Anise awoke slowly, at least in her mind. The gasps or last night mixed with the regal nature of the bed she found herself in. Tossing her head to the side, she found no Queen in the area, and looked around for her clothes, shivering in the cool morning air.
Quickly, she found a dress that she remembered, and pulled it on, along with her smallclothes and light boots(a gift from the practically minded Princess), and pondered what she had heard the night before. As soon as she opened the door, she was practically bowled over by an energetic Princess.
"Oof!"
"Anise, just the person I was looking for!" Anna muttered quickly.
"Uhhhh?" Anise clutched her head, and rose from where she had fell. Is the Princess... glowing?
"What is... ugh," she rubbed her eyes, and looked at the nervous little noble hovering above her.
"'ise, I need to tell you something," she continued in a hushed tone, "Follow me."
As the younger sister led the approach to her chambers, Anise grinned wickedly from behind her. It was not lost on her, that she was still covered in Her Royal Majesty's need for the girl she followed now. She picked up her feet, and strode beside the Princess, mulling over the fact that she was suddenly the confidante for the most powerful duo in the land... and they didn't even know they were a duo. Yet.
Steepling her fingers tiredly, Queen Elsa sighed, as she listened to yet another self-important old windbag. The colours of the Duke of Winchester's blazer... really?
Drawing in a breath, the Queen rose to her feet, the assemblage of lesser nobles and ward councilors quieting.
"Gentlemen, I do not believe this is of critical importance," she began, obviously bored, "so I propose that we adjourn this 'meeting', and reconvene after luncheon." Elsa gestured to the clock on the wall.
As the power-mad began to file out of the room sullenly, the Queen slumped back in her chair exhaustedly, and pinched her nose with screwed shut eyes. As the door closed, she let out a breath she didn't know she had held, and briefly considered what she had actually done the night before.
I let Anise tell me what to want... didn't I? She thought to herself.
Today, I'll find out just what it is that I truly desire, Elsa thought, as she followed the desire for truffles and smoked venison on a bun.
As the young royal opened the door to her personal suite, her pulse quickened, as she realized what she was about to do. Now or never, she thought grimly, as she turned to her fire-maned guest.
"Anise..." Anna stuttered out, "what I have to tell you is not to go outside this room, understood?"
As the common-born nodded, the Princess' grin faded, and she sucked in a breath, wondering what she'd learn now.
"Not even Elsa can know," she intoned feebly, playing with the hem of her bodice.
Anise knelt, and rumbled carefully, "It is understood, Your Highness."
At the sound of a giggle, she looked up, and observed the younger royal trying to cover a sheepish laugh with coughs. Once more serious, Anna fixated her friend with a stare, and beckoned her to come closer.
Rising, Anise felt herself pulled into a near embrace, but just as quickly the arms around her shoulders were gone, and she had to wonder if she had imagined the whole thing.
"Anise," she heard whispered in her ear, "I'm pregnant."
Gasping, the merchant's daughter scanned the body of the woman before her quickly. Seeing no hints of its alleged condition, she squinted her gaze at the Princess, and raised an eyebrow quizzically.
"I just found out this morning," Anna elaborated, much to the other's relief.
"I went to the physician for some cramping I had, and she told me this," she continued.
"Do you know who the father is?"
Anna grimaced and stared a hole in the floor tiles beside her, touching her fingertips together. Pulling up a loose strand of hair, she murmured a reply, too quiet for Anise to hear.
"Hon, I didn't hear you. Can you speak up a bit, please?"
Gathering her determination, the young noble scowled at the doorframe.
"Elsa."
"What?"
Hardly believing her ears, Anise was shocked at the claim, and wondered if her friends had gone mad.
"I've not been with anyone, 'ise!" Anna declared suddenly.
"It's just a theory, but the physician thinks that her burst of magic did... something."
Falling silent again, Anna wanted nothing more than to cry or tear something (anything) apart.
Feeling embracing arms around her she deigned to grace the mortal coil with her notice again, and saw her friend hug her gently.
"Shhh," she cooed, "I won't spoil it for anyone, alright?"
