Elsa awoke to a very welcome sight. A sea of snowflakes was rushing past her window; Arendelle was experiencing its second major snowfall of the season.
Without question, her favorite type of weather was snow. Most preferred the sun, but to Elsa, nothing could match up to the wonder of a blizzard. To her, everything looked more beautiful when it was covered in a wintery blanket of white. The Queen smiled. The country wasn't far into its long winter, but save for the storm that had accompanied her kidnapping, it had witnessed little snowfall thus far. Finally, that seemed about to change.
If she wanted, Elsa could make it snow all day, every day for the rest of her life, but she doubted that her people would approve of that decision. Despite her love of snow, the Queen had restrained herself from creating blizzards on a large scale. Her parents had drilled it into her head that it wouldn't be fair to force her favorite weather on everyone else just because she could, and the monarch had reluctantly agreed. Despite her personal desires, Arendelle experienced snowstorms only when it was a natural occurrence, although it remained a reassuring option for Elsa to violate that rule if the country was ever at risk of drought.
Her mood plummeted, however, when Anna entered her mind. The redhead always seemed to be at the forefront of Elsa's thoughts these days, though the Queen failed to understand why. Regardless, thinking of Anna now caused the Queen emotional pain in more than one way. Despite Anna readily forgiving her, Elsa's guilt still lingered for pretending to side with the Westphalian prince. Now that regret was accompanied by sympathy for the humiliation the redhead had gone through the previous day. The Queen couldn't imagine how Anna must be feeling right now. At least she could spend the day in her room away from less sympathetic eyes; the redhead had the day off from training on Sundays.
After a quick, cold bath (Elsa preferred them that way), the Queen conjured an ice gown and made her way to her study.
She sat in her chair and awaited Kai, continuing to mull on Anna's situation. Falling into the water in that shirt...gods, half the soldiers in the Castle must have seen-. Rationally, Elsa couldn't blame them for staring, but part of her still wanted to freeze the eyelids shut of every single man that had witnessed that ill-fated duel, if only to ease Anna's pain.
It wasn't your fault. She's not your responsibility. Worry about more important things.
But the kingdom was fine for the moment. And Anna was her friend, a friend who had once saved her life.
Her face burned with shame. Anna had been willing to sacrifice her life for that of the Queen, and that had been before they'd gotten to know each other. Elsa hadn't even been willing to comfort the redhead after her traumatizing experience yesterday; she'd healed Anna with her magic before running off like a coward.
She should have done more. Helping someone through a difficult experience was…alien to her, but Anna at least deserved an attempt on Elsa's part.
There had to be a way for the Queen to make her feel better. The Queen could offer to meet her in the library...but no, it wouldn't work. She knew Anna enjoyed their time together, but she doubted that a board game and some chocolate would take the redhead's mind off yesterday's incident.
She glanced outside, where the snow continued to fall. The sight again made her smile, but it also brought back some painful memories. When she was younger, Elsa's absolute favorite thing to do had been...
An idea struck her just as Kai's knock hit her door.
"Enter," the Queen called.
Kai walked in and bowed. "Good morning, Your Majesty. You'll be pleased to know that you have a light schedule today," he said with a smile.
Elsa's spirits lifted. "What is there, exactly?" she asked, daring to get her hopes up.
"You have a meeting with the Minister of Transportation at one in the afternoon. I believe it concerns his request to allocate funds to renovate the roads between Hammerfest and the capital. That is all, Your Majesty," Kai explained.
The Queen frowned. It was an important matter, certainly, but nothing that couldn't be delayed for twenty-four hours. "Send my apologies to the Minister, but inform him that an urgent matter has come up that requires my attention. Unless he has any objection, we will meet tomorrow at the same time. I am free then, correct?"
Kai nodded, but he looked at her curiously. "Is everything all right, Your Majesty? I was not aware of any problematic developments."
"Thank you Kai, but I am quite alright. I am simply in need of a...day off," she said. Technically, it was true.
Kai smiled. "With how hard you work yourself, Your Majesty, I'm surprised you haven't taken one sooner. Fear not, I will straighten out matters with the Minister and tell the staff not to disturb you unless it is absolutely urgent."
Elsa nodded gratefully and dismissed him, her mind running rapidly. Gods, this was crazy. Insane even. The Queen of Arendelle certainly couldn't...
