her own body just to make a living. It made her want to retch, and more than that, it caused a deep shame within. Was she being selfish with this young woman? Expecting her to remain—faithful—and have no concerns for her livelihood?
The Queen felt herself ridiculous. "I—I don't know what I was thinking." She had difficulty meeting Anna's eyes. "It would kill me on the inside to know you were lying with men—just to survive."
Anna regarded the Queen and knew that her heart was suffering. Probably in the same way that her own heart was going through its paces. She had broken one of life's rules: Don't get emotionally involved with any client. It was a rule that she constantly had trouble with, as she had been vulnerable to certain men in the past, and had believed their empty promises. But, Elsa was different, and that difference had more to do with simply being a monarch. The Queen was principled, eloquent, passionate, and genuinely cared for her; Anna knew it. Was the Queen asking her to trust her? Did she even want to?
"Are you asking me to trust you, Elsa? I know what empty promises look like."
"I don't make empty promises, Anna. I care about you and… I don't want you to sleep with anyone but me."
Anna chuckled a bit. "You and I don't sleep, Elsa. You keep me far too busy."
Elsa blushed and turned away. "All too true," she blurted. "Would you…accept money from me, to keep you away from the brothel?"
"What about the contract I sighed? They'll try to keep me indebted to them, I know it."
"What kind of contract did you enter into?"
"I was a kid, Elsa, when they found me on the street—no money, begging for loose change from strangers to keep my family from starving. The terrible thing is, my mother agreed to it. I've been selling body—and my soul—for years."
Elsa could feel the sting of unshed tears. "How long?" The question whispered, in a strangled voice.
"I was only fifteen—I don't know anything else but this." Anna indicated her body; and swept her hand downwards. "Bastards." She absentmindedly tucked her hair behind her ear.
The Queen lowered her head and let her sorrow take hold of her. It was much worse than she initially thought. Anna was a child of the street, in every sense of the word, and she was falling for her. "How old are you now, Anna?"
"Nineteen, your Majesty."
Elsa whirled around at the honorific, and fiercely wiped at the tears streaking down her face. "Elsa, please."
Anna brought the sheet up to cover her breasts, and then finally looked at the Queen. Seeing Elsa in agony was too much to bear, so she reached out and pulled her into an embrace. "Please don't cry. I don't anymore."
"Wh—what? You don't feel anything about this?" Elsa tried to bring her tears to a stop.
"I—I don't know. If I think about it I may go mad and what good would it do me? I'm a prostitute, Elsa. This is what I do—but its not who I am."
"I would certainly hope not!" Elsa extricated herself from Anna's embrace. "What can I do? Please help me in this. I want to help you, Anna, but I don't know what to do." She looked at window and the rising sun beyond. "Please…I can't stay much longer."
Anna opened her mouth to speak a few times but no words came out. A part of her wanted to trust the Queen completely, considering their obvious feelings for each other. But there was also an equal part of her that was tainted and she knew it. It summed up her life in every sense. Love. Good god, was she even capable of offering love to another human being considering everything? It hurt to have a million questions before with no easy answers to any of them. And the way Elsa was looking at her now—her eyes filled with obvious hope, fear, and a lingering longing. No one had ever looked at her like that, and it was almost enough to bring her out of her stupor, but not quite.
The redhead finally looked down, her own eyes misting over. "Perhaps you should go."
Elsa's eyes went wide. But she was one who was not used to rejection in any form, and her heart clenched inside her. "Will I see you later?"
"I don't know, to be honest."
Elsa stared at the redhead for a few more moments, hoping for something more. But it was not to be. She slowly got up off the bed and began to put her clothes back on. There was so much she wanted to say, but she felt if she did speak at the moment, her words would fall on deaf ears. Elsa buckled her belt then looked at Anna one last time before clasping the cloak around her shoulders. When the girl didn't look at her she slowly opened the door and stepped out into the early morning.
Her Majesty's Ladies in Waiting stood dutifully around the Queen's door and waited for the clock to strike. They never entered Her Majesty's room before six in the morning as per Elsa's request, so they waited.
