Wings of Ice
Chapter 4 - Hot Chocolate Redux
- That evening -
Anna grinned broadly as she carried the three thermoses (thermosi? Anna wondered what the plural of that was) through the hall. This time, it was perfect. Not only was she going to actually deliver the hot chocolate, but she'd be giving Elsa and Kristoff the mugs so they could use them whenever they wanted. And with her own mug, it'd make a nice set. Win for Anna!
She pratically skipped down the halls, satisfaction at how perfect her plan was filling her. Plan: Impress Elsa had already failed when she screwed up step 1 and tripped all over the books, but she was confident that Plan: Make the Grad Students Adore Me would work. It really helped that she was pretty much done on Kristoff, so that really just left Elsa. The blonde had already forgiven her for her little slipup on the first day, so with this gesture, she could start again between them.
This time, she was going to 'wow' them with her generosity and thoughtfulness. This time, she'd show them the real Anna Frostad! This time, she'd...
...trip on a bump on the hall rug and watch three thermoses soar through the air in a graceful arc, crashing to the ground at the feet of a certain familiar blonde, the lids popping off so the contents could splash up and spray across them both.
Elsa blinked, trying to get the hot chocolate that had splashed all over her face out of her eyes. She looked down to find a panicked redhead staring up at her from where she lay sprawled on the floor. Anna's mouth opened and closed like a fish, no sounds coming out.
She sighed, extending a hand in what was rapidly becoming a familiar gesture where Anna was concerned. She helped the clumsy redhead to her feet, then bent to pick up the thermoses.
"Oh. My. God. I canNOT believe I just did that again." Anna's voice apparently decided it was time to work. "I am so sorry, Elsa. I'm not doing this on purpose, I swear."
"It's fine, Anna. Anyone can have a little bad luck." She quirked an eyebrow at the other girl. "Besides, at least this time there's some justice at work."
"Whuh?" Anna asked before looking down to appraise her own appearance. Her eyes widened when she saw that she'd managed to slide across the floor into one of the larger puddles of hot chocolate. "Oh no! This shirt was a gift from Grandma! I love this shirt! She got it for me when she went on vacation in Italy. She's going to totally hate me now!"
Elsa groaned. She still wasn't good at this type of situation. She'd been trying to lighten the mood and all she'd managed to do was upset Anna even more. Still holding onto Anna's hand, she tugged the redhead to get her moving back towards their rooms. "Come on, change into some clean clothes and grab your coat. We can still fix this."
She quickly pulled on some fresh clothes and put on her coat. Folding the soaked clothes she'd been wearing and putting them in a small bag, she waited in the hall for Anna to change. Is she trying on every outfit she owns? Elsa tried not to let her impatience show. After all, the point was to make Anna feel better, not worse. On a whim, she ducked back into her own room and plucked two of the cookies Gerda had packed for her the other day.
Anna finally emerged from her room, carefully holding the stained shirt. Mournful green eyes looked up into Elsa's. "Do you really think it can be saved?"
Elsa fought to hide a grin. "Let me tell you a story. There's a local legend around here. Once, a princess had the most beautiful gown she wanted to wear to the royal ball. But, the week before the ball, she found that she'd spilled her tea and stained the dress."
"Oh no!" Anna gasped, her empathy for the fake princess adorable.
"She sent her knights out far and wide to search the kingdom, hoping that one of them might find a solution. Days passed, and still the knights had no answers for her." Elsa continued her story. "The princess was in tears. The dress had been a gift, handed down in her family for many years. She was devastated that not only did she have nothing to wear to the ball, but she'd also ruined an irreplacable family heirloom."
"Then what happened?" Anna asked, barely noticing that they were on the old hiking trail. The shorter girl was hanging on her every word, her eyes begging Elsa for more details.
"Finally, the day before the ball, the princess had to admit defeat. None of her brave knights had returned with an answer. With a heavy heart, she knew she would be forced to miss the ball."
"Elsa, this story is so sad, please don't tell me it ends like this!" The redhead looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment, so Elsa decided to show her some mercy.
