A/N: Before the chapter I feel as if I should make a few things clear. In chapter one there was a mistype implying Anna was 15. I changed that, she's now implied to be 17. I'm combing over both chapters right now to clear up any typos or misconceptions. This chapter is unbeta'd and unedited, but I think it should be okay. Anyway to the people asking me if certain things are meant to be noticed/meaningful, I'm only going to say that its probably in your best interest to assume that everything I write is for a specific reason. I'm also a huge fan of symbolism, so do with that information what you may. (To the Guest, yes I actually am basing a lot of this story off of fairy tales. Most of it, actually. It's going to get a lot more fairy tale-esque from here on out. And for the Anon who said that it reminds them of survival-horror games, well, I'll just say that thats my favorite genre of video game. *wink wink nudge nudge*) Thank you to everyone who has complimented my writing so far, I usually over criticize my own writing so the positive reviews really help. Anyway! On with this chapter. (By the way, I'm looking very forward to writing chapter 4, what comes in that chapter is the idea that spurred me to write this.)


The next morning was a rainy one. Anna slept until mid-morning until the throbbing of the rain pelting against her window eventually shook her from her sleep. Her eyes opened sleepily to the sound of rain pattering against the window, and already she groaned to herself. She lay there motionless for a good while, upset at the prospect that her day out with Elsa had been ruined, until the sound of a door opening broke her despair momentarily. She shifted her head to peek up from the pillow. Elsa, with her arm filled with a bouquet of pink and purple petunias, came into the room with her hair done in a simple crown braid.

"Good morning." Elsa smiled, taking the Bells of Ireland from the porcelain vase and setting them down on the side to replace them with the petunias. "Are you about ready to leave?"

"We're still going?" Anna sat up in her excitement, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "I figured that since it was raining, you'd call it off or something, and I… wow. Okay! Yes! I'll be ready whenever you are!" she exclaimed giddily.

"Of course." Elsa chuckled softly. "The rain never bothered me anyway." she paused for a moment before taking the ebony brush from Anna's nightstand and sitting next to her on the bed, adjusting Anna to face away from her.

"O-oh no, you don't have to do that." Anna mumbled, her cheeks beginning to turn pinker.

"It's no trouble, Anna." Elsa mused, gently running the brush through the knots in Anna's hair. Not a single time did she pull or tug too hard, and the strands seemed to simply come undone in her fingers. Slowly did she ease Anna's hair into a pair of green ribbons, gently braiding her hair twice before standing up. "I need to get dressed myself, so… If you'd like to meet me downstairs in about fifteen minutes?"

"Yes! I'll be there soon!" Anna breathed, suddenly feeling very much awake. Elsa simply smiled in that charming, airy grace of hers and closed the door as she left. "What do I wear though…" Anna mumbled, pulling out her suitcase of the little belongings she had brought with her. Inside the suitcase she pulled out various dresses of varying styles, eventually opting for the most casual dress she had.

The dress itself was a pale cream color, with very fine light green detailings. Lace outlined the edges of her slightly puffed, but short, sleeves, and frill rippled along the tops and sides of the chest area. It was a fairly plain dress, but Anna had decided it was impressive enough, and so she promptly left the room and skipped down the portion of the stairs. Downstairs she was greeted by Gerda, who was folding laundry in the main hall.

"Good morning, m'lady Anna." Gerda bowed, dusting her dress off. "I apologize greatly for my blunder during last night. I hope you will forgive me."

"Oh no, its alright! It's…" Anna chuckled nervously, tucking a hair behind her ear. "It's fine. Elsa's really supportive, and its easy to feel at home here, especially with her around. Here, and uhm… yeah." she trailed off. "A-anyway I'm supposed to wait for her here, since we're going out, I'll just… be here. Waiting."

"Don't be silly. Just wait in the den." Gerda chuckled, relieved to see Anna in her usual spirits. "I'm sure Elsa would be more comfortable with you sitting in a chair than you standing idly around." she teased.

