Thanks for the positive reviews! And TTP, sorry buddy this is a F/F story for sure. There are going to be sisterly feels on the way though. Otherwise keep your eyes peeled for oneshots because they'll be sister feels for sure (Being big sister to two little sisters I have a lot of love for this film).
Her father's study was never too hot, even in the blazing summer sunlight. Elsa knew this was because she was sat in it. It also meant that there was a snowman in the corner merrily drawing with crayons and a princess sprawled out across the chaise long in a very ungainly manner. Elsa wanted to scold but she was just too happy and grateful for the easy company they kept.
Anna mumbled in her sleep and snorted. Elsa giggled, Anna could sleep a lot, but this tiredness had perhaps been brought on by the late night of just talking and playing in conjured snow until midnight had been a long left hour and the sky was threatening dawn. They had fallen asleep on Elsa's bed and woken for a late breakfast.
Out in the palace grounds the sounds of daily life were a pleasing susurrus punctuated by the steady clang of a hammer on hot iron. The new palace employee. At the thought Elsa felt a little odd, not the kind that would cause surprise ice and snow, just slight warmth.
She had spent so long repressing, covering and ignoring her emotions and now that they were free she was finding it impossible to translate them into terms she could understand. With Anna asleep and Olaf no wiser than his creator, Elsa had one more place to turn. Books.
The shelves of the study had many kinds of books. Tomes of legend, ledgers and records of the kingdom from its very founding, information on all subjects to educate and fictional tales to entertain. One of the books might have a clue. She picked up a few likely titles and began to read.
An hour later and Anna stirred, Elsa was saying something and it was getting colder in the room. A snowflake settled on her nose. "Elsa?" She could see her breath.
"What? Anna?" Elsa looked up and threw a hand to her mouth. "The Room!" A wave of her hand and the ice dissolved away but Elsa still looked stressed out.
"What's the matter Elsa?" Anna sat up on the chair and stretched, looking around the room. "And where's Olaf?"
"He went out to see what ice-cream was. A seller's bell was ringing a little while ago." Elsa smiled and shrugged. "I suppose a snowman has more business with ice-cream than hot chocolate right?"
"True." The princess stood and joined Elsa at the desk, her sister tried to hide what she was reading but Anna was too quick. "Romance novels?"
"I, wondered what the appeal was." Elsa smiled sheepishly. "And… I spent so long trying not to feel that I only ever felt sad things." A hand on her shoulder gave her a start, 'Maybe one day I'll get over it,' she mused as the hand was joined by an arm and turned into a hug from her sister.
"Don't forget you are loved Elsa. By me, by Olaf. All the staff and the kingdom and Kristoff."
"And Kristoff hmm?" Elsa grinned cheekily.
"Mine!" Anna mock growled, pulling back to look Elsa in the eye.
"Teasing!" Elsa tapped her sister's freckled nose and returned the hug. "I can't believe we went so long without this."
"I'm sometimes worried that this is all a dream." Anna added. Realising the maudlin mood she broke it with a smile. "So, Romance then?" Her voice sounded pondering.
"It's nothing Anna…" Elsa tried to brush her off. "I was just curious."
"Okay then. But I have better books if you want to borrow them." Anna grinned and grabbed Elsa's hands. "Can we go see if there is ice-cream left? I really want a…"
"Chocolate cone?" Elsa finished and laughed with her sister.
The book was left on the desk in the study as the pair left the room using a 'shortcut' of icy wind from the study window.
"…then there was raspberry ripple ice-cream and tiny little chocolate sprinkles to put on top that were sooo cute!" Olaf was sat on a bench beside Elsa telling her all about his latest discovery as she and Anna ate their chocolate cones. The ice-cream seller had been doing brisk trade for all the overheated people and when their Queen had arrived she had happily iced over the courtyard and dropped a few snow drifts for everyone to cool off in.
"Thank you Queen Elsa!" A little girl shouted as she slid past waving. Elsa waved back and felt Anna nudge her. Her sister was smiling with only a few smudges of chocolate ice-cream to spoil the look.
"You've got a little something there." She pointed and Anna tried fruitlessly to peer down, she settled to licking the smudges away and Elsa laughed again.
"I did it on purpose." Anna said, "I love hearing you laugh." She finished off her cone.
"It's like twinkling ice." Olaf added.
"Is that so?" Elsa quirked an eyebrow at Anna. "In that case, will you join me in ice skating?" She stood and conjured a pair of skates onto her sister's feet.
"I'm terrible at skating!" Anna protested as she was dragged from the bench.
"And you like hearing me laugh." Elsa replied, pulling her further onto the ice to dance and play.
Lots of noise was drifting over from the courtyard. Shouts and laughter and excited screams of people enjoying themselves. Freya stopped to listen out, she had spent the day getting back in practice at the forge, an unforgiving task in the summer but she had gone so long since working iron. Wiping her forehead on a sooty sleeve, which left an unnoticed streak of black on her brow, Freya put down her tools and unhooked the bellows to the hearth. A cool breeze rustled by, it was welcome relief and came from the direction of the main courtyard, like the noises.
She put away her tools, shut the guard over the still hot fire and headed in the direction of the activity. The stable yard arch led to the grand entrance and the courtyard in front of the palace. It was in the corner at the opposite end to the forge, so the snow drift across it came as a surprise. "Powers, silly. The Queen can make snow." The pile was only waist deep; it seemed to have been put in place to bar people from falling onto the bare cobbles in the stables. People needed the barrier because of the ice rink that the courtyard had become.