Continuing as if Anna hadn't spoken at all, Elsa finished her story. "Just when she was about to cancel the ball, one of her friends reminded her that many dry cleaners are actually pretty awesome at getting stains out. So the princess and her friend took the dress to the dry cleaners and picked it up the next day, good as new, just in time for the ball. The end."
"Elsa!" Anna sputtered, her face flushed. "That was so not funny!"
"I thought it was funny."
"You said it was a local legend."
"It is."
"No it's not, you just made it up!"
"So?"
"So how does that make it a local legend?"
"Well, I'm here, so there's the 'local' part, and 'legend', because the company is called Legend Dry Cleaning." Elsa tossed one of the cookies she'd picked up to the shorter girl.
"You're so lame." Anna grinned at her as she devoured the cookie.
Elsa had dropped off their stained clothes at the dry cleaner, and even volunteered to pay for it herself, but Anna wouldn't hear of it.
"I was the one who spilled it all over us, I'll pay for it." She argued reasonably.
"You're new here, it should be my treat." Elsa insisted.
"It's still my fault." Anna overruled her. "Besides, usually when people say 'it's my treat', they're talking about dinner or something, not dry cleaning."
"Fine, pay for it then." The blonde surrendered. "But I'm paying next time."
"Fine!" Anna huffed. "Wait... What do you mean by 'next time'?"
"Let's stop by Oaken's before we head back. I could do with a good meal." Elsa strode down the street towards the inn.
"You said 'next time'. I am not THAT clumsy!" Anna persisted as she followed the tall blonde.
"We can use the spa too, soak the chocolate out of our hair."
"Elsa!"
Anna hated to admit it, but Elsa had been right about the meal. Totally, one hundred percent right. Now, pleasantly full, she looked forward to the spa. Soaking out the last of the chocolate sounded like the perfect way to cap off the day. She pushed herself away from the table and stood to follow the blonde back to the changing rooms.
Stepping back into the hall, she was so not prepared for the sight of Elsa in just a towel.
Anna could feel her body heating up as her eyes traced the graceful curves of the blonde's legs. Oh. My. God! The towel stopped just below there, and barely managed to cover those. And it did nothing whatsoever to disguise just how amazing Elsa's hips were. Those hips! She hastily wiped away a small line of drool, hoping Elsa hadn't noticed.
When Elsa turned away from her to enter the sauna, that didn't help Anna all that much. The platinum blonde looked just as good from behind. Those hips were still taunting her, and her butt... Wow! Anna was openly staring now.
Elsa was walking now, and the sway of her hips was causing Anna's poor brain to melt. The easy grace the blonde moved with only served to emphasize the curves the short towel was concealing. The platinum braid swung back and forth, pulling Anna's eyes to the blonde's shoulders. It didn't help matters.
With a sigh of contentment, Elsa sat on one of the wooden benches in the sauna. Mutely, Anna took a seat next to her and tried to pretend that the heat in her face was from the spa. Finally, her brain decided to join the rest of her. I'm in a sauna with Elsa! And she's naked under that towel! God, what I can see is more than enough.
I hope she drops the towel.
Her train of thought screeched to a halt, jumping right off the rails.
Okay, it's the heat. It's got to be that. Because otherwise I have no idea where THAT thought just came from. I'm having heatstroke and my brain is going crazy. Yup, crazy. And it has nothing to do with Elsa sitting right there. In that towel. And I did not just think she'd look even better without said towel. Right, stop thinking about the towel. Please, please, please, stop thinking about the towel!
Elsa didn't notice Anna's distress, too busy with her own internal debate.
... I thought we weren't going to do anything about Anna.
Looking is not the same as doing.
Hypocrite.
Oh please, you were looking too.
At least I'm honest about enjoying it.
...
We're still not ready, you know.
If her towel falls off, I'm calling your bluff.
...
...
...Well?
It didn't fall off.
I know, damn it!
So you wanted it to fall off too?
I'm not going to answer that.
I'm pretty sure you just did.
Right, anyway, back on topic. We're really not ready. Did you forget that massive breakdown we just had the other day?
...We're getting better.
Not the same thing.
Close enough.
No, it's not. Anyway, she has a boyfriend.
Details.
You're hopeless.
