"So, uh. What's the Grand Marshal like?" Anna asked as she walked alongside Kristoff towards the docks.
"Elsa?" Kristoff tapped a finger against his chin in thought. "She's the best leader anyone could ask for. But she's really cold, like literally cold-cold and not just her personality. Though she wasn't always like that…"
"Sounds like you know her well. Is that normal? Does everyone call the Grand Marshal by her first name?" Anna turned to walk backwards as they converse, her hands clasped behind her back.
"Nah. I've known Elsa since we were kids. We joined around the same time and trained together." Kristoff plopped down on the pier, dangling his feet off the ledge and motioning for the redhead to join him.
It was barely daybreak yet the docks were bustling with activity. Soldiers and civilians assisted with loading crates of weapons and supplies onto a warship tied to the dock while another drifted a few miles away awaiting its turn.
"I used to have a playmate who was almost like an older sister. Her name was Elsa too." Anna sighed wistfully, staring off into the sparkling waters of the fjord. "We did everything together. Then she left and I never heard from or saw her again…"
"What does Elsa Frost look like?" Anna abruptly changed the subject.
"You mean you've lived in the castle all this time and have never met her?" Kristoff eyes widened as he shifted to watch the redhead. "She's always making trips to the castle, heck she was just there two days ago."
Anna shrugged. "I've heard of her, but no. I've never actually met her. Guess we're not fated to meet, huh?" She swung her legs idly, watching her reflection in the clear waters.
"Hey, maybe you could arrange a meeting!" The princess turned to her companion excitedly. "I mean I am supposed to be learning from her and it's already been a day since I was here. And what else am I supposed to do? I can't expect you to be babysitting me, I'm sure you have duties or training or something, right? Ooh, could you take me to training? I could use a practise session!"
Kristoff blinked in confusion, completely lost in the redhead's ramble. "Uh, yeah?" He sputtered, not exactly certain as to what he was agreeing to.
"Well, let's go then!" Anna hopped up from her perch, boots thudding heavily as she half jogged down the pier and towards the Keep. "Geez, hurry up!" She called back when she realised the blond was still sitting by the edge.
"Ugh. I don't take people places." Kristoff grumbled, hoisting himself to his feet and trudging after the eager princess.
xxx
A loud cheer erupted from the courtyard, followed by the sharp clangs of metal impacting against metal. Another cheer resounded, this time accompanied by applause, broke Elsa concentration and the Grand Marshal slammed down the parchment she was reading with annoyance.
"What in the name of Freya is going on down there?!" Elsa muttered angrily, wincing as there was another roar of applause.
She had been in the midst of strategizing the attack for the impending battle, updating the plans based on the new information that the scouts had returned with earlier that morning when she had been so rudely interrupted. On any other day, the sounds of men training in the courtyard would have been easily tuned out as background noise. But today had been exceptionally rowdy and she did not recall her men ever being that rambunctious.
Raising from her seat and extending her arms in a much needed stretch, she crossed towards the window and peered down into the courtyard.
Elsa quickly spotted Kristoff clad in plate armour, his muscular frame unmistakable from the familiar stance his body was lowered in just before he swung his sword. Elsa had ample practise sessions with him to easily predict his moves based on the way he positioned his body. It was the reason why they had stopped training together as Kristoff always found himself disarmed and held at sword point before he even had a chance to take a single step.
The blond knight was by no means a poor swordsman. In fact, Kristoff was one of the best in the battalion. Just, well, predictable; at least to Elsa. His unknown sparring partner though, seemed to be giving him a hard time.
Elsa frowned as she intently watched the unknown knight, clad in full plate armour with a full face helm topped by a powder blue plume that hid his identity. The manner in which the knight thrust and parried was unfamiliar, certainly not the way her men were trained to. The execution of each swing had an easy fluidity in its stroke, contrasting against the controlled swings from Kristoff. The mysterious knight's footwork was as impressive, each step precisely distributing his weight as he twisted and turn in a deadly dance.
Even as a spectator, it was exhilarating to watch.
In an uncharacteristic display of impulsiveness, Elsa strode out of her quarters and made her way to the armoury, her eyes blazing in anticipation. It has been a long time since she had a decent sparring session. Besides, she can't let Kristoff have all the fun.
xxx
Anna breathed heavily, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead and increasing the humidity within the stuffy helmet. She shifted her weight from side to side, eyes fixated on Kristoff standing with his sword raised before him, just out of striking distance. The adrenaline was coursing through her veins, giving her a heady high and sharpening her senses. The next time their swords made contact, Anna will not hesitate to go for the final strike. Their friendly exchange had dragged on long enough.
