Chapter 3: Commissioned
The stack of commissions was indeed high. But Anna's chippy demeanor convinced Elsa that she could get it done. Working together, the sisters worked up a funneling system to get them out: sign the commission, fold and envelope, wax the seal, then stamp the royal seal on the back. It got to a point where Elsa was less careful in reading who precisely was being commissioned to the front lines against Weselton. Though she would rather not send any young Arendellian men and boys off to war at all, she had little choice in the matter. She tried not to let the military burials of fallen veterans bother her so much, which she attended every few weeks. But those closest to her, like Anna, could tell that these deaths did weigh heavily on her mind.
By the time the last commission was signed and sealed, it was close to dinnertime. They slumped in their chairs, exhausted, before Elsa nudged Anna along. "Come on, Kristoff is probably waiting for us." After their meal, Elsa retired to her bedchambers for the night, escorted by Anna and seen inside by Joseph and Raymond.
"Good night," she smiled gratefully to Joseph.
"Pleasant dreams, Majesty," Joseph smiled back. The door closed behind her with a click.
"Good night, Elsa!" Anna called through the wood. Then, turning to Joseph, she said flatly and with no preamble. "Elsa likes you. I can tell."
Joseph quickly tried to cover his shock by chuckling. "Your opinions are most amusing, Your Highness."
"Hmm. But they're also true," Anna observed. Winking at the Private, she skipped down the hall towards her own bedchambers where her husband awaited.
All that night, Joseph spent his post wondering just what the Princess meant, wink included.
Elsa rose with the dawn, exiting her bedchambers still in her nightgown. It was a Sunday, the day of rest. Many Arendellians were very strong in their faith, and it was accepted throughout the land that the Lord's Day was meant to truly be a day of rest and leisure. Even for the Queen.
Stifling a yawn, Elsa turned to Joseph with a tired smile. "Good morning, Joseph."
Joseph glanced from the piece of paper he had been passed in the middle of the night and up to his Queen. "Good morning, Your Majesty."
"What's that you've got there?" she teased.
Joseph cleared his throat and presented the envelope to her. "A summons. I am to be commissioned to the front lines against Weselton this very night."
Recognizing the just-dry royal seal on the back of the envelope, Elsa paled. This had to be from the very batch she and Anna had completed just yesterday. She cursed herself for not reading the names of who was being shipped out as well as she should. "Joseph... I'm so sorry. I... I will ask that you be reassigned at once."
"You will do no such thing!" Joseph chided boldly. Behind them, an all-but-ignored Raymond cocked an eyebrow at Joseph speaking out of turn. "Beg pardon, milady, but I live to serve my Queen, in whatever capacity that she may deem proper. Although, I must confess... I will miss you being the last thing I see at night, and the first when the sun rises in the morning."
Elsa blushed, even as her eyes filled with tears. "I... will miss you too." She turned sadly away, then spun back. "You do not have to do this," she warned. "I can speak to Corporal Butrourke..."
"And make it seem as though you are favoring one soldier over all the others?" Joseph cut across her. "It would not do, Your Majesty." He flashed her his bravest grin. "I'll be OK."
Elsa swallowed a lump in her throat, then fled from the hall. Joseph glanced across to Raymond (who had not been assigned a commission). "Train my successor well."
Raymond nodded. "She will be safe," he promised, though that had not been the direct answer to Joseph's request. Saluting each other, the two guardsman relived themselves of their post to seek out an early breakfast.
Joseph's feet almost carried him to the Queen's bedchambers that night, out of habit, until he remembered that he was being sent into battle. He reported to his new commanding officer, and the battalion moved out to set up camp in the Arendellian foothills. It was where they would camp, just for tonight, before crossing over the mountains to join their brothers at the front lines.
Every soldier was assigned their own personal tent, each with a window built in. Joseph deposited his rucksack onto the simple cot, and tried to settle down to sleep, but thoughts of battle and other morbid dwellings made sleep elude him.
It was late when Joseph heard the whinny of a horse pierce the night, somewhere very close to his tent. Strange. The horses were stabled for the night, on the far side of camp. Curious, Joseph poked his head out his tent, to see that the horse was halted right in front of his abode, and its cloaked rider was dismounting. A hood covered his face.
"What brings you here, stranger?"
"I had to see you again," came the reply.
