The Storm
So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.
The Storm
11
Waking up warm and snuggled in Anna's arms was far better than the last time she had woken. This was one of her favorite places and she could happily remain here all day if she had the option. But that wasn't the case and now that she felt better there were things to be done. She felt stronger than a kitten for one and she felt far more able to deal with the world than she had last night. Maybe fighting directly against a storm was not a good plan and should be avoided.
Crawling out of the bed after she had extricated herself from Anna's arms, Elsa padded across the room and looked out the window and noticed the storm was still going though from what she could tell it might be letting up some, she wasn't completely sure. What she could tell is that the city was in far less danger than it had been in before she and Anna had done what they had done. By reducing the weight of snow pressing down on buildings they ensured that there would be more homes left standing at the end of this. Now if only she were able to have a nice calm day to fully recover then everything would be better.
That's when she remembered, the Bishop wanted to talk to her. Elsa groaned in annoyance. She so did not need this. All she wanted was to rest, so she could feel better, stronger, not play political games with the head of Arendelle's church. However, she was a queen and it wasn't like she really got the option to actually rest. The needs of her country beckoned and she had to address them in order for her people to weather this disaster safely. She had let them down once already and she had vowed to never do that again. Going to speak with the Bishop and finding out just what it was that he wanted to talk about was just something she needed to do, whether she desired to or not. She was the Queen and it had been something she had learned long ago that duty came before desire.
Warm arms slid around her waist, holding her tight and pulling her backwards a touch, "Good morning love. You seem pensive."
Elsa chuckled, "That's a rather big word Anna."
"I studied, hush. Now what's troubling you?" Anna leaned her head down and kissed Elsa on her neck. "I could tell something was bothering you all the way from the bed."
"That far, hunh? I just realized that I need to talk to the Bishop today and I'm worried. I have no idea about what he has to say or what he wants to talk about. I am afraid he wants to talk about us and that scares me more than anything else," admitted Elsa, glad that her sister was there and holding her.
"Do you want me to be there with you?" asked Anna, hugging her sister tighter to show her support.
"No it will be okay. I am sure I can handle one meeting with him, regardless the topic. I should at least find out what it is that he wants to talk about. And even if it is about us I am sure I can buy us some time to speak with him and work things out." Elsa leaned back against her shorter sister, not worried about falling because Anna was the stronger of the two.
"Well, if it is about us, then just remember that I am always there for you no matter what anyone says." Anna gave her a quick squeeze to punctuate her words.
Elsa smiled and turned in Anna's arms, leaning in to kiss her. When she pulled away, she looked lovingly into Anna's eyes and said, "I always remember that Snowflake. I love you."
"I love you too Elsa. Now let's get ready. I promised the doctor that you would rest well and then have a hearty breakfast. I don't want to be lax in my care for you." Anna looked very serious as she said that.
"You take wonderful care of me Anna." Elsa was very happy to admit that and she knew that it was the truth and had been the truth for a long time.
"Thanks, now come on, the day awaits!"
A short while later that the girls were in the dining room eating their breakfast. Anna kept insisting that Elsa have more than she usually had which was amusing to the Queen. She was being so well cared for right now that it made her feel good. Watching her sister care for her told her just how worried she had been when Elsa had fainted and she was glad that Anna had been there for her. Once the meal was finished, they parted ways with Anna going to check on their guests and Elsa headed for her office. Before the Bishop arrived she might be able to get some work done that had been delayed because of this emergency.
One of the maids brought her some coffee and she sipped at her cup as she went through various documents, primarily new trade agreements. She pulled up one and almost splurted out her coffee over everything. Weselton had sent an agreement to resume political relations as well as trade. Was the Duke that big of an idiot? Did he think that she had forgotten in this short of time that he had sent two of his henchmen up the mountain to kill her? Her men had gotten that information out of them before they had been released. Or that he had supported Hans's grab for power so long as it meant that he got a cut of the pie? She rubbed her forehead, trying to stave off a growing headache. He must think her nothing more than a silly woman with naught but fluff in her head.
There was a knock at the door and she looked up, thankful for the diversion before she simply decided a war was a perfectly legitimate response to Weselton's actions. Anything would be better than dealing with this nonsense. She put the document aside and asked, "Yes?"
"Your Majesty, His Excellency Bishop Trygstad."
Maybe not.
"Come in your Excellency," said Elsa, masking her nervousness as best she could. She had years of practice and she needed it all right now. "Coffee?"
"Thank you your Majesty." The Bishop inclined his head politely.
Elsa nodded and the person at the door came in and poured the Bishop a cup and handed it over to the man. Once he left, closing the door behind him and leaving them in privacy, the Queen said, "So, you said yesterday that you wished to speak with me?"
"Yes your Majesty. I must say I was surprised with the revelation about you and your sister." He smiled at her.
"And what is the Churches position on this matter?" asked Elsa, very proud that she managed to keep her voice steady. She decided to cut through the pleasantries and get to the heart of the matter. She was too tired for social fencing.
The Bishop took a sip of his coffee and sat back looking at her calmly. "There is an unspoken acknowledgement from the Church that magic and certain aspects of the world… complicate the simplicity of Gods design. The only people we speak of this with are generally the rulers of various states and kingdoms as it makes interactions… easier in certain situations. There have been occasional issues with this acknowledgement, such as in France, but on the whole the Papacy realizes that certain facts cannot be argued with and thus must be a part of the Lord's design."
"What facts?" Elsa asked hesitantly, wondering where he was going with this.
"Well, True Love for one. The power of True Love and True Loves kiss is well known as it overrides many powerful curses for which there are no other cures. That means that the Church is aware that for all intents and purposes True Love is sacrosanct." He smiled at her gently.
Elsa rocked back, shocked. This was perhaps the last thing she had ever expected to ever hear from a leader of the church. "Does that mean…?"
"The Church has no issue with your relationship as the power of True Love is greater than any mortal law, even those of the Church. We consider such a thing a sign of Divine Grace and that the Lord approves the pairing in question. Who are we to doubt the Lord's will?" The Bishop seemed somewhat amused by the Queen's increasingly disbelieving face. His smile showed that clearly.
Elsa was on the edge of tears but she struggled to keep it together for the sake of the conversation. "So Anna and I can…"
"Yes. And I will support you both against whatever befalls you. The only concern that will exist is an heir. The people will expect one and you have an obligation to Arendelle to provide one. However there is still time. You are barely into your reign so there is some leeway to work out how this can be managed."
Elsa nodded, her mind awhirl with this new data. "That had been on my mind as well. Thank you for this your Excellency. You have taken a great burden from my shoulders."
"Magic and such, including True Love is an undeniable fact of the world, your Majesty, as your own powers so dramatically show. The Church has had to be practical in regards to it," he noted.
There was another knock at the door, but this one was a bit more frantic than earlier. Elsa called out, "Come in."
"Your Majesty, the Harbormaster has sent a frantic message to the palace. Your presence is required in town as soon as you can manage."
Elsa rose to her feet, "I apologize your Excellency, it seems as if I must head into town to find out what this latest emergency is." She turned to the messenger and said, "Let Princess Anna know I have headed into town and that I may need her assistance later."
"Yes your Majesty."