"Hi Markus!"
A clean-shaven teenaged elven boy looked up from his work filing down the hoof of one of the royal horses at the sound of his name. His green eyes lit up in recognition of a certain dark-eyed human. "Back so soon, Miss Karine?" He teased, standing up from the stool he was seated on.
Karine gave him a wolfish grin. "How could I stay away?"
Only a week had passed before Karine was already feeling at home in the castle. The same day Elsa had given the brunette free reign to explore, she had done just that. She spent the entire day wandering the enormous marble castle, finding the library, an indoor pool, two ballrooms, the kitchen, a game room filled with liquor, darts, a poker table, and a pool table, the courtyard she had been found in, and the stables adjacent to the large field Elsa had mentioned.
Over the next few days, she spent some time in each of the rooms, aside from the kitchen and ballrooms. When she mentioned her desire to swim at one point, the Queen had given her a bathing suit so that the brunette could swim whenever the mood hit her, which Karine had used only once so far. The majority of her time was occupied by the majestic steeds in the Royal stables.
The stable boy had already grown to expect Karine quite often, as she had indulged in riding nearly every day since her arrival. She had expressed her goal to discover which horse suited her best, choosing one at random during each visit. So far, she had ridden five of the twelve horses housed in the stables.
A relaxed grin rested on his face. He leaned against one of the stable doors and brushed his scruffy chestnut hair from his eyes. "So who are you riding today, Miss?"
Karine hummed in contemplation as she inspected the horses she had yet to acquaint herself with. After a moment, her eyes landed on a red stallion. It was a breed that originated from her homeland: the Swedish Warmblood.
"The Swedish Warmblood."
The stable boy straightened up, a pleased expression warming his already amiable features. "Ah, that would be Brody. He's my favorite. Very gentle, that one is."
Karine smiled. "Then he should be a pleasant ride."
She waited patiently while the boy saddled and bridled the horse, all the while petting his long face and neck. Brody's ears flicked toward her as she spoke gentle words to him, snorting occasionally as if in response. She giggled girlishly when he nuzzled her neck, the whiskers on his snout tickling the skin there.
"Karine!"
The brunette paused her petting, looking around expectantly at the familiar voice. She saw the red head within seconds and waved welcomingly at the girl.
"Anna, hey! Are you here to ride?"
The Princess grinned. "Yup!" She glanced at the horse Karine had chosen to ride and pouted. "Aw, you're riding Brody? He's my favorite."
Karine bit her lip at the statement, suddenly feeling unsure. "Did you want to ride him? I can always go another day-"
"It's okay, Karine. He's my favorite, but he's not the only one I like to ride."
Karine tried to protest. "It's no problem-"
"Seriously. I'll just ride Rodrigo today." Anna reassured her newfound friend. "He's super energetic, just like me."
Karine eyed the Princess for a moment, torn between insisting on letting her ride Brody and conceding. When she decided that Anna really did not mind, Karine relented. "That's a good match, then."
Anna beamed.
Less than ten minutes later, the two were taking a leisurely stroll atop their respective mounts, making small talk. Well, Anna was providing most of the conversation. Karine was listening more than not, only commenting every so often. The cool breeze beneath an unusually warm sun made for a comfortable atmosphere between the two.
Xxxxxxx
Elsa watched her sister and Karine ride from the window of her personal study, her arms crossed over her stomach. Her blue gaze lingered on the taller brunette, a pensive expression on her face. The Queen was lost in thought, a recently common occurrence. The subject of her thoughts? Karine.
Although they hadn't had much contact outside of meal-times, the blonde had noticed Karine was coming out of her shell and growing more relaxed around the Royal siblings. Her language was vulgar oftentimes, reminding Elsa of the universally-shared sailor stereotype. She sometimes spoke without thinking and took to rambling when flustered, the latter habit being one Elsa found endearing. She was also an energetic and animated woman, always on the move and prone to making many hand movements and odd facial expressions when involved in engaging conversation. And according to Anna who was around the young woman regularly, Karine could be maddeningly sardonic. However, though she wore her heart on her sleeve, she was not blunt, being ever-conscious of her wording despite her tendency to not think before speaking.
