This is more of a filler chapter, since I wrote out of order lol. I had to rewrite parts today because it didn't save, so I apologize if it's a bit rough :(
The next chapter is nearly done though, so be ready!
Max being pregnant would've been such a plot twist, but no.
Thanks so much- symonator, butterfliewingz, and kodokuna 13 !
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Maxine stared out of her window, where the cool Winter night was still...and she wished her racing, nervous thoughts would follow the example. But that was impossible when she had just experienced the most terrifying force seize her body.
After, there was a strong feeling of dread, as if something she cared for had been ripped away, or maybe it was just the fact she had no clue what was going on. It only worsened as her vision darkened, slight movements were visible, like shadows- then it was gone.
Next she felt fear- and love... somehow she knew it wasn't her own emotions this time. Air- Max gasped at the desperate need. Warm arms and a soft voice faded back in..."Max." and the visible tears were like meltwater from icy blue glaciers that met her own.
Elsa must have been terrified, but tears of relief fell onto her porcelain skin, staining the phantom-like freckles that resided on her cheeks.
Maybe sleep really would help...'So would whiskey' A demon voiced, and she was quick to silence her past. A dry chuckle followed, it wasn't like she had any, it was nearly impossible to obtain at her home...even as queen. It wasn't out of disdain, but all alcohol was inaccessible within the castle- her mother's orders.
People were fools to think she handled taking the crown and her father's death easily...
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"Maxine Danette." It was a cold familiar tone she had heard a lot as a rebellious teenager. But right now, her head was pounding- thoughts were muddled and slow, like trying to swim through pudding.
"Ugh what?" She had managed to reply, slowly flipping over to squint at the tall regal figure. The weight of a dress indicated she hadn't even managed to change, before staggering to the comfort of her bed.
A sigh followed, " You're in pain, I can sense it...but you're holding it down. I am unsure of how you are coping...but whatever it is, it will only hurt you more. It hurts all of us." Maxine held back her own thoughts, knowing her mother was sensitive to them.
A week later she woke to the same voice, but even colder. "Maxine Tytanius Danette. Get up right this instant!" She hissed, forcing the brunette to roll out of her sheets, stumbling when her bare feet hit the floor.
"Cheese and rice woman. What?!" That was a mistake.
"Alcohol? In your study? The bottle is empty Maxine. EMPTY. You claim to care about Margaret's well being- she was the one that found it!" Her heart nearly stopped, and when she caught movement in the doorway she felt her stomach twist, failing to wring itself of the shame she was drenched in.
'I'm sorry Mary' She felt bad for hurting her mother as well, as if she hadnt been in enough pain already.
But due to that incident and the repercussions, she and Mary grew closer. It was a awful mistake, but maybe it had been worth it.
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Fear prevented Maxine from sleeping, so she held her eyelids open, refusing the shadows an opportunity to haunt her vision if she dared to close them. 'You could sleep with Elsa' The thought made her blush first, but in all honesty it was absurd.
She was nearly 27. The excuse would have to be 'nightmares' and though she suffered from those too, the true reason behind her fear of sleep was simply too ridiculous sounding and complex to be explained. 'I saw shadows, and I felt dread- earlier when I froze up.' ...Much too complex.
'Think of her then.' Another thought, but that would also keep her up. Wondering if she could truly tell Elsa everything else. Wondering her feelings could ever be returned. After all, she still didn't know if Elsa even liked women.
'I need to find out.'
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Anna smiled at her husband as she slipped into their bedroom, crossing the rug to the bed where he was sitting, toward the door. Her heart fluttered when he returned to gesture, amber eyes full of immense love. "Hey honey, we're leaving the kids with Matilda tomorrow night, well... after we take them skating."
She held her breath as his expression changed. "We're not taking them skating," The ice harvester chuckled in disbelief, and Anna was shocked that he only disagreed with that. Regardless, his stubbornness never lasted long when she was around so she pushed further.
It wasn't like they would actually be skating, obviously-they couldn't even walk yet. "Elsa can make little skates on their miniature sled or something...we'll push them around...it'll be great." The princess sat beside him, leaning into the radiating warmth before meeting his gaze with a persuading pout.