"R-right!" Anna blushed, pressing her lips together in embarrassment. "I'll do that. Good suggestion." she nodded, shuffling into the den, suddenly blooming with a giddy nervousness. Alone in the quiet of the den she leaned against the small side table before the great painting of Elsa's father and placed her hand over her chest in attempts to calm her breathing. "Okay just, … just breathe. Look at something else. Distract yourself!" she grumbled, turning to stare at the random baubles on the table before her. Again, her eyes were drawn to the perfectly circular spot surrounded by dust, as if something had been removed.

"Anna?" a voice called out, breaking her sudden fascination. Anna swivelled around and blinked, her heart fluttering again at the sight of Elsa.

"Hi! I was just uhm, waiting here and… oh, you look…" Anna swallowed, a lump forming thickly in her throat. Elsa, before her, in all her graceful splendor was absolutely dazzling. She wore a tight, navy blue jacket buttoned up tight with gleaming silver buttons while the short coattails hung over pristine white breeches. Shiny, black hessians with silver tassels hugged her calves in a similar fashion as the white, leather gloves that had replaced the usual silk gloves Elsa wore. Elsa simply smiled and approached Anna, gently taking her hands and squeezing them comfortingly.

"You look beautiful." she murmured, her bright cerulean eyes gazing intently at Anna. Anna attempted to swallow the bubbling nervousness that was beginning to boil inside her chest to no avail.

"No, I- you look, uhm, you look beautifuller! I mean, not fuller, but you look more beautiful. I'm sorry. I'm rambling. I'm awkward, you're gorgeous." she sighed, gazing up at the alluring countess whose eyes, lips, cheeks, neck were oh-so-close to her that she could smell the freshness of the clean jacket, notice the platinum hairs that stuck slightly out of place in the overall perfection of Elsa's crown braid. "Wait, what?" Anna blinked, suddenly aware of her nervous rambling. Elsa simply laughed, in that way that made her voice sound like bells or wind chimes. Anna's cheeks burned as she stared at the floor.

"No, no." Elsa whispered, her right hand moving up Anna's arm and over sliding slowly over her neck and up to cup her cheek. The movement sent ripples of delightful tingling all over Anna's body, her heart throbbing so painfully she was afraid Elsa could hear it. "It's so very endearing when you ramble on like that."

"It is?" Anna whispered, leaning into Elsa's hand, thirsty for the delicate sensation of Elsa's thumb caressing her cheek. Her eyes hesitantly glanced up into the frosty blueness of Elsa's, losing herself in the rampant adoration that was so painfully obvious in Elsa's features.

"It is." Elsa whispered, her voice lower than usual, a strange nuance to her tone that Anna was unfamiliar with. Though in that moment, Anna wanted nothing more than for Elsa to whisper into her ear romantic obscenities in that very tone, her hands to burn up and down her bare skin, her hot breath to ghost over her neck…

"Elsa! Anna!" a voice boomed. Elsa immediately composed herself, straightening her back and pulling her hands towards her body. The previous spark in her eyes was lost, and her regal costume worn in full glory. Anna, however, was dazzled at the sudden heat her body was exuding, attempting in vain to keep her breathing steady. Kai soon arrived in the doorway, smiling at the two girls and motioning for them to follow. "Wonderful. I was looking for you two."

"My apologies." Elsa bowed her head as she turned to face Kai. "Have the arrangements been finished?"

"Yes indeed, m'lady. If you'll come right this way, please." he motioned, leaving the room. Elsa turned to Anna and gently took her hand, pulling her close for just a moment as she left a gentle kiss against the side of her ear.

"I meant what I said." she whispered gently, her voice thick with something foreign. She detached herself and grasped Anna's hand gently, leading her through the manor towards the front entrance of the great building. Tugged along by the gentle hand of the caring countess, Anna simply found herself burning with a curious desire that teetered on the brink of indecency. The cool sprinkling of rain that splattered across her person seemed to bring her out of her desire-drunken stupor as she was faced with the manor's head servants before her. Kai and Gerda stood proudly by a pristine, white mare whose snow-white fur glistened in the same manner as Elsa's.

"Here she is, m'lady." said Kai, who bowed in unison with Gerda. "I'm sure she is most excited to be leaving the grounds. She hasn't been around much in a while, she's so very eager to get going." he chuckled, motioning towards the horse who had begun pawing eagerly with her front hoof.

