A/N: Thank you to ALL. I would have never made it so far without your endless support and suggestions. Your entertainment is what I live for! Ugh, the point is, I can't thank you enough. Quite honestly, I don't think I would get anywhere with this story without your input and great reviews! It would probably be just this big blob of nothingness. My little epilogue is coming soon, along with news about the CiA sequel, "Love is Strength." I hate my title, but I won't change it, sadly.
Disclaimer: I don't own Frozen.
Chapter 29: Departure
Olaf's usually buoyant mood was gone the following morning. He moved slowly toward Yvonne's guest room door, knocking softly on it with his twig fingers. A smile was trying to fight through his solemn expression when he saw her, donning a regal gray gown with silver lace. Her hair was pinned up in a bun behind her head. She smiled as she peered down at him.
He bestowed her with a purple tulip he found outside. She smiled weakly, and instead of accepting it, she picked him up, wrapping her arms around him. He let his smile loose, closing his eyes.
This is a really warm hug, he thought to himself.
"I'm sorry for being stupid," she said. "I regret not spending enough time with you after Christmas, and tiring myself out with Emil. I shouldn't have used you to get information out of him. Can you forgive me, Olaf?" Her stormy eyes looked watery. Red bloomed through the paleness of her cheeks, as if she was embarrassed by her behavior. She was rubbing both her hands, impatient for his answer.
"I'm not one to hold a grudge," he said in return, "but you could always tone it down a notch." This made her hum with laughter. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too, buddy. I promise I'll send you letters."
Olaf backed away from their hug. "Like we did for Santa?"
She smiled, staring off into space for a while, then looking at him directly again. "Just like it. Keep believing, okay?"
"I will." A chill struck him, coming from the window. He shivered"Before you go, we should go get some hot chocolate. It's chilly out there."
.:.^*^.:.
"How do you think it'll be when you get back?" Anna asked.
The princess found herself making conversation with Finn, since she was sure nobody had done it already. He was preparing the horses in the courtyard, feeding them apples and putting equipment on them.
"Truthfully, I think there will still be hardships," Finn told her, stepping away from one of the horses to address her, "but I'm sure the Northern Isles will return to its former prosperity and harmony, like it was when King Emanuel, Adrian and Henrik's father, ruled. It will just take time."
"You know, if the Northern Isles stumbles upon hard times, we're more than happy to offer our support," Anna said, shifting her weight. "Even though . . . I don't think it's mine to give, but the point is, we're here for you guys." Finn chuckled. "I'm sure your wife and son will be happy about with the choice you made."
Finn gave a one-sided smile. "I hope so."
"Of course they will! Have some faith in yourself!" He stifled a laugh again.
"I'll do whatever I can to protect them. You have a resolute protector, too. He's a keeper, you know." Anna felt herself blushing. "I wish both of you nothing but the best," he said kindly, almost with a bow.
"Well, you don't have to," she gushed, playing with one of her braids. She looked beyond Finn, coincidentally spotting Kristoff. Again, the feeling she felt whenever she saw Kristoff returned to her stomach. A smile snuck up on her, stretching widely across her face. "Thank you."
He nodded and went back to tending to the carriage horses. Anna made her way to Kristoff, who was loading his sled for the voyage he had yet to take to the North Mountain. She took him into her arms, pressing the side of her face against his warm and furry black tunic. She felt him wrap his arms around her eventually, the warmth of his body seeping into her.
"Hurry back, okay?" Anna said into his chest.
Kristoff nodded his head. "When I get back, I have a surprise for you."
Before she could attack him with questions, he placed a warm kiss on her temple. Caught up in the blissful tension and golden rapture of a simple kiss, she barely heard what he said after, nor did she notice when he left the courtyard. She hugged herself, sighing, stuck in the daze.
.:.^*^.:.
Watching Henrik take his time to fold his belongings and lay them into the trunk in front of him hurt Elsa. She wasn't physically hurt, more like emotionally hurt. It was like watching an old friend you were just reunited with leave the next day. As cliché as it was, Henrik felt like an old friend to Elsa, though she didn't remember if she had any old friends before the age of eight. He didn't treat her as the queen who froze her own kingdom, nor did he treat her like an isolated freak. She wasn't a queen to him, at least not behind closed doors. She always found comfort in talking to him, maybe even lying down next to him would bring her some peace. She could relate to him in a way, and she could talk to him without being criticized. Their time together hadn't been short, but it wasn't enough.
