Chapter Ten
The hallways of the castle were familiar, but confusing. Doors were not where they should have been, and Merida kept finding herself at dead ends. It was silent as she made her way through, holding her bow in front of her with an arrow nocked while she hunted her prey.
A scream ripped through the castle. Elsa. She dropped the bow and raced through the twisting corridors, frantically trying to reach the source of the screams. Finally she arrived at Elsa's room, the door locked. Merida threw her weight against the wooden door, shouting for her father, her brothers, anyone to help her. The screams grew fainter and then stopped. The door swung open. Mor –Du stood over Elsa's mangled body.
"No!" Merdia gasped for air as she woke. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she found it hard to breathe. She stumbled from bed, nearly tripping over her own feet as she fumbled with the latch to her door and pulled it open. She had to see Elsa, had to make sure she was safe.
Merida ran down the hall to the guest room where Elsa slept. She pulled open the door to find Elsa sleeping peacefully, blankets pulled up nearly to her nose. Softly, she closed the door behind her and made her way to Elsa's bedside. Her hand trembled as she reached out to gently caress Elsa's cheek. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Merida?" she mumbled. Elsa rubbed her eyes and squinted in the darkness. "Is everything all right? Are you sick again?"
Merida wrung her hands nervously. "I didn't mean to wake you."
Elsa sat up. "What's wrong? You're shaking." She reached out and took a hand, stopping the fidgeting.
"I'm sorry, I just needed–" Merida's voice broke.
"Sweetheart, come here." Elsa pulled Merida into her arms and held her as the tears came. Merida slung her arms around Elsa's shoulders and gripped tightly, burying her face into the crook of Elsa's neck. She sobbed quietly, trying desperately to block out the images from the dream. She forced herself to take deep, calming breaths until she stopped shaking. Elsa rubbed her back slowly, soothing her.
"I had a wretched nightmare," Merida mumbled against her. "You…you were hurt, dead I think."
"I'm fine, I'm right here." Elsa kissed Merida's forehead.
"I just needed to see, to make sure." Merida sighed and pulled away slightly. "I feel foolish." She sat halfway on the bed, looking anywhere but at Elsa.
Elsa cupped her cheek and made her look up. She smiled at Merida. "You know, I would understand if you needed to stay here tonight, to protect me."
"You would, would you?" Merida managed to grin.
Elsa lay down, pulling the covers back for Merida. If she weren't still fighting off sleep, the motion would have almost been seductive. Merida slid between the sheets and scooted over to Elsa. They lay nose to nose, as Elsa's hand found hers. "Is this better?" she asked.
"Much." Merida yawned and snuggled against Elsa, resting her head just above her heartbeat, listening to the steady rhythm. Elsa hummed softly and combed her fingers through Merida's curls.
"Hey," Merida mumbled, half asleep. "Earlier, right before I started bawling, you called me sweetheart."
"Yes," Elsa replied, still playing with her hair.
Merida chuckled softly and pulled Elsa closer to her. "I'm your sweetheart," she slurred giddily.
Elsa kissed her on the forehead once more and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, my firefly."
"G'night… sweetheart."
Elsa woke up to the very unfamiliar sensation of a warm body pressed against her own. She groaned and blinked, seeing nothing but red for a moment as her eyes focused. The red turned into a mane of hair and she registered the weight of Merida lying halfway on top of her. She looked down and saw Merida still cuddled against her chest.
Some time in the night, they had kicked aside the covers. Merida's nightshirt had bunched up around hips, revealing pale, smooth skin. Her eyes followed the curve of her backside, down to a muscular leg wedged between Elsa's own legs still tangled in her nightgown. Merida's hand rested on her breast with Elsa's hand on top, holding it there.
Elsa blushed deeply as she took in the sight. It was rude to stare, or at least that was what her sensibilities told her. I'll just untangle us slowly. She started with Merida's hand, nudging it away from her breast. Merida moaned softly and slid her hand down, accidentally brushing the peak of her breast before gliding down her stomach. Elsa drew in a breath as the muscles in her core tightened. Okay, not going to touch the hand again. She bit her lip as she resisted the urge to shift against Merida. Her body burned with the need for something, and she knew that now was not the time to satisfy it.
