Later that day, Katherine was at the military headquarters. She had to come in for her regularly scheduled meeting with her unit. They met once a week to discuss their performance and their day-t0-day. The group was also briefed on what was going on in the kingdom.
Since it was time for supper when they were done, she decided to stay and share the meal with her colleagues. It reminded her how different her life had become since she had started working with Elsa.
Back at the castle, things could be quiet, intimate, a gentle cocoon where she could unwind close to the woman she loved. Everything was comfortable, if lavish and extravagant.
Here, things were a little more modest, offering her a different sort of comfort as all of them gathered close together around a simple wooden table over an unremarkable dinner. It was loud and animated, with a rowdy crowd that never failed to bring out her more rugged side. Here, she was one of the boys, so to speak.
As she snickered at the boys throwing digs at each other over the table, she realized how, as much as she had grown to love her new home and the people in it, she missed this, too. Maybe now that things were starting to settle with Elsa, she could also have this be a regular part of her life, to enjoy the best of both of her worlds.
Katherine felt energized as everyone got either back to work or to their sleeping quarters. Her cheeks rosy from the cheap ale and the warm company, she started getting ready to get back to the castle. Just as she was about to leave, one of the other soldiers approached her.
"Anderson," he said once they were the only ones left in the cozy dining room. It was Frederick Schroder, one of the guys she had trained with, so he was about her age. He wasn't very muscular, but he was agile and astute, with a keen eye for detail.
"Yes?"
"Got a minute?"
"Sure," she nodded.
"Great. It's just, I've been wanting to talk to you for a few days, but you're always either training or hanging out with the queen or—"
"I'm not hanging out with her. It's my job," she said quickly. There was a defensive undertone to her voice.
When she saw him raise his eyebrows, taken aback by her response, she shook her head slightly at herself, her stance turning more receptive. "What about?"
"Well, I was wondering, now that troops are soon to be deployed, if you could ask your father to send some of us out there."
Her brows knit in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, just that since the general is probably taking you with him, that you might wanna recommend some of us to skip the line, too."
Katherine felt the assumption as a bucket of iced water thrown over her head, even when, as she searched his face, there seemed to be more hope than malice in his request. Still, she felt something chilled trickle through her veins, her gaze darkening.
She remembered the disdain in people's eyes who had thought she didn't deserve the place she had gotten, that she had stolen it because of her father's position. She hadn't seen it in a while, but the memory of it was crystal clear in her mind.
And her own little doubting voice creeped in, just for a moment. It wasn't very loud, and most of the time she could ignore it, like how you get used to the sound of rain after it's been falling for a while. But every so often, when she paid close enough attention, she could hear it, loud and clear. She was never not the general's kid. People couldn't but see her like that. How much of that had played into her getting the opportunity to get in?
And so what if it had given her a chance?, another part of herself supplied. It wasn't like there were many opportunities for her otherwise. She took advantage of that privilege so that she could prove to everyone that she could be more than just the general's kid.
And most of the time, she believed that she had succeeded in doing just that. In showing people that being a woman didn't make her any less qualified to be a soldier. She could believe that she had proved to everyone that she deserved her place because of her abilities and not because of her lineage. That was, except for when something like this happened, when she wondered if it was even worth it to try to fight that judgement.
"I thought we respected each other more than that, Schroeder," she said, choosing not to hide her disappointment. "The fact that my father is the general has nothing to do with my assignments."
Realizing his faux pas, Frederick shook his head. "Oh, no. I— I didn't mean to imply—"
"Yeah, well, you did," she cut him off. "In the future, I would appreciate if you didn't presume that I get special treatment because of who my father is. I worked hard to get here."
"I know that. I just thought it would be easier if—"
"Well, it isn't. So please, go through someone else if you want to jump the line, Schroeder," she said, not letting him finish whatever excuses he was going to give her, as she put her winter hat on and left the room.
Closing the door behind her, she sighed. And she had thought he was one of the smart ones.
Well, that had effectively dampened her mood. She felt frustration mount in her, making her want to punch something.
As she walked towards the stables to get Storm, she hoped that a fast ride through the cold, clear night would give her the rush she was looking for to keep the insecurities at bay.
She was an expert in using this tactic as an escape. The frigid air whipping in her face and making her fingers numb despite the thick gloves gave her something else to focus on, which she was grateful for. It was a temporary fix, but one she welcomed nonetheless.
After supper, Anna followed Elsa to her bedroom. She could see how everything happening in the kingdom was taking a toll on her sister, and while she wholeheartedly believed it was good for Elsa to have Katherine to lean on in these uncertain times, Anna wanted to take advantage of the soldier's absence to show Elsa that she was there, too.