Kristoff shifted his weight, feinting left before lunging forward, sword held low for a right side swing. He closed the distance quickly with several long strides, each sure footed step bringing him that much closer and well within striking range. A smirk tugged on the corners of his lips, hidden by his helm; victory was almost his to claim.
Unfortunately for him, Anna had caught the way his eyes flicked to her left just before he moved, giving away his true intentions. Seeing her opening, she held her ground, keeping her body lowered as she waited for the opportune moment. She watched as Kristoff's blade whizzed through the air in an upwards arc towards her head. Just before the sharp point grazed her chest plate, Anna sidestepped quickly; leaving the blade to slice through thin air. With the older man off balanced from the wide swing, Anna moved forward, ducking beneath his arm and jamming her shoulder into his side. Using his momentum against him, she heaved him over her head and into the hard ground.
Kristoff laid flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him. His helm had slipped off sometime while he was flailing through the air, rolling across the hard packed earth to stop several feet away. His vision was still blurry as his mind tried to comprehend what had just happened. Around him, the growing crowd of spectators were cheering loudly; some even banging swords against shields to add on to the din.
A gloved hand reached down towards him and Kristoff peered up blearily to see Anna towering over him, eyes sparkling with mirth. Grunting, he reached out and took the proffered arm, letting the young princess haul him to his feet.
"You did great." Anna patted the defeated knight on the chest, grinning wildly at her victory. She was secretly glad that she still had on her fully enclosed helm that shielded her entire face and left only her eyes visible. The blond looked so dejected that she felt a pang of sympathy for besting him in such a public setting.
"Ugh. Well, I did lose to the better swordsman." Kristoff chuckled light heartedly. "We should uh…do this again." He ran his fingers through his hair nervously.
"Yeah. We should. I haven't had such a good session in ages! The men I practise with in the castle seemed to be holding back… wait, you didn't deliberately lose to me did you?" Anna narrowed her eyes at the blond.
"No! Of course not!" Kristoff held up both hands in denial.
"You answered a little too quickly. Next time, don't you dare hold back." Anna chastised, shooting him a menacing glare.
"Oh don't you worry about that. You got lucky this time." Kristoff shot back smugly.
"Oh? You want another go? You're quite welcomed to redeem your pride or get comfy with the ground again." Anna raised her sword, holding it upright and behind her as she lowered her body into a ready stance.
"This time it will be you on the ground!" Kristoff slipped his boot into his helm, kicking it up and into his waiting hands.
Anna opened her mouth, quickly devising a witty comeback only to have the words dying on her lips as she was distracted by the gathered crowd parting silently behind Kristoff.
A slender woman stepped forward from the crowd. Her braided hair, pulled up into a bun atop her head glowed like fine threads of molten sunlight. The plate armour that she adorned was meticulously polished, each individual piece of metal gleaming in the late morning sunlight that shone almost directly above the courtyard. Tucked beneath her left arm and resting atop the silver hilt of a sword, the plume of blue and white feathers on a half visored helm bounced with each step.
Piercing cerulean eyes stared straight into Anna's aquamarine and the redhead princess had never been more grateful for fully enclosed helmets for she was probably gawking openly. The blonde was the epitome of beauty, yet with an air of deathliness. It took all of Anna's willpower just to stay focused.
Around her, Anna could hear whispers of "The grand marshal herself! This one is going to be good." and "I've heard none of her opponents ever survived." There were even murmurs of a bet passing around and from what she could hear, the odds of her winning were practically zero.
"Care for a friendly exchange?" Elsa queried, tilting her head as she scrutinised Anna though she had absolutely no clue who was under the helm.
Knowing that words would fail her in the face of such beauty, Anna nodded, her gloved fingers tightening around the leather bound grip of her two-handed sword. Still standing between them, Kristoff stepped back, sheathing his sword as he did so and urging the crowd of onlookers to give the opponents space.
Elsa quickly pulled her helmet on as she positioned herself several feet away from the other knight. Drawing her one-handed sword from its scabbard by her side, she raised it before her face, the flat side of the blade facing her, her breath ghosting against the surface of the metal.
The few tensed seconds seemingly stretched passed before Elsa shouted in a clear, crisped voice. "En garde!" Twisting her sword 90 degrees, she took several quick steps forward.
The first strike echoed around the courtyard, the crowd having fallen silent to watch the display. Both knights took steadying steps back at the impact, having swung with their strength simultaneously. Elsa recovered first, her brows scrunching together as she moved forwards, in the hopes of catching her opponent off guard. Her second swing was batted away easily despite the awkward, off balanced position the mysterious knight was in. Gritting her teeth, Elsa pressed on; swinging and thrusting as she searched for an opening.