The Queen also learned a few things about Karine, both from the source herself and Anna. Apparently, Karine was an adept horse racer back in her homeland; she was notorious for it, in fact. The brunette had explained that women typically did not participate in racing and that her talent coupled with her gender was what generated most of the fame. She had admitted sheepishly that her profession was how she got away with wearing men's clothes regularly; whenever the subject was brought up, she would use the logical excuse that it was impractical to wear long skirts and dresses while practicing and racing. If anyone was insistent that Karine did not practice or race twenty four/seven, she would suggest that the same person kindly "shut the hell up and leave me alone before I shove my riding crop up your ass". Eventually, the citizens of Sweden just left her alone.
Karine was the only daughter amongst seven brothers, but was the first born. The youngest was five and the oldest had just turned eighteen two months prior. She was closest with her second brother, Benjamin, who was seventeen and had a similar personality to Karine. She was also a self-proclaimed "Daddy's Girl" since he always encouraged her racing dreams and all other endeavors she sought after. Her mother was the voice of reason in the family, as well as the disciplinarian. Karine's fond recollections of some of her shenanigans and the punishments for them were cringe-worthy, but the woman spoke of them with smirk on her face.
"I'm incorrigible," she had said nonchalantly as means of an explanation.
Some other interesting tidbits about the racer were that she was an avid swimmer. On the rare occasions when she was not in the mood to ride or was unable to, she would swim for hours on end if there was time for it. One of her hobbies was wood-working, which was how she made a living during her travels to Corolla. Another was writing. Karine confessed that she had spent countless hours studying vocabulary and syntax, and that her speaking habits did not reflect her "impressive eloquence".
Ah, yes, Karine could be rather arrogant at times.
Elsa would be lying if she said she didn't like it.
In summary, Elsa surmised that Karine was a genuine and honest person. She dearly hoped that she was not wrong about her inference for purely selfish and inappropriate reasons, as much as she disliked that acknowledgement. But self-awareness equated to control, and the hell if the 'Ice Queen' would ever lose control again if she could help it.
Elsa was startled from her thoughts by Aelric, who had entered her study after a staccato knock to the hard-wood door. He smiled and offered a polite greeting before announcing the reason for his presence; "The Tribunal has arrived. They await your company."
The Queen sighed, not looking forward to the impending meeting. "Thank you, Aelric. I suppose I shall go now, then."
"T'would be wise, lest they draw out the meeting as consequence to your tardiness," Aelric teased, causing Elsa to chuckle at the jest.
She joked back, "Then I shall make haste, Aelric. I doubt my patience is as extensive as many like to believe." She then exited the room with her friend as company on the way to the meeting.
Aelric scoffed. "Your sister has greater patience, my friend." Seeing Elsa's dubious expression, he continued, "You are merely more practiced in feigning it."
At that, Elsa conceded to the truth of the observation in a flippant manner, commenting as they neared the meeting room, "You know me too well, Aelric." She chose that moment to materialize her ice crown and heels, which consequently elevated her height so that the top of her head reached just under the man's brow-line.
"Perhaps a little too well," he mused off-handedly. "When do you plan on asking me to serve guard to Miss Karine?"
His question threw Elsa off. She stammered uncharacteristically and nearly tripped on air, righting herself immediately after. A small blush rose to her cheeks at her falter and she cleared her throat in an attempt to play it off. She did not miss the laughing grin on Aelric's face.
"Now, what has possessed you that you would assume as much?" For all of her practiced reserve, the blonde's pass at ignorance was as obvious as the blue of her dress.