"I apologize for not telling you earlier." Elsa sighed, looking Anna in the eyes as she squeezed her hands. "Are you all right with horses? They don't… bother you, do they?" she murmured, worry flickering across her eyes momentarily before she composed herself. Anna could simply shake her head gently as she gushed inwardly over the sincerity Elsa often showed towards her. Did she know how readily her words affected in her in such a manner?

"Perhaps we should allow you a little while, to get acquainted with her." Kai laughed heartily, gently stroking the mare's nose. Gerda curtsied again before pulling her skirts up and returning to the manner, gently tugging Kai along.

"Well." Elsa sighed, letting go of Anna's hands and approaching the mare. "She's quite gentle, and she rides well. Have you ever ridden a horse?"

"No, I haven't." Anna admitted, slowly approaching the horse from the opposite side Elsa had. The mare nuzzled gently into Anna's chest, snorting playfully as her ears pricked straight up. She was a beautiful creature, Anna admitted to herself, with frigid eyes darkened by shadows and a nose soft as velvet. There was not a single spot of fur darker than the snowiest white; her hooves contrasting strongly with their inky blackness. Elsa smiled as Anna stroked the horse's cheek and nose.

"It seems she likes you." Elsa giggled, her mouth covered gently with her hand. "Shahrzad doesn't generally warm up to people with such fain eagerness."

"You're just saying that." Anna blushed, stroking the underside of the mare's chin.

"I can assure you I'm not." Elsa retorted, leaning into the side of the mare's neck as she gazed intently at Anna. "She's far too… uptight to be so easygoing, usually. I suppose its my fault for choosing a lipizzaner as my steed." she laughed sardonically.

"A lipizzaner?" Anna mumbled, her eyebrows furrowed in silent question as she looked past the mare before her towards Elsa.

"Yes. They're very well known in Austria. There's a very famous performance in Vienna where the riders use only lipizzaner stallions. I much prefer the mares, myself." she said, stroking the mare's neck affectionately.

"And why is that?" Anna whispered again, her eyes curiously burning into Elsa's.

"I feel like…" Elsa blinked, choosing her words carefully. "Its easier to make a strong connection with them. They're more inclined to cooperate, rather than dominate. The stallions don't seem to appeal to me, they never have." she trailed on, her tone riddled with peculiar nuances Anna's eager ears picked up on. "They have a sort of grace that the stallions can't seem to muster."

"And… do you feel that way about people, as well?"

"Do I?" Elsa asked, her eyes staring intently at Anna who blushed furiously under her gaze. Elsa just chuckled as she slid her hands up the horse's saddle and seated herself atop the mare with all the grace of a queen. She reached a gloved hand down to Anna, who accepted the hand readily and allowed herself to be pulled up. Both her legs dangled over the right side of the mare as her arms slid snugly around Elsa's body.

"Why do you call her Shahrzad?" Anna asked curiously, attempting to distract herself from the delicious thought of gripping passionately onto the countess.

"I remember that she was a queen, and that it was a recommendation from someone." Elsa sighed, gripping onto the mare's reins as she leaned into Anna's touch. The movement was subtle, almost nonexistent, but Anna noticed and she smiled to herself, burying her face in the felt of Elsa's jacket as her arms crisscrossed over her chest, bracing herself tightly against the countess. "I can't really remember, in all honesty."

"I see." Anna whispered, hugging herself close to Elsa as the mare's muscles began to ripple beneath the saddle, allowing herself to be coerced into a steady trot.


The village seven miles away was a small place known for its salt mining. The houses were dark brown and white for the most part, with black strips crisscrossing over the windows. At the outskirts where Elsa had rode the horse towards, there seemed to be not a soul in the entire village.

"Where is everyone?" asked Anna as Elsa slipped off the horse.

"There's a festival today." Elsa replied. She unclipped a wound rope from off the mare's saddle and clipped it to the bottom of her bridle. "I thought that you might like to attend." she said again, glancing up at Anna as she straightened the rope out before tying it gently to the post. "Was I wrong? I apologize for not telling you beforehand, I-"

"No, no! No. I'd love to go. Especially with you. I mean, I wouldn't really go with anyone else anyway." Anna chuckled, nervously tucking a hair behind her ear. "B-but I mean if I had the choice of going with someone else, I would obviously go with you." Elsa smiled gently at Anna's rambling, placing her hands on either side of the saddle where Anna sat.