He fell almost instantly, "Well ice is important for learning...but I don't want them out for too long, you know how the citizens get."
"Oh! Look at them, they're precious." Anna imitated in a over the top fashion, clutching her heart for effect.
"Oh really? He's too pretty to be a boy." Kristoff added with a a chuckle, breaking his character in confusion, " What is that even supposed to mean?"
The woman that had said such was sweet, short, had graying hair and had seven- if Anna remembered correctly-grandkids. "I don't know, it's something the elders say I guess. Your family did say you had unmanly blond hair...I guess we have proof."
"Hey, I make up for that in other ways." Kristoff smirked pulling his wife closer.
She giggled before kissing him softly. "Show me?"
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Rising with the Winter sun was too late for the Snow Queen, so instead she rose out of habit. Six in the morning gave time to get ready, take a walk, overview the day's work, and enjoy a cup of tea before the occasional meeting at eight.
Kristoff- as a mountain man- had a natural tendency to also follow the pattern of the sun. Early in the Summer and slightly later in the Winter. That was when he hadn't been out overseeing the ice harvest.
Anna just slept like the dead. However, once the meetings ended she was usually up and about in time for a late breakfast.
Now, with the addition of children- the schedules were unbalanced. Anna and Kristoff were up earlier than even her at times, and breakfast had shifted to seven o'clock. So now Elsa was sitting at her vanity, at five, sighing softly as she expertly did her makeup.
"Now a dress..." She chose something simple from her wardrobe, a purple gown that she could use as a base for later.
'Three hours of sleep? I'm going to need so much coffee.' She began to brush her towel dried hair, pondering a way to grab Maxine's attention. Nimble fingers and an artistic mind left her wavy bangs down in a waterfall braid, connected with her signature over the shoulder braid.
'What if she doesn't like it?' The thought made her frown, she herself didn't like change. That was why the doubts were truly arising- to prevent it from happening. 'I guess I'll have to learn from my mistakes then.'
"I have to be the first to tell Max happy birthday...before Olaf if he knows..." Elsa murmured to herself as she looked in the mirror. She wanted to do it at midnight, but Maxine's mysterious episode had prevented her plan. "She might still be asleep, I should let her recover."
After five minutes of pacing with an impatience she wasn't known for, she turned to look in her full length mirror heart already racing with excitement. "Happy birthday Max, you look stunning... gorgeous, remarkable, um no. Absolutely captivating. Yes."
'Thank you Elsa.'
"Dear Valhalla, your smile is...it's radiant and beautiful like the sunrise. I just...yes, I simply wanted to let you know that." Elsa bit her lip and blushed as if Maxine was truly there. 'No, I can't say that. Maybe I'll write a secret admirer note...or put it in my notebook.'
After cringing at her own embarrassing behavior she quickly made her way through the hall since preparations had to be checked and perfected. On the way she glanced around for any signs of Olaf, both worried and slightly relieved when there weren't any.
Elsa had made it to the first floor when Kai appeared, turning and smiling at the queen as she approached.
"Kai, did you stress my concerns about cinnamon to the bakers?" Elsa asked, aware he knew how to do his job. It was just nervewracking when preparing something for Maxine.
"Absolutely Your Majesty, they will be bringing cinnamon free only. Due to arrive...at noon." He paused , glancing at his pocket watch. "The musicians will arrive at 5 o'clock, and guests shall begin arriving at 6 o'clock." Kai concluded, with a satisfied nod.
Elsa flashed a genuine smile at her fatherly figure. "Perfect. Thank you Kai. Please, send my thanks to entirety of the staff as your hard work is truly appreciated."
"My pleasure Queen Elsa." She couldn't help but frown, she had finally convinced Gerda to stop using formalities, but Kai kept it up.
"Kai, we've been through loss, laughter, trails, and tribulations together. At this point I have just as much respect for you as you do me, so once again-" A blur of white slipped up the stairs behind Kai, and she quickly continued. "Using my title here is not necessary. Among guests where it is expected however, is fine."
His bow remained, "As you wish, ma'am." one step at a time, Elsa figured. She wanted Jax and Vinter to be raised the same way, humble and not full of themselves. She was sure Kristoff could hold them to such standards.
