Chapter 2
"Hey Cassandra, have you seen the Princess's Pajama's anywhere?" Ingrid wondered.
Cass reached down from under the bed, pulling out Princess Anna's nightgown. She was just as messy as her cousin, if not more so. "Here!"
"Thanks!" The brunette maid called back, before she sighed. "Honestly, A girl Princess Anna's age shouldn't be leaving her room in such a mess. Even I don't do that."
"Teenage girls will be teenage girls, Ingrid," Cass replied. "I should know, I was one myself not that long ago."
Cass had been in Arendelle for just over a month now and already she'd gotten used to life in the northern kingdom much quicker than she'd expected. Her duties as bodyguard to the Queen and personal maid were very similar to those she had back in Corona.
Ingrid was Princess Anna's personal maid, having been hired just after Anna's old maid Gerda retired a year earlier. She was kind and dutiful and clearly had a rather formal upbringing due to her attitude. It reminded Cass of how she acted with Rapunzel back when they first met.
It would probably take a bit of time, but Cass knew she could break Ingrid's shell. After all, everyone deserved to let themselves live a little and let go of their responsibilities to just have some fun.
When Anna's room was clean, Cass sighed. "I'm gonna go hit the dummies in the training yard. You wanna come with, Ingrid?"
The maid politely declined. "As much as I want to, swordplay isn't really my thing. I get just as much excitement reading one of the books in the royal library than exerting myself like you do."
Cass chuckled. "You don't know what you're missing, buddy."
Ingrid smirked. "I do, I'm missing the chance I might get myself dirty and scuffed up."
"You're never gonna get a girlfriend with that attitude," Cass remarked.
"I didn't think being dirty would be a desirable trait," Ingrid said, taking off her cap and letting her long hair flow.
The Coronan woman started to undo the ribbons in her own cap. "Ah, it isn't too bad."
Ingrid gave her a look. "Oh? What satisfaction do you get by doing so?"
Cass took off her own cap, letting her short black hair flow out. "The satisfaction of getting to cut loose and be myself." She playfully grinned.
The other maid giggled in amusement. "Well... I'm going to be myself and have a lie-down. I shall see you later?"
Cass smiled. "Yeah, I'll see ya."
With her friend gone, Cass hurried to her room. Quickly she got out of her handmaiden's dress and put on her usual brown and burgundy tunic and leggings. Even in Arendelle, dresses still weren't her thing.
Grabbing her sword, she made her way down to the training yard. It was just behind the main castle building, with bales of hay surrounding the area along with training dummies and targets for practising archery.
Several guards were already down there practising. They called out a hello to Cassandra. She didn't know their names as well, but Cass had a mutual respect for them as a fellow warrior.
Cass merely waved back. They were friendly to her, but part of her missed some of the fellow guards from back in Corona, like Pete and Stan... and her father.
She had meant to write to him, but she hadn't gotten the chance. Same for Rapunzel, but there were obvious reasons why she hadn't replied to her. Bottling up her frustration, she then started to slash away at the training dummy.
Each strike was with precision and elegance. Cass gripped her blade firmly as she slashed across the Dummy's torso. Doing this helped her to focus her thoughts, to channel her aggression.
Yes, she was feeling much more comfortable in Arendelle now, but she was angry she still hadn't moved on from Rapunzel. That was her main reason for even being here, after all.
And then there was the Queen, Elsa, whose image had been haunting Cass from the moment they'd met. She really hadn't met anyone like her, especially after finding out that she too liked women.
Cass figured she could have tried something with her by now, but she felt like she was being too cowardly. Maybe Elsa would have to be the one to make the first move between them, because, at the moment, Cass clearly wasn't going to.
At one point she heard a familiar musical voice.
"Well, what did that poor dummy ever do to you?"
She turned to see Elsa watching her. The queen was wearing a much more casual dress with a blue skirt and white top, ice crystals decorating the sleeves. Cass hadn't seen her in normal clothing before.
Cass blushed. "Oh... your majesty."
Elsa smiled. "It's fine, I just like to watch. Please continue."
Knowing that Elsa was watching her, Cass wanted to try and impress her with her skills. She got back into a fighting stance, cutting up the dummy's front with her blade with great speed.
"Impressive technique," Elsa admitted.
Cass just smirked with pride. "You know how to use a sword?".
"I've wielded them on occasion," Elsa stated. "An old friend of my father's was my teacher for a while. But fortunately, Arendelle hasn't been in any conflict since I became Queen."