"Summer ice skating." Freya grinned, she started to fetch her skates until remembering they had been lost months before. The ache in her heart returned. With no way to skate, Freya simply sat on the drift of snow, enjoying the coolness despite her low mood, and watched the skaters on the ice.
Varying abilities of skater mingled on the ice, some were just about pushing themselves along while others were almost dancing on the cold sheer surface. Amongst the townspeople the Queen and Princess moved, Princess Anna slipped and slid with little yelps. Olaf or her sister would catch her and right her in between their graceful glides and pivots, laughing and smiling. The Queen looked stunning when she laughed. Freya coloured as she realised where her mind had wandered.
'Maybe this fresh start isn't going to be as easy as I first thought…"
"Reindeer coming through!" A familiar voice shouted out to the Queen and Princess, and indeed a furry face pressed itself against Anna.
"Whoops!" She slipped again, but this time had Sven's antler to catch hold of. He smiled indulgently and helped her remain upright as Krtistoff glided to join them, circling Anna with an arm. "Thanks Sven." The princess patted the reindeer now she was safely being held in place by the large man.
"Still trying to keep your balance?" Kristoff said, enjoying her close proximity.
"No matter what we try Anna just slides over." Elsa said, gliding over and coming to a practiced halt. "She's just too energetic and fidgety for the grace ice needs." With a mischievous smirk she lightly pinched her sister's stomach to tickle her. Anna yelped and her feet began their usual dance for grip.
"Woah there Princess." Kristoff tightened his grip around her waist, pressing her against his side. He was most certainly not cross with Elsa for making Anna lose balance again.
"Quit teasing me Elsa! I'll never get it right if you keep tipping me over." Anna scolded, a rosy cheeked smile taking any rebuke away. Elsa just laughed again.
"I'll leave you two to catch up!" She waved and with practiced ease gracefully slipped away amongst the milling townspeople. From a distance she watched the cute sight of the love-struck but nervous pair exchange small intimacies. There would be a slightly tender look or a little lingering touch to one or the other's cheek, their closeness more than merely helping keep Anna standing on the ice.
Elsa was happy for them, she had really worried that her powers and outburst would have put any plans her little sister had for her future in jeopardy. Having a sister who could freeze the town by accident was an off-putting prospect for any potential suitor. The fact that these two had forged their bond in such unusual circumstances and Anna was taking it as slow as the respectful Kristoff helped Elsa support the union. Even though the two were at a stage where it was still longing looks and happy sighs, she had been researching information to quiet any objections. Other less desirable suitors could be rebutted with the 'fact' that Kristoff was from a line of Sami tribal leaders. His being an orphan and raised by trolls made it easy to simply spread the idea that his family line led back to the brave figures of myth and legend, as evidenced by his own willingness to fight a magical winter.
Deep in thought, she had missed their moving from view and the crowd was large enough that finding them would be difficult. Shrugging it off and sitting upon a bench, the Queen surveyed her people.
Sven was merrily dragging a horde of children around the ice, the little ones skating franticly to keep up and grab a hold of his harness, those who lost grip tumbling and giggling across the frozen courtyard. Olaf was happily having a garland of flowers woven around him by some little girls, pausing to sniff each bloom and sneezing his carrot nose lopsided. The enchanted giggles of the children was wonderful to the formerly isolated Elsa, so many people enjoying her gift, the beauty that Grand Pabbie had promised.
As her gaze covered the skating rink she began to notice the other couples skating, the mayor and his wife in a world of their own, the new pairs shyly hand in hand, young families towing their small children. Unwarranted her mind wandered, putting her face amongst the pairs… Picturing herself smiling at an anonymous partner, drawing closer for support, dancing together. The thoughts left the ice, moving to the ballroom or a meal, the gardens for a picnic sat on a throne besides her… withdrawing to the bedroom…
The crack of wood beneath her fingers startled her out of the train of thought. She had been icing over the bench, frost patterns swirling from where she sat. "Paisley and roses?" Elsa spoke.
"Oh pretty! You're trying new shapes!" Olaf had rolled over, still strewn with the flowers from his garland. He peered at them with wonderment and again Elsa felt the mixture of surprise and sadness at this loving, warm and curious creature she had managed to create.
"You looked like you were enjoying yourself." Her voice was soft, hidden from the crowd.
"Oh, I love it Elsa!" The little snowman gave a pirouette on the ice.
"Olaf, Olaf! We're gonna play ice tag!" A group of children came rushing over, "You wanna come and play…" They trailed off when they realised they were in the presence of the Queen.
"Ice Tag! That sounds great!" Olaf said enthusiastically. As one, the group looked at Elsa.
She smiled, one she vaguely remembered her father using before life had got so strict. "Go ahead, have fun." She shooed them away and waved to Olaf when he turned to say goodbye. Alone again her thoughts demanded analysing.
Her imaginary partner was nothing but a silhouette really. There were no defining features in figure or face… They were taller, just a little; maybe someone strong but their touch was gentle and caring. A touch Elsa didn't flinch from in unconscious fear.
Around her feet new patterns raced into the ice, delicate ferns and miniature hearts. This time she watched them with a soft smile.