She shook her head. A sovereign could do whatever she wished, and besides, no one would even know. But would Anna agree to this? Elsa could tell that the redhead enjoyed the time they spent together, but Anna might not want to see anyone at all at the moment. Perhaps it really would be best she allowed the redhead to remain in her room undisturbed.
But then what would happen? Tomorrow Anna would drag herself down to Drell. She'd continue training, but the redhead would be a wreck, and subjected to the knowing smirks of dozens of the castle's guards. That itself couldn't be avoided, but if the Queen could help Anna make peace with what had happened, the days ahead would be much easier on her.
Elsa had to try.
\
Another knock on her door.
"I told you I didn't need anything. Please, just leave me alone!" Anna shouted as she laid in her bed. The redhead appreciated the willingness of the servants to attend to her needs, but she couldn't bear to see anyone right now. Well, maybe except for...
"It's me, Anna," Elsa's voice called.
Anna hurriedly jumped out of bed. Friend or not, one did not keep a Queen waiting. The redhead opened the door to see the monarch standing before her, looking unusually underconfident.
"Your Majesty," she bowed.
Elsa bit her lip. "How are you feeling, Anna?" she asked.
Anna's gaze fell to the floor. She should probably just say she was fine, but the former thief couldn't bring herself to lie.
"Like I never want to show my face again," Anna admitted bitterly.
"I understand, but people will forget about the incident soon enough. Don't give them the satisfaction of knowing you're upset, and it will blow over that much faster," Elsa advised.
Maybe the Queen was right, but Anna had never been good at concealing her emotions. She wasn't sure what she would do when she saw the soldiers again. Either tear up or try and punch them in the face, probably. Neither one would end well.
Still, Elsa's concern was touching, and Anna's heart yearned for her all the more.
"In any event, I was wondering if you were...I mean if you wanted...if you're not busy, I mean..."
Anna couldn't believe her ears. Was the Queen really stammering? That was one of Anna's problems, but Elsa was unfailingly dignified. Something was wrong, what was the Queen about to ask?"
"Yes, Your Majesty?" Anna prompted impatiently. Was Elsa about to ask her to leave the Castle because of what had happened?
The Queen steadied herself and took a small breath. "Since I am free today, I was curious if you wished to accompany me to the nearby lake for some ice-skating."
Anna's relief quickly gave way to shock. Ice-skating? The ruler of Arendelle was asking her if she wanted to go ice-skating?
"Oh, uh, Your Majesty, I mean I don't know if I should-" the girl stammered, her face turning a bright red. Sure, Elsa had said that she considered Anna her friend, but the redhead still couldn't believe what she had just heard.
Not that Anna wanted to say no. Spending hours alone with her secret crush outside of the Castle grounds sounded like a dream come true. But she'd never even skated before! She'd probably make a complete fool of herself.
Elsa seemed to sense her thoughts. "You'll be fine, Anna," she assured her. "I can teach you; it's not too difficult."
So tempting..."I don't have skates, Your Majesty," she muttered noncommittally.
"I'll handle that. Just wear your boots for now. I insist, Anna." Elsa replied, the slightest hint of pleading in her voice. Anna's will broke.
"Okay! I mean, yes, Your Majesty," she accepted.
The monarch smiled. "I recommend you get on your winter clothes. Gerda will have left a set for you somewhere. Meet me in my study in a few minutes," she ordered.
Anna nodded wordlessly, and the Queen shut the door.
\
Wearing a warm yet not overly heavy set of winter clothing, Anna walked past the guards posted near Elsa's office. Her face burned as they observed her, but thankfully they said nothing as they let her pass. Royal Guards, it seemed, were more disciplined than the common soldier.
Elsa called for her to enter, and Anna walked in. The last time she'd been in this room had been her first day out of the dungeons. Gods, how long had it been now since she'd met the Queen? Two weeks? It seemed like an eternity. And yet strangely, it didn't seem long enough.
"Ready, Anna?" the monarch asked. She was wearing nothing except for her usual ice gown, which didn't bother the redhead in the slightest. The Queen really did know how to make a dress.
"Born ready!" the redhead agreed. A thought occurred to her. "How are we, uh, getting there? Shouldn't you have a few guards?"
Elsa chuckled. "You think I need guards?"