Her servant smiled. "Perhaps we could duel sometime?"
"Perhaps," Elsa said, looking at the time. "Oh dear, I better be going. Anna and I have a weekly chess match scheduled for this evening."
"I was never that good at Chess," Cass admitted. "Ra- Princess Rapunzel always used to beat me at it."
Elsa could hear the slight waver but didn't call her out on it. "Well, perhaps we could play together one evening. I mean, if I can indulge you in swordplay, why not you joining me for a game?"
"I...I'd like that."
And with that, Elsa took her leave, Cass continuing her training. Elsa went up to her study to wait for Anna, still watching as Cass continued practicing her swordplay, training to defend her person.
Elsa stared out of the window, admiring the warrior again from afar. Such ease with a blade, such precision, such... beauty. It was very hard for Elsa to admit, but the Queen had a feeling... she was starting to fall in love with Cassandra. She'd been so kind to her and understanding and Elsa... had almost kissed her.
She didn't know why she'd nearly kissed her, but now, part of her was regretting that. She was comfortable with herself now. Why shouldn't she try to pursue a romance of some sort? The answers were quite obvious.
"You're doing that thing again," a familiar voice cooed to her.
Looking over her shoulder, Elsa saw Anna walk into the room with the chessboard in her hand. She'd blushed a bit in embarrassment, knowing she'd been caught red-handed by Anna.
"Doing what?" Elsa asked, trying to play the innocent.
"Gazing at Cass," Anna remarked. "Seriously, you've been doing it like every single day since she got here."
"She's just a fascinating woman," Elsa merely responded.
"And you're utterly hopeless," Anna remarked, putting the chess set down. "Why don't you just go and ask her out, Elsa?"
"Anna..."
"Come on!" Anna insisted. "Kristoff practically fell into my life and I love him more than anything and Cass has pretty much just fallen into yours."
"Anna... please," Elsa insisted. "Cass is special yes... but I am Queen of Arendelle. I can't just date my own personal guard like that. You know most of my royal court wouldn't approve."
"Because Cass technically isn't royalty, I know, I know," Anna admitted. "But no one batted an eye about me and Kristoff and he's anything BUT royalty."
"Because you're not the one who is ruling this kingdom," Elsa argued.
Then, she felt her hands start to freeze up with icy magic. She sighed, rubbing her forehead. The last thing she wanted was to lose her temper over this, especially at Anna.
"I... I'm sorry. This whole ordeal has made me feel so... conflicted."
"Well, maybe this chess game will help you sort things out."
Elsa sighed. "I... I don't know. Love isn't like a simple game, Anna."
"That's not how Kristoff puts it," Anna stated. "Or even Olaf for that matter." She held Elsa's hands, the warmth of her heart melting the ice that had formed around them. "Did I ever tell you... what convinced me to go after you on the fjord when Hans locked me in my room?"
Elsa shook her head. "No... you never really wanted to talk much about that."
"Well... Olaf reminded me that love is putting someone else before you," Anna insisted. "And Cass... she's definitely doing that."
"It's her duty to, Anna."
"Oh really? You haven't seen the way she looks at you?"
"I don't know how she looks at me," Elsa admitted. She hadn't actually paid much attention to that.
Anna sighed. This was getting nowhere and Elsa looked as though this was stressing her out. And the last thing she wanted was to cause another eternal winter over the matters of love.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop going on about it," Anna remarked. "Still wanna play Chess?"
Elsa smiled. "Sure... you set up. I need a moment to think."
As Anna set up the chessboard, Elsa stared out of her window at Cassandra again, sighing. She truly was a beautiful woman indeed.
"Okay! I'm ready to beat your butt today!"
Elsa chuckled. "We'll see about that."
xXx
Later that evening, Cassandra was helping Elsa get ready for bed, the Queen telling her personal servant all about her day. They hadn't gotten much chance to talk when Elsa had met Cass in the training yard earlier.
"And then Lord Roahim tried to bring up Westleton again," Elsa remarked. "As if he forgot that horrible little man had a hand in Hans trying to kill me."
"Ugh, men like that are pigs," Cass stated. "Honestly, Elsa, A Queen like you shouldn't be under all this pressure."
Elsa smiled. "Perhaps," she replied, brushing her hair. "Is my nightgown there?"
"Yes, you can get it whenever you want."