You are never getting laid.
...
Please stop changing the subject. Avoidance just proves my point.
Fine, what's your grand plan then, oh wise one?
Sarcasm isn't helping, either.
Come on, you gotta let me have something.
Fine. Let's just get this going. Will you at least admit we're still hurting?
Only if you admit we want Anna.
Okay, I'll do that. So, do you really think we'd be any good to Anna in the state we're currently in?
...Not really.
Right, so first, we need to fix ourselves.
...Sigh, agreed.
And after that...
Anna.
Right.
- Late that evening -
This time, it was Anna's turn to lay away while her mind raced. She stared up at the ceiling of her room, mentally willing herself to fall asleep. The whole day had a surreal quality to it, and she was sure if she could just go to sleep, she'd wake up tomorrow and the whole thing would have been just a dream.
Groaning, she got up, giving up on sleep for now. Maybe a walk would tire her out and let her rest. She put on a robe and strolled through the halls, noting how different Arendelle looked at night.
Anna reached the gallery room and plopped herself down on the cushioned bench. "Hey Joan, mind if I talk with ya for a bit? Thanks."
She lay back, looking up at the painting above her. "So, I managed to drench Elsa in hot chocolate. Again! And I nearly ruined Grandma's shirt, but Elsa helped me out there too. Then we went to Oaken's and had dinner and a sauna. I gotta say, Elsa plus sauna is way too dangerous. I nearly had a stroke watching her."
Anna shivered. "It's okay just to look, right? I mean, it's just like appreciating a fine painting. I'm sure you understand that, Joan. Okay, so Elsa is really pretty. I'd have to be dead to miss it." She glanced up at the painting and winced. "Sorry, no offense."
Anna kicked an imaginary soccer ball up into the air. "It would help if she wasn't so nice all the time! I spilled on her, and she's the one making me feel better. She made up this dorky little story just so I wouldn't worry about Grandma's shirt and gave me a cookie. She doesn't even make fun of me or get mad at me when I trip. She's just the kindest person I've ever met, and it's driving me nuts. I wish that just once, she'd- "
Something caught Anna's eye as she lay on the bench. There, tucked tight behind Joan's painting, someone had wedged a slim book! Trembling with excitement, Anna lifted the bottom edge of the painting, depositing the book in her lap with a thump.
There was no title on the small volume, just a muted pastel flower design. Anna gingerly opened the cover, noting the elegant writing inside. From the looks of things, it was someone's diary.
'Rapunzel's Diary, Hands Off!
If you see Flynn Ryder with this, punch him!'
Anna giggled a bit at the warning scrawled on the first page before flipping it to continue reading.
'May 17,
Eugene stopped by today, but Mama chased him off. She says I have no time for that this morning. An envoy from one of the neighboring kingdoms is arriving today, bringing his daughter to be a companion and member of the Princess' wedding party. So I have to get dressed up, put up my hair - even though she knows I prefer it down! - and be all presentable.
I'll continue this entry later, I can hear Princess Anna at the door now...'
- 250 years ago -
Crown Princess Anna tugged excitedly on Rapunzel's sleeve. She'd rescued her best friend from yet another lecture on proper decorum by Dutchess Gothel, and they were on the way to the kitchens to grab a snack before the welcoming ceremony. Anna giggled as she remembered the look of frustration on Gothel's face when she'd pulled her daughter away, but Anna was the Crown Princess, and after giving Rapunzel this long lecture on good manners, the dutchess couldn't object to Anna's request without looking like a huge hypocrite.
"Princess! I didn't expect to see you here!" Chef Linguini straightened with a jolt. "It's an honor!"
"We're just checking that everything is ready for the ceremony this afternoon." Behind her, Anna could hear Rapunzel smothering a laugh. Trying to keep a straight face, she continued. "I'm especially concerned with those pastries. I want them to be perfect when our guests get here."
"Ah, I'd be happy to let you make sure, Princess." The gangly chef brought a small tray over, covered in an assortment of delectable looking pastries that, from the steam rising out of them, were obviously fresh out of the castle ovens.
