Summary: In which a cat adopts Elsa upon her return to the castle and, despite rather disliking "the loud girl," consistently puts his master's well being ahead of his own.
Updates might slow down a bit more over the next few weeks. Prompts may help the posting timeline. Yes I am soliciting prompts. That is exactly what I am doing.
Obligatory warning:This is absolutely Elsanna and Icest and Arencest and if you don't like that you should hit the back button now, okay bye, enjoy.
Elsa took a deep breath as she caught Kai's eyes across the ballroom. Royal banners, decorated with snowflakes at Anna's insistence, lined the walls and a small flurry danced in the air over their guests' heads. The goal had been a grand affair to awe Arendelle's neighbors with the beauty of Elsa's powers, but even now, with scores of people gaping happily at the magical display, the queen was unsure. Thirteen years of fear would not be undone overnight, but Elsa had to admit it was nice to see the crowd was filled with excitement and reverence rather than mistrust.
Kai nodded to her across the room and smiled encouragingly.
I can do this. It's a short speech. Barely a speech at all, in fact. Just a few words and I can blend into the background again. Or try to, at least.
The queen stepped forward on the raised dais at the far end of the hall and cleared her throat, waiting patiently while the murmurs died down. Glancing around, she smiled as Anna tripped her way over to rush up and stand beside the elder royal.
"Ready?" Anna whispered, grinning.
Elsa nodded, spreading her hands wide as she said to the assembled crowd, "Thank you all for joining us for this Solstice celebration. Now that dinner is finished, please enjoy a drink and help yourselves to some dessert. On behalf of Arendelle," Elsa glanced again at Anna, who just smiled back, "have a blessed holiday and a wonderful evening." She gestured to the band and music soon filled the air as the nobles and other visitors resumed their side conversations after some polite applause.
Smiling despite her lingering nervousness at speaking, even briefly, to so many people at once, Elsa turned to Anna again… except that the redheaded princess was no longer standing on the dais with her. The queen faltered without her younger, and much more outgoing, sister and hesitantly looked around the room, hoping for a glimpse of strawberry blonde curls. Where'd you go, Anna?
Before she had more than a few moments to fret, Elsa caught just such a glimpse, and watched curiously as the princess maneuvered her way back through the crowd, carefully avoiding the growing number of dancing pairs as the band played a medley of waltzes.
"Here you go, your majesty," Anna curtseyed politely, holding out a glass of wine to the blonde.
Elsa raised an eyebrow, but took the slim glass in one hand. "Thank you," she nodded slightly, but nothing more.
Anna paused, her own glass raised to pink lips already tinged with the remnants of some chocolate treat, and quirked an eyebrow in return. "Els? Come on, you told the guests to have a drink. Wouldn't it be rude if you didn't, too?" The princess lowered her glass a bit, stepping closer to Elsa so they could speak more easily over the music.
Elsa blinked. Damn it all, she's right. "Well, yes, but…." The queen trailed off, blushing.
Anna snorted, quickly holding a hand up to her face and surreptitiously looking to see if anyone had noticed the less than graceful noise, but no one really seemed to be paying all that much attention to the royal siblings. Giving her sister a playful smirk, Anna took a sip from her glass. "You're a lightweight, aren't you?"
"No, I am not," Elsa stubbornly shook her head and took a sip as well. "I'll just… work on this one for a while," her voice trailed away. "Slowly," she finished, mumbling.
The princess was giggling now, but still she tried to keep some composure should any of their guests decide to approach the dais. "It would be embarrassing if you tripped over your dress or weaved drunkenly through the crowd, stumbling into the dancers." Anna smiled wickedly at her blushing queen, "I mean, I could get away with being tipsy. I'm the silly one." The princess' eyes twinkled mischievously, "Not you, though. Not prim and proper Elsa."
The blonde in question frowned at the sing-song way Anna spoke, "Oh, hush you, or I'll freeze your wine." Elsa huffed and took a larger swallow from her own glass, suddenly determined to prove Anna wrong. Lightweight. I'll show her.
Wine turned out to be as good a distraction from her nervousness as anything, but Elsa had to sigh at herself a scarce few hours later when stumbling into the remaining dancing pairs actually seemed like a distinct possibility should she stand from her throne and try to walk down among the thinning crowd. Perhaps I've overdone it, she thought with only a twinge of regret as her ice blue eyes scanned the unfamiliar faces for Anna or Kai, or even Kristoff. She'd seen the other blond just a moment ago, Elsa was sure of it. Perhaps not, though. He hasn't been around as much lately. I should ask Anna about it.
Thinking of Anna seemed to summon the princess to her side. Elsa let her eyes wander as the younger woman settled herself into the smaller throne, their late mother's, beside where Elsa reigned from their father's seat. The thought of their parents distracted Elsa from admiring the way Anna's ice pendant caught the light where it rested just above the younger woman's breasts. That was another thing Elsa should talk with Anna about. The queen and princess had yet to talk at any length about their parents and especially about the funeral Elsa's wild magic had prevented her from attending.
"Elsa? Are you okay?" Anna's voice broke Elsa from her thoughts. The princess nodded meaningfully at the arm of Elsa's chair.