Nodding, Elsa disrobed herself from her current icy attire, going from behind her changing stall and going to the bed. Cass looked away, blushing as the Queen was, for but a few moments, completely in the nude. She'd feel horrible if she gawped at her gorgeous figure.
As Elsa got into her nightgown and hopped into bed, she yawned. "That will be all, Cassandra."
"Are you sure?" Cass wondered.
As Elsa thought for a few moments, she remembered what Anna had said earlier, about Cass practically landing in her life. They were alone now. Maybe now might be a good moment to maybe… Get a feel for how they both felt.
"No... " Elsa sighed. "Cass... have you ever been in love?"
The brunette sat on the bed. "Um... yes."
Elsa's eyes widened. "Oh... have you been in love with someone and you feel it would inappropriate to act on your feelings?"
Sadly, Cass nodded. "Yes... why are you asking me about this?"
Her gorgeous blue eye waving from side to side, Elsa sighed. "I have feelings for... someone. Someone I've met recently. I don't know how to break it to them, and I don't know if it's right for me to pursue my feelings for them."
"Does she know you have feelings for her?"
Elsa shook her head. "I don't know... she's been very closed off. And I know that if I tried pursuing her, there would no doubt be a royal scandal."
"I don't know about that," Cass admitted. She knew Elsa was talking about her. "I mean... is this woman single?"
"Yes," Elsa said. "But I don't know if she's ready for a relationship."
Wondering how best to word her response, Cass hoped to maybe encourage Elsa to say how she felt. "Well, maybe she just needs a nudge."
"But what if that makes things difficult," Elsa admitted. "I... I've never actually been in love before. Sure, I've had one sided crushes, like this rather lovely duchess who attended my coronation."
"But you've never acted on it."
"No," Elsa stated.
"Well, let me tell you something," Cass explained. She figured now would be a good time to tell Elsa why she'd agreed to serve her in the first place. "You asked why I left Corona for here? Well... it was because of my love for someone I knew I'd never get to be with... Princess Rapunzel."
Elsa stared in disbelief. "You... were in love with her?"
"For just over two years," Cass remarked. "But from the moment we met, she already had a guy. He was nice and sweet, even if he was kind of a jerk at times. But I knew she loved him more than anything. It hurt me every moment that I couldn't be like that with her, holding her, kissing her, telling her how much she meant to me."
"Did you... ever tell her how you felt?"
Cass nodded. "The night before her wedding to Eugene... I was Raps's maid of honour. She was getting wedding jitters, and I helped her to calm down... and then it all came out."
"And... how did she take it?"
"Better than I hoped," Cass admitted. "We stayed friends, but I knew it was hopeless for me to stay. She was married, happy with the man she loved." She nearly started to cry. "Every day I stayed with her, it was getting harder for me to stay happy. So in the end... I decided to move away, let her get on with her life."
Elsa put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry..."
Blushing a little from the Queen's soft touch, Cass looked over at her. "No... don't be. I don't think I've expressed this... but for the past month, I've honestly felt the happiest I've ever been here in Arendelle. Thank you for giving me this chance, Elsa."
Elsa blushed as well. "You're welcome."
"And whoever this girlfriend of yours is," Cass admitted. "You should tell her how you feel before it's too late. Before she finds someone else and you're left heartbroken."
"You're sure about that?"
"Yeah, I mean.. You'll either get a happy ever after... or you'll be rejected on the spot. Either way, you'll be taking a big weight off your shoulders."
Feeling her confidence swell a little more, Elsa felt as if she could confess how she felt to Cassandra... but now, even when they were alone still didn't feel right. Cass had a lot more issues to deal with than she realised.
"You're.. you're right," Elsa accepted. "Thank you so much, Cassandra."
"My pleasure," Cass said, going to the door. "Goodnight, your majesty."
Elsa watched as she left, then groaned. That went well. She then ran to the door and opened it. "Cass, wait!"
The brunette stopped and turned back. "Yes?"
The Queen tried to speak again, but realised again that now wasn't the right time. "Nothing... goodnight again."
Cass gave her a strained smile, and then walked away
xXx
The next morning, Anna and Kristoff were having a picnic together in the castle gardens. Kristoff had managed to get some time off from his deliveries for a few days, of which Anna was most grateful. It felt like it had been forever since they got time to themselves.
Plus, Anna hadn't made a picnic in some time. This was one of her favourite ideas for a date. And they'd picked good weather for it as well. The late summer sunshine was glowing down upon them and the grass around them was almost shimmering in the light.