After a few moments of pleasant conversation, the old clock finally struck its hour. The conversation died and they waited for the Queen's call. But after awhile, when no call came forth from the Queen's chamber, the Ladies began to fidget, and they looked to one another on what to do.
Finally, one of the younger Ladies, a young woman known as Jensina, opened the door and looked inside. Elsa was not there. In fact, it appeared that the Queen had not been in her bed at all, as her dressing gown was still on the bed as it been placed there the night before.
Jensina frowned and motioned for her Majesty's senior Lady to come forward. "Look, Petra, the Queen never took to her bed."
Lady Petra came forward and looked into the room. "Oh, dear. Ladies, please wait here while I look for the Queen's secretary, Gerda."
Anna sat there in the bed for only a few moments before being suddenly hit with the reality of her situation. She hurriedly gathered her clothes and put them on, then she threw open the door and stepped outside. She saw a few soldiers amongst the citizenry, but did not see one the size of the Queen. After she slammed the door shut she strode in the direction of Arendelle castle. The alleyway was crowded, and she found it difficult to make out individual people.
She turned a corner that opened up to Arendelle's harbor and suddenly saw many soldiers. Some were arguing with merchants, and others were standing guard at various berths.
Anna considered her options then finally did the only thing she could think of.
"ELSA!" she shouted as loud as she could.
Several people stopped and looked at her, but just up ahead, a smaller soldier immediately stopped and pulled the hood down over his face. Anna knew it was the Queen. She dodged a few merchants and ran over to the soldier, who immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her to follow him.
Elsa pulled Anna into a niche near the castle wall and roughly shoved her inside. She followed the redhead and pushed her against the stone wall. But her ire died the moment she saw the look in Anna's eyes, and she took hold of the young woman and brought their lips together. The kiss was sweet and loving, and Anna wound her arms around the Queen's neck.
Anna broke the kiss first and choked out a sob. "I can't believe I was just going to let you walk away—what was I thinking?"
Elsa leaned down and rested her forehead on the redhead's. "And I can't believe I just walked away from you. Oh, what are we going to do Anna?"
"I don't know, Elsa, but let's do it together."
The Queen smiled, and took hold of Anna's hands. "I don't know what our relationship is going to look like, and I can't predict what tomorrow will bring. But, I'm willing to try, if you'll let me."
"What are we going to do if—"
Elsa placed a finger on Anna's lips. "Please, Anna, I don't know how to answer any questions you may have now. I don't know what the future holds, for either of us."
"I understand." Anna rested her head on Elsa's shoulder. "I wish I had answers to give you. This is so hard."
"I know it is." Elsa looked at the activity on the docks and realized she needed to get back. "Anna, I have to go, the sun is rising in the sky."
"When will I see you again?"
Elsa pondered for a few moments. "Would you meet me here, tonight? When the hour strikes seven?"
Anna leaned in and gave the Queen a quick kiss. "Tonight, then." She was gone in a flash.
The Queen gently touched her lips, memorizing the feel of the young woman's lips on her own, and all the feelings that bubbled to the surface because of it. She shook her head and walked out of the small alcove into the bustling early morning docks. When she turned a corner toward the door that led into the castle her heart sunk. It would mean a long day without Anna and she wasn't sure if she able to do it. Elsa paused and looked at the massive structure as if seeing it for the first time. With that structure came responsibilities, some of which now hung heavily on her young shoulders. She hated the complications that came with the mantle of obligation, and now she just added one more, albeit a cherished one.
Elsa brought the hood more securely around her head and walked to the door and opened it, going back, at least for the moment, to her indentured life.
As soon as the door closed Elsa stopped dead in her tracks as Kai was standing there, almost as if he was expecting her.
"Your Majesty." He bowed to her, all the while trying to hide a certain smirk. "I trust Your Majesty is feeling better for the outing."