Joseph frowned. He had not seen this person before, though the voice sounded oddly familiar. Peering closer, he caught the outline of the figure's face by the light of some nearby lanterns. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you looked like the Queen..." Then it all clicked. "You are the Queen!" he gasped, and made to fall to his knees before her. Elsa caught his arms.
"Oh, get up!" she pleaded, casting aside her cloak, revealing her signature ice blue dress. "I am no Queen here. The Commandant of this encampment directed me to your tent."
Joseph blinked as he took in her words. What they meant. "You came to say goodbye to me," he breathed softly. "Why?"
Elsa turned beet red in the lantern light, eyes nervous, wringing her hands. "I... I..."
Deeply touched that she had come all this way, Joseph forgot himself. Sweeping the Queen into a dip, he passionately kissed her on the mouth. After a moment, he felt Elsa's body fall limp in his embrace. Swinging her back onto her feet, they broke apart.
Elsa stumbled out of the kiss, looking dazed. She gazed at Joseph as if she had never seen him before. "You just kissed the Queen of Arendelle," she whispered. It took her voicing this to remind Joseph what the hell he had just done.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me, I lost my head!" he pleaded as Elsa grabbed for his lapels, her face appearing hard. "I..."
Elsa's face eased for just a second, right before she rammed her lips up against Joseph's and kissed him back. Arms encircling each other, soldier and monarch stumbled back into his tent...
Elsa felt Joseph's finger tilt her head up slightly before touching his lips to hers. Swinging her arms about his neck, she closed her eyes and returned the kiss with passion. The couple fell back onto Joseph's cot, the soft sheets catching the Queen like a cradle.
As if by instinct, Elsa spread her knees wide, opening her legs enough for Joseph to settle between them. Once he was cocooned there, she squeezed her thighs around his middle. His eyes locked onto hers, his mouth agape, she flushed self-consciously.
"I've... not done this before," she admitted.
Joseph was so in awe of her - and nothing had really even happened yet! - that he blurted out, "That can't be true."
Elsa frowned adorably. "Why would I lie?"
Joseph shrugged, conceding the point. "Noted." Dipping his head, he kissed her lazily and felt his manliness give a violent twitch when he heard Elsa moan into his mouth. "Mmmmm..."
Joseph began trailing kisses down Elsa's face and neck, to her collarbone. Bypassing her still maddeningly clothed chest for the time being, Joseph's mouth found the slit of her dress. Ducking his head through it, he brought his head in between her thighs and rubbed it up against her. Elsa gasped sweetly, squeezing her legs around him to keep him anchored.
She felt Joseph peel away her lace knickers. Admiring the swedish-blonde patch of hair along her pink mound of femininity, he plunged inside with his tongue, as far as it would go. It was slimy inside, filled with the moisture of Elsa's pleasure. She rode against him, making the cot creak dangerously.
Unable to stand it any longer, Elsa began to tug at Joseph's pajamas in a very unladylike fashion. She nearly ripped his pajama bottoms and underwear away, clasping his shaft in her palm, stroking it. Yanking Joseph up higher on top of her, she pressed her lips to the head before diving forward and taking him whole in her mouth. Joseph groaned and bucked against her, the Queen's lips curling into a smile as his organ expanded in her mouth, tip touching the back of her throat. She finally released him with a small pop, and Joseph wriggled back down so that their bodies were in perfect alignment. Elsa wriggled out of her dress, and Joseph helped her, casting the garment aside.
They were now both naked. Elsa and Joseph's eyes locked. She smiled weakly and managed to croak out one word, arching against him.
"Please..."
Joseph smiled down at her with love. "As my Queen commands." Then, oh so gently, he pushed his way inside of her. The initial pain made her cry out, and a startled Joseph clapped a hand over her mouth. Once settled in, he began to squirm about inside her gently, thrusting ever so slightly. His movements seemed uncertain, which made Elsa wonder if they were both new at this.
Joseph penetrated deeper and deeper, growing in confidence. Elsa was screaming and moaning her lungs out in ecstasy, the cute little sounds emanating into Joseph's hand. She squirmed and thrashed, trying to get closer as Joseph slowly started to pick up his pace. All Joseph could hear were muffled pleas.
"Mmmm... mmmm... mm! Mmmmmm!"