Aelric laughed before smugly pointing out, "Because I know you, Elsa. When you take an interest in something, or someone, in this case," he impressively ignored the burst of snow that powdered is face, "you like to make sure it –more accurately her- is constantly protected. And who better than the Captain of your personal guard, pray tell?"
Elsa found she had nothing to say to that, so she glared at her friend in annoyance. He was absolutely correct.
Taking the blonde's silence as an admission of guilt, Aelric smirked. "I thought so."
They had just arrived at the meeting room. Just before Elsa went to enter, Aelric could not resist throwing in one last jibe. "I happily accept, Your Majesty."
He quickly dodged the snowball aimed his way.
Inside the meeting room, an hour later….
A throbbing headache had manifested itself within the head of a certain ice-wielding Queen. She disliked politics of any sort, but she unequivocally abhorred legislative work. There was nothing more grating on the nerves than sitting in a room with a group of surly men committed to traditionalistic roots and attempting to come to compromises regarding laws, especially those that would offer her citizens more personal freedoms.
Secretly, those freedoms were also for her benefit.
Unfortunately, the Tribunal was adamant about their opinions and were opposed to anything that was contrary to them. Even more unfortunate was that Elsa seemed to embody much of what they stood against, namely because she was unmarried and was the sole Monarch of Arendelle. This would not be as much of an issue if she were a male, or at least adhered to the socionormative roles of a Queen. Her being confident, self-sufficient, independent, anti-social, intelligent, cunning, and unwilling to marry was what made her unique from other Queens, and the Tribunal despised her for it. If they were able, they would have Elsa dethroned and replaced with a more suitable King that would be malleable under their grasp, but being that Arendelle had only ever accepted monarchs from the Ainran bloodline made that near-impossible. That Elsa was also an unstoppable force due to her ice powers made that possibility moot. So instead, they childishly made Elsa's rule as difficult as they were able.
There were many times when Elsa contemplated appointing more agreeable replacements. She was not stupid; she knew the angle that they were playing at. On that same note, to dismiss them would strain the already shaky relations with the noble families that the men share blood with. Many were wary of her ice powers, especially after the Great Freeze that had occurred at her hand. Her emotional stability and the questionable control of her magic were subjects of discussion at isolated gatherings, which Elsa was well-aware of. Her snow creatures proved to be excellent and loyal informants. Without them, there could very well have been a coup long ago. But Elsa was born into a world where such a thing was likely to be attempted. She was groomed to be an efficient ruler, trained to find and eradicate threats to her throne. And she was very good at it.
The Queen would remain as such until the day she died or unless she abnegated her throne to another. But until that day, Elsa was cursed to listen to the petty squabbling by self-righteous pricks who thought her to be an invalid.
I suppose I should be thankful that I am Arendelle's Queen, rather than another patriarchal country's Queen. At least here I can behead anyone who causes me insult without being questioned. Perhaps I'd be applauded for upholding the stringent Conduct of Respect statute.
A particularly sharp throb from the impending migraine made Elsa grimace. She decided the meeting would be adjourned earlier than anticipated.
"Gentlemen," she addressed the Tribunal in a slightly raised voice, quickly gaining their attention. When the Queen speaks, one must always be silent, attentive, and dare not interrupt on pain of harsh punishment. It was Elsa's favorite unspoken law, for it was a rare occasion for the opposite to occur and ensured she would have her say no matter what. "I have come to an agreement with several of the arguments presented. Our trading system with the Southern Isles must be updated. However, there is not much we can do unless we speak with a representative. Therefore, I shall arrange for such a meeting this very day."
A man with salt and pepper hair spoke once it was clear Elsa had finished. "What do you intend to update, Your Majesty?" Immediately, Elsa knew that he intended to goad her into admitting that she came to her own resolutions that did not reflect or even hint at any the views of the Tribunal.