"Jump."

"Pardon?" Anna squeaked.

"Don't worry." Elsa smiled reassuringly. "I'll catch you. Just push yourself off the saddle. Trust me." she whispered. "I'd never let any harm come to you." Anna shivered at Elsa's words and nodded, placing her hands on both sides of the saddle and pushing herself off the mare's back. After a brief second of vertigo, Anna found Elsa's cool arms wrapping around her waist and gently catching her. Anna squeaked and held onto Elsa's shoulders, allowing the countess to twirl her down onto the ground gently.

"Wow that was like, uhm…" Anna laughed nervously, awkwardly smoothing the lapels of Elsa's jacket out to distract herself from the fluttering inside her chest induced by the protective grip Elsa's arms had around her waist. "Some kind of trust exercise, huh?" she coughed awkwardly, noticing Elsa's affectionate smile again and patting the lapels of her jacket with a schoolgirl's shyness. "S-so uhm, where's the party?" she tittered.

"It's in the village square." Elsa stated, her hands sliding down Anna's hips and to her sides. Anna felt a sensual palpitation pulsate deep within her chest, and she quickly pulled her hands to herself. "Shall we?" Elsa motioned down the village streets. Anna nodded and skipped alongside Elsa, her eyes flickering between the buildings in curiosity.

The village was almost eerily deserted in that quadrant of the village. Many of the shops were deserted, however they remained open. Some of them even placed their wares outside with a little bowl labeled 'Honor System: Pay what you can afford'. Most of the shops were quaint little things; small cafes, a florist, a nice looking tea shop, and an artisan pottery store. As they turned a corner, the sounds of festivities began to bleed through the streets, echoing loudly as the music encouraged the shouts of liveliness. Anna peeked past the buildings and gasped at the huge gathering of people, dancing happily to the upbeat music in a winding, twisting line of folkdance. Around the square she could see various artisan and food stands set up with people shouting and laughing in attempts to set up their wares. Anna tugged eagerly on Elsa's arm and led her down the street.

"Look at all this!" she breathed excitedly, letting Elsa go as she twirled in the streets, the rain splattering against her as she inhaled deeply. "I've never seen this much of the world in one day before." she gasped.

"Did your parents never take you out?" Elsa inquired, her eyebrows furrowed curiously.

"Oh, uhm." Anna shrugged, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've never really been part of any of the island festivities. I watched them, from my room, of course, but… My parents were a little over-protective, I guess." she tittered. She glanced about the street, attempting to derail the conversation. "Oh! A bookstore! And its actually occupied." she said, moving towards the little shop labeled 'Sunflower Books'. Elsa followed suit, her eyes glancing worriedly over the redhead in front of her. Anna opened the door to the shop, the silver bell tinkling to announce her arrival. A lithe girl sat in a wooden chair in front of her, not even glancing up as she flipped a page. After a few moments she slipped a piece of paper into the pages and set it down, smiling up at Anna.

"Hallo! Brauchen Sie Hilfe?" the girl asked. Her bright eyes were greener than sparkling emeralds, and her mouse brown hair was cut in an upturned pixie cut. A light smattering of freckles sprayed across her cheeks and nose. Anna blanched at the sudden use of a foreign language.

"Ah, Entschuldigung, aber sie kann Deutsch nicht sprechen." Elsa coughed, smiling gently at Anna.

"Oh! Uhm, I-... My apologies. I can speak English too." the girl smiled, nodding gently. "That's funny, I haven't seen many English speakers around here. It's nice to meet one." the girl tilted her head at Elsa and giggled airily. "In fact, two oddities today. The countess even left her manor" she added. Elsa blushed and glanced sideways, shrugging it off in her usual composed manner. "Anyway, uhm, what can I do for you? My name is Rapunzel, by the way." she added, holding her hand out for a shake.