Despite all her reservations, Elsa let her other hand wander down Merida's back. She stopped at the hem of her nightgown. She wanted very much to touch Merida's pale skin. Carefully, her hand slipped under Merida's nightshirt and traced up Merida's back. Her skin was soft, softer than Elsa thought it would be, and extremely warm. She exhaled and allowed herself to caress Merida. She had wanted to do this earlier, every time that she rubbed Merida's back, actually, but had been too afraid to.
Her fingers traced over a taught patch of skin. The stripe stretched down the left side of Merida's back, a scar. She could imagine Merida receiving it in some battle. Elsa had the urge to kiss the healed skin. Perhaps she would, later. Her hand traveled lower, hesitating at the swell just below Merida's lower back.
"You're not going to stop there, are you?" Merida asked. Her voice was low and slightly hoarse.
Elsa kept her hand still. "How long have you been awake?" she asked.
Merida looked up and smirked at her. "Long enough." She shifted up so that Elsa's hand slid lower and finally cupped her backside. Elsa must have blushed even harder, because Merida chuckled as she stared down at her. The redhead's curls spilled over and framed them, shutting out the rest of the world. "Good morning." Merida planted a hand on each side of Elsa and pushed a thigh further between her legs.
"M-morning," Elsa managed to say. She wanted Merida closer, if that were possible, but she feared that closer would involve less clothing. She did not know if she was ready for that.
Merida hesitated a second. "Is this too much?"
Elsa shook her head. Somehow, the thought of Merida being anywhere but there, on top of her, seemed like a bad idea. "No. Just… go slow."
Nodding, Merida leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "I think I can do that," she said. The sultry tone of her voice made Elsa's body pulse. She tilted her head and met Merida's lips with her own, capturing them in a soft kiss. She moaned as Merida's lips slid past hers. Their tongues met and caressed slowly as they deepened the kiss. Elsa's hand gripped Merida's backside before dipping lower to the back of her thigh, pulling her close. She released a groan as Merida's thigh pressed up against her center. She rocked down against the taut muscle, breaking their kiss as she tilted her head back. If Elsa had known it would feel so good…
She gasped when Merida left a trail of kisses down her jawline and along her neck. She felt teeth lightly nip at her and she arched into Merida, trying to allow her more access. Her hands returned to the softness of Merida's back, both of them wandering up under the nightshirt and clutching tightly. She could feel the play of muscles in Merida's back as she rolled her hips into Elsa. The guttural moans that Merida released only made her ache for more.
"Merida," she whispered. She felt her grab the hem of her nightgown and pull up, allowing her access to Elsa's hip. Elsa shuddered and arched into the touch, feeling the hand move higher. Merida paused when her hand brushed the underside of her breast.
Merida pulled away from her neck. "Is this too fast?"
Elsa raised her knee so that it pressed in between Merida's legs. "Don't stop," she whispered.
Merida moaned and her hand slipped over Elsa's breast, thumb gently stroking her nipple. She bent forward and captured Elsa's lips in a fierce kiss, this one more needy. They moved together, rocking against one another urgently. When they broke apart, Merida groaned and pressed her forehead into the crook of Elsa's neck again. "Elsa, I want to make love to you," she murmured. Merida pulled back again, meeting Elsa's gaze.
Elsa let her hands slide down to Merida's hips. She looked up at the beautiful woman staring back at her. The way Merida looked at her was both empowering and terrifying. She had not imagined someone would look at her with such deep affection and longing. "I want you to," she said.
Merida nodded and shifted back. Elsa whimpered at the loss of contact, but then felt Merida's hand leave her breast and trail down her chest. Merida's eyes never left hers. The intensity and anticipation in that look only made her heart beat faster. She felt her fingers caress her hip. When Merida touched her inner thigh, she closed her eyes and swallowed a moan.