Elsa's eyes went wide, a hand involuntarily pulled off the hood. She stared for a few long moments before finally speaking. "Yes, a spot of fresh air did me the world of good."
"May I take Her Majesty's cloak?" Kai continued to hold out his hand, but he finally lifted his amused eyes to his Queen.
Elsa frowned. "No, thank you, Kai. I'll see to it myself." And with that she left her smiling butler to his thoughts. She was glad that the man was the only one around to see her enter the castle.
Lady Petra rounded a corner near the royal kitchens and almost ran into the Queen's private secretary, Gerda. "Madame Gerda, may I speak with you."
Gerda didn't stop, and continued to make her way into the kitchen. "Well, come on, woman, I don't have all day."
"We seem to have a problem with Her Majesty."
The older woman stopped, and turned around. "What's wrong? Is she sick?"
"No, Madame, we…well, we can't find her." Petra wrung her hands.
Gerda inhaled deeply and plastered a convincing smile on her face. "Do not worry about it, Petra, I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for Her Majesty's absence at breakfast."
"That's the problem, Gerda. Queen Elsa never took to her bed last night. We literally don't know where she is."
The older woman's mouth twitched, but she kept her surprise in check. "How do you know?"
"Her dressing gown is exactly where we left it last night; it was never moved, and the bed was made. Her Majesty never makes her own bed."
"Then there is a first time for everything, don't you think, Petra?"
Both Petra and Gerda turned to see Queen Elsa coming towards them from the servant's entrance to the kitchens. They curtsied, and then Gerda pinned Petra with an annoying look..
"You see, Lady Petra, there was no need to worry, as you can see her Majesty is fine. Are you not, Queen Elsa?"
The Queen looked at Gerda and saw the accusatory look in her eyes. There was a good reason for it, and Elsa realized that her secretary was beginning to suspect something. Yet, she was unwilling at the moment to trust anyone with the knowledge of Anna or of any impending relationship with her. Elsa met Gerda's stare with impassivity, and the older woman looked away, apparently upset. Even though it wasn't an outright lie, to Elsa it was appallingly like one.
Elsa smiled at her Lady in Waiting. "Yes, Lady Petra, there is nothing to worry about. Now if you two will excuse me, I believe I am late for breakfast."
Anna wandered down through the small alleyway and ended up a small cottage she had spent the night in with the Queen. She paused to look at the innocuous structure, letting her emotions have reign over her. There was just something about the blonde woman that that drew her in. It was like a siren song, profound, and kept her in a state of perpetual awe. But there was a vulnerability about her that was all too human, and brought her down to the land of the living as far as Anna was concerned, and it also brought about feelings in her that she could never have imagined.
The redhead averted her eyes from the modest cottage and felt completely at a loss on what to do at the moment. Her usual daily haunts didn't hold any appeal to her. Especially if that meant spending time with her usual friends, as their company seemed to be, at least for now, somehow lacking.
Anna blew out a frustrated breath, and felt an emptiness in her soul, and parts of her were laid waste, as her heart came to an unavoidable conclusion: she was slowly, and inevitably, falling in love with Arendelle's monarch. So, there it was. Life would never, and could never, be the same. Even this certainty could not change that part of her that was a realist, and she wondered if Elsa was feeling the same way. She did not doubt that the Queen had feelings for her; what concerned her was the possibility that the Queen could not make it work, and a relationship between them rendered impossible.
Anna turned to walk away when she found herself face to face with the proprietor of the brothel she was contracted to. Ingrid practically sneered at her.
"What is this I'm hearing about you and a soldier; one that hasn't been paying you?"
Anna tried to rein in a gasp. "What? Where did you hear that because it isn't true."
"It's not? Then why don't you give me my portion of last night's take?" Ingrid was not one to be fooled.
Anna squirmed a bit, and played nervously with her hands. "Well, I haven't collected it, yet—hey, how did you know?"
"I had you followed, Anna. You haven't been holding up your end of our bargain. Come on, since when have I ever been a bully to you? Never."
"I don't have the money right now."