"I'm Anna! And I was just looking around." Anna responded, taking Rapunzel's hand and allowing for a shake. "Sorry its just… I'm so excited seeing all these people. I've never seen something like this up close it feels like… For the first time in forever I'm actually part of the world." she sighed dreamily.

"How unlike our very introverted countess." Rapunzel giggled. "I'm surprised she left the manor on such a rambunctious day. June twenty-first is always so festive, and our countess has never really been one for festivities. She must really care about you." Rapunzel winked, taking a seat behind the front desk.

"Th-thats… I'm certain one major outing per year couldn't do any harm." Elsa stated nervously, picking at the edges of her leather gloves in hopes of tugging them further up her wrists. "As a countess I shouldn't be nonexistent to my people."

"Yes, I'm certain that's the reason." Rapunzel teased, busying herself with looking through a stack of books. "Anyway, er, is there anything in particular you're looking for? I wasn't actually expecting someone to be coming in today, so you kind of caught me off guard. It's a little messy, so I'm sorry."

"Oh no!" Anna exclaimed, completely missing the implications of the micro-conversation that had transpired between Elsa and Rapunzel. "I was just curious since this was the only store I saw open. Why aren't you out there, anyway? S-sorry if I'm prying."

"That's all right. It's just, well…" Rapunzel chuckled and shrugged. "It's my birthday, and I kind of have an annual thing that I do. And besides, I might be extroverted, but I'm used to being alone, so it's kind of nice to take a break every once in a while." she smiled. "Well while you're here, why don't you take a look around if you'd like to?"

"Sure!" Anna nodded, maneuvering her way through the labyrinthine stacks of books placed precariously around the shop. Many of the books had worn, leather bindings that were falling apart. Some of them looked as if they had been rebound recently, judging by the yellowed paper contrasting with the pristine leather that rippled with the smell of fresh leather. There was one book that stood out amongst the others, however. It was bound in shiny black leather and engraved with indented, golden letters. Anna pulled the book out of the shelf and flipped through it curiously, noting the various foreign names and titles she wasn't familiar with.

"Ah, that's a good choice." Rapunzel said, looking over her shoulder. "The version by Antoine Galland is better, but I don't think you know much French."

"How's it better?" Anna asked, glancing back at Rapunzel for a moment.

"Much less appropriating. That version is very censored in accordance to the very Victorian standards of 'immorality' and all that." Rapunzel sighed, taking her seat at the desk again. "It's quite infuriating actually, but I can't do much about it. They're good stories, nonetheless. Would you like to have it?"

"Oh I don't have any money." Anna admitted sheepishly.

"That's quite all right, Anna." Elsa finally piped up after minutes of waiting patiently by the door. "I'll pay for it."

"Psh. No need. Consider it a welcome gift to Austria. Plus its one of the only books we have in English, so maybe that'll be incentive for you to actually learn German." Rapunzel winked.

"Are you sure?" Anna asked.

"I'm sure. Now go on and enjoy the festivities for me, okay? You don't wanna spend your whole day stuck in my musty old bookstore." Rapunzel giggled.

"Okay. Thank you so much by the way, I'll… I'll pay you back."

"No need!" Rapunzel said. "Oh, well you can help me with something. I'm looking for someone, that's why I'm here in Austria."

"What do they look like?"

"Well, its actually a cat. A completely black cat."


Anna found herself waiting under a small overhang on a stone bench, watching the people dance and laugh as they partook in the festivities. To the side was a tall, wooden post with a paper pasted against it that said "Gesucht!: Der Räuber dem Wald" with some charcoal sketch of a hooded figure beneath it. Anna didn't know a lick of German, but she guessed that it was probably a wanted poster. She found herself staring curiously at it while she waited on the chilly stone bench. Elsa had offered to retrieve some food for her as she didn't know German, and so she sat there admiring the people dancing around the picturesque fountain that stood in the centre of the square. The fountain was in the shape of a great, two-headed eagle, blackened by some manner of paint or soot. Elsa returned soon after, a peculiar filled bun and a hot mug in her hands as she took her side next to Anna.

"You're not hungry?" inquired Anna as she took the food from Elsa. She replaced the mug on her left to the side of the stone bench and took a bite from the bun. The strong flavor of grilled meat and mustard shocking her. "What is this? Its delicious!"

