DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my own characters and plots!
AN: Once again, thank you to all my reviewers! Especially those who have been there from the beginning. I take the time to read each and every review, and I really try to take all criticisms and suggestions to heart. That being said, this chapter isn't as long, I don't think, and to me it feels like filler, but the further I go, the more avenues open to the plot line and I find myself wanting to try all of them. I'm really trying to hurry the updates, but I don't want to bore anyone with pointless story plots!
I hope you enjoy!
At some point during the night, the storm had stopped and the air had begun to warm. Georg had awoken only when Elsa's head nuzzled against the crook of his neck and her hand clenched a fistful of his white shirt. She was resting peacefully, though subconsciously she was holding onto him out of her uneasiness. Georg didn't mind at all. He found it comforting, really, and the fact she had thrown away all pretense of formality in their current situation only caused him to hold her tighter, more securely.
Their fire had long since died down, but the slowly warming air didn't make it matter much. From his place at the back of the cave, he could see the tiny slivers of light indicating that the sun was beginning to rise. A muffled noise near his ear took his attention away from the mouth of the cave. He looked down at the Queen in his arms, his cheek resting against her soft hair as he did so. She was starting to stir, and as her head left the fogginess of her dreamland, a grimace spread across her once serene features.
Her blue eyes blinked open several times before coming into focus, and she caught him staring at her with a contented smile on his face. His dark brown eyes were mesmerizing and intense, causing a flutter in her chest that had become all too familiar in the past few days. Elsa returned a sheepish smile and slowly released the balled up fabric of his shirt, using her hand to smooth it out. The motion sent his heart racing, and he knew she felt its rapidly increased tempo. Elsa moved her hand to rest over the organ inside his chest, never taking her eyes from him.
"Good morning," He said quietly, without moving. Elsa blinked, her head still resting against his shoulder.
"Good morning." She replied. It was clear their words meant more than what was being heard, but they needn't speak anything else. Between their smiles, heartbeats, and the look in one each others eyes, more was being said than words ever could. Their connection was soon disrupted when Elsa flinched, and a wave of pain ran through her causing her face to contort into pain and her eyes to clench shut.
Instantly, Georg moved putting space between their bodies and examined her side. Her bleeding must have resumed at some point during the night, because blood had seeped through the new strips of fabric he had tied around her waist. Elsa glanced down as well, her fingertips gingerly touching the reddened bandages. When she withdrew, there was bright red liquid covering her fingers and she groaned.
"They must have punctured deeper than I originally thought," Georg spoke apologetically, although there was no need. He wasn't the one who had stabbed her, after all. "I'll see if there is anymore snow left outside to pack into the bandages and then we should get going. The sooner I get you back to the castle, the sooner you can be stitched up to prevent anymore bleeding."
He rose to his feet, all the while making sure Elsa wasn't jostled too much. Before he had a chance to take another step, her voice stopped him.
"Wait, here..." Elsa removed the bandage from around her waist and placed her hand over the exposed skin. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her movements until a thick layer of ice formed over the injury like a netting, bringing her torn skin together and holding it in place. The compression made the area feel guarded, and Elsa felt immediate relief though the dull aching remained. Georg simply watched in amazement as her powers had worked their magic. Even under horrendous circumstances as these, they were still magnificent to watch.
Elsa smiled up at him and held her hands out so that he could help her to her feet. Weakly, and with a great deal of support from the Prince, Elsa was soon on her feet. She was leaning heavily on Georg, and he placed her arm over his shoulders before wrapping his arm around her waist, careful to place himself opposite her wound.
"Anna's probably worried sick." Elsa stated as they neared the mouth of the cave. The snow had begun melting away, though the ground was still buried beneath. She paused for a moment, once again closing her eyes as she concentrated. These days, all Elsa had to do was think of her sister and her winter messes would magically dissipate. Today, as she thought of her sister and the snow began to clear into the air, someone else entered her thoughts too, and he happened to be half-carrying her.
Again, Georg watched in amazement as the snow disappeared, leaving damp grass and fallen leaves in its wake. He was beginning to understand the full gravity of her words when she had told him her powers were tied to her emotions. As easily as her fear and anxieties could cause such torrential storms, her love and compassion could make them disappear.
"We should get going. I'm not sure how long it will take to get back by foot." Georg nodded toward the path he believed he had taken to get to the cave. During the storm, it was uncertain which direction he was headed. He could barely see two steps in front of himself yesterday.