To clarify, the Tribunal was not in charge of any state or foreign affairs. They were a voluntary system of advisors that were hand-picked by the presiding monarch. It was well within the Queen's power to make any decisions without their input and go about ruling as a tyrant, or even to simply replace the current members. However, Elsa knew that there were not enough loyalists to her sovereign rule for her to replace highly-respected individuals with those of her choosing without losing much of the little good-standing she had with many of the noble families. Until she had proven that she was capable of leading a prosperous kingdom, Elsa would not do anything to cause serious detriment to the public's opinion of her. She was already on thin ice, as it were.
It was such a burden to desire to be beloved rather than feared. Her parents had taught her that adoration was what allowed for absolute rule and power with little opposition while time and experience had proved it to be true. In digression, Elsa was also tired of being mistrusted and feared by the general population. She was determined to prove her good heart.
Even if it meant she had to cater to the whims of ornery old men. "I believe Sir Nikolas mentioned Arendelle no longer has need for the Southern Isles' cotton due to the recent trade agreement with the Kingdom of Corona. It is fruitless to buy the same goods from two different places, and since Corona not only has a more abundant and reliable cotton source, but is also providing it at a lesser price, it would be in our best interests to cease cotton trade with the Southern Isles. However," Elsa already knew what someone was bound to bring up. "it would be unwise not to compromise with the Southern Isles. King Friedrich still harbors guilt for his youngest son's distasteful actions, and we can exploit that to our benefit, as well."
Murmurs of agreement sounded, so Elsa decided to propose her own solution. "As we all are aware of, the Southern Isles is caught in a perpetual summer due to their location near the equator. Ice is a difficult amenity to come by- at least, it is in large quantities." She paused, waiting for the men to catch on to her idea.'
It was Sir Henrik that put the pieces together first. "Your Majesty…is it not true that your ice does not melt?"
Elsa smiled in satisfaction. "Yes. I can also set a timer, so to speak. After all, ice that never melts would eliminate the need for more ice. If I were to have my ice begin to melt soon after its arrival at the Southern Isles, then King Friedrich would find himself in need of more ice time and time again. Being that Arendelle would become the only truly reliable ice source, what with my control over when it melts, we could expect a steady revenue from King Friedrich with no expense on our part. It is a deal with pure profit for us, gentlemen."
Very seldom was the instance that Elsa receive unanimous approval from the Tribunal, and especially a smile to accompany it. Today was one of those days. Even stubborn old men could recognize good business prospects when they saw one.
Once several minor details were attended to, Elsa adjourned the meeting for the day with the parting words, "Remember gentlemen, timing is everything. Now that the Southern Isles stands to lose profit from Arendelle, they will find that they gain a luxury instead."
Xxxxxxxxxxx
The delicious aroma of baked fish, fresh vegetables, steaming rolls, chocolate cake, and wine assaulted Anna's senses as she bounded into the dining room, a certain blonde ice-harvester stumbling in tow. Having just returned from his ice delivery to several nearby towns and villages, he smelled of the forests he traveled through and the pungent stench of reindeer and sweat. It was a scent Anna had grown to no longer mind so much, but she definitely preferred his scent after he bathed. As it were, she had missed Kristoph too much to allow him to skip dinner, even if that meant he could have cleaned himself.
Kristoph did not really mind all too much. He had missed his fiancé and her boisterous temperament. He even missed the way she dragged him around everywhere at breakneck speeds, like she was currently doing.
"Kristoph's back!"
The blonde man rolled his eyes, yet couldn't help the grin that spread at Anna's excitement. Yeah, he missed his red-head.
Elsa merely raised an eyebrow at her sister, only partially succeeding at withholding the half-smile threatening twitch to life. "I can see as much," the blonde pointed out.
Anna stuck her tongue out at her sister petulantly as she and Kristoph sat down at the table.
"What a very mature thing to do, Anna," Elsa commented dryly.
A playful grin brightened the Princess' countenance, its infectious nature leading the ever-poised Queen to betray her age of twenty-two and giggle at her younger sister's antics.