I have a good friend here, now. Anna thought to herself.
As the day faded into night, the royalty found themselves on a balcony overlooking the harbour.
"What's that?" Anise asked, truly interested in the sisters' study of the stars.
"That," the elder replied, "Is a vast ball of fire, burning so very far away from us, the astronomers tell us."
"Ahhh," she smirked appreciatively.
"And that?" the ginger Princess asked.
Elsa turned her view to the city, and blinked. A procession of torches and grim faces flowed towards their castle silently. Were it but for their cast light, she'd have not noticed at all.
Wordless, the Queen worked her jaw, aghast. The sight was well-known after the tumults in France, but here?
The younger cleared her throat again, blinking at the train of humanity with shock.
"I think..." she began somewhat lamely.
"That they want to talk to you." Anise finished for her, and they felt the pulling of a delicate hand on their sleeves.
Turning, they found themselves looking into the eyes of the clearly nervous Queen, her sapphire eyes reflecting the fire and fear below.
"Get yourselves to the stables," she hissed quietly, "And yoke two horses to a cart."
Anna grabbed her sister's sleeve, and worried that her gesture might be too needy.
"Aren't you coming with us?" she whined cautiously.
"I'm going to talk to them," the Queen whispered darkly.
"Are you... sure?"
"Yes," she continued, "Anise?"
"Yes, Elsa?"
"See that my sister is safe, are you coming with us?"
Gulping, their friend gazed at the crowd before turning to the royal pair again.
"You can bet on it."
The Snow Queen hesitated before the gates to her childhood home. Where are the guards? She wondered. She could not know that they were out there, part of the grim mob that had accumulated on the other side of Lovig Regel's bridge.
Pressing her hands to the wrought-iron door clasp, she breathed deeply.
"Forgive me, Mama, Papa."
She threw the large gates open with her hands and a gust of wind, and faced the crowd on the other side of the bridge. She had taken a white cloth from the kitchens, what she hoped would be an known sign of parley. Waving it, she noticed a single man and woman parting from the crowd, striding up the bridge. Continuing to carry the flag prominently, she marched across the wooden structure, knowing why they had gathered.
Meeting in the middle of the bridge, Elsa looked at the pair the crowd had sent. Representatives, if you will. She exhaled slowly, and approached the two.
"I am Queen Elsa. I speak for Princess Anna, and our friend, Anise of Arendelle. To whom have I the pleasure of speaking?" she intoned quietly, humbled by her assumed powers.
The man and woman shifted uncomfortably, and the man raised his hand.
"I am Lars Jenssen, Majesty."
"And I am Coraline, wife of Lars Jenssen."
Elsa hesitated. These people were clearly not prepared, but they spoke with passion and authority. She cleared her throat, and continued, her voice cracking.
"What may I help you with?" she asked sweetly.
Blinking, the man snorted, and opened his mouth.
"What we want," he said, gesturing to the crowd, "Is for the royal entourage to leave."
"With all speed," his slight wife clarified.
"We expect you to be gone," the man hesitated, "By tomorrow, at middag."
Elsa curtsied to the obvious representatives.
"We will be gone, by middag."
The two facing her let out a breath, Obviously, they are not the real force behind this event.
Elsa cleared her throat, and continued.
"We will leave Lovig Regel, and our titles. We will live far from here, and we acknowledge that we no longer have authority."
As she spoke, Elsa felt a wave of courage, as plans began to take shape in her mind. The North Mountain...
Straightening, The once-Queen blinked twice.
"I only ask one thing."
"Yes?" the couple responded, suddenly looking at her like she was an old hat.
"That you be merciful to whom I showed mercy," Elsa clarified.
"Do we have an agreement?"
"Yes," the man grunted, clearly less comfortable by the second.
"We will have mercy, and you will leave," the female muttered.
"I bid you god dag," Elsa eked out, and made to turn around.
"And we bid you godspeed," the man said.
Who even says that here? Are the English really behind this?
Hurriedly walking back to her ancestral home, the blonde woman knew she didn't care anymore.