Discretely wiping away a small line of drool as the scent of the baked goods wafted over to her, Anna plucked a handful of the pastries, before moving aside so Rapunzel could snag some too. She popped one in her mouth, savoring the flaky texture of the dessert.
"Princess Anna!" She winced when she heard the call from one of the castle guards out in the hallway. "Princess!"
"Pssst!" Anna turned towards the sound, spotting Eugene waving anxiously to them from one of the servant's passages. "Hurry, before they think to check the kitchens."
Laughing, the two girls darted into the hall, and Anna shut the door behind them while Rapunzel rewarded Eugene with a quick peck on the cheek. Anna grinned. Her friends were so cute together! She loved nothing more than helping her bestie sneak away from her controlling mother so she could be with her boyfriend. Rapunzel didn't care that Eugene was a commoner, she liked being with him simply because he made her happy.
Anna refused to dwell on the path that thought would lead her down, and instead decided to concentrate on imagining what their new guest would be like. She'd never seen this Princess Elsa before. All she knew about her was the girl was the youngest of three daughters of King Sven, the ruler of one of the neighboring kingdoms. As for why she was being brought here...
"Hey... Anna..." Rapunzel laid a gentle hand on her forearm, drawing her attention. "Don't dwell on it, okay? We'll figure something out."
"I know... It's just, I was so excited to meet this Princess Elsa, I mean, I heard she's really pretty and graceful, and she's supposed to sing great with this beautiful voice. And she's our age too, which is awesome. And then I remembered why she's coming here. It's so not fair. Okay, being asked to be in a wedding is a big deal, I get it. I'd love to be asked that! But the other reason just sucks! If only Daddy hadn't made that dumb deal..."
"Yeah..." Eugene commiserated with her. "Anna, if it comes down to it, I'll borrow Maximus and we can, I dunno, steal you away before the wedding. After all," He winked and shot Rapunzel his 'famous' smoulder before striking a dramatic pose by holding aloft a frying pan ike a sword, causing both girls to erupt in a fit of giggles. "I'm secretly the notorious outlaw Flynn Ryder! Always willing to rescue damsels in distress!"
When the girls managed to calm down, the three of them crept quietly through the deserted passage, making their way towards the solar. Since that was where she usually had her (annoying) etiquette and posture lessions, Anna was fairly certain it would be the last room the guards thought to look for her.
The three friends flopped themselves down on the furniture, still happy from their narrow escape. Anna closed her eyes, smiling as she enjoyed the feel of the sun on her face through the glass. Several windows were also open, letting in a fresh spring breeze. Her smile grew - spring days didn't get much better than this.
Eventually, the guards didn manage to find them, but not before the friends had a few hours to themselves. "Princess Anna!" Huffed Cogsworth, the head Butler as he puffed behind the guards, the rotund man fighting to catch his breath. "You are making your father worry! You know very well that your father specifically requested your presence for the welcoming ceremony."
"Coggie," Anna batted her eyelashes at him while Rapunzel and Eugene laughed at the nickname, "That ceremony isn't till after lunch, so I have..."
"Twenty minutes!"
"Ohmygod!" Anna bolted up from the couch. "Twenty minutes! I've gotta get ready!" She turned to Rapunzel, panicking. "Is my hair okay? What about my dress? It's not too wrinkled is it? Damn! Am I supposed to give her a gift? What should I get her? I didn't get her anything! Now she's going to hate me!"
"Princess," Cogsworth gently escorted her from the room. "Everything is already prepared. We just need you. Don't worry about gifts, your father will handle that. Your only job will be to offer our guests tea once they're inside." He cleared his throat. "As for you, Miss Gothel, thank you for helping the Princess ready herself for the ceremony. I'm sure the Dutchess will be pleased that you're such a considerate friend. And," He glared pointedly at the two guards. "I'm also sure that she doesn't need to know all the little details, like how Eugene was here as well."
"You're a lifesaver, Coggie!" Rapunzel grinned at the butler.
"Come along, Princess." The butler led them down to the foyer, where Anna could that everyone else was indeed waiting on her. King Adgar looked resplendent in his ceremonial uniform, one arm holding her mother in a casual embrace. Queen Idunn also radiated a contented beauty. Anna sighed wistfully as she watched her parents. She'd always secretly hoped that when she got married, she could be as happy together as they were. Unfortunately, that didn't look likely...
