Chapter 6

Present Day

-Arendelle-

"Hey, that's cheating!"

Once again, Elsa had taken one of Anna's chess pieces with one of her own, strategically closing in on the few white defenders that remained.

They had been at it for a little over an hour, filled to the brim from dinner as Anna insisted they kept playing until she won a game. The queen couldn't hold back the amused smile each time Anna pouted at every loss. "You're not playing fair," the princess pointed a finger accusingly.

Elsa quirked a brow her way, "You said that last turn." She crossed her legs, smoothing her skirt down as Anna huffed, "Stop it, you're cheating and you know it."

The queen chuckled at Anna's complete lack of sportsmanship, licking her lips to challenge the accusation, "Well, I just think you're really bad at chess."

"Don't get so cocky, Elsa, the game isn't over yet," the redhead stuck out her tongue and the monarch couldn't stop the giggle she hid behind her hand.

"Really? I thought it was over about two moves into the game." Anna lightly smacked her arm in retaliation, "You're a cheeky little royal, huh?" Elsa's laugh rang through the library and Anna made it her mission to make the queen laugh like that more often.

The blonde wiped under her eyes, the heat in her cheeks becoming more common around the redhead. "You're the stubborn one."

Anna winked in response, "You mean charming."

"You are, relentlessly so... I like it," It was Anna's turn to blush, not expecting the queen to be so forward.

It took a few moments for Elsa's gaze to drift from Anna to a tall clock, squinting and letting out low hum. Anna cocked her head curiously.

"Hm, it's nearly one in the morning," the blonde's voice was growing tired as Anna raised her brow. "Sleepy already?"

"I've never really stayed up this long before." Anna giggled at the confession before standing next to Elsa and offering her a hand, "Let's get you tucked in then."

Without another word, the queen rose from her chair, using the offered hand as support. They walked leisurely together, enjoying the quiet comfort of each other's company. Once in a while, they'd come across an open window where the moonlight would hit Elsa's hair just right. Anna would have to stop herself from staring each time.

A cooling sensation tickled the redhead's fingertips, drawing her attention as she looked down to her hand. With a faint blush, the queen followed her gaze, tickling the edge of the Anna's hand with. The princess' hand twitched with the need to wrap around hers, instead she brought Elsa's hand to her lips and feathered a peck over her knuckles.

The queen remained speechless, eyes wide and cheeks flushed at the foreign contact. The next thing she knew, Anna had bid her goodnight and walked off with a skip in her step. Elsa hadn't even realized she was already at her door as she watched the princess sashay away from her.

This routine lasted about a week.

The younger woman would spend her time exploring the castle while Elsa worked in her study all day. Then they'd have dinner, followed by a few games of chess, or conversing over warm tea. After enough jokes and teasing remarks, they would retire for the evening.

This was fine... up until Anna peppered a sweet kiss over a pale hand, leaving the queen frustrated and numb to the touch. For a week they relished in this harmless pleasure and it drove Anna crazy. The princess wasn't naive to what they were doing, at least, on her end she was courting Elsa.

Her fondness toward the older woman only grew each night. It was unexpected, to say the least, when she stopped seeing the queen as just a friend... she wanted more. The princess was lucky for the ignored complications of every thing else. They set aside glaring questions that Anna wasn't ready to answer, the queen's patience amazing her. Not once had she pushed Anna for difficult answers, choosing instead to know the little things that make Anna the person she is... and enjoying it.

There was no doubt, the women were naturally drawn to each other. The problem that Anna faced was opening up about her past. It wouldn't be fair to either one of them if the princess progressed their flirting without being honest.

But after a week of holding back, Anna was losing her mind. Between their longing glances and playful banter, she didn't know how much longer she could take. For now, Anna would have to endure the taunting queen and her seducing looks.

Not even another week had passed when the castle started to notice.

Between her flushed cheeks and furtive glances, Elsa couldn't hide her fondness towards Anna from anyone. Especially from Kai as he winked to them whenever he got the chance. He hadn't seen his Queen this happy in a long time, it brightened up his day knowing that Elsa's preferred company had extended past himself or Gerda.

What they weren't so intuitive on, was just how frustrating Anna was to the queen. She truly enjoyed their time together at the end of the day... but if she had to deal with another seducing look or kiss to the hand, she might take the princess right then and there. It was just too much and not enough. Yet, every night they kept on with their game wondering who would break first.

Elsa sat snug on a couch by the fire, eyes continuously scanning her book as a door creaked from behind. Eyes glancing up at the time, she already knew who had shown up to see her without having to turn around. Instead, the redhead slinked down next to her and laid her head on her shoulders. "Tired?" Elsa quipped, afraid to look at Anna with the blush already present on her cheeks. It was ridiculous, the princess didn't even have to try that hard. The younger woman hummed, "Probably not as tired as you, I'm not the one running a country." Elsa simply smiled to herself, bringing a hand to pat Anna on the head tenderly.