Ingrid blanched, and scrutinized Anna closely. "If I didn't know any better I would say you've lost your mind. How long have you been seeing him?"
"Seeing who?" Anna tried to sound disinterested.
"The soldier, Anna. Are you dating a customer, is that it? Because you've always paid on time in the past, so I can only assume this guy is a date, and not a client."
"Alright, Ingrid. Yes, the—soldier—is well, she—" Anna cringed on not being able to hold her tongue. "What I meant to say—"
"I'm not interested in any excuses you come up with, Anna. We have an—agreement." Ingrid turned to walk away, but hesitated. "Did you say 'she'?"
Anna's shoulders slumped. "Yes, I did. What of it?"
"It doesn't matter. You owe money, and I expect it to be paid soon."
Anna pondered Ingrid's reaction when she walked away and mentally slapped herself at the blunder. This secret of hers, the Queen, was dangerously close to being found out, and she needed to do something to make sure it wasn't. She needed to find Kristoff.
Elsa found herself unable to concentrate on her daily activities, as her thoughts were invaded by the presence of Anna. Standing at the window in her council room, she looked down and realized she'd been carrying a book, without having the conscious will to open it, let alone read. She set aside the book and contemplated the thick stack of decrees on her desk she needed to sign and seal, but her mind was pulled in many directions, and she found it difficult to distillate on anything.
Various nobles were currently in the room, going over the correspondence of the Kingdom, creating new decrees, or debating amongst themselves on various projects. Elsa was glad that they were apparently content to work amongst themselves, and did not need her attention. She turned back to staring out the window to the marketplace below and wondered if Anna was somewhere down there. And if she was, was she alone?
Elsa frowned at the thought, and her mood darkened a bit. She did not want to think of the things Anna might have to do in order to get by, especially if it had to do with selling her body. The Queen winced and let out s small moan of frustration, but then turned her head slightly to see if anyone noticed. They did not, so she made a decision that she hoped was the correct one; she found herself leaving her council room and making her way to her chambers, in order to put on the uniform and leave the castle. It was unthinkable—Anna out in the world and subject to its vicissitudes. Moreover, Elsa's principles could not reconcile leaving Anna in the brothel, while she, herself, lived in luxury, wanting for nothing. And if the Queen had to be honest with herself; her want of the young woman was powerful. It was a hunger altogether new to her, and she wanted to explore every aspect of it. Elsa's mood was full of angst and want, and she wasn't able to concentrate on anything except the memories of Anna's body—and its pleasures and needs.
The journey to her room was uneventful, as she hoped her leaving the castle would be.
The Queen ran her hand over the rough fabric of the uniform coat and thought of Anna—the redhead with her less than genteel smile, wondrous personality, and generous heart. She was so engaged by her own thoughts that she failed to notice she was no longer alone in her room.
"Your Majesty?"
Elsa quickly turned, and grabbed the doorframe. Kai and Gerda stood before her, both with uncertain looks on their faces. It was apparent they wanted to engage her in some sort of conversation, but were uncertain on how to do so.
Finally, Kai stepped forward, and adjusted his coat. "May we inquire as to Her Majesty's well-being?"
Well-being? Elsa thought that might be the polite way of asking if she was crazy. "As you can see I am well."
Gerda and Kai exchanged glances, then the older woman stepped forward. "I used to serve your mother, Elsa, and saw to her every need and want, and when you were born I pledged myself to your care, as well. I—we—just need to grasp: Is there something we need to know?"
Elsa sighed and then looked down before speaking. "I know I can trust you two. I am currently…well, what is happening now is…" She could not find the words to express her current feelings and situation.
"Are you in danger, Your Majesty?" Kai asked.
"No, no…I'm not in danger of any kind."
Elsa pondered her last statement and realized it was not completely true. Her relationship with a prostitute could well put her reign in danger. Not by open rebellion by her army, but there would no doubt be members of her nobility who could insist that she abdicate the Throne. Elsa frowned at that last thought, wondering how she would ever navigate around the biases of her aristocracy. They were a snobbish and pretentious lot, full of their own sense of privilege and divine right. It disgusted Elsa to think that she was part of this hypocrisy, and vowed to herself to right any wrongs she may have committed because of it.