Elsa nodded, and slowly they began down a small path and back into the trees again. They had only gone a short distance when the sounds of riders reached their ears. Elsa tensed once again, fearing the Weselton assassins had returned to finish the job, and her free hand went to Georg's shoulder, gripping it tightly. Fear was threatening to overtake her emotions again, and she could feel the frost beginning to form on her hands. Georg himself was at the ready, having grabbed his rapier and holding it out in front of them defensively.
"Elsa!" An all too familiar voice screamed out, and it was enough for the Queen to relax her hold and breath a sigh of relief. When she did, fatigue took over and she nearly collapsed against Georg who dropped his weapon to catch her with both arms.
"What did you do to her?!" Anna shouted at Georg as she jumped from her horse before it had stopped completely. She almost lost her footing before she ran towards her sister, the blond-haired woman her only thought. Georg looked up, taken aback by the Princess's presence. Kristoff was quick behind her, leaving Sven to watch on from the treeline.
"It wasn't me, Your Highness." Georg replied quickly. He bent down to scoop Elsa's limp form into his arms, but Anna was quick to stop him.
"Don't!" She spoke firmly, then looked to Kristoff who instantly went to retrieve Elsa. He cradled her somewhat awkwardly in his arms, thinking of how different it had been when he held Anna like this. Of course, he was in love with Anna, but something about carrying her sister in his arms made him feel a bit out of sorts.
Anna took the opportunity to whirl around, staring daggers at the Prince. "What happened!" She more demanded than asked, "The horses came back to the castle, Elsa's wounded with no riders! Please, regale me with your story of what happened, and then convince me why I should trust a Prince of the Southern Isles!"
Georg's hands were up in a defensive way, and he had taken a step backwards. He knew Anna had a mean right hook, the evidence had bruised Hans' face when he had been returned to the Southern Isles. Georg did not want to cross paths with her fist if he could help it. He looked from the Princess, to Kristoff, his eyes finally settling on Elsa who seemed to be growing paler by the minute. The Queen's eyes were closed, but pain creased her face as she held her hands to her side. She groaned and sucked air in through clenched teeth which made Georg panic even more than the prospect of Anna's wrath.
"I don't know who they were but they came at us from both sides." He replied quickly, wanting nothing more than to be at Elsa's side, "I tried to stop them. The must have followed us all morning. They...They screamed 'Death to the Snow Sorceress' when they stabbed your sister."
"Stabbed?" Anna had a dumbfounded look on her face. In her haste to accuse Georg, she had completely neglected to look over her sister. It hadn't registered that Elsa was injured or worse. Despite her new train of thought, Georg still wasn't off the hook. Their escape from their assailants only proved one thing: Georg was skillful. Whether or not he was part of the assassination attempt was yet to be determined.
"Anna," Elsa managed to get out between her clenching teeth, "It was Weselton. Weselton did this—Ahh!" A white-hot burning pain coursed through her body, causing Elsa to cry out in pain. Her insides felt like they were on fire, which was a feeling Elsa had never experienced before. Pins and needles were stabbing the area around her wound, and her hands clamped down hard over the site, hoping to relieve some of the pain.
Anna pivoted on the spot and ran to her sister. She had never heard Elsa sound so agonizingly terrified before. The woman had always been a pillar of strength, even in times of uncertainty or turmoil. Forcibly, Anna lifted her sister's hands from her side and peeled back the bandages. The sight was something she was not ready to witness. Anna had never really seen a battle wound before, and she was quite certain after seeing this one she wouldn't want to witness another. She took note of the icy patch her sister must have created, but gasped when she saw the skin around the area. Tiny black veins had begun branching out from the torn flesh, slowly spreading up Elsa's side and towards her stomach. Anna was to preoccupied to notice Georg had come up beside her to look.
"That's why they didn't stop to finish us off." He stated soberly, "That's poison. Princess, your sister has been poisoned."
They wasted no more time in the forest. Anna could accuse Georg all she wanted when they returned to the palace, but at that moment she needed to get her sister to safety. Elsa had slipped into unconsciousness by the time they had reached the castle gates, and a guard took the Queen inside. Anna couldn't remember how long she had paced the hallway outside the royal bedchamber. She couldn't remember when the physicians had gone inside, nor how many aids they requested. She simply counted her moments by the blood curdling screams her sister emitted now and then. Each cry was followed by the doors opening and either an aide running in or out.
Kristoff was leaning against the wall of the hallway, watching as his fiancé paced back and forth. He knew there was nothing he could do for her, and there would be no talking to her. Anna had to pace out her worries, at least until someone gave her answers. Georg, however, had been escorted to his quarters and confined there under armed guard until she could sort everything else. It would have been easy to neglect his story of assassins and thrown him in the dungeons for good measure if it hadn't been for Elsa's word.