"Thank you." She probably looked maniacal as she made a mad dash for the stairwell, shoulder thunking the wall as she came to an abrupt halt and started up the stairs.
Olaf was already on his way up the second flight, and Elsa raced to catch him near Maxine's door. 'NO'
"H-hey Olaf," She quickly scooped him up in a hug as he extended a wooden hand to knock. "Have you said goodmorning to the twins this morning? T-they love it when you drop by." It wasn't a lie. Elsa breathed, leaning against the red patterned wall beside her. Faint singing could be heard through the wall and she smiled softly.
Olaf shifted uncomfortably in the Queen's arms. "But it's Max's birthday." Elsa cringed hearing the nickname from someone else. 'What is wrong with me?' She thought briefly before correcting her snowman.
"Dani's birthday."
"Right, why does she have two names?" Olaf asked with genuine curiousity in his eyes.
Elsa began to walk away from the door, towards Annas room as she explained. "Her name is Maxine Danette, so I call her Max, but Mary and Anna call her Dani. Sometimes people have very long names...Our great grandmother was named Henrietta Anna-Louise Christine."
"Wow. Well I'm going to say hi to the babies. I'll see you soon!" his little feet began running before he had even been placed on the ground making gis creator smile with amusement as he akipped down the hall.
'I wonder what she was singing.' Eavesdropping wasn't queenly behavior, but the temptation was too strong and she placed her ear against the wall.
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After debating on what to wear after her bath Maxine decided on a fitted golden gown, with one of her father's old military jackets to wear over it. It was maroon, matching the turtlenecked undershirt of her dress. She decided to leave her hair down today, golden brown waves framing her face nicely, and making her eyes look more of a light amber.
One-
You're like a dream come true
Two-
Just want to be with you
Three-
Girl it's plain to see,
That you're the only one for me
And four-
Repeat steps one through three
Five-
Make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done,
Then I'll start back at one~
Gentle knocks on the door interrupted her vocal acrobatics. "~ second..." Maxine replied, wondering who it could be, one hour before breakfast. 'Come in? Or...I'll just go to the door.'
Standing there was an angelic looking being she knew as Elsa, seemingly out of breath. "O-oh Hi." Words were hard to form as her heart raced in admiration. "Good morning I mean...you look really-"
A finger reached up to quiet her, "Happy birthday Max, you look e-enticing." It sounded like more of a question, and the blonde frowned to herself in confusion for a moment, cheeks suddenly flushing as she looked back up. "Captivating. I mean."
'Like your angel eyes. Baby blue...that fits for now.' Max suddenly realized. "Thanks, baby blue." She blushed, as Elsa froze for a moment. "Your angelic eyes are baby blue, it just...yeah. You look beautiful." Stuttering an explanation seemed to grab her attention, resulting in a heart melting shy giggle.
"Thank you...Max. would you like to play chess or just relax in the parlor before breakfast?"
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"Good morning babies!" Olaf greeted as he stepped into the nursery, eyes scanning the room for any signs of life. "Oh, Hide and Seek! I love this game." He checked under the cribs and behind the curtains to no avail.
"Well maybe-" The quiet creak of a door was heard, followed by footsteps coming from the bedroom. "Aha!"
"Hi Olaf! We were just changing the twins, that's why we weren't in here...isn't that right Jax?" The baby flashed a small toothless smile in reply.
"Oh, Elsa and I were talking about names...what's his second name?"
"It's Sven." The new mother crossed the room before sitting in one of the ornate rocking chairs by the fireplace.
"Itsven...interesting." Anna chuckled knowingly ready to correct him. For some reason he had trouble with names, especially the name Sven.
However, signature clunky steps stopped her correction. "What's been interesting?" Kristoff appeared next to his wife, Vinter looking tiny in his large arms.
"Elsa and I were having a conversation about second names. What's Vinter's? Does she have one?" Olaf bounced from foot to foot, hands clasped together excitedly.
"Solstice." The ice harvester had more luck seeing as he was quick to get straight to the point.
"Solstice. That's beautiful! Well good morning Jax and Vinter Solstice. It's Maxine's birthday! I can't wait. There's going to be skating, and music, and strangers! I love talking to strangers..."