Kristoff smiled as he chewed into one of the sandwiches Anna had made. "Mmm... you do make some great cucumber sandwiches. fiesty pants."
Anna grinned, ruffling Kristoff's shaggy blonde hair. "I try my best for you big guy." She sighed, resting against the big tree they were sitting under. "I feel like the luckiest girl in the world around you."
"I could say the same for you," He said, before Anna shot him a look. "I mean, like I'm the luckiest guy in the world, not girl... not that I wouldn't mind being a girl just..."
Cutely, Anna kissed his cheek. "You're a big lug and I love you."
Her boyfriend blushed. What did he do to deserve such a loving, perfect girl as Anna? When they'd first met, she'd thought she was crazy, Now, he was crazily in love with her. In his mind, he thought they'd have a long and happy life together.
Anna sighed as she and Kristoff ate their sandwiches. She relished the chances she and Kristoff got together. Love and romance was a beautiful thing. Elsa didn't know what she'd been missing after all these years. "God, I wish Elsa cared as much about her own love life as she did mine."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean she's practically got Cass, quite possibly the most beautiful woman in the world, serving her every need and she doesn't even think to ask her out. All she does is give excuses."
Kristoff's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait... Elsa has a thing for Cass?"
"Yes, pay attention," Anna stated. "But last night she kept dodging it, even after I reminded her about what Olaf said, true love is putting someone before you and all that stuff."
Hoping he wasn't saying something awkward, Kristoff rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I've noticed our resident Snow Queen tends to do things a bit... differently than most people, Anna."
Anna looked down, knowing Kristoff had made a good point. "I know, I know... I just want her to be happy."
"And she will!" Kristoff insisted. "But... maybe she just wants to take time."
"Kristoff, she's had 22 years to take her time," Anna remarked. "She's got the most gorgeous woman in the world waiting on her and I know she has feelings for her... if only they could just do something outside of being a Queen or a Royal Bodyguard."
Wanting to help, Kristoff sat there, rubbing his chin in thought He then snapped his fingers. "I got it!"
Anna looked at him. "Oh?"
"We set up a situation for then to get into."
"Set them up on a date?" Anna wondered. "I dunno... knowing how keen-eyed my sister is, she'd guess it from a mile away."
"Damn it," Kristoff groaned.
"Sorry, Kristoff," Anna admitted. "But Elsa, even if she won't seek out love, knows every trick in the book." She giggled. "She read all the same books I did after all."
Then Anna got an idea.
"Of course!"
"What?" Kristoff wondered.
Anna grinned. "Elsa and Cass deserve to have a romance like out of some magical fairytale... and where do a lot of fairytale princesses meet their true love?"
"Ummm... a handsome prince finds them in a tower?"
"No... and technically, that one's my cousin."
"Whoops forgot," Kristoff admitted. "Uh... finds them on a beach after they save from a storm."
"Kristoff... you're the love expert here."
Then Kristoff got the idea. "Oh! A big fancy royal ball!... do you know of one coming up?"
"The Arendelle Divine Gratitude festival," Anna responded. "It's a romantic occasion celebrated by everyone."
"Including us," Kristoff said with a blush. That was the night he and Anna first did... that. A very passionate night for both of them.
Anna grinned, remembering that night fondly too.
Kristoff smirked. "You're picking up my expertise quite well, Princess."
Anna gave her boyfriend an Eskimo kiss. "All thanks to you, Royal ice harvester."
xXx
Later that day, Anna decided to put her plan into motion. First things first, she needed to convince Cassandra. Having spent some time to learn her routine, she figured Cass would be in the hallway outside of the throne room cleaning.
And there she was, currently cleaning one of the many suits of armour that decorated the halls. Anna had remembered many an occasion where she'd accidentally crashed into one of them on her bicycle when she was younger.
Cass noticed Anna in the reflection of the sword she was polishing, looking over at the Princess. "Your highness, is there something I can do for you?"
"Oh no, I was just passing through on the way to the kitchen for some chocolate," Anna replied. "Do... you have a moment to talk?"
Stopping her cleaning, Cass looked over her shoulder. "Depends on the subject matter."
Anna grinned. She knew Cass was going to be hooked on this little scheme of hers. This was going to nudge the Coronan warrior and Anna's sister in the right direction of one another. This plan was completely foolproof in her eyes.
"Well... have you noticed anyone you like here in Arendelle? I know you've been getting on well with my maid Ingrid and my sister... Elsa."