Anna shrugged. "Of course not. You're the most amazing- I mean the most powerful woman in the world. But wouldn't your advisors still not want you to leave without an escort?"
The Queen's hand hid her laughter, but she didn't seem to realize the hidden implications of Anna's slip. "Yes. Which is why we're not leaving through the front door." She waved her hand in a dramatic flourish. A gust of wind forced the shutters open, and a large set of ice stairs materialized at the window."
"After you," Elsa said.
\
The steps deposited the duo fifty feet away from the Castle walls, well out of sight of any posted guards given the blizzard that raged around them. Fortunately, the monarch's study faced the side of the castle away from the city, so instead of large buildings and inquisitive pedestrians, all that surrounded them was a relatively dense forest of large pine trees that stretched into the sky. Centuries ago, the castle had been built with its back to the woods, in order to make any siege from behind nearly impossible.
Elsa lifted her palm and a ten-foot radius of clear skies appeared around them.
"Don't want you getting too cold, do we?"
Anna smiled brightly. "Thanks. Where are we going, exactly? You mentioned something about a lake-"
"It's not far. Come on." The Queen said excitedly as she led Anna through the trees. Already, a foot of snow lied upon the ground, but as the redhead followed, the monarch's extended palm brushed aside a path through the white powder. Elsa's protective bubble came with them, shielding the women from the snow.
A few minutes of walking in silence brought them to a rather large clearing in the middle of the trees. As they approached, Anna's eyes were able to perceive that it was occupied by a circular body of water about twenty meters in diameter.
"Uh, Your Majesty?" she asked tentatively.
"Yes, Anna?"
"The lake's not frozen."
Elsa rolled her eyes, holding up her hand. Icy mist trailed off her fingertips.
"Oh...right."
The Queen grinned as she unleashed her magic on the lake. Within ten seconds, the water had frozen solid. Another wave of her hand expanded their bubble to include the entire lake. Anna stared in sheer amazement.
A second, smaller blast of magic made her look down. Her boots were now been covered by a pair of shiny white skates decorated with golden leather lining. The Queen created a similar pair for herself as Anna watched, but unlike the ones she'd made for Anna, hers were blue and silver.
"Ready?" Elsa asked.
Anna swallowed nervously. "Uh, why don't you go first? You know, to give me a demonstration!" she suggested. Elsa smirked.
"Of course."
The Queen stepped onto the ice. Well, sort of. Glided was a more appropriate term. She moved across the surface like an angel, warming up by doing a few large circles around the lake. But it wasn't long before she started to show off.
Anna stared with an open mouth as Elsa leapt off the ice, did a double twirl in midair, and landed on one foot. The Queen allowed her momentum to push her across the lake, leaning forward and keeping one leg stretched behind her. She stopped on a dime, pivoted on the ice, and slid back to Anna.
"That...that was..." words failed her.
The monarch beamed at her. "I used to do this all the time when I was a child. Occasionally I still practice in the ballroom at night," she explained. "Want to give it a try?"
This was insane, but the redhead couldn't resist the urge to join the Queen. Anna walked onto the icy surface, removing her gloves and placing them carefully in the snow.
The ice was solid, it was still slippery.
"Whoa!" the redhead yelled as she tripped on the blade of her left skate. She stumbled forward. Elsa's hands reached out, catching her easily.
"Don't walk. Glide," the Queen instructed as she steadied the redhead.
"I don't think I-"
"Come on!" Keeping a firm grip on Anna's wrists, Elsa slid backwards through the ice. Anna wobbled as she was tugged across the lake, but her blades cut through the ice easily, and the monarch kept her upright.
Together, they traced a path across the surface of the lake. Despite her difficulty with keeping her balance, Anna soon found herself capable of remaining upright, and she smiled as the Queen guided her around and around the circular surface.
"You're doing great," Elsa encouraged her as they slid through the snow. Anna grinned back at her as the world whipped around them. Despite her initial apprehension, she was definitely enjoying herself. Although, to be honest, Anna had a feeling she would enjoy anything if the Queen was with her.
Speaking of which...Anna glanced down at their intertwined hands and finally realized just how long they had been maintaining skin contact. A hot blush spread through her cheeks as she looked up and observed Elsa's face. The blond was as beautiful as ever, but Anna couldn't help but notice how free the usually reserved Queen seemed to be out here. Away from the meetings and the advisors and the kingdom, her grin seemed nearly as wide as Anna's. On the ice, the Queen almost seemed to glow.
For once, Elsa was unreservedly and undeniably happy, and the realization made Anna smile even more.
An abrupt bolt of panic hit her when she realized that the monarch would soon realize she was staring. Anna turned away hurriedly, and her concentration broke. Her feet stumbled over each other, and Anna was wrenched out of the Queen's grasp. She continued to fall backwards, heading for the ice.
"Oof!" Anna grunted as her back hit not a hard sheet of ice but a soft pile of snow raised two feet above the lake. She lifted her head to see Elsa observing her, magic trailing off her outreached hand.
\
Elsa swiftly glided over to the prone redhead, face etched with concern. "Are you alright, Anna?"
The former thief nodded. "I'm fine," she murmured, looking at the Queen gratefully. "Help me up?"
Elsa nodded, reaching out down to take Anna's extended wrist. Despite her friend's predicament, she couldn't help but smile. Gods, it was so nice to be out here. The Queen had intended for this trip to make Anna feel better, and indeed it appeared to be working, but the monarch herself felt lighter than she had in years.
Not only was Elsa away from the concerns of her kingdom, but she was with someone who she enjoyed being with. Someone who accepted both her and her magic for what they were and liked them. Someone who the Queen didn't have to worry about being herself around.
The monarch heard a loud screech as Anna's blades failed to find purchase in the ice and rose into the air. The redhead fell backward onto the snow pile, accidentally pulling Elsa down with her.
She reached out with her free arm and stopped herself a second before she would have collapsed into Anna. Her friend smiled up at her, breathing heavily. "Are you okay, Your Majesty?" she asked weakly, still trying to catch her breath. "Dammit, I'm such as klutz."
"Perfectly fine, Anna," Elsa replied.
As she realized the Queen was alright, Anna's bright blue eyes shone with relief. Gods, the redhead was so...caring. And obvious about it.
Some would consider it foolish for the girl to wear her heart on her sleeve, but Elsa wouldn't have it any other way. After a lifetime of dealing with stern advisors and scheming diplomats, not having to wonder about what someone truly thought of her was more refreshing than the Queen could put into words.
Nearly stumbling over each other, the two women hauled themselves to their feet. "Ready?" Elsa asked. At a nod from the redhead, they again started circling the lake. Before long, a wide smile once again graced the redhead's lips.
Elsa was relieved to see that her plan appeared to be working. Doubtlessly, Anna's mood would darken once they returned to the Castle, but perhaps now it wouldn't be as bleak as it had been. After all that Anna had been through, the Queen felt immense satisfaction at seeing her efforts directly make her friend happy.
As Anna's balance improved, Elsa grew bolder. She retained a firm grip on the redhead's wrist but increased their speed. Instead of a continuous circle, the Queen steered them in more colorful directions, sometimes releasing one hand from Anna and doing a fancy spin on her own before returning to the redhead. The monarch lost all track of time as they continued to circle the lake, losing herself to the bliss of the moment.
Their movements almost reminded Elsa of a ballroom dance. Despite her private decision to marry for love, in order to maintain cordial relations with other nations the Queen had had to pretend to consider proposals from many aspiring suitors. These 'courtships' had all at one point concluded at least one romantic dance, something that the monarch hated doing despite being very skilled at.
Compared to her previous partners, Anna would possibly be the second worst dancer the Queen had ever been paired with, but Elsa found her company by far the most pleasant. Unfortunately, their routine at the moment was a friendly round of ice-skating, not a romantic dance.
Wait. What?
Anna's laughter drew her out of her thoughts momentarily. "This is so much fun! Wish I'd tried this as a kid," she said, keeping pace with Elsa's growing speed. The Queen nodded, but her mind was elsewhere.
Where had that thought come from? Of course this wasn't a romantic dance, and there was nothing unfortunate about that fact. Anna was, well, a girl. True, the redhead was everything Elsa could want in a partner...warm, kind, brave, and selfless, but the Queen wasn't attracted to women.
Right?