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Elsa made sure to have familiar foods prepared for Maxine's visit, wanting to make sure Maxine felt as comfortable as possible ( and partly to impress her.) The shock and delighted looks that crossed Maxine's freckled face had been absolutely priceless, and was contagious, spreading smiles around the table.
"Is that chocolate?" Both queens nodded at Anna's look of awe, fists balled up in excitement. "For Breakfast?" Another nod followed, causing her cyan eyes to twinkle as she smiled like a Cheshire cat.
"It's called Haselslag...it's like sprinkles of chocolate. It is really good with pindakaas...or what you would call peanut cheese I believe." A giggle from Elsa followed and Maxine paused, wondering what she had done.
Anna's giggles weren't far behind, and the brunette looked at Kristoff in hope of a clue. "What?" She asked softly but the ice harvester was just as clueless, silently answering with an improper shrug.
"Peanut cheese?" Anna repeated, and Kristoff nearly choked on his toast with delayed chuckling.
Elsa acted as her saving grace, regaining some composure before speaking. "Peanut butter, as we would say. Though I think peanut cheese is really adorable." Elsa blushed and giggled shyly, towards the brunette who was also blushing.
The obvious behavior was picked up by Anna, who jumped at the rare opportunity to tease her older sister.
"Ow...Anna."A kick from under the table did quick work of grabbing Elsa's attention. Anna shielded her face from Maxine who was across the table, and faced the end where Elsa sat- her face turning more pink by the second.
'That's not all you find adorable. You want to kiss her...yeah you do. Don't deny it.' Her younger sister mouthed with a kissing motion, snickering when Elsa kicked her foot, face now the shade of a peach.
Anna's hand slipped to her mouth casually, aiming an innocent smile to their guest who was occupied by the twins as they stared at each other.
A few minutes and servings later, she continued teasing, using the stolen glances and short conversation the two queens had been sharing.
'You're ogling. That's inappropriate Elsa. Control yourself.' She mouthed again, causing Elsa to nearly choke in embarrassment.
'No I'm not.' Was the quick reply before she clenched her jaw, attention once again captured by the Dutch Queen.
The twins were Maxine's focus as they cooed at their mirror images. "They are so precious. Will they be attending the party tonight?"
Kristoff nodded, a small smile instantly appearing as he looked at his children. "For a bit. I like to avoid the strange tension between the townspeople and the twins because things can get awkward, and they say things like, 'She's too beautiful to be in this world.'" His large hand was stopped by Vinter, who absentmindedly latched onto a finger.
Everyone at the table smiled again at the sight. "That is very strange. Honestly it's kind of concerning." Maxine paused for a moment to think about what the statement meant, only to come to no avail.
"Quite." Anna agreed, "Oh, we have an idea-" her husband raised an eyebrow. " I have an idea, about the twins and skating...we can talk about it later." Elsa nodded, stealing another innocent glance at Maxine. "Oh, well would you look at the time..." Anna began with a fake tone Elsa instantly recognized. When cyan eyes flickered behind her at an imaginary clock it was obvious.
"We should feed the twins, uh so they don't get grumpy. I'll catch you two later." A smirk indicated her younger sister's intentions, and the hidden wink that followed made it clear.
Elsa waved, heart thumping nervously as they left. 'Thanks Anna.'
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It wasn't long before the ballroom was transformed into a skating rink, with the two monarchs in the center.
"Here, take my hands." Elsa instructed, a small blush on her cheeks as Maxine hesitantly followed. The tingling jolts that zipped up her arms made it harder to focus, but when hazel blue eyes met her's everything else seemed to fade. "Don't overthink it...just let it come naturally."
Max chuckled. "Let it come naturally, says Elsa...of all things Winter." The opportunity to begin her flirting was here, she smiled back.
"Mocking the Queen now are we? You'll see, it works...j-just focus on me." The freckled face became more serious for a moment, a warm squeeze served as the blonde's reassurance before a reply followed.
"It's quite difficult not to...Your majesty."
Elsa gasped in playful offense, while trying to read between the lines. "Mock the Queen? That's an awfully bold statement."