Cass tried to hide her face from blushing at the mention of Elsa's name. Was there something that Anna was trying to hint at? Did she know about her deep crush on Elsa or perhaps Elsa's own crush on her? Whatever it was, Cass was going to try to deny it.
"Yes... I get on well with them," She simply responded.
"Good," Anna noted. "And have you heard of the Gratitude ball being held in a week or so?"
"The what now?" Cass said, looking up from her cleaning.
Anna grinned. She had Cass hooked now. "The Arendelle Divine Gratitude Festival. It's like a big event!"
"Yeah, I know what it is," Cass said. "But why are you telling me about it?"
"Come on, Cass," Anna insisted. "Isn't there someone special you wanna bring?"
The handmaiden went back to her polishing some of the armours in the hallway. She knew exactly what Anna was trying to pull. Hell, Rapunzel had even tried the same trick on her a few times. But Cass wouldn't budge. She was going to put her foot down.
"No... I'm not one for parties."
"Everyone's gonna be there!" Anna insisted. "Me... Kristoff, Olaf, Sven... Elsa?"
Cass's eyes widened and she blushed a little at the Queen's name. Why did Anna have to say that name? But then she knew that Anna was trying to motivate her. It was obvious she knew and with this festival coming up... perhaps she would give it a chance?
Anna grinned. "You should totally go and get yourself a date!"
"I'm... uhhh not a dating type, Princess Anna," Cass replied.
"Buuuuuut?" Anna encouraged.
Cass sighed. Anna was just as bad as Rapunzel at guilt-tripping. She swore that Anna and Rapunzel were meant to be sisters instead. They were just so... alike.
"I'll think about it."
"I'll take it. See you there!"
Going back to her cleaning, Cass sighed. As she looked in the reflection at herself, she could see herself in some dashing royal suit, waltzing with Elsa under a beautiful starlit sky. It was a beautiful thought... and maybe it would come true.
xXx
Anna had hoped she would have had better luck with Elsa. However, her hopes were dashed when she realised how stubborn Elsa was about this affair. She didn't want to cause an argument, but quite frankly, she was getting nowhere with Elsa.
The blonde had remained adamant she didn't want to invite Cass to such a fancy affair. Even though Anna knew it was the perfect place for the two of them to realise how they felt. Anna loved her sister, but this was one of the few times it annoyed her a little.
"My answer is still no, Anna," Elsa argued, looking up from her desk. "You know that if I bring anyone as a date to a big party like that, people will raise eyebrows."
"Elsa come on! You know it's a good idea!" Anna insisted. "Remember how I met Hans at your big party?"
"He tried to kill us."
"Yeah... but we still had fun before I found out about that," Anna remarked. "Look, I'm not asking you to start singing your love for her or anything or waltzing around like you're Cinderella and Prince Charming, but it should be fun. Besides, Cass looks like she could use the fun. All she seems to do is be snarky and slash with her sword all day."
Elsa glanced at Anna, raising her eyebrow in a rather knowing way.
"Okay, she doesn't do just that... but still, this is your big chance, Elsa!"
The Queen sighed, standing up. "I'm still not sold on it."
Knowing this was her last chance, Anna decided to play the 'family' card. After all, that was something Elsa couldn't resist, no matter what was being said. She would do anything for her family, as crazy as they all were. Everyone was special to her and their happiness meant everything.
"Come on, Elsa," Anna pleaded. "Do it for me, for Kristoff... heck, do it for Olaf. I know he's gonna wanna see his Momma be happy."
"Olaf isn't my son. He's our friend."
"He's kinda like your kid... and you're kinda like his mom... so there!" Anna said, feeling like she'd made her point. "And plus, scientific research done on Arendellian couples suggest that when kids have two mommies they turn out a lot happier."
"Olaf's already a happy snowman."
"He just uhhhh... hasn't hit his teenage years yet," Anna admitted.
Elsa sighed. Anna was talking crazy... yet it was adorable and it did sort of make sense. Perhaps her being happy with someone, in general, would make all of Arendelle, her giant extended family, very happy indeed. And it would certainly help take a great weight off of her shoulders.
She then found herself remembering what Cass herself said. She needed to tell her how she felt before it was too late, before the spark was gone between them. She didn't want that to happen. She didn't know if there would be another like Cassandra.
The thought of being like a young princess, eagerly awaiting a dashing woman to dance the night away with was a very tempting thought. Anna had played her cards well and she'd finally convinced her. Yes, she would go to that ball, and Cass would certainly be her date.