She raised her hips as high as she could, until she realized that Joseph had been in control for far too long, and she had had enough of it. Pressing her hand into his chest, Elsa pushed, flipping them both so that Joseph slammed back into the mattress, and she swung one leg over his waist to straddle him. Dipping her head, Elsa kissed him softly, encouragingly guiding his wandering hands to the dip and swell of her breasts, glowing in the moonlight. Remembering some gossip that Anna had passed on to her, Elsa slowly began to roll her pelvis, swaying her hips and rocking against him. Joseph's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he moaned her name so sweetly.
"Elsa... oh, Elsa..."
Smiling in pleased approval, Elsa bent her face low over his ear. "I love you," she whispered.
That did it.
Joseph came with a roar, spewing his seed up inside the Queen's loins. Gripping Elsa's hips, he rasped out an order for her to bounce up and down on him, wanting her to reach climax too. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, he supposed. Elsa bounced along Joseph's shaft, mewling and tittering adorably, her bare bum jiggling. The sexy noises she made soon became so insistent that Joseph had no choice but to clap his hand across her mouth again, fearing someone might hear.
"Uhhhh... Huhhh... Mmmmmmm... HMMMMMMM!" Elsa squealed as she exploded all around her lover. Wilting like a flower, her own irises rolling into the back of her skull, she collapsed on top of Joseph's bare chest, pressing a kiss into his nipple.
Before she succumbed to sleep, she heard Joseph mumble, "I love you too."
The sky was barely awake, just grey, when Elsa and Joseph were awoken to the changing of the guard for the night sentries. Taps was probably an hour away, at most. Quickly, the couple roused themselves and frantically dressed. Sighing, Elsa melted into her soldier's arms. "I wish I could go with you!"
"Don't say such things," Joseph murmured. "Besides, you will be with me." And he pointed to his heart.
Elsa smiled, blushing. "When will I see you again?"
"I know not. Only that we will see each other again." Joseph pecked her lips lightly.
Elsa bit her very kissed lips before waving a hand. A pendant, shaped like a snowflake, appeared out of thin air, complete with a chain. "Wear this for me," she requested, hanging it about his neck. "It will bring you good fortune."
Joseph dipped his head, beaming. "I will never take it off, and carry it with me always."
Elsa's ice-blue eyes searched his. Then, draping her arms about his neck, she reached up and kissed him wildly on the lips with all the passion she could muster. It was several moments before she drew away. "Goodbye, Joseph," she got out through her threatening tears.
"Goodbye, Elsa, my love," Joseph replied.
Throwing her cloak back on, Elsa stole out of the tent, mounted her horse and galloped away.
The sun was just rising over the hills as Elsa thundered back into the palace courtyard and entered the castle. To her surprise, she found Anna waiting for her when she got back to her chambers. Her little sister cocked an eyebrow, looking concerned at best and displeased at worst.
"Where have you been?" she pointed to Elsa's nightgown, still hanging over a nearby chair as her servants had left it. "Gerda said you never took to your bed last night."
The thought of bed and last night made Elsa involuntarily flush. And Anna noticed. "Well, out with it. Where did you go?"
Elsa turned to her vanity, not wanting to meet Anna's eyes as she confessed: "I went to visit the troops before they left for the front lines."
"You mean you went to visit Joseph," Anna guessed. Elsa nodded almost imperceptibly. "Well, what happened?"
"He kissed me." Her voice was simple, flat.
Anna gasped. A pause, waiting for more, but nothing came. "And?"
Elsa gulped, remembering the magical night they had shared. "... I kissed him back."
Anna let out something that sounded like a squeal. "And?"
"And... I went into his tent and... I made love to him."
That was when Anna practically started cheering. Her older sister was in love, with the man she had hoped it was all along! "Was he good to you?"
Elsa nodded, her voice now completing its transformation to regal, correct. "Private Swanson was an officer and a gentleman and he made love to me as one." The monotone of her voice was all she could do to keep from bursting into tears.
After a moment, she felt Anna's hand on her shoulder. "I'm so happy for you," her little sister confessed. Pecking her cheek, Anna vowed, "This stays between us. I won't even tell Kristoff."
Elsa nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Anna."
And the Princess left her alone. As soon as she was gone, Elsa allowed herself to come apart, throwing herself onto her bed with wracking sobs. She didn't regret last night for anything, but she did despair that she had now lost the man she had fallen in love with.
Would she ever see Joseph again?