Elsa thought back to all of her prospective suitors. Many had been handsome. Some had been good men. But had she ever felt any attraction towards them? Any desire to be with them romantically? The monarch scrutinized her memory, but she couldn't remember having even the smallest bit of desire for any of them. Or any man, really. Sure, there had been some whose company she'd tolerated, or even enjoyed at times, but never in a romantic sense.
As for Anna...
The Queen considered, just for a moment, what it would feel like to kiss her. And instead of the disgust or humor that Elsa thought the image of their locked lips would inspire, the thought made her chest grow warm.
Am I attracted to women? Elsa asked herself. In truth, she'd never considered the question before. She knew it wasn't unheard of for people to be sexually attracted to their own sex, such relationships were recognized by the Crown, after all. But no one the Queen knew on a personal level (that she was aware of, anyway) had ever taken part in such a relationship. Besides, before Anna, no other woman had ever made her ponder the possibility.
Then again, Elsa didn't know too many other women her age, and all of the suitors she'd encountered were male. There had never been much of an opportunity for her to develop an attraction to a fellow woman...until Anna had come into her life.
I don't know. I just don't know.
"Your Majesty?" Anna began, a strange light appearing in her eyes. "Can we take a break for a moment? There's something I want you to see."
Elsa's eyes narrowed. What was there to see out here? But at the moment, her mind was too addled for her to think clearly, and she nodded.
"Sure," the Queen replied, guiding them back onto solid land. With a wave of her hand, their skates vanished into thin air, leaving Anna in a pair of boots and herself in her usual ice heels. As the redhead found her gloves and put them back on, Elsa walked a few feet forward and looked around the trees. "What did you want to show me?" she asked, facing away from the redhead.
The answer came in the form of a snowball that splattered across the back of her head.
\
Anna stood deathly still as the snowball struck the Queen. Elsa gave a jump of surprise as the blow struck her, but otherwise failed to react to the attack. She remained where she was, staring off into the tress as if contemplating which cell to have the redhead thrown into.
Gods, this was a new level of recklessness, even for her. She had finally done it; Anna had overstepped her boundaries with the Queen so egregiously that Elsa wouldn't let her off this time.
What had made her do it? They'd been having such a good time ice-skating and...and Anna had briefly forgotten that the woman who held her hands was Arendelle's monarch. She'd just been thinking of the snowball fights she'd loved as a child and given into the impulse.
"Treason," the Queen finally hissed, still facing away from her.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I don't know what I was..." Anna's words trailed off as dozens of snowballs materialized out of thin air, levitating in the space between her and Elsa.
Is she really...? The Queen swiveled around and threw her hand forward. The redhead's vision was a sea of white as the snowballs raced towards her body.
Anna's training had improved her reflexes; she dived out of the way just before she could be hit, taking cover behind a large tree trunk. Snowballs pounded into the wood. A wide grin appeared on her face as she realized that the Ice Queen had accepted her challenge to a snowball fight.
Wait a minute...The Ice Queen had accepted her challenge to a snowball fight. Anna's smile melted.
"Come out and I may be merciful, Anna!" Elsa shouted as began to walk towards Anna's shelter, continuously creating snowballs that sped towards her cover.
"Using your powers is cheating!" the redhead yelled back as she desperately searched for a way out. Elsa laughed.
"You're the one who challenged me. And I believe that in a duel between two parties, it is the one who is challenged that determines the rules. Fear not, I am a fair woman. You are free to use your own magical abilities," she taunted.
Scowling, Anna hurriedly formed a clump of snow between her gloves. Peeking around the trunk, she zeroed in on the Queen's location and hurled the snowball at her face.
It never got close. A ten-foot wall of solid ice sprouted up between them; Anna's attack splattered pathetically against it. The wall vanished into thin air a second later.
"Now you're just showing off," Anna muttered.
She couldn't win. Not in an open fight, anyway. But Elsa could be taken by surprise. If only Anna could relocate herself...but she'd never manage to run between the trees without getting a face full of snow.
But I don't need to, she realized.
\
Elsa continued her slow walk towards the redhead's position. Gods, she couldn't believe was doing this, but the Queen of Arendelle was taking immense pleasure in this one-sided snowball fight. When she was five feet away, Elsa saw a flash of red as Anna poked her head out again, throwing another snowball. Elsa mentally conjured another wall, even bigger than the one she'd just summoned, and again the attack was intercepted.