"You... you might have a point about that."
Anna's eyes widened.
Elsa looked at her. "Alright... you win, Anna. I'll ask Cass out."
"Tonight?"
"Um..." Elsa blushed. "Yes, tonight."
xXx
Cass was in her room that evening, tinkering with her crossbow. Her weapon maintenance was another hobby she'd carried with her from Corona and while she wasn't too fond of ranged weaponry, she had to admire the craftsmanship of the Arendellian crossbow.
It was a very elegant weapon, fitting of this civilised age. The wood felt sturdy and hard in her hand, the grip was snug around her hand. Her finger then wrapped around the trigger, Cass pointing it around the room. She'd have to train with the targets in the yard sometime.
Just then, she heard the sound of the door open and she panicked, accidentally pulling the trigger. The arrow went THUNK as Cass saw it was embedded just above the doorframe.
"Whoops, looks like you've got a loose trigger there," Elsa noted, chuckling. "Maybe try tightening the screws around the firing mechanism."
"Oh uh..." Cass blushed in embarrassment. A few inches to the right and the arrow would have gone through Elsa's head. "Sorry about that."
Elsa smiled. "It's fine," she said, plucking the arrow from the wall. She walked over to Cass and handed it back to her. "Did I come at a bad time?"
"No, no, not at all," Cass admitted, taking the discarded weapon. In actuality, she was glad Elsa had come. It saved her the trouble of having to and find her herself. "I just... didn't expect you to drop in on me like this... is there something up, Elsa?"
"No, I was just wondering if you'd care to go for a walk with me again," Elsa wondered. "Our last little excursion went so very well."
Better than I thought, Cass said in her mind. Maybe Elsa was going to try kissing her again. Only in her dreams, however. "Uh... sure."
Elsa smiled, and Cass followed her. Cass constantly and internally reminding about what Anna had suggested, inviting Elsa to the Gratitude Festival ball. It was a chance she wasn't going to waste, but Elsa's beauty distracted her greatly.
Was she wearing a new style of ice dress? Were her eyes even more sparkling than they'd been before? These questions distracted Cass, the brunette trying to remain focused on the task at hand. Asking Elsa out on their first date.
"So..." Elsa spoke, trying to make small talk. "How's the training coming along?"
"Well, I'm still Corona's finest swordswoman, if that's what you're asking," Cass said with a slight, confident smirk.
Elsa grinned. "And I'm still Arendelle's finest Queen."
And most beautiful, Cass let herself think. To her, Elsa was an angel, descended from the realm of the divines.
Eventually, they came to the gardens, where Elsa took in the evening air and sighed. She giggled and walked onto the grass, creating a small flurry of ice magic that she played with. The flurry and little sparkles of ice just danced through her fingers playfully.
"Ah... I do love these free hours."
Cass had to admit. Elsa was very adorable. As adorable as she was beautiful. And she was well and truly, hopelessly in love.
Elsa then remembered why she had asked Cass to walk with her in the first place. "Oh... there is something I want to ask you, Cass... is that okay?"
"Um... shoot."
Elsa cleared her throat. "Cassandra... I would like to invite you to the Gratitude Festival that is being held in Arendelle in a week's time."
Cassandra was confused. Elsa was inviting her to the party Cass herself wanted to invite her to? She quickly fumbled a response. "Wait... I thought I'd already be going to that as your lady in waiting?"
"I... I don't want you to come as my lady in waiting," Elsa replied. "I want you to come as my... date."
The brunette blushed bright red. Elsa really was asking her out first. This was better than she'd hoped. All she had to do was say yes, but even that was proving difficult. How could she not say yes to a woman as beautiful as Elsa? With a face as sweet as that.
"Oh... I well... Um..."
"If you say no... I understand," Elsa expressed. "It's just, I could use the company and Anna will probably be hanging out with Kristoff that night, so I'll probably barely be seeing her so..."
"Actually..." Cass admitted, finally getting the courage. "I'd love to go. I... I don't usually get asked to be someone's date to a party after all."
"So... you'll come?"
Cass grinned. "Yes... I will."
Elsa beamed. "Good... well, I'll see you there. Would you like me to have a dress made for you?"
"No... I'll figure something out," Cass assured her. Dresses were definitely not her thing.
"I can't wait to see what you wear," Elsa grinned, before leaving Cass on her own.