"Are you okay?" he asked her, pausing from his packing.
She nodded, putting on a smile. "I'm fine."
He closed the trunk and turned to sit on it. "No, you're not." She sat next to him, crossing her ankles. When she looked up from the floor, she found his emerald eyes staring at her. "Tell me what's troubling you."
"How can such an immoral man kill himself when he had the opportunity to accomplish everything he lived for?" Elsa asked, instead of saying what was really on her mind. After Bjarne announced Emil's death, which she found quite unnecessary due to the happy situation, he had pulled Henrik into the next room to discuss it.
"Do you want to hear my first thought or my philosophic thought?"
"Both."
He sighed, folding his hands and slouching. "At first, I thought he was a coward. I thought he didn't have the guts to kill me and that he never intended to. I thought he was just scaring me and trying to make me go crazy." He held his chin now, sitting up. "But then I thought deeper while before falling asleep last night. Now I think that Emil wanted to die for a reason. Perhaps he wanted to go somewhere else. Hey, maybe he wanted to meet my mother in the afterlife." He said it flippantly, not taking the thought seriously. "But who knows what was going through his head in those final moments."
Elsa put her arm around his shoulders. "Who knows," she repeated.
"I know this must make me a horrible person, but I'm glad he's gone," he said, touching her wrist. His fingertips were warm and light against her skin, almost making her shudder. "I know I should feel some sort of way for him, but I can't help but feel relief. I can move on with what I feel is important now."
Soon enough, his lips were on Elsa's cheek. Her eyelids dropped. She turned her head towards him, their lips connecting in a sweet kiss. Her other arm left her side and set itself on his shoulder. With her arms bent, her hands and fingers roamed through his thick blonde hair, something she realized she liked to do. He held her face, his middle fingers resting on her cheekbones. His fingertips were once again light on her skin, but they were rubbing into her cheeks this time, driving her into indescribable happiness.
When he kissed her, she became fuzzy and numb. Although they took it slow and easy, the internal passion numbed everything. It wasn't very queen-like to feel so fierce with another royal, but it was Henrik's charisma and charm that made her feel this way. She just wished she knew how he felt when he kissed her. She could feel as giddy as she wanted, but she longed to know what he thought of her. Did she make him feel the same way, if not even happier? Or did she make him uncomfortable and cold?
He wouldn't be so close to you if he felt uncomfortable, her inner voice told her.
Suddenly drawing her head back, Elsa opened her eyes again. Henrik smiled, pushing back a lock of her blonde hair that had fallen from her bun.
"I love you," he finally said. She froze, since the words were unexpected. The words were like an answer to a prayer, a sweet, wonderful prayer. "Elsa, I love you." She didn't say anything, unwillingly feeling vulnerable.
"I love you, too," She dreaded the way she said it. It was like a whisper, barely recognizable. She cleared her throat. "I love you," she said again, feeling more assertive.
He covered her hands, kissing them. She blinked back her cold tears. He held her, rubbing her back. As much as she tried to hold back her sobs, Elsa poured out her sadness into his shoulder.
"Do you have to go?" she asked through her tears. She recognized her question as the same question she had asked her parents the last time she saw them, which only made her cry more. She sniffled and wiped away her tears, blinking rapidly.
His breathing refused to be steady, and when she saw his face, she saw his glossy eyes and the wet streaks on his cheeks. "I promise you that this isn't farewell," he answered, trying to smile. "If you seek my presence, just look at my painting."
She looked beyond him, at the canvas perched on the wall. Now she had a better view of his painting of the Northern Lights. The colorful streaks stretched across the black night sky, the stars like silver jewels. White valleys lay below; the snowy grass looked so real that Elsa thought she could feel the real thing if she were to touch the painting. A stream ran past a snow-covered thicket of bushes, and the colors of the lights bounced off the icy water. Two silhouettes lay on the snow next to each other, staring up at the stars. The improvements he had added to his painting weren't only breathtaking, but brought a genuine smile back to her face.
"I will." She held his hand as she bathed in his warmth for possibly the last time in a long while.
Until next time!
Kisses! ~TwistedTelepath
