Asha studied her reflection in the mirror, putting her hair into a bun. She put on a little bit of makeup and smiled into the mirror. When she was satisfied with her look, she left her room and walked through the halls of the castle and down the stairs to the dining room. When she entered the room, she found Elsa sitting at the table that was adorned with different plates of food.
Elsa saw Asha come into the room and stood up. She walked over to her and held out her hand. "Hey," she said nervously. A blush colored her pale cheeks.
"Hello," replied Asha as she took Elsa's hand. Despite her usual confidence, she was a little nervous as well. Elsa led Asha over to the table and pulled out a chair for her. Asha sat down and thanked her. She looked at the food at the table and saw many dishes that she had never seen before. However, everything looked delicious and her stomach rumbled.
Elsa returned to her seat and looked over at Asha, "I tried to find someone in the kitchen who knew how to make some of the dishes from your country, but I unfortunately couldn't," Elsa explained to her date, "I will try to find someone who can if you plan to visit more often."
Asha smiled, "It's not a problem at all. Everything looks delicious." She was pleased that the queen was so thoughtful and was trying to make her feel comfortable. Asha put a little bit of each dish on her plate and Elsa followed suit. Asha tasted everything on her plate, and though it wasn't what she was used to, it was actually pretty good.
As the two women ate, they talked about their lives. Asha was interested in hearing about the events of a few months ago from Elsa's perspective and Elsa enjoyed hearing about life in the Swahili Coast. Asha told her about her father and how overprotective he was of her and how she often snuck out of the castle to explore the nearby village and the plains of her kingdom.
As they talked, Elsa was falling for Asha more and more. After years of shutting herself off from the world, she had never thought that she would be able to find someone who would accept her for who she was. Asha made her feel like she was a normal person and she was also the most fascinating and beautiful person she had ever met.
After dinner and a slice of chocolate cake for each, Elsa led Asha out to the riverbank that she had made her escape through months ago. She turned to Asha and asked, "Have you ever ice skated before?"
Asha shook her head. "We don't get a lot of snow where I come from."
Elsa smiled, "It's okay, I'll teach you." She placed her foot on the water and the water froze for several feet. She looked over at Asha who was looking at the ice hesitantly. "It's safe. I won't let anything bad happen to you."
"I don't have any skates," Asha replied. Elsa walked over and fashioned a pair of ice skates for her. She handed them to her and Asha looked at her in amazement. "You can make clothes too?"
Elsa gestured down to her dress, "I made this myself."
"That's a really cool trick." Asha pulled off her flat shoes and pulled on the ice skates. She stood up and tried not to fall over. Elsa noticed her discomfort and held her up. She guided her to the make shift ice rink and helped Asha step onto the ice. Asha wobbled as her skates touched the ice for the first time and she held onto Elsa.
Elsa let go and instructed, "It's important to steady yourself." Asha tried her best to keep her balance. It took a little getting used to, but she was able to stand without help. Elsa smiled when she managed to do it and grabbed her hand, "Now do what I do and I'll be holding you the entire way." Elsa moved her feet effortlessly, but she slowed her movements so Asha could mimic them. Asha started to move her feet and together, they did a few laps around the ice.
"You're doing fine," Elsa said, "Now I'm going to let go of you." She moved away from Asha, "Try skating towards me." Asha slowly made her way towards Elsa. She had moved a few feet when she slipped on the ice and fell down. Elsa skated towards her and helped her up, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Asha smiled, "Go back to where you were." Elsa skated back to her original position and watched as Asha tried to make it over to her. Soon, Asha got the hang of it and made her way towards Elsa.
As she reached the queen, Asha slipped. Elsa grabbed her and pulled her up. Their faces were inches away from each other and Elsa's heart was beating. They were in a similar position as they had been the night before. Not wanting to make the same mistake, Elsa pulled Asha into a kiss. Asha put her hand on Elsa's face as she kissed her.
After a while, Asha pulled away breathing heavily. "Cha mtima cha moyo."
Elsa looked at her curiously, "What does that mean?"
"It means 'what the heart loves is what it wants.'" Elsa's heart melted at the phrase, but instead of answering, she pulled the princess in for another kiss. For once, the worries were absent from her mind and Elsa wouldn't have it any other way.