Anna panted as she parried yet another blow, the impact jarring against her wrists. She was clearly at a disadvantage, having barely had time to rest since her previous match. With the blonde constantly advancing and keeping the distance between them as minimal as possible, Anna could barely extend her blade fully and keep the persistent blonde at bay. The grand marshal certainly knew how to play to her strengths.
If only Anna could just put some distance between them.
Well, if she can't retreat then she may as well advance. Grinning deviously, Anna roughly pushed the blonde's next strike aside with her sword, stepping forward the instance both weapons made contact, twisting her torso to generate momentum as she batted the blonde's sword away.
The grand marshal's lips formed a silent "o", her eyes widening in surprise as Anna's shoulder collided into her chest, forcefully pushing her back. While the blonde recovered her footing, Anna charged forward, sword held parallel to the ground as she jabbed at her opponent's chest.
Elsa scarcely had time to sidestep the advancing blade, the edges of the sword grazing against her chest plate and producing a piercing shriek of metal grinding against metal. In a blink, the sword was gone, midway through a 360 degree arc that would have caught her in the back had she not ducked in time. Finding herself on the receiving end of the unnamed knight's blows, Elsa marvelled at her opponent's technique. If she had thought spectating the blue plume knight was exhilarating, being engaged in combat was almost liberating and she was giddy from the adrenaline rush.
They kept up the pace, neither able to gain an upper hand as with each step they advanced, they were subsequently forced to take one back. They were evenly matched, almost identical even; both moving in unison as their swords made contact over and over again, dragging out the session with no clear winner. If it had been an actual combat, Elsa would not have hesitated to use her powers, but doing so now seemed rather unfair. She had no intention of fatally maiming the mysterious knight; if anything, she could certainly use such talent within her ranks.
As Elsa deflected another high swing, her eyes were drawn to the blue plume bouncing on the knight's helm. The colour of the feather in conjunction with the coat of arms etched onto the knight's chest plate, indicated royalty and Elsa mentally berated herself for not noticing before. The last time she had seen both, had been on the King himself, during one of the yearly jousting tournaments held to strengthen ties with their neighbouring kingdoms.
And this knight was most definitely not the King. For starters, he wouldn't be wilfully sparing with the men, let alone be engaged in friendly camaraderie with Kristoff. Speaking of Kristoff, shouldn't he be keeping an eye on the Princess? Unless, the mysterious knight's identity was the Princess of Arendelle?
Elsa snorted audibly at the preposterous thought. If the Princess was trained in combat, surely the King wouldn't have neglected to mention that little fact.
"You're wide open!" The knight taunted, voice muffled through the helm and wholly unfamiliar. Elsa barely reacted in time, narrowly countering the long sword as it sliced through the air towards her neck; her momentarily distraction costing her to once again be on the defensive.
As she blocked each blow, Elsa became increasingly aware of herself tiring. Yet her opponent appeared to have boundless energy, each swing of the sword as powerful as the one before. If the match continued in this manner, she would surely succumb to fatigue and forced into defeat. Sword fights between knights demanded a high level of physical endurance and Elsa hadn't been training as much as she should.
Meeting the next swing of the long sword before it could complete its arc, Elsa spun her body around. Feet gliding one over the other as she twirled forwards, raising her sword as she completed her last spin and pressing the tip of the blade against the knight's throat. Up close, she could see how aquamarine eyes widened in disbelief.
"Now who's wide open?" Elsa rasped, her breathing still erratic from the sudden surge in adrenaline. Elsa had never felt so alive. It had been a long time since she had last been able to let go and be fully immersed in a match without fear of overpowering her opponent. A loud cheer erupted around them and the blonde relished in her victory.
Smiling broadly, Elsa stepped back, sheathing her sword before extending out her arm. Her grin widening as the knight mimicked her actions and grasped her forearm firmly in a friendly shake.
"Elsa Frost, with whom did I have the honour of crossing swords with?" Elsa pulled off her helm, cradling it under her left arm as she shook out her bangs matted against her brow.
Anna raised an open palm, gesturing to the grand marshal to give her a moment. Bending over, she rested her hands on her knees, panting heavily from the exertion.
Elsa waited patiently, worry briefly crossing her features as she listened to the knight wheezing through the narrow slotted slits of his helm. "Perhaps, you might breathe easier with your helmet off?" She suggested, hesitantly reaching out before deciding against it and retracting her arm.
Anna nodded slowly, the movement imperceptible before yanking off her helm and resting it on her knee. Her strawberry blonde hair spilled from their confines, cascading down her shoulders in twinned braids. Puffing out her cheeks and regaining some semblance of regular breathing, the princess straightened up.
"Anna… uh…of Arendelle."