Sighing dreamily, Cass knew she'd finally gotten herself a date with the Queen. Her dream for the past month had come true at last. There was nothing stopping her now from finally telling Elsa how she felt. But then... she realised something important.
Shit, do I even have a suit?
xXx
The week leading up to the festival and the ball practically flew by. While everyone else in Arendelle was preparing for the celebrations, Elsa and Cass were busy preparing themselves for their first date. Both women had never been so anxious before in their lives, Elsa especially.
Eventually, the night of the ball came and Elsa let herself be fashionably late for the party so she and Cass could go in together. Anna understood and took charge of starting the various celebrations. She knew that Elsa's date with Cass was much more important.
Outside of the castle ballroom, Elsa was making tiny, icy adjustments to her attire. She wanted to really look her best fo Cass tonight. Not a single thing could be out of place.
The gown was a gorgeous navy icy dress with a wide skirt and long sleeves. While this dress lacked a cape, there were icy, sparkly frills on the skirt. The Queen was also wearing her hair down, something she didn't do very often for formal occasions like this.
But she wanted Cass to see the version of her that wasn't just the regal ice queen. She wanted Cass to see and to hopefully fall in love with the real her, the innocent, beautiful, quite funny girl she'd always been, but kept buried deep underneath her formal nature.
Tonight was probably the first evening in years where Elsa could truly be herself.
She turned around, seeing Cass approach her. Elsa blushed as Cass was adjusting her collar. She was wearing a green and gold dress uniform with the Arendellian crest on her jacket. She looked very dashing in her uniform, she had to admit.
Yes, she'd seen the Arendellian dress uniform before, but the way it looked on Cass... well, it made her think of taking it off her immediately.
"Hi," Cass said, blushing.
"Hello there," Elsa said with a smile. "You... certainly dress well."
"I don't usually get to wear fancy clothes like this often," Cass admitted. "You look... radiant."
"Uh... thank you," Elsa responded, taking the compliment. "Shall we go in?"
"After you," Cass insisted.
Walking to the door, Elsa opened it and she walked out into the ballroom with Cassandra at her side. The party was clearly in full swing, people laughing, dancing, drinking. It was quite a joyous sight, one that was definitely new to Cass. She was quite surprised.
"Wow... you Arendellians sure know how to throw a party."
Elsa laughed. Tonight was going definitely going to be fun for Cass.
As they wandered through the room, Cass noticed how everyone else was dressed. She felt like she and Elsa may have dressed a little too fancy for this occasion. That or she was just really worried about nothing, which was also likely.
But whenever her eyes drifted to Elsa, she felt relaxed seeing the long-haired, beautiful snow goddess on her arm. If she was honest, Elsa actually looked better with her hair down. She should wear it like that all the time, but Cass had a feeling Elsa's council wouldn't approve.
Olaf came waddling up. "Hi, Elsa! Hi, Cass!"
"Oh hey Olaf," Elsa greeted the little snowman. "Is Anna around?"
"Yeah, she and Kristoff are getting something to drink," Olaf replied. "She said to make sure you don't get too tipsy."
"Tipsy?"
Elsa blushed. Anna and Kristoff were still going on about that? "I had an... embarrassing incident on Anna's birthday a few months ago. Medicinal alcohol of course."
"Uh-huh," Cass said with a smirk. For some reason, she was wondering what a drunk Elsa would be like. She'd either be completely ice crazy and freezing everything, or downright hilarious and cute and dorky. Cass was betting more on the latter.
After bidding farewell to the little snowman, Cass felt the room get a little hot. Or perhaps... she was the one getting hot. Technically, she was the one out on a date with the gorgeous queen of Arendelle.
"So what should we do first?" Elsa asked
Cass tugged at her collar again. "I dunno... I've never been to that many parties."
"Well... it is customary to have a dance," Elsa insisted, golding Cass's hands.
"I... I don't dance." Cass stated.
"Neither did I, until Anna taught me."
Realising that it would be rude not to dance with Elsa, Cass then bowed. "Then may I have this dance?"
"You may," Elsa said delightfully.
Cass took Elsa's hand and they started to waltz. Cass stumbled a little at first, but pretty soon, she was waltzing across with the room with Elsa in her embrace. She tried her very best not to step on Elsa's toes. This was her first time doing this.
She had to blink a few times, to confirm to herself that she was indeed dancing with the Queen. Her smile, those bright blue eyes... yes, Cass was in love with her. Elsa's hand gently curled around behind her, pulling her a little closer.
Sighing happily, Cass felt like this was a dream come true. Even though this reminded her more of when she danced with Rapunzel at the latter's wedding, she felt like Elsa really was starting to replace Rapunzel in her heart now. Tonight, maybe she could finally let go.
On the other side of the room, Anna and Kristoff were watching, Anna knowing her little plan had worked.
"Well... they seem happy," Kristoff remarked.
Anna grinned. "They're perfect for each other."
"Should we... go to them?"
Anna shook her head. "Nah, let's not bother them... they deserve this night."
Cass then brought Elsa into a twirl, Elsa landing right in her arms. She blushed at how close their faces were, how she wanted to... caress that beautiful face of the Queen's and perhaps kiss those rosy red lips of hers. The Queen grinned happily.
"Not bad for a first-timer," Elsa remarked.
"I... I watched Rapunzel dance quite a bit back in Corona."
They went on and on through the evening, talking, dancing, drinking (well mainly Cass, Elsa was keen to watch her ale). All the while, Anna kept watching, glad that Cass and Elsa had gotten this time together. She did say hi to them eventually, but only for a brief moment.
Eventually, the party started to wind down, giving Elsa and Cass an excuse to creep out of the party. Being flustered at Elsa's advances had made her feel very hot indeed, so some cool fresh air was just what she needed. Plus, it would be better to get some peace and quiet.
They walked out to a balcony nearby. They could see out into the fjord and the lights in the village. The kingdom was still decorated from the festivities from earlier that day, but Cass wasn't interested in that. She only had eyes for Elsa.
"The view is rather beautiful tonight," Elsa admitted as she leaned off the balcony.
"She is," Cass then blurted out. Both of them then just stared, Cass covering her mouth, realising her slip up again.
Elsa blushed deeply. "I... Um... you're beautiful too."
Cass moved in closer. No holding back now. "Elsa... I..." she sighed. "Can I tell you something?"
"Only if I can get something off my chest as well," Elsa replied. "But... you go first."
"No you should," Cass remarked. "You're the Queen, I'm your servant."
"Oh... you are so much more than that," Elsa insisted. She then took Cassandra's hands. "Let's... say it together then."
Both women closed their eyes, before they then shouted in unison "I LOVE YOU!"
Blinking, Cass stared and Elsa stared back. Everything was slowly making sense, the pieces of the puzzle slowly coming together. Both of them truly did love one another... and they'd now admitted it straight to the others face.
"You... you love me?" Cass wondered. "I mean... really love me?"
"Yes... I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," Elsa admitted, brushing her hair from her face. "Ever since we... almost kissed the day we met."
"To tell you the truth, I haven't been able to ignore that either," Cass admitted. "But... this is wrong... I'm not worthy. I was never worthy of loving Rapunzel... and I doubt I'm worthy of loving you."
"You are worthy," Elsa told her, holding her hands a little tighter. "Cast those doubts aside, Cassandra... they will only hurt you. I know what it's like to hide your feelings and it hurt me so much... for thirteen long years."
Cass felt Elsa stroke her cheek. She sighed, finally letting go of Rapunzel. Elsa... she would gladly let herself become one with Elsa. She wanted this. In that moment, Cass let herself be free, be the person she wanted to become here in Arendelle.
"Elsa?"
"Yes?"
"May I...may I kiss you?"
Elsa beamed. "Yes... you may" She shed a few happy tears, before Cass pulled her close and they shared a deep, passionate kiss. Elsa kissed back right away, wrapping her arms around her lover's neck. Cass just murmured against Elsa's lips.
She'd never kissed anyone before, certainly not someone as beautiful as Elsa. The Queen's cold lips pressed against her own, Cass's eyes shut as she wanted the heavenly sensation to continue. She wanted to do so much more with Elsa, but knew these things were best when they took their time.
When they parted, Cass blushed. "This... this is like a dream for me."
"Me too," Elsa whispered. "I'm... I'm glad Anna convinced me to do this."
"Anna convinced you?... funny, she convinced me too."
Elsa giggled. "Well... she's quite the little matchmaker, isn't she?"
"That she is," Cass agreed, before hugging her new girlfriend under the light of over a thousand stars in the sky.
xXx
Author's note: And so ends this little story, but there will be definitely more from this AU I promise you. Special thanks for Guppy for writing this story with me, and I hope to bring you more gay goodness soon!
See ya!