They were happy in each other's company, the silence comforting them both like a warm blanket. The time passed as Anna's breathing began to slow, her face turning into the queen's neck. It made the hair's on Elsa's neck rise with a shiver down her spine, turning her head to get a better look at the princess. Right when she brought up a hand to brush Anna's fringes, the redhead's eyes fluttered open. She looked confused at the queen's hand until her pout stretched to a knowing grin.

"I caught you," she sang, her voice husky with sleep.

Elsa smiled, looking into the redhead's eyes as she decided enough was enough, "Yes, you did." Her fingertips brushed the side of Anna's face, watching her sleepy smile fade. Then she fearlessly dipped down, expecting to finally taste the redhead's kiss when Anna pulled back at the same time. Before the queen could process the rejection, the princess grabbed the cold hand on her cheek, "... I want to, Elsa, but I just can't."

Nevertheless, Elsa felt like an idiot. The embarrassment was enough to make her slam her book shut and practically run from the library. All night she kept wondering what she had done wrong when the signs were evident.

When the sun rose the next day, Anna made herself scarce while the queen buried herself in paperwork.

Elsa sat in her study with a stack of papers left to go. She twirled a pen in one hand while the other was tucked under her chin in a bored fashion. She was spared from her thoughts when a loud knock distracted her, "Come in." Sitting up a bit straighter, she regarded the Commander with a polite nod of her head.

He bowed deeply and ran a hand through his messy hair, bags sitting under his eyes. Searching for the assassin had taken a toll on him, sighing in practical relief, "Your Majesty, we have found the perpetrator."

She nodded at his words, though felt empty by them as Anna lingered in the corner of her mind. "Very well... I'll have him questioned tomorrow."

"He's dead, my Queen."

Elsa's brows shot up as she leaned back in her chair, bringing up a hand to her lips in contemplation. Someone cleaned their tracks. "You're sure it's them?"

He nodded, "They fit the description Lady Bjorgman gave us... well from what we could register. The body had been found in the woods..." She didn't need anymore description than that, knowing Arendelle's wildlife picked off the body. "Anything traceable?"

"Unfortunately, no... the body, however, looked as if he fell victim to... magic."

"... What kind of magic?"

He shuffled on tired feet, "Dark magic, Your Grace, but the men can't be too certain..."

She nodded stiffly. "Thank you, Commander. Take the day off," he bowed once more, dismissing himself as Kai entered with a small smile. Elsa rubbed her temple in deep thought as he shut the door behind him and slid a chair by her side. Only behind closed doors did he allow the roll of butler to be replaced with friend.

She sighed, "What am I gonna do Kai?"

"About?"

Rubbing her sore eyes, she groaned, "Everything."

Kai leaned forward on his knees, smiling knowingly, "You mean Anna?" Elsa eyed him cautiously but smiled in return, "Are we that obvious?"

"Glaringly so."

She hummed, smirking behind her hand as they let the silence take over. The queen rose from her place behind the desk to stretch her legs, leaning against the window as she looked over Arendelle. "They found the assassin, Kai..." she whispered, not holding back the disappointment in her tone.

"Which proves Anna's innocence and is free to leave..." He finished. The queen nodded and swallowed thickly, "... Problem is... I don't want her to."

"Talk to her." She gave him a bored look at the obvious suggestion.

"It's not that simple, Kai."

"It's also not that difficult, Elsa. You don't get answers by avoiding each other." The brazen steward rose from his chair and headed for the door, dismissing himself with those final parting words.

Elsa took a deep breath as her eyes scanned the view of the fjord, dropping her gaze when she noticed someone in her courtyard. It was Anna, getting comfortable with a weapon in her hand while sporting trousers and a tunic. The princess was blocking wide swings, her blade coming into contact with just as much force until she knocked her enemy to the ground.

She looked to have been at it for hours, sweat decorating her skin as her tunic clung to her body. Hair done up in a ponytail was now mused and dirtied from a tumble on the floor. She's a swordsman. And a good one at that, the queen observed as Anna timed her attacks between each deflect.

An idea struck Elsa, stepping out of her study with pure intentions of letting off some steam.

Small feet sidestepped around another clumsy lunge as Anna tapped her sword behind her opponents knees. "Dead."

The man growled at her statement, swinging wildly behind him as a flash of red ducked. He felt another tap on his ribs.

"Dead," the sing-song in Anna's voice raged him on.

He cried out again, bringing down his sword with deadly intent as she braced her blade for impact. Sure enough, metal clanged and screeched until both hilts met with equal fury. When he thought he had victory, she used the force between their blades and a sharp twist of her wrist to spring the sword out of his grasp. It fell a few feet away from them with a clatter as she smirked and set the point of her blade firmly against his neck, "You're dead."

With a loud growl he swatted away her offending item and stalked off, leaving his sword along with his dignity. Most of the men had left, too embarrassed to accept a woman had bested Arendelle's Royal Guard. Anna shrugged, disappointed at the lack of challenge as she moved to pick up the discarded sword her opponent left. Instead, her eyes widened at the sight of a familiar blonde. Elsa wore brown trousers with a trim of black along the sides, modeling a light blue tunic and a thick braid over her shoulder. When her eyes met those baby blues, her knees grew weak.