"Have you thought about what you wanted to do with Bjerke's proposition?" Anna asked as they sat side by side on the edge of the bed.
Elsa scoffed, leaning her head on her sister's shoulder. "That's the only thing I've thought about since then."
"And?"
"I'm tempted to accept his offer. People are going to be put in danger one way or the other. They already are. Having them on our side could give us the upper hand we need."
"I guess," Anna conceded.
"But at the same time," Elsa continued, sitting upright. "They could walk us straight into a trap." She hung her head and let out a breath, closing her eyes. "Anna, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do."
Anna placed a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "You don't have to decide tonight. And you most definitely don't need to decide on your own. We'll meet the council tomorrow and we'll all figure out what to do together, okay?"
Elsa faced Anna and gave her a tight smile. She was having a hard time feeling hopeful these days, so she tried to cling onto her sister's never-faltering optimism.
Seeing the dejection in Elsa's gaze, Anna decided it would be best to talk about something else, to try to distract her for a while. She knew of a particular subject that never failed to turn her sister's frown upside down.
"But enough about that. Tell me, how has it been going with Katherine?" Anna asked, cocking an eyebrow.
As expected, that immediately had Elsa's features lighting up, and Anna's heart softened as she watched a full smile slowly stretch her lips.
"It's been nice," Elsa shrugged, a twinkle in her eyes.
Anna chuckled. "Nice?"
"Fine." Elsa rolled her eyes at herself. "It's been great." Facing Anna, she continued. "I never knew I could feel so safe, so loved with anyone… other than you, of course."
"I'm so glad to hear that," Anna wrapped her arm around her sister's shoulder in a sideways hug. "That's what you deserve. All the love in the world." After a beat, Anna wondered aloud, "So you could see you two becoming official?"
Elsa was at a loss for a moment. She thought they already were. But then she understood the subtext. "You mean we'll start telling people?"
"Yeah," Anna shifted to turn her body sideways to face her sister.
"Well, we haven't exactly discussed it, but maybe someday. You know, I don't see myself making this big announcement. We'll just… be together." Elsa shrugged, her mind drifting off. She did wonder why more people didn't know yet. Or, more precisely, why she hadn't heard any reactions yet. She knew this kind of news would make people talk, and Katherine had seemed to want to share it with someone. Had she shared it with anyone?
But Elsa's train of thought also took her to potential reactions from other kingdoms, bringing her right back to worrying about Hodgevike, which effectively sobered up her mood again.
"Ooh, maybe you could be presented as a couple in the next big event," Anna offered.
"Maybe," Elsa said absentmindedly. She felt herself slip back into the daunting thought cycle regarding Oddvar, so she shook her head. Anna was right. There was no point in obsessing over it tonight. "But what about you? How have you been? I feel like we haven't talked much in the last couple of weeks with everything that's been going on." Elsa gave Anna an apologetic smile, which she waved off.
"I understand," Anna said before she told her of her new pastime. She had taken a liking to shadowing villagers as they worked and learning their trade. It made her feel useful, and it satisfied her never-ending desire to learn.
Elsa watched her sister endearingly as she told her how nice Mr. Halverson, the baker, was and how close she was to mastering the art of breadmaking. She was lucky to have Anna be so involved in the town. She was her connection to their people.
Elsa might have been the one leading the charge in Arendelle regarding politics, foreign relations, fixing people's problems and keeping things in order, but Anna was interested in the living, beating heart of the kingdom, and Elsa couldn't feel more grateful for her taking up that role.
When Katherine got back into the castle, there were very few people milling around, so she supposed the royal family had retired for the evening.
The ride over had helped a little to settle her temper, but she still felt something dark and sticky clinging to her as she made her way to her room.
There, Katherine changed into her standard-issue nightwear before she padded to Elsa's room. As she approached it, she heard Elsa and Anna's voices carry out into the hallway. The door was open.
She knocked on it softly, making the sisters look her way.
It was crazy the effect Elsa had on Katherine. She felt it every time she saw her, yet she was still surprised by how strong it was every single time. Tonight, she was particularly glad for the warmth that spread across her chest, for the gentler kind of rush that the mere sight of Elsa gave her, making her pulse quicken. It effectively made the outside world melt away from her mind.
"Hey," Kat waved apologetically. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to let you know I was back. So, I'll leave you to it."
She didn't really want to leave, not feeling up to going back to her room to ruminate. So she waited for a beat before she moved to turn, which gave Anna enough time to stand up from Elsa's bed.
"Nonsense. I'm the one who's leaving," