Dear all, my laptop has died so I'm typing this from my phone, apologies in advance for horrendous grammar and if this is unreadable.
xxx
Agnarr cradled his daughter in his arms, looking pensively out of the window. The snow was still thundering on, its brilliant white flakes pounding the roofs and windows of the town and castle, entrenching them in a deep white powder. Iduna sat by the fireplace knitting a lilac and blue scarf for her daughter, the stillness of the room bringing the three an easy peace. The fire crackled slightly, a gust of wind down the chimney agitating the embers slightly, and Iduna placed her knitting carefully down on the fireside table, joining her husband and their newborn daughter.
"how is little elsa doing?" she asked, rubbing Agnarr's shoulders as he cradled the little white bundle.
"She's the quietest baby I've ever seen, hasn't had even a gargle out of her since yesterday" he rocked her slightly and Elsa buried her tiny face deeper into the warm white cloth of the bundle.
"I didnt know everyone would be so enthusiastic about her" iduna said, running a slender finger down her daughter's cheek. "I can already tell Gerda has fallen in love with her" iduna smiled as the little baby opened her sapphire eyes.
"she is her surrogate granddaughter after all, she practically raised me after my mother died" agnarr bopped his daughter's nose, a quiet giggle escaping her. "she has your eyes" the smile grew across his face.
"And your ears" Iduna ran her hand through the budding white hair on her child's head.
"Yes, such is the family curse" agnarr smiled to himself, chuckling lightly.
"It's not a curse, I found your ears quite cute" iduna teased, making Agnarr blush.
xxx
6 months later.
little elsa had taken to exploring the castle with her parents now, every portrait and picture brewed endless wonder in the little girl's eyes, her white hair now growing out ever so slightly to a sizeable tuft on her forehead. Gerda had fawned over Elsa, rushing to be the first person to respond to the king and queens requests, sometimes even pushing kai out of the way in the adjacent hallway. The town rushed their king and queen every time they went out with their daughter, the mothers and father passing their compliments to the new parents, giving advice and tips on how to calm a screaming child and how to make a doll from wool. The pair were on their way to the Amundsen family, having received an invite off of the lieutenant for supper. The oil breeze from the fjord caressed their faces, Iduna's chocolate hair floating like a halo around her head.
"Is this the man that you blew up the brewery with?" iduna asked, looking at Agnarr carefully.
"Perhaps" he replied sheepishly, hand scratching an imaginary itch on the back of his head.
"how many kids does her have again?" Iduna carried on walking, fiddling with her daughter's lilac and blue wrappings, Rosemailing designs tracing their edges.
"6, 2 sons and 4 daughters" Iduna's eyes popped wide as she looked at her husband.
"Big family" she shook her head, smiling at her daughter.
"Very big family" Agnarr wrapped an arm around her waist, eyes fixated on his daughter.
XXX
The Amundsen household was... chaotic to say the least. A little cottage high above the main square of Arendelle, inside its wooden walls and under its thatched roof people bustled and rushed about, Marte Amundsen cooking away at the hob with her eldest daughter cutting away vegetables and herbs next to her. in the front room the major and his sons were tidying away various things, checking and checking again that all of the paintings were level and the fireplace was adequately stocked with coal and peat, neatly arranged inside the scuttle. a rapping on the door made the house fall silent. The family looked at each other apprehensively, Marte sending her husband a pointed look with a silent command. he nodded and swallowed lightly, opening the latches on the thick oaken door. It swung open revealing Agnarr and Iduna holding their daughter.
"Your majesty, welcome to my household" he bowed towards Iduna. "Come on in, it's good to see you!" he gestured with his hands for them to enter tmand they gratefully accepted, ducking their heads slightly to dodge the low door frame. Agnarr shook his hand and the two embraced warmly as old friends, the children swarming Iduna to look at the Princess.
"Her hair is so white!"
"she looks so pretty!"
"she has her mother's eyes!"
"she will make a fine queen!"
the cacpphany of voices from the children drowned out the crackle of the fire and the clanging of pots and pans coming from the kitchen. Amundsen's youngest daughter shyly came towards them. She curtsied to the queen and silently held out a little penguin doll; roughly stitched together from pieces of fabric.
"Is this for Elsa?" Iduna asked quietly, accepting the gift from the young girl, who nodded silently, hiding half of her face behind her eyes. "She will love it very much, thankyou" the children cheered and Dan to the kitchen when their mother shouted them. they came back one by one holding plates and pots filled with food, table creaking under the weight of the hot food. Soon Marte came out too and greeted the king and queen; signalling for them to sit. Agnarr brought out two bottles of wine from the bag he brought and cooked one open, pouring four glasses out.
"how are the guards doing?" Agnarr asked Amundsen once they were seated at the table.
"you know how they are, eager and restless as always" he took a sip of the wine "One complained about not going to the war in africa, so I said 'as you are so restless you will have no issue doing the ice run for the next six months' I haven't heard from him since" Amundsen chuckled lightly and smiled warmly at his wife taking a seat next to him.
"Bon appetite!" she announced, raising her arms to signal the beginning of the feast. The younger children immediately stuck in and grabbed buns and potatoes from the ceramic bowls. Agnarr served Iduna a helping of the warm stew and broke apart the bread for her, stopping every movement to caress his daughters cheek and smile dopily at her, the warmth flooding through his chest. The chatter from the children died down and a cosy silence settled over the table, only the clamouring of forks and knives on ceramic breaking the stillness. amundsen sent warm looks to his wife and smiled, sending a pointed look to his youngest daughter who became fascinated with the stew on her plate.
"What does young Harald want to do with himself?" Agnarr asked after a while, sneaking in another forkful of the stew.
"He wants to be an engineer, designing buildings and ships and all that. I'm certain it's an excuse for him to spend all day in his room drawing" amundsen chuckled heartily, a proud expression becoming over his face as he smiled at his eldest sun who looked down at his feet.
"Tell me; which do you prefer: naval or civil engineering?" Agnarr locked eyes with Harald who had the same slate grey eyes as his father.
"Neither your majesty; mechanical engineering is my passion, designing machines and contraptions that work and fit inside ships or buildings. it's more complex"
"As I can imagine, your father must be very proud"
"He is" Amundsen butted in making everyone laugh. before long the plates had been cleared away and the table emptied, everyone relocated to the lounge in front of the fireplace.
The younger daughters were gathered around Iduna all cooing over princess elsa, asking many thousands of questions to the queen who gladly answered all of them.
"This is good" Agnarr said to his old friend, the two sharing a small flask of cognac between them.
"It is" Amundsen sighed happily. "I'm happy for you too. children are wonderful. Difficult at the best of times but both less wonderful." He sipped his glass and squinted at the flames, a sudden expression of fierce thought stretching over the old soldier's face. "This is what love is about. Not the passion and the lust you read about in these new gallic and Danish stories but the quiet one that sneaks up on you, the one that you dont realise you have until it's too late or when you do realise you run about like a madman shouting Eureka!" He chuckled warmly.
"Eureka" Agnarr said quietly, making both men laugh. "It's strange having a daughter; suddenly everything is about her." he commented, sipping the glass in a smooth motion.
"There was your Eureka moment!" Amundsen tapped his head "Sneaks up on you." be gave a knowing nod and clapped his hands, rising up from the chair in a fast motion. "Come now little birds time for bed" he announced to his daughters who sighed as one, moaning in unison. "No ifs no buts, off to bed now" the words were sharp but filled with love and his daughters all followed, the older children ushering them upstairs to their bedrooms.
"Elsa is getting tired and she needs her rest, I think it's her bedtime too" Iduna tickled the 6 month old's nose who giggled quietly. Agnarr sat up and went to his wife.
"Thank you for having us, it was good to catch up" The men shook hands warmly and Marte said a final goodbye to the princess, doting on her.
The walk back to the castle took them along the docks.
"Its chilly tonight" Iduna said, holding the little Elsa tighter to her chest.
"Yes, a cool breeze coming through from the fjord" Agnarr replied, wrapping a protective arm around his family. The stars shone brightly above them, the long arm of the milky way arching high above them, a smudge of brightness amidst the pinpricks of blue and orange.
"When Elsa is a bit older, I want to take her to the north mountain and show her the stars" Iduna blurted out, breath misting up in the cold air.
"Okay, a bit random, but okay."
"Sorry it's just my mother took me up to a mountain in the forest to see the stars when I was very young. call it a tradition of sorts" Iduna looked down at her daughter with love , ignoring the salute of the guards as they opened the gates to the castle.
"I understand, so long as you're safe" Agnarr opened their door for her and she rushed over to the cot, putting a sleeping Elsa neatly in her bed. The couple dressed down into their nightware, Iduna's lilac gown reaching halfway down her shins and Agnarr's red and black checkered shirt and trousers being wrinkled at the elbows. the two snuggled close together, his chin resting on her brow; together they gazed out if the window, over the cot of their daughter.
"The sky's awake" Agnarr said as a flash of green illuminated the sky.
"The spirits are dancing" Iduna whispered, followed by an ancient prayer in an old tongue. "This is happiness" she curled into his warmth tighter.
"Indeed it is" he wrapped himself around her and the two became entangled, their love and peace from their newfound family sending both into a peaceful slumber.
The sky was still glossy with the emerald greens and mauve lights of the aurora, its undulating belly flattened out across the sky like some great mother, its endless canvas stretching beyond the horizon. Little Elsa's sapphire eyes were illuminated by the brilliant colours in the sky, wide and mesmerised by the dancing colours a silent smile graced her face. chubby hands reached up into the air and waved about, chasing the lights with a quiet passion as they illuminated her pale skin. her right hand lifted out in an attempt at grabbing the lights, but was unsuccessful, instead a light flurry if snow shot out from her fingertips, the fluffy white Crystal's glistening in the ethereal glow.
Only Agnarr and Iduna's gentle snoring filled the silence of the room.
and soon it was joined by Elsa's.
XXX
AYYY LMAO BRITISH SCHOOLS ARE SHIT AND EXAMS CANCELLED. LOOKS LIKE I CAN BINGE READ AND WRITE FANFIC FOR THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS.