She was showing off. It was incredibly rare for her to have the chance to use her powers liberally, and even rarer could she do it in the presence of one who would actually admire them.
You're trying to impress her, Elsa's mind pointed out. The thought muddled her concentration, and it was two seconds before she was able to refocus and disperse the wall.
Anna was nowhere to be seen. The monarch ran behind the trunk, but the redhead was gone. Where had she...there hadn't been time for her to run to another tree, not without Elsa noticing.
Confused, she did a brief search of the area, but Anna had apparently vanished off the face of the earth. Save for the ruffle of an animal moving through the tree branches above, the world was dead quiet.
Wait...there shouldn't be anything hopping through the trees at this time of year.
Her mind processed the revelation a second too late.
Elsa's eyes flicked upward toward the noise to see Anna jump out of the branches ten feet into the air, a large ball of white leaving her hands. Too astonished to react, the Queen was blinded as the snowball landed in her hair, coating the entire front of her body in snow. She heard a loud thump as the redhead hit the ground.
"Anna!" she shouted, brushing off the white powder. The former thief was already on her feet, laughing wildly as she dived behind another tree.
"Are you alright?" Elsa shouted after her.
Busy forming another snowball in her hands, Anna nodded. "Fine, Your Majesty!" she called back as she threw the projectile.
Elsa ducked to the side to avoid it. Her eyes narrowed; the redhead didn't appear to be in the slightest amount of pain. A ten-foot drop into a foot of snow was by no means lethal, but only the incredibly lucky should were able to weather the experience without injury, and Anna did not fit that description.
Her magic was making Anna more resilient.
"Going to stare at me all day or are you giving up?" Anna taunted.
Elsa grinned.
\
Their battle continued for nearly two hours.
Okay, perhaps battle was stretching it. Following her surprise attack, Anna landed only the slightest of glancing blows on the Queen. In return, Elsa hit her with snowballs from every direction over a dozen times while rarely even taking a step. Anna continued to make use of the terrain, climbing up the trees and jumping around the branches, but mobility was no match for Elsa's magic, even if the Queen was only using a fraction of her strength and doing everything she could to avoid actually hurting her.
Still, she enjoyed the hell out of it. Seeing Elsa let herself go made every snowball to the face worth it. They continued on as the snow continued to fall around them, the day passing into the late afternoon. Thanks to the early winter nights in Arendelle, the sun had already begun to set.
Her enhanced energy allowed Anna to continue on for a very long time, but finally, her body was exhausted. The end result was Anna slumped on the ground, resting on her knees and panting heavily. The redhead was soaked to the bone, countless lobs of snow having penetrated her jacket and dispensed cold water as they melted. Beads of sweat lined her face, mixing in with the moisture that dripped from her hair.
Elsa stood above her, amusement in her eyes. "Do you yield?" she asked. The Queen raised her arms, suspending a snowball two feet in diameter above her palms.
"Your Majesty, I-" without hesitating in her speech, Anna cupped her hands and scooped up a pile of snow, tossing it up at the Queen.
Elsa frowned as a light scattering of white powder splashed across her face. "Very well," she said, her tone serious. "You leave me no choice but to execute you."
The snowball came down.
Anna tried to roll out of the way, but she barely managed to move an inch before her world went white. It didn't hurt, but the force of the attack knocked her onto her back. She opened her eyes to discover a mound of snow on top of her.
She swung her arms around wildly, brushing snow off of her body. Anna glanced up wearily to see another massive snowball hovering above her, awaiting its mistress's orders.
"I yield!" Anna sputtered.
With a wave of Elsa's palm, the snowball disappeared. A hand reached down and hauled the redhead to her feet.
"Are you alright, Anna?" the Queen asked as the redhead continued to dust herself off.
Anna's teeth chattered. With the snowball fight induced adrenaline wearing off, her body finally began to register that it was soaked in freezing water.
"C-cold, Your Majesty," she managed. "Can you...?'
With a movement of Elsa's hand, the excess moisture in her clothes and hair disappeared instantly. Anna was now dry, but she still shivered.
Anna looked to the Queen, wordlessly asking the monarch to warm her up, but Elsa shook her head. "I can't raise the temperature itself, Anna. Come on, let's get you back to the castle."