Weselton. The thought of that spineless Duke caused a bitter taste in Anna's mouth that she did not like. Had the short old man been that upset about losing his trade business with Arendelle he would actually attempt an assassination? A country as small as his couldn't have backed such an idiotic plot. Surely the Duke realized should Elsa survive, his land would be in dire jeopardy? Then again, the Duke had never struck Anna as a very intelligent man. Greedy, yes, but smart?
Just then, a door opened, causing her to jump slightly. The head physician exited the room, followed by his comrades who quickly excused themselves and fled down the hallways. Anna walked up to the man who had a grave look on his face and she began to fear the worse.
"Your Highness," he began gravely, "We've narrowed the poison down to the Rionet flower which, when dried and ground into a powder and boiled, can be most deadly. Luckily, the Queen's unique powers have slowed the spreading but we were left with very few options as to treatment."
Anna felt Kristoff's hands on her shoulders and immediately felt her tense body loosen slightly. She stared up at the man speaking to her, fear gripping deep down at the thought of losing the only family she had left. She could only pray his next words would be those of hope.
"It is not pretty," The physician went on, taking a glance back into the bedroom where the Queen lay in her bed, "And there is no guarantee my method will take effect, but the others agreed, so..."
"Agreed on what?" Kristoff asked the question. Anna seemed at a loss for words, and even if she could speak, her dry mouth wouldn't have allowed it.
"Lux root, made into a paste," The man replied, "We've inserted it into the wound track and we're hopeful this remedy will help. Like I said, the natural cold temperature of the Queen has helped more than she will ever know, and because of that we were forced to apply treatment with...well, see for yourself."
The man stepped aside from the door, and both Anna and Kristoff peered inside just as an aide inserted what looked like a red-hot miniature fire poker into the angry-looking wound. Elsa cried out in pain as her hand squeezed that of another aide's holding hers. Anna's heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach and for a moment she thought she might be ill. She turned away from the door, breathing heavily to keep herself from vomiting.
"It will require us to keep the wound open, which prolongs healing, but I'd rather treat the poison first and then move on to stitching her side. If this is alright with you, You Majesty?" Without Anna's approval, the physician could not move on. He needed her word to continue treatment, and Anna could only nod slowly, her heart breaking for the pain her sister was enduring.
"Can I-" She breathed deeply through her nose once again, "Can I sit with her?"
The man nodded and motioned back into the room for the aides to leave, "We will have to administer the Lux root every two hours for the first twelve hours, maybe more depending on how much poison is in her system. Then, we can reevaluate and possibly discuss sewing up the wound. Please, send for me if anything changes." The last bit was directed to Kristoff, as Anna had already darted into the room.
Slowly, she approached the bed, watching as the last aid in the room finished bandaging Elsa's side, then pulled the blankets up over her. Elsa was barely awake, her eyelids rising and falling heavily as she tried to fight off unconsciousness. She smiled weakly at Anna as she approached, though the look was intermittently exchanged with bouts of pain.
Anna knelt next to the bed, taking her sister's hand in her own. She was cold to the touch, but then again, Elsa had always been cold to touch. At least in the past few months they had shared together. Her breathing was heavy, labored, as she turned her head towards her little sister.
"I shouldn't have told you to go on that ride." Anna's voice cracked and a tear slid down her cheek. Elsa made a slurred shushing sound, breaking her hand free of Anna's and placing it on the young woman's cheek.
"This isn't your fault, Anna," Even her voice sounded weak, "This is nobody's fault. Do you understand?"
Reluctantly, Anna nodded, though she still wasn't one hundred percent Georg wasn't involved. She leaned her cheek into Elsa's touch and closed her eyes for a moment, causing new tears to fall.
"The uniforms the men wore...they were Weselton guards. I need you to send more sentries to the edges of Arendelle. We need to protect the kingdom in case the Duke is planning anything else. Do you think you can do that for me?" The words came out two, sometimes three together through laboring breaths. Anna listened with rapt attention, although somewhat annoyed her sister was thinking business and not of her own well-being. Anna only nodded, knowing her sister would never rest until she got the response she wanted. Once Anna complied, the Queen's hand dropped to the bed and she shut her eyes voluntarily.
"I'll be alright, Anna," Elsa told her, blackness creeping into her head, "I promise. Nothing will separate us ever again."
AN: I hope you enjoyed it! I promise I will get to steamier twists and turns between both couples, I just don't want it to seem like things are moving too fast. Please review, leave suggestions, comments, whatever you like! FYI, I completely made up the flowers/poison stuff. No validity to any of it!