A loud knock on the door caused Merida to freeze. Elsa's eyes widened as she glanced from the doorway to Merida. "Elsa?" The sound of Merida's mother made them both separate and dive under the covers. Merida muttered a series of curses, her face turning redder than Elsa had ever seen.
Elsa cleared her throat and smoothed her nightgown into place. "Um, just a minute!" she called. She stood up and grabbed her robe, pulling it on and tying it into place. She looked back to Merida and mouthed, "What should we do?"
Merida raised her hands and looked around the room, clearly of ideas as well. "Does Merida happen to be in there, with you?" Elinor asked.
Elsa winced as she considered what to say while Merida dove under the bed. When she turned to open the door, Merida hissed, "What are you doing?"
She rolled her eyes and opened it anyway, smiling up at Elinor as diplomatically as possible. "Merida is unable to come to the door right now, but yes, she is here."
Elinor's gaze flicked briefly to Elsa's neck before returning her smile. Elsa pulled the collar of the robe tighter. "That's all I needed to know, actually. When we didn't find her in her room this morning, we were worried. Fergus is searching the woods at the moment, but I think we should all have breakfast as soon as Merida is… decent?"
Elsa blushed deeply as Merida cried out, "Mum!" from under the bed.
Elinor glanced into the room and raised an eyebrow. "I'll see you both soon," she said.
Elsa nodded a goodbye and shut the door, leaning against it on trembling legs. Merida crawled out from under the bed and approached her. "Thanks for all the help," Elsa teased.
Merida pouted at her. "How would you feel if Anna had come knocking?"
Elsa groaned and shook her head. "Fair enough."
"Although I do think you handled it well," said Merida. She leaned in and kissed Elsa lightly on the lips. "Though I think my mum will want to talk with us, just a guess."
Elsa nodded and returned the kiss with another small peck. "One thing at a time."
Breakfast was an experience, Merida decided. A rather unpleasant one that she preferred to never repeat. Elsa and Elinor spent the whole time talking as if nothing had happened, even though Elsa's hand wandered over her thigh while they sat at the table.
Fergus returned in the middle of their meal and decided to reenact his supposed encounter with a wild boar by fighting his chair. That made Merida laugh, and even Elsa smiled when he skewered the seat cushion with his sword.
After the staff had cleared the rest of their food away, Elinor sighed and looked at both of them. "How would you two like to join me for tea?" she asked. Merida recognized the veiled order for what it was. When Elinor stood from the table, Merida followed with Elsa close behind. Elinor stopped one of the kitchen staff. "Could you bring a tray of tea to my study?" and then dismissed the man before continuing upstairs.
They went to what Merida called the "tapestry room". It had most of her mother's needlework on display. Elinor sat down in a large chair by the fire and gestured to two empty chairs across from her.
Once they were seated, Elinor smiled and leaned back. "Elsa, I do hope you have enjoyed the weather in DunBroch. I know it's not what you're used to, but I like to think it has been exceptionally lovely for late summer."
Elsa nodded. "It's true. DunBroch is very different from Arrendelle, but it has it's own beauty.
Merida remained silent the whole time. She felt as if there were an undercurrent to the conversation she was not quite privy to. When the tea finally arrived, Elinor had the staff set the tray on a table and leave, shutting the door on their way out. Elinor poured each of them a cup before pouring herself one and setting the teapot aside. She lifted her cup and sat back down. "Now there should be no more interruptions."
This was what Merida had been dreading: an infamous talk from her mother. While Merida braced herself for a lecture, Elsa calmly stirred her tea.
"Before you begin, I have something to say, if I may?" Elsa said. Elinor nodded and let Elsa continue. "What happened this morning was not…planned. I admit it could have been handled differently, but I will not apologize for it." Elsa held the queen's gaze. Merida held her breath.
"I don't think you give yourself enough credit dear, you handled an awkward situation with poise and maturity. Hopefully you can teach that to my daughter someday." Elinor and Elsa both smiled. Merida furrowed her brow, unsure of what was happening. This was nothing like she thought would happen.