/
As night fell, the two women finally returned to Elsa's study, climbing up a new set of icy stairs. Anna's teeth chattered nosily the entire way back; whatever the Elsa's magic was doing to her, it wasn't shielding her from the cold.
"T-thanks, Your Majesty. That was a-amazing," Anna stammered through chattering teeth as they stepped into the room. For all intents and purposes she was completely dry, but the redhead still felt as if she had spent the last few hours battling a blizzard. Probably because she had been.
She started towards the door. "I-I'm heading back for a hot bath, if that's okay," Anna said. It wasn't proper to dismiss oneself from one's monarch, but she hoped the Queen would understand in this case.
"Anna, wait!" Elsa protested. The redhead stifled a groan, was the Queen really going to make her stand on protocol for the first time now?
"That's a bad idea; I'm sure a hot bath sounds nice, but changing your body temperature so quickly might make you sick. It's better to raise it gradually," Elsa suggested.
Anna nodded. She didn't know the first thing about medical practices, but she was willing to take the Queen's word for it.
"I'll just climb into bed, then," she assured the Queen. To her surprise, Elsa shook her head.
"I don't want you to be alone just yet. You were out in the cold too long; I should have realized. There's a chance you've developed a minor case of hypothermia. It's best if someone keeps an eye on you for a few hours."
"Uh, o-okay. Should I head down to the infirmary?" Anna asked.
Elsa bit her lip. "I'll keep you company for a while," she offered finally. "I have nothing to do for the rest of the day, anyway. Take off that jacket and sit down; I'll be back soon."
Anna stared at the monarch. More alone time with the Queen? Gods, she hoped she wasn't in the middle of a dream right now. "T-thanks, Your Majesty," she replied awkwardly as Elsa left the study.
The redhead slipped out of the jacket, which didn't help her continuous shivering, but she gladly settled into the comfortable chair in front of the Queen's desk. It felt great to finally get off her legs.
The Queen returned a few minutes later, accompanied by a serving girl that Anna recognized. In one arm she held a large fur blanket. A steaming cup of hot chocolate was clutched in her free hand. Anna watched in silence as the girl placed the cup on the desk and the blanket at her feet, then moved over to the room's fireplace and started it up.
"Thank you, Kayla," Elsa said warmly as the girl bowed and left the room.
\
Elsa observed the still shivering redhead with a pang. They'd both been having so much fun, but the Queen should have realized that Anna had been out in the cold for too long. It was too easy to forget sometimes when she didn't feel it herself.
She scooped the blanket off the ground and draped it over Anna's shoulders. The redhead smiled gratefully up at her. The Queen's study wasn't exactly cold, but it was far from the warmest room in the castle. Hopefully, that would soon change thanks to the now lit fireplace.
"Are you feeling any better, Anna?"
"Much better," the redhead breathed as she took a deep sip of the hot chocolate in front of her. Sitting in her usual chair in the front of the desk, Elsa sighed in relief as she noticed the faint bluish tint in the redhead's cheeks begin to disappear.
"I shouldn't have kept you out there for so long," she said.
Anna beamed at her. "I don't blame you. I haven't had that much fun in years."
Elsa nodded. "I understand what you mean. I haven't played in the snow since..." Immediately, pain gripped her chest. A series of memories flashed before her eyes. Once happy recollections, they were now nothing short of torture. A reminder of what she could never have again.
"Your parents?" Anna asked her sadly.
Elsa wanted to deny it. But something about the way Anna was looking at her made the Queen want to open up. "Yes," she admitted. "They...I..." the monarch trailed off.
"I can't imagine how you must be feeling, Your Majesty," the redhead replied, her voice flowing with sympathy. "You must miss them so much."
Elsa nodded, a single tear forming in her right eye. Gods, how long had it been since she had openly discussed her parents with anyone? Maybe she never had, not even with her aunt and uncle.
"The last time I saw them, we had a fight," Elsa said, speaking without thinking. "The three of us argued over something stupid-trade agreements with the Southern Isles-but it snowballed. I told them it was stupid to break off our exports to them for a small slight their King committed, they disagreed, and I said they were blasted fools. If they'd come back, we all would have gotten over it, but now...now I'll never get the chance to apologize." The fact that she said the words shocked her, but something about Anna made the monarch open up to her. She was surprised how good it felt just to get that fact off her chest.