"It's bratwurst. Generally its made from pork or beef but in Austria they make it from veal." Elsa replied. "The drink is hot punch. I got the non-alcoholic kind as I'm not entirely sure what you preferred, and I'd rather err on the side of caution."

"I see." Anna mumbled through her stuffed face, wolfing down the food with a kindled vigor. It was her first time eating food like that, the food in Ireland consisted mostly of various stews and potato dishes. "You shouldn't worry about alcohol though, I am from Ireland, after all." she snickered.

"I'd rather not conform my view of you into a petty stereotype." Elsa said, crossing her legs and leaning her forearms against her elevated knee. "You're a person, Anna. Not someone's ignorance personified." Anna blinked and looked towards Elsa, stunned again by her blatant honesty and affection. Her cheeks began to tingle with the familiar burning that began to ignite within her. Elsa simply smiled in that mysterious manner of hers and pulled out a cloth, reaching over to wipe a stray bit of mustard from the side of Anna's lip. The small gesture forced Anna to tear her eyes away from the countess lest she combust before her.

"Do you want to dance?" Anna asked as she finished her small meal, sipping at the sweet bunch. It was delicious, Anna decided, with its faint raspberry flavor and gentle cinnamon undertone combined with an orange base. Despite the lack of alcohol, she found that the warmth in her belly give her a spark of bravery.

"I'm not so sure that I shou-" Elsa began, but was ultimately interrupted by Anna who had stood up and tugged at her arm, the last sip of punch forgotten.

"Come on! It'll be fun. I don't even speak the language and I still don't want to miss out on this." she giggled, pulling Elsa towards the crowd. Despite her reservations, Elsa found herself smiling fondly at Anna as she allowed herself to be pulled into the crowd. At the sight of the countess entering the mass of people everyone halted. The band stopped, the people stared, and in the distance a small child began to cry. Anna smiled awkwardly and glanced helplessly at Elsa, who seemed to burn beneath the stares of the people.

"Frau Arendelle?" a girl in the crowd finally asked. She was very pretty, with auburn hair tied back, hazel eyes that shone like gems, and she wore a pretty brown dirndl with cream undertones.

"Entschuldigung für die Unterbrechung. Sollten wir tanzen?" Elsa said nervously, attempting to hide her nervousness through graceful composure. After a few moments of the crowd staring at her, they erupted into a fit of cheers and the music started immediately. Like clockwork, they began dancing again. However, the girl who had spoken to Elsa pulled her into the crowd.

"Elsa!" Anna squeaked, holding her hand out towards Elsa. Elsa attempted to grab onto Anna, but too late she was pulled into the dancing crowd. The two kept eye contact for a while as Elsa helplessly maintained her graceful composure as she was thrust from person to person in the great mass of dancers. Anna could only help but giggle at Elsa's pleading look as the countess' eyes flickered between the people and Anna, a forced smile driven by her nervousness on her face. Anna simply smiled fondly as she watched Elsa twist and turn between the people with the utmost grace.

"Oi, Fraulein!" shouted a booming voice. Shocked, Anna looked to the side for a moment, only to see a very tall, blond man reaching towards her and pulling her into the masses. "Warum tanzen Sie nicht? Sind Sie neu hier?" he asked, his great brown eyes squinted from his great smile as he twirled Anna around in the crowd.

"Ah, English?" Anna asked nervously as the man spun her in between the people.

"I see. A foreigner then?" he laughed, swivelling her around in unison with the rest of the people. "Then you don't know how these dances work."

"Oh! You speak English. The bookstore owner told me nobody else here was an English speaker." Anna added.

"That's probably because I'm not much of a reader." he laughed. "I'm Kristoff. How about you?"

"Anna." she stated. "I'm just Anna."

"Well, Just Anna, look alive, why don't you?" he laughed, pushing her gently to the next person as he switched off and began to dance with another one of the girls in the crowd. Anna laughed excitedly as she began to understand the flow of the dance, passed on from man to man, between the crowds as the people ebbed and weaved to the rhythm of the music. Every once in a while she'd notice Elsa, who moved in the opposite direction as her as the girl before had pulled her into the male part of the dance. Anna simply turned her attention to the dance, laughing and giggling with the rest of the smiling people as she memorized the moves to the upbeat dance. She felt every worry in her body leave as the hustle and bustle of the festive town square and the ironically cathartic rain soaked into her clothes and hair.