"Thank you," Elsa said.
"I did not ask you here to lecture you, or to forbid you from seeing each other. That would be foolish and pointless as you would undoubtedly find a way to see each other anyway." She paused and took a sip of her tea before beginning again. "Honestly, I'm just happy Merida found someone."
And now her mother was talking as if she were not in the room. She opened her mouth to speak, but Elsa shot her a look that said don't.
"I brought you here to offer a word of caution. Both of you are prominent figures in your kingdoms, and there are many that would not be as understanding as I. Both of you are adults, and what you two do is none of my business, and I would prefer it to stay that way. But I would ask that you be discrete, at least until you figure out what you are going to do for the long term." Elinor finally looked at her daughter. "Merida, you should speak to your father about this. He shouldn't have to hear it from me." She then turned back to Elsa. "And I recommend having the same talk with your sister."
Both girls sat there quietly, unsure of what to say next.
"Whatever you two do decide on for the future, I will fully support you," Elinor continued. "But for now, it would be best to wait until the lords have married off their sons elsewhere before announcing that you are spoken for, Merida." Elinor smiled at the both of them, though Elsa and Merida blushed. "Oh, your father will be so happy. Just… don't take too long to tell him. The whole country will know before he does, otherwise." Elinor sipped the last of her tea before placing the cup aside. "I think I should leave you two to talk. I'm sure you have a lot to think about." She stood and gave them both one last smile before leaving the room.
Merida glanced at Elsa and then back at the door. "I… did she? What – what just happened?"
Elsa released a deep sigh and slumped back in her chair. She looked exhausted. "I think your mother just gave us her blessing."
"But she never approves of anything I do," Merida said. She watched the door as if her mother would burst back in at any moment.
Elsa smiled and took Merida's hand. "We should talk… about this morning."
Merida immediately looked back at Elsa. Her stomach felt like a pit had opened in it. Oh no. "Is… is something wrong?" she asked.
Elsa laughed and shook her head. "No, of course not. Well, your mother interrupted us, but aside from that…" She stood up and pulled Merida out of her chair as well. "I enjoyed what we did, but you need to understand how new this is for me. It's a little overwhelming."
Merida still felt nervous. "Are you saying you need space?" she asked.
Elsa shook her head again. "No, just time and understanding." She pulled Merida closer, wrapping her hands around her waist. "I think things moved a little quickly this morning, not that I regret it," she added when she saw Merida's pained expression. "It just made me realize how much I don't know about… um, well…"
Her sudden nervousness made Merida smile. She cupped Elsa's cheek and brushed a thumb over the soft skin. "We'll take as long as you need," she said. "But, there is one thing I want to clear up."
"What's that?"
"Would you say that we're… courting each other?"
Elsa laughed. It was a soft laugh that warmed Merida's cheeks. "I think we're a little beyond that, firefly," she said.
Merida grinned at the endearment. "But we aren't quite…lovers," she said.
Elsa blushed. "Not quite."
"So, sweethearts then?" Merida asked. "That is, if you want to be…" She suddenly felt vulnerable.
"Are you asking me to be your sweetheart?" Elsa's voice held a hint of teasing.
Merida hesitated for a moment before replying, "Yes."
Elsa closed the remaining distance and softly kissed Merida. "I thought I already was."
A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this one :D The rating has officially been upped, and there's still more to the story. I'd like to take a moment to talk about a personal project of mine, a fantasy novel with Lesbians titled Chronicles of Osota: Warrior. Today, i submitted the manuscript to my editor, so hopefully in about 2 months there should be a book out for y'all to read, if you're so inclined. It does involve a princess who's a badass archer, just saying. I'll keep you guys updated on that.
Also, sleeping with the author grants me beta reading privileges and Osota is definitely awesome. If it wasn't, I would have made her rewrite it ;) ~sy
Rejected Chapter Ideas: stately ankles, shapely thighs, ass, buttock, butt, bum, gluteus maximus, derriere, sex (again :P), and bush babies (we may have stopped to google pictures of bush babies and other cute baby animals)