Frowning at the ice spreading from under her hand, Elsa scrunched her nose in frustration. The ice retreated at her will, albeit more slowly than it normally would. The queen felt a headache beginning along the bridge of her nose and silently decided to blame the wine.
Anna's warm hand tugged at her arm and Elsa looked away from her own hand, which she had been flexing and clenching as she considered the effects of alcohol on her powers. The queen's gaze was momentarily halted again by Anna's necklace and the revealing cut of her dress. Her sister's words came floating back into her wine-addled mind. I want people to know I'm yours, too. There was something about how the words had been spoken, but then Elsa was exhausted and now she was tipsy, and the significance remained just beyond her grasp. And looking at Anna is so much more enjoyable than thinking. She didn't look up, in fact, until Anna cleared her throat meaningfully. When she did, Elsa found that the redhead's eyes were soft and her smile hinted at suppressed laughter.
"What?" Elsa tilted her head, feeling her braid slide off her shoulder to fall along her arm.
Now Anna was giggling again, and Elsa was sure it was at her expense, somehow. "You're adorable," Anna managed, turning away as a pretty pink blush ran up her neck.
Elsa grinned, feeling inexplicably happy at the compliment, and leaned closer to her sister. "Am I?" She flexed her fingers again, sending puffs of swirling snowflakes into the air in front of them.
Anna bit her lip to stifle more laughter, but nodded all the same. "Yes," she said, voice low. Meeting Elsa's eye, she asked, "How much wine have you had?"
The queen frowned again, wondering at the question. After a few moments, she leaned back in her seat and shrugged, "Enough to relax." She turned to look at the stragglers of their grand party. "Everyone had a good time, I think," she said, falling back into her thoughts when Anna hummed agreeably. Elsa could feel her princess watching her and felt heat bloom in her own cheeks. "What?" She asked a second time, facing the other woman again.
Anna looked away, worrying her lip with her teeth. "Nothing," she mumbled.
Before Elsa could question her further, a crash distracted both of them. Elsa buried her face in her hands as Kai did his best to chase Icicle from the dessert tables set along one wall of the ballroom. The royal cat was a streak of grey, knocking over trays and yowling as chocolates and pastries tumbled to the floor.
"At least there's only a few people left," Anna sighed, standing and holding her hand out to the queen. When Elsa sent her a withering look, the princess shrugged, "Did you really think we'd get through tonight without the kids breaking something? Better Icicle than Olaf." Anna smiled wryly and grabbed her sister's hand, pulling the sorceress to her feet.
Elsa stumbled for a moment, but Anna was there to steady her. "I can't decide if I'm upset or amused that you sound so resigned to it," she groused, threading their fingers together and letting Anna guide her down from the thrones, off the dais, and over to a very flustered Kai.
The older man was leaning forward with his hands on his knees, potbelly heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He visibly relaxed as the queen and princess approached, stretching his back and motioning for them to take over the job of wrangling Icicle from his perch atop of three-tiered platter of fruit turnovers.
"Sorry, Kai," Elsa offered, smiling sheepishly at the man who was like a second father to her and Anna both.
Anna just rolled her eyes and gently pushed her sister forward, saying to Kai, "We've got this. Stand down, good sir."
Kai laughed, nodding his thanks to Anna as he happily abandoned the dessert tables altogether.
The princess watched him leave, crossing her arms as Elsa tried to calm Icicle.
The cat grumbled, half-growl and half-whine, as Elsa stepped up to the table and picked him out of the pastries. He bat at the queen's face and tried to lick her nose, but Elsa's disapproving look made him pout instead.
"No, Icicle. That's not going to work," Elsa shook her head, walking back to Anna as she held the cat in one arm, brushing frosting from his head with her free hand. "Why on earth did you think it was a good idea to run on the tables?"
Icicle mewled, eyes wide, and he even turned to the redhead imploringly.
Anna held up her hands, "No sympathy here, Icicle. You wasted chocolate." The princess looked over at Elsa, suddenly very serious, "Can we ground him? He at least needs a bath, but wasting chocolate deserves some punishment."
Elsa sighed as Icicle fidgeted in her arms, getting chocolate and gods' knew what else on her dress, "We'll think of something." The queen nodded toward the doors, "We should go. It's getting late anyway, but Prince Icicle absolutely needs a bath. And this dress will need to be cleaned now."
The royal cat whined unhappily and began to clean himself frantically, as if to show how unnecessary a bath would be.
Anna hooked her arm into Elsa's, leaning into her sister's side as they made their way out of the ballroom, smiling as the few remaining guests bowed to them and apologizing for the mess. The princess yawned as they made their way up the central staircase. "I'll help you bathe him if you want, Els."
Smiling, Elsa squeezed her arm against Anna's, "I'd appreciate it. He likes water well enough, for a cat, but he hates soap."
Both women laughed when Icicle hissed under his breath at the word.
"Sure," Anna yawned again, "but then can I just crash in your room tonight? The wine's made me sleepy now."
Elsa smiled and turned to press a kiss to her princess' temple, "Of course, dear."