Perhaps she overdid it...the now startled expression scrambled for words. "N-no, um that's not what I meant...I-I you're magnetic, Elsa." Her heart fluttered, Maxine was genuine that time. The honesty was sweet, but she had to be sure. Jumping to conclusions happened to be a dangerous game, even more so when gambling a close friendship.
'You need you find out more about her crush today...maybe pry a name out.'
"That's sweet, um thank you." She pushed her foot forward propelling backward from the small anchor of ice, and pulled Maxine with her. Ice skating was like walking to her, perhaps even easier. She didn't need to think about her movements as she glided over the ice, it was like floating effortlessly.
Maxine couldn't understand that concept, but it came as a slight shock when she followed the movements almost precisely- except moving forward. She hadn't thrown her torso forward in attempt to catch her balance, or slipped backwards...it was like Maxine was also a part of the ice. Elsa bit her lip, looking into breathtaking hazel eyes that twinkled shyly.
She paused to gather herself. "A little rusty huh?"
The way the brunette looked away and shrugged made Elsa's heart melt like snow in the Spring. Was she purposely trying to be cute? "Yeah, I mean-" almost on cue Max began to lose her footing, yanking Elsa forward as she slipped backwards.
Then somehow-some way, Elsa was left gasping in shock, caught a few inches above the ice by Maxine who was now smirking above her. "Maybe." One arm was wrapped around her back, the laces of the golden dress firmly pressing into her arm. Their chests were brushing and her other hand gripped the back of Max's shoulder, locking her in place with an iron grip.
She was too startled to notice Max was truly the one supporting most of their weight, arms embracing the Snow Queen and holding her in place until they were pulled upright.
"That was suspenseful." Elsa breathed, cheeks flushed as she felt a warm chuckle ghosting across her lips, eyes locked on those like honey with flecks of blue. 'How did that even happen?' Thinking about it was pointless, it had been a blur and somehow Maxine had done it accidentally, or on purpose.
"Come on Snow Queen, let it come naturally." A smirk accompanied the reoccurring trend of Maxine's teasing.
'That was a mistake.' The blonde raised an eyebrow causing her crush to glide backwards in anticipation. " I'll give you a head start this time." She said confidently, while straightening out her skirt. The sound of skates gliding on the ice made her chuckle in amusement. There was no way Maxine would stand a chance against her in her own element.
Five seconds later she spotted Maxine as the other end of the ballroom, still smiling from her snarky comment. It didn't take long for Elsa to glide across the room only to change direction multiple times in pursuit of the culprit. She was gaining when Max spun around and began to skate backwards, not as quickly as before, which made catching up a breeze.
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"Whoops, you thought." Max laughed loudly as she dodged Elsa's attempt to grab her arm, quickly skating forward before spinning to face the slightly impressed blonde.
"You asked for it," with the speed of a lightning bolt Elsa was at arms length, snowball in hand- nope. The snow was cold, instantly swiping the smile of victory from her face. There was a shriek as arms flailed in an attempt to gain balance, and she braced for impact only to be sandwiched between an attractive queen and a pile of snow.
The contrast between the two temperatures made her shiver awkwardly. "Caught'cha" Elsa giggled, and it reverberated through them both. 'Cheese and rice, you are so cute.' Despite the snow melting through her dress, being so close to Elsa was worth it. Adorable giggles with a childlike twinkle within baby blue eyes, bangs hanging down and nearly tickling her nose, and now a heartstopping lip-bitten smile. 'Caught? I'm still falling for you.'
Maxine could barely even manage a whisper, in attempt to catch her own breath. " W-we're even then." She stopped breathing when a stray hair was moved from her nose.
"No, I think you're odd." Another giggle followed, jouncing through them both, pressing Maxine further into the fluffy snow. 'Stop saying things that make me want to kiss you.' She blushed at the brief thought, warmth flooding her sandwiched body.
"In a good way?" She desperately hoped.
A firework of sparks spread through her cheek when lips brushed it. "In the best way." The weight slipped away, and she hesitantly took the pale hand that was offered. "Come on, I'm sure the snacks are ready."
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Thanks so much for reading, your patience means the world to me.
I promise the next chapter will be better.
Feel free to suggest, review, fav, and all that jazz.