Anna gasped. "That's...gods that's horrible," she admitted. "But it doesn't change the fact that they loved you. Even if they never got the chance to tell you, they must have forgiven you before they...before their ship sank. And I'm sure they knew you would have done the same."
Elsa nodded sadly, staring down at her desk. She'd said the same things to herself, but somehow hearing it from Anna made it more believable. And that made her feel a bit better.
"I hope so," she replied. "You never know, I suppose. If there is an afterlife, maybe I'll get the chance after all. Assuming I don't get sent to hell for being an ice witch," Elsa added with a dry smile.
There was no dominant religion in Arendelle. Dozens of churches vied for influence throughout the world, but none was the clear front-runner. Most were silent on the subject of magic, but a few did condemn those who practiced sorcery. Elsa and her family had never been religious, but if any gods did exist, the monarch hoped it wasn't the ones who those aforementioned select few prayed to.
"Hey, look on the bright side," Anna replied. "If you do, you'll have me for company."
"You think you're going to hell?" Elsa snorted. The redhead was the last person she thought likely to receive divine punishment, if there indeed was such a thing.
Her companion shrugged. "With all the people I've stolen from, it's definitely possible," Anna pointed out, her face falling. "Not to mention the men I've killed," she added sullenly.
Sometimes, Elsa forgot that the girl in front of her was a notorious thief, (formerly) wanted by the crown.
"You were doing what you had to in order to survive, Anna," Elsa assured her. "You never took anything from those who couldn't afford it. And I think rescuing a Queen absolves you of the second crime."
Anna smiled slightly at her words. "Maybe," the redhead said hesitantly.
"I never knew you were religious," Elsa noted.
"I'm not," former thief admitted, her face turning red. "So many religions out there...how could I choose between them? As much as I swear to the gods, I didn't actually think that they existed. Or at least, I wasn't sure if they did. "
"Wasn't?" Elsa repeated. "What changed your mind?"
Anna looked the Queen in the eyes. "I met one."
Elsa wasn't sure whether to laugh, blush, or grin. "You think I'm a goddess?" she asked incredulously. "What...what makes you say that?"
The redhead's face turned a darker shade of scarlet, but she didn't turn away. "You have magic powerful enough to freeze a continent. You can heal with a touch. You can practically create living beings with a wave of your hand!"
"I'm not immortal, Anna," she pointed out.
Anna shrugged. "Not all gods are. Plenty of deities die in the various mythologies."
"Shall we form a church, then?" Elsa asked playfully. "All will bow before the goddess of ice and snow."
The redhead grinned through a yawn. "Exactly," she agreed. "Can I be the high priestess?"
Elsa raised a hand to hide her giggle. "Of course."
The redhead laughed tiredly, making the Queen smile. Elsa couldn't help but think of how much of how much an effect Anna seemed to have on her. Minutes ago, she'd been miserably remembering her last difficult days with her parents. And now...
Do I really have feelings for her?
Elsa cared about the redhead deeply. The Queen could accept this now. She hadn't healed her, felt guilty for manipulating her, and taken her into the snow today to try and make her feel better simply because she was indebted to the former thief. She'd done those things because Anna was...Anna.
Regardless of the confusion now dominating her mind, Elsa could at least take heart in knowing that the day appeared to be a success. No doubt Anna would face a trying day tomorrow, but it appeared as though the Queen had managed to lighten her mind. And as a bonus, it was now obvious that the redhead had not developed hypothermia. Mission accomplished.
A light snoring interrupted her thoughts. Anna was slumped in her chair, eyes closed and chin bowed. An empty cup of hot chocolate sat on the Queen's desk.
The redhead was sound asleep. Unsurprising, given how long they'd been out in the snow. Anna clearly had more energy than was natural now, but even she still had her limits. Two hours spent dodging Elsa's magic would exhaust anyone.
The Queen moved to wake her, but upon seeing Anna's comfortable, sleepy smile reflected in the warm glow of the fireplace, Elsa decided to let the redhead be.
\
Hours later, the Queen laid down in her own bed. Elsa's sleep was far more fitful than Anna's.
AN: Wow. I think I might have set the all-time record for the most amount of fluff packed into a single chapter. Hopefully it was high quality fluff, at least. The next three chapters end in cliffhangers, so I guess it balances out.