Act Three

Chapter 20 / A Night to Remember

Bavaria, Germany

The Rahn Estate made Arendelle Manor look humble and puny in comparison. Tucked away in a remote location on the slopes of the Bavarian Alps, the Rahn Estate was a large and imposing castle surrounded by a dense forest of coniferous trees. Guarded by a ring of thick, tall exterior battlements and towers, the gothic castle rose high above the walls and treetops, stretching towards the sky. Additionally, the sprawling complex featured several other buildings disconnected from the main castle as well as some modern luxuries. In every respect, the Rahn Estate was overwhelmingly gaudy and ostentatious.

... ... ...

"Jeez louise, would you take a look at that place?" Kristoff said upon spotting the estate as they rounded the corner of the mountain road.

"It's a good thing we're stealing the reliquary when they bring it to the auction stage then, there's no way we could get inside the vault. Not with the kind of security they've got," Anna said.

"I still don't like it. It's risky… are we sure there's no other way?" Elsa muttered fretfully.

"Not with the kind of scratch these high-rollers are playing with," Kristoff replied as he turned to Elsa. "Once any one of them makes the buy, that reliquary is as good as gone."

From the back, Anna leaned forward and poked her head between Elsa and Kristoff. "And since the vault is a no-go, stealing it when it's on stage is the only shot we've got," she added.

Elsa sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's certainly not ideal," she muttered.

"We'll be okay," Anna smiled reassuringly. "Kristoff and I have pulled off tougher heists than this, right?

Kristoff kept his eyes on the road. "I'm sure, I have no idea what you're talking about," he deflected easily.

Their ease and comfort around each other unsettled Elsa, and she glanced out her window to try and distract herself from the sudden jealousy she felt. "Let's just go over the plan on more time," she said.

Thanks to a well-placed bribe, Kristoff had managed to acquire architectural blueprints of the estate's layout. He withdrew the folded document and handed it to Anna, who spread it open held it out between them.

"Okay, this is the ballroom here. That's where the auction is being held. Over here, way at the other end of the estate is the main breaker room," she explained as she pointed out the locations on the blueprint. "I have to sneak in, get to the breakers, and kill the power when they bring the reliquary on stage."

"Right," Kristoff nodded. "When that happens I have to be right next to the stage, ready to make the grab when the lights go out. Which means, once we get in, I have to steal a waiter's uniform so nobody will notice,"

"And my job is to keep my eyes and ears on the ground in the ballroom, calling out if anything looks hinky," Elsa finished.

"And to look pretty," Anna teased, batting her eyelids. "You really do look nice, you know."

Elsa blushed, and turned away as she flushed red. She was dressed in an elegant, navy blue evening dress that ran to the floor and had a slit in the side to expose the barest hint of Elsa's thighs. It was low-cut, complementing Elsa's modest bust and exposed her collar bones. Over her shoulders was draped a long, billowing cape. Elsa's distinctive blonde hair was tied up in a regal bun, and she wore smoky violet eye shadow to accentuate her sapphire blue eyes.

Anna was dressed in completely different attire, more suited for nighttime special operations than an elegant gala. She had donned her usual nocturnal wear; all black beanie, turtleneck, gloves, cargo pants and boots, with the addition of a lightweight Kevlar vest that Elsa had insisted on.

"Do I really have to wear this? If everything goes to plan, then nobody should see me," Anna protested as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat and adjusted the straps of her vest.

"It's just a precaution, Anna," Kristoff peered in the rear-view mirror to make eye contact with her. "We wouldn't want you to get shot again now would we? Remember what happened last time?

"You're right," Anna sighed, unconsciously reaching up to touch the white scar at her hairline. She caught Elsa's eye and smiled reassuringly.

She really is gorgeous. Anna mused. And those legs! Where in the hell did Elsa get those? Not from sitting at a desk all day. She glanced again through the corner of her eye and distantly, she wondered just how smooth Elsa's legs really were.

In the meantime, Elsa turned back to the mirror she was holding up while she scrutinized her own face. She put the finishing touches to her makeup, then made some final adjustments to her dress.

Once again, Anna was stunned by her beauty. Elsa looked every bit the picture of eloquent grace and sophisticated poise. She was honestly clueless as to how Elsa had remained single for this long, but more baffling was how oddly comforting the thought was and how it made Anna strangely possessive.

Just means I can enjoy her all to myself, the errant thought crossed her mind. However, before Anna could summon it again, it vanished. Wait, what? Anna sighed internally and cursed her jumbled thought process, then turned out the window again.

As they rounded another corner on the mountain road, the entrance of the estate came into view.

"Kristoff, you have the invitations?" Elsa asked.

"Sure do. One for moi-self and one for milady," Kristoff replied as he patted the breast pocket of his tuxedo jacket and withdrew two invitations.

Anna rolled her eyes and adjusted the beanie on her head. As they approached, Kristoff pulled to the side of the road by a shady copse of trees.

"Alright, the auction starts in about 45 minutes so that should give us plenty of time to get in position," Kristoff said. "This is your stop," he said to Anna.

Anna exhaled, and nodded once. She opened the door then stepped out of the car, walking up to Elsa's side where she had rolled the window down.

"Good luck Anna," Elsa said, fixing Anna with a worried stare.

"Break a leg, feistypants," Kristoff said, then pulled away.

Anna let her gaze linger on Elsa until they were out of sight. Then, she headed towards the trees as she started muttering to herself.

"Okay Anna, you got this. I got this, I got this, I got this."