"My princess." Prince Hans of the Southern Isles extended her an elegant bow. "We are honored by your presence."
"Prince Hans," She returned his greeting, her smile not reaching her eyes.
She suppressed a shudder when he took her arm and led her over to a small table with a tea tray. "Princess, please extend my thanks to your parents for allowing me to attend the welcoming."
"Of course, Prince Hans." Bile rose in her throat as she choked out the hated words. "You are my betrothed. Mother and Father would want you here."
They continued to make small talk, Anna doing her best to ignore the smug glint in his eyes. Despite the pleasantries, everyone in the castle was painfully aware that Hans' presence was more than just a guest or even a suitor. He pretended to be just a simple prince, merely the twelth son of the king of the Southern Isles, but Anna hated how even his most humble polite requests were met with greater haste than her father's most strident commands. Hans held Arendelle's future in his grasp and he knew it.
The royal heralds blew a fanfare on their trumpets, the noise curtailing further conversation, to Anna's immense relief. She turned away from Hans, facing the doors. With impeccable manners, Cogsworth opened the doors, bowing deeply to the man striding through. Anna's first impression of King Sven was that one of the royal reindeer had managed to escape and put on a crown, but for all that, she found herself charmed by the man when it was her turn to greet him. He thanked her for the tea and moved on to talk with Prince Hans next.
Anna had been too busy paying attention to King Sven to notice that someone else was now in front of her in the reception line. With a quick apology, she grabbed a new cup of tea off the tray and spun to face her new guest. And in her haste, the teacup flew off the saucer...
...Splashing all over a very surprised looking platinum blonde. The whole room fell silent, no one moving, all eyes focused on the pair of girls. Anna found herself desperately wishing that lightning would strike her dead or something. Or that this was just a bad dream.
Fortunately, the tall blonde saved her. The beautiful girl turned to face King Adgar, daintily wiping off some of the tea with a handkerchief. "Majesty, forgive me, it's been an exhausting day. I am warmed by your welcome, but is there a room I might freshen up in before tonight's feast?" Anna decided then and there that she could listen to that voice all day. It was like pure music. And the fact that the girl was doing her best to pretend that she hadn't just been doused in tea was super generous.
"Of course, Princess Elsa. I'm sure my daughter would be more than happy to escort you to the chambers we've prepared for you."
"Thank you, your majesty." Elsa gave Adgar and Idunn a graceful curtsy before returning her attention to Anna. Mutely, the redhead gestured for the other girl to follow her. She was aware that, despite the reception continuing now that her little spectacle was over, everyone's eyes were still on her.
"Ohmygod, I'm so sorry about that, Princess Elsa!" Anna babbled once they were safely out of the foyer. "I was so nervous, and the cup just slipped. Please don't hate me!"
Elsa surprised her by laughing softly, her voice like a tinkling bell. "I don't mind, Princess. Those events are always so dull, I was considering tripping on something, myself. And please, I'm your guest for the next four months, call me Elsa."
"Only if you do the same for me."
Elsa grinned wickedly at her. "I think it might get a little confusing if we both go around calling each other Elsa."
Anna flushed, smiling back at the other girl. "I meant that you can just call me Anna." She eyed the tall blonde. "You really don't like those events, either?"
"Nope. Everyone bored out of their minds, saying the same rote phrases over and over, all the while secretly still sore from having their butts bounced around for hours in a carriage?" Elsa shook her head. "No thanks. At least your tea rescued me from the rest of it."
"Yes, well, here in Arendelle, we pride ourselves on our hospitality." Anna gave her guest a deep curtsy. "Please don't hesitate to come find me whenever you need a beverage spilled on you, your highness."
Elsa laughed.
Next Chapter: Our foray into the past continues as Elsa is introduced to Hans. Meanwhile, back in the present, Anna has to deal with her reaction to the diary.
A/N: So yeah, this one was a lot more fun to write than the previous one, although that one did have important background on Elsa. And now that Anna's got the book, the plot can really get going!