Elsa looked up after awhile, and finally spoke. "I haven't even spoke to my advisors about this."
"About what, Your Majesty?" Gerda hoped that her smile would encourage the Queen.
"I think I'm... I believe that I am—falling …" The Queen chocked out a sob and then fell silent again. After a sort pause she let out a ragged breath. "I'm not used to confiding my heart to anyone. It seems like I've lived my life in one massive secret."
The servants looked to each other again, not quite understanding the predicament the Queen was in, or what she was trying to say.
"You have known us your entire life, Your Majesty—Elsa…"
The Queen's head snapped up at the use of her given name.
"…we were there when you took your first steps. Do you remember your first bicycle? How excited you were to have it? It was me who taught you how to ride it when your father took ill that one summer. My dear, Queen—"
"I think I've found someone." The words were rushed, almost as if it hurt Elsa to say them.
Gerda stepped up to the Queen. "Found someone…as in 'dating.'" Her eyes went wide when Elsa blushed. "You want to date someone, my Queen? Why, that is wonderful news indeed. Who is the lucky man?"
Elsa blushed an even deeper red. "No… I mean, yes, but…" She became quite frustrated with herself and finally blurted it out. "I met a young woman, and I want to get to know her better—and not just as a friend.
If the Queen was expecting a negative reaction to her news then she was sorely mistaken. Kai and Gerda gave each other a knowing look and even chuckled.
"Is the Queen to be mocked?" Elsa was fully prepared for self-indignation.
Kai held up is hands. "Its not that we are mocking you, Your Majesty. We have always known about Her Majesty's proclivities. Your mother told me and Gerda several months before her untimely death."
"She did?" Elsa asked, truly shocked.
Gerda nodded. "Yes, my Queen. Apparently your mother found the letters written to your cousin in Corona. We were charged never to bring up the subject, and only to support you when the truth was necessary."
Elsa blew out a cleansing breath, and the heaviness that was enshrouding her heart lessened. "Well, I think it is necessary now." She leaned against the doorframe. "So, both of you knew? I always knew my mother was a wise woman. Did my father know?"
"We don't know, Queen Elsa. All that we know came from your mother. When she told us to keep it a secret we did, even from your father," Gerda said.
The Queen nodded and let out another long breath. So, her mother knew about her all along and never discussed it with her. She hoped it had more to do with not ever getting the chance to rather than outright neglect. Elsa didn't think her mother was capable of that type of inattention, so she chose to think that her parent's premature death was the reason they never talked about it.
Elsa had a new reason to mourn the early death of her parents, but, she had no time at the moment to live in grief, so she chose to proceed with the matter at hand. "I'm glad that you know—and I do trust you two, even if I seem a little aloof at times."
"You don't plan to host a costume ball anytime soon, do you, my Queen?" Gerda couldn't contain her mirth.
Elsa eyed her and chuckled. "No, I do not. I've used the uniform a few times for seeing the town. It was during my sojourn that I met the most remarkable young woman. As a matter of fact, I was just going to put it on to try to find her again.
"I don't know where she lives or even if she has a home at all because—well, she is…she has, a most unfortunate—employment."
"I could send out a contingent of guards to try to find her, Your Majesty. Would you like me to do this?" Kai asked enthusiastically.
"No, I need to find her myself. But I am grateful for you alacrity, Kai. But can you see that the back entrance that leads to the alleys and docks is cleared of any errant soldiers? I need not to be seen or questioned."
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
"Let us keep this to ourselves, my friends, I need all the support I can get. I have a feeling that when my nobles find out about this they are going to be less than pleased. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to change."
Kai bowed and Gerda curtsied before they left. When they were gone Elsa quickly changed and left for the alleyway and a new sense of purpose. She had a feeling that all was not well with Anna, and just wanted to reach her as soon as possible.