That was, until, the last stroke of the dance when she finally returned to Elsa. Anna gasped as the man she was with twirled towards the next woman, passing Anna off to the alluring countess. Elsa's arm wrapped tightly around Anna's waist, adding a sort of pressure that nobody else had, and sliding her free hand gently up her arm as she intertwined her gloved fingers between Anna's bare ones. A sort of needy feeling passed through Anna's body as she felt Elsa's body press against her. She had been the only one during the dance to intertwine their fingers, the men she had danced with simply grasped her hand in a hurried flurry. Elsa, however, made every touch deliberate and lingering as she gazed down with such brazen adoration at Anna, a calm sort of smile on her lips. Anna burned under the gaze, an emotional hunger for more of that affection eating her from the inside out as she she grabbed onto the lapel of Elsa's jacket, the thumb of her other hand gently rubbing against the smooth leather of Elsa's glove.

Suddenly the music stopped and the dance was over. The people began to bustle around them and laugh, spreading out towards the food and punch stands as the band prepped for the next song. In the haze of excited confusion, nobody noticed the countess and Anna standing there in the same position they had during the dance, with Elsa's arm around Anna's waist and grasping her hand as Anna clung to the lapel of Elsa's jacket. While the hustle and bustle continued around them, the noise was lost to Anna's deaf ears that could only hear the sudden throbbing of her own heart and her labored breaths.

"It's strange what you do to me." Elsa finally murmured, holding Anna even closer to her. Anna could feel the shockingly familiar throbbing of Elsa's heart against her own chest as she gasped from the sudden contact. She assumed that her face was about as red as a pomegranate by now, and a sudden worry that Elsa could feel her own heartbeat edged into her mind. "I feel like this has happened before."

Anna found herself pleasantly shocked a moment after.

Elsa leaned forward slowly, as not to startle or scare Anna, and as her eyes fluttered shut her cool lips came in contact with Anna's startlingly warm ones. A carnal hunger emerged within Anna as she let go of Elsa's hand and practically threw herself on Elsa, her arms wrapped tightly around Elsa's neck. Their lips moved together with a strange familiarity, as if it was oddly right, as if that missing puzzle piece had suddenly been found. Emboldened by the sudden affection, Anna nipped at Elsa's bottom lip, taking it in between her teeth and running her tongue against it. An airy moan escaped from Elsa as she stumbled forward, bracing Anna against the edge of the black eagle fountain, allowing her gloved hands to grasp and roam the thin fabric covering Anna's back.

Her lips began to move from Anna's lips towards her jawline. A strangled moan that morphed from disappointed to aroused escaped from Anna as Elsa's cold lips began to move down her neck. A cold tongue began to run down Anna's throat, and again she moaned needily against the fountain, tipping her head back to give Elsa more space. Her head felt hot and buzzed as Elsa's hands moved from her back to her hips, her thumbs pressing down against some spot near her pelvic bone, and she involuntarily moaned again as an almost sickeningly pleasant feeling began to boil within her belly.

It all suddenly stopped after Elsa opened her mouth against Anna's shoulder, the peculiar scraping of teeth against her ready skin sending a tremor of want up her body.

Elsa gasped, suddenly startled for some reason or another and covering her mouth in shame. Anna tilted her head, her bangs messy in front of her face and the shoulder of her dress pulled down to reveal more freckled skin. She panted needily, her face flushed with a bright redness and her eyes glazed with a strange urgency.

"I apologize." Elsa simply said, turning away from Anna as she adjusted her gloves over her wrists. "We should probably get back soon. It's beginning to get late." she said, squinting up at the rainy clouds that were starting to get thinner and thinner.

"I-, er… Okay." Anna replied, confused by Elsa's sudden heated affection and her almost instant change to her frigid formality.

It was then Anna began to suspect that there was more to those strange letters than she had at first thought.