Elsa inquired about Kristoph's travel and well-being, to which he replied positively. In turn, he asked about any recent happenings while he was away for the short time that he was. It was then that Elsa realized Karine was not in attendance.
She frowned. "Speaking of recent happenings, I believe a certain guest is missing tonight." The blonde did her best to sound as impassive as she should feel, but did not.
At the mention of the human, Anna was reminded of the news she had forgotten upon her fiancé's return. She winced, inwardly cursing her forgetful nature as she spoke up, "Yeah, about that…" At the expectant look her sister directed at her, Anna proceeded to explain that Karine had been thrown from Brody, the normally gentle horse she had been riding, when a stray arrow had flown in front of his face. She was currently in the infirmary sleeping off the massive headache and minor nausea she had gained from the fall.
Elsa nodded slowly once her sister was silent, distractedly murmuring something about moving the archery practice targets away from the riding field. In her mind, all she could see was the pretty brunette flying through the air and landing in a broken heap on the hard ground. It made her insides churn from worry and discontentment.
She felt her ice fluctuate and push outward, freezing the tips of her fingers so suddenly that her heart jumped in her chest. Elsa quickly halted the spread and reversed the effects, all the while keeping her face in a neutral expression. This all happened in less than a second.
Anna had noticed the flair of magic, had felt the drop in temperature that signaled the emergence of the blonde's powers. She had seen the distress in those blue eyes that were like an open book to her at the news of Karine's injury and knew it was the cause of her brief loss of control. Anna was aware of her sister's unusual attraction to the same gender, having overheard a conversation between the elven Queen and Sir Aelric, the captain of Elsa's personal guard and her closest friend, regarding the subject. It had been a shock to hear something like that about the sister she loved more than life itself. While she had heard of their existence from literature and history lessons, Anna did not understand such attractions. Nevertheless, if such things could make her sister happy, then Anna would raise no objections.
For her sister's sake, Anna would feign ignorance until Elsa was comfortable enough to confess her forbidden desires for women. Thus, she did not comment about the ice. Instead, she gently placed her hand on a cool arm and reassuringly said, "Don't worry, Els. She'll be fine."
The arm she held tensed as Elsa's eyes bore into Anna's own searchingly and only a tad fearfully. Did Anna somehow find out about her affliction? But when she saw nothing but pure intentions behind her words, she graced the red-head with a grateful smile. She then changed the subject to that of a lighter one.
"I suppose I will have a plate warmed when she awakens. For now, I'm sure the both of you are as famished as I am. Let us eat."
As the three piled food onto their plates, Anna couldn't hold back the quick glance she sent to Elsa. The worry for Karine's well-being was still there. Oddly enough, she was glad for it. It was high time Elsa found her true love, in Anna's opinion. It had yet to be seen whether Karine was meant to be that person for Elsa, but Anna had noticed the way she looked at her sister, and vice versa. There was an undeniable a mutual attraction of the physical nature, at the very least. Therefore, there was potential for such a possibility to come into existence. Certainly, there were worse women Elsa could fall for. And hey, at least she liked Karine.
Then again, her sister could not have chosen a more difficult union to pursue, if that was her intention. She briefly entertained the notion of calling her sister the 'Queen of Complication" instead of the 'Ice Queen'. Could nothing be simple when it came to the blonde? Anna concurred that hell would freeze over if everything went smoothly between Elsa and Karine, should anything romantic happen to come about.
Anna sighed, shaking her head as she shoved a forkful of fish into her mouth.
"Anna? Are you alright?"
Looking over to Elsa, Anna smiled in response to her sister's query. "Yup! I'm just a little tired, is all." Tired of you being so oblivious to what your heart wants, that is.
Elsa eyed the girl suspiciously, not believing the girl for one second, but ultimately relented and allowed dinner to continue without a hitch.
Can you tell I like time skips? It will be a common occurrence haha At least until the romance starts. If it ever feels like I'm moving things too fast, please tell me! Otherwise, enjoy.