"Are you trying to send off all my guards?"

Anna chuckled nervously, noting the sharp tone in the queen's voice. "It's not my fault they're too arrogant for their own good," her friendly spirits dwindled as Elsa outstretched her palm. "... May I ask what you're doing?"

The temperature dropped around them as ice stretched from Elsa's palm, shaping a white hot blade as steam rolled off it. "Challenging you." The princess sensed tensity in the air, trying to diffuse it with another joke, "So Arendelle's Queen is secretly a swordsman?"

It bit her in the ass. "I'm not the one with secrets here." Anna's shoulders dropped as she frowned, "Elsa, I'm sorry for the other ni-"

"I don't want to hear it," the queen tapped her blade harshly against Anna's, provoking the redhead.

"C'mon, Elsa, knock it off." She tapped again, much harder than the first time. "Elsa, let's talk about this," her suggestion was matched with a cynical laugh as Elsa shook her head. "Oh, now you want to talk?"

She began to circle Anna predatorily, eyeing her up and down as she pointed her blade at the princess. "How convenient for you... to decide when you want to shut me out." She didn't give Anna time to respond, a series of light strikes echoing the courtyard as Elsa forced her blade to meet with reluctant deflects.

"Elsa, please, it's complicated," the redhead managed to breathe out during one of Elsa's retreats, only to be shot with a searing glare. She struck once more against Anna's defense, growing more frustrated each time the princess refused to attack.

"It's always complicated." Elsa's steps grew more confident, swinging harder with both hands this time as she startled the redhead. Anna bit her lower lip, fighting back the strength of the queen's blade as she tried to put distance between them. "It's never the right time." When Anna finally responded with a proper parry, the blonde hummed in approval and shoved her back. "I'm not playing this game with you anymore."

Once she steadied her footing, the princess brushed back the loose strands of hair stuck on her forehead before reassuring the grip on her sword. She took deep breath, "I'm not playing a game, Elsa."

The Queen barely gave her a chance to breathe, swiveling on the ball of her foot to deliver a blow to her left. Anna side stepped to the right and by a hair avoided the glowing blade, having to duck just as quickly when Elsa followed her movements perfectly.

She blocked Elsa's blade by holding up her own, sending a screech through the courtyard of ice against metal. "What's the point of stringing me along if you don't want me!?" If Anna wasn't fighting for her life, she'd appreciate the dance Elsa was performing in the art of swordplay. "I've tried to give you time, given you a roof, lied about your identity, and yet you still hold back. What're you hiding from me!?"

They parried again and their hilts connected. Frost crept through Anna's blade, casting a burning sensation as the redhead drew back before it reached her hands. Steam licked her blade as Elsa regarded her dangerously, scanning for an opening. Anna knew this fight needed to end soon if she didn't want to get hurt, watching the queen's temper diminish.

"Why're you holding back!?"

The queen swung high in a high arch, barely giving the redhead enough wiggle room to tackle her. Yet, she managed to do it. They tumbled recklessly until Elsa pinned her opponent, conjuring a small dagger and raising it to Anna's throat. "Stop being such a coward and just tell me!"

Between the monarch screaming in her face and her mind screaming at herself, the redhead cracked under pressure.

"I knew about your parents!"

Elsa flinched, dropping her dagger and crawling away until the distance was enough between them.

Anna sat up slowly, head in her hands with a solemn expression, "I knew about their assassination well before it happened… and I couldn't do a thing about it..."

"What, what do you mean knew?" She willed herself to look up at Elsa, facing the woman as her calm demeanor dramatically shifted. The queen's eyes were already rimmed red as tears threatened to spill, frost spread underneath her as snow began to fall.

"... You could've saved them." The tears were falling freely and froze to her skin, the sight making Anna choke.

I could have... but I was too scared.

The redhead started to tremble, feeling disgusted with herself as she thought back on that horrible day; reminding herself of all the names in Elijah's book. "I wasn't supposed to know... but I was young and so stupid, Elsa, my curiosity got the better of me. I was outcasted from my own home with a threat over my head and the notion I was going to die. I knew if I talked, someone I know would die..."

Anna's voice was shaky, whispering her confession as best she could while tears began to line her own face.

"I-I fled to Arendelle, and I was terrified... I was terrified knowing what I knew and not stopping it. I was terrified of their threats and it crippled me. When I witnessed your parents' death that day... I vowed to their graves that I would do one thing right and that is to protect you. Even if it kills me."

The blonde couldn't look at her anymore, ripping her gaze away as the action tore up Anna's insides. "I-I'm so sorry, Elsa..."

Before the redhead could sputter any more apologies, the queen was already walking off and calling out behind her, "You're free to leave. I don't want or need your protection." The frost obediently followed Elsa as she left the princess to wallow in her guilt.

Chapter Updated: 12/1/17