The introduction was hardly necessary. Elsa had walked pass the floor to ceiling portrait of the royal family hung up in the Great Hall countless times on her way to the King's antechambers. Her eyes have always sought out the slender frame of the princess captured in immortality within the canvas painting. The portrait was frequently redone by the royal painter, giving a real life impression of each member of the royal family. Elsa always stopped to stare wistfully at the portrait, marvelling at how quickly the chubby cheeked little girl had grown into a beautiful woman; till a wave of sadness washed over her and she hastily went on her way.
Now, the very real, and very much alive Princess was standing before her.
Eyes widening, Elsa dropped to one knee, head bowed and right fist clenched over her heart. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I…had no idea…" She finished lamely. Around them, the onlooking crowd of soldiers murmured apprehensively, unable to hear the exchange between the princess and the grand marshal and not knowing how they should react.
Catching the curious glances sent her way, Anna half-dragged the blonde to her feet. "Please. I don't wish for the men to treat me differently due to my status." She pleaded softly, smiling awkwardly in an effort to diffuse the tension.
"Oh. Right." Elsa, straightened quickly, regaining some composure. Raising her voice, she stiffly praised the princess for her efforts during the match, careful not to give away the redhead's true identity. The crowd still mildly confused as to the Grand Marshal's odd behaviour clapped politely before scurrying back to their duties at an icy glare from their commanding officer.
Left alone in the courtyard with the exception of Kristoff loitering out of earshot; both women fidgeted nervously, deliberately avoiding eye contact. Elsa broke the silence, clearing her throat before she spoke.
"Uh. I didn't know you knew how to fight."
There was a certain familiarity in the way the blonde phrased those words. As if she knew Anna on a personal level and not just because she was the princess. But as far as Anna could remember, this was their first formal meeting; that much she was sure of. There was no way she could ever forget someone as breathtaking as Elsa.
"Geez. How could anyone look so perfect? Heck, how do the men even focus on their duties when their commander literally reduces me to a speechless puddle with just a glance?"
"Father taught me when I was a child. Till I got older and he had some of the castle guards train with me. But they always give up and surrender. It's like they didn't even bother trying! Or maybe they were afraid Father will have them executed if I got hurt. But really, what's a swordfight without a couple of cuts and bruises?" Seeing the look of astonishment on the blonde's face, Anna clamped her hand over her mouth, effectively stopping her ramble.
"Sorry. I tend to ramble when I'm nervous – I mean not that you make me nervous because you are so stunningly beautiful – I mean I'm not stunned by your beautifulness – because, really, I am, stunned by it – wait, what?" A deep blush rose on the princess cheeks, a shade as brilliant as her hair and she hid behind her hands in embarrassment.
Elsa laughed, a low hearty laugh that caused the sides of her eyes to crinkle. Really, why was she even nervous about seeing Anna again? All those hours spent fretting over how she should approach the princess were all for naught, the Gods clearly had their own plans and she was grateful.
"Oh, Anna. You're so adorable."
"What?" Anna squeaked, peeking above her hands. Did she hear right? Did the ever passive Grand Marshal that she had heard so much about actually laughed and called her adorable? Her? Boring ol' Anna? Adorable?!
"I – uh, that is – erm." Elsa sputtered, horrified that she had actually voiced out her thoughts. The compliment, though completely platonic was inappropriate, considering it was direct to the Princess, whom she was bound to serve despite their shared childhood. Not that the redhead would remember anyway. She was far too young then.
A warm rosy tint spread across Elsa's cheeks and she quickly diverted her gaze. Gathering her courage, she turned back to face the princess whose face was now as red as her hair. Slipping on her mask of professionalism, Elsa coughed lightly, easing back into the calm and collected posture that she hid behind.
"My apologies for not personally meeting you on your arrival. Please allow me to make up for my poor manners by joining me for dinner?" The invitation started off confident only to falter when Elsa met the princess's amused gaze and the blonde immediately ducked her head.
Holding back her laughter, Anna could barely conceal a grin at the grand marshal's discomfort. It was endearing to see that the grand marshal often spoken off as cold and emotionless to be so…human. And if anyone were to be blushing, it should be her. It's not every day she had the full attention of a captivating blonde.
"I'm sure you'd make it worth my time." The words were out of her mouth before Anna had time to consider the unintended innuendos behind. Turning away swiftly, she tried not to run back into the relative safety of the Keep and her temporary room, leaving behind a very flustered grand marshal to contemplate her suggestive remark.
A/N:
Sorry if I bored anyone with the overly descriptive fight scene... (I swear it was way better in my head!)
Well, Elsa and Anna finally meet! Whooooooooo! It's fluff time!
As always, reviews/feedbacks are always welcomed and very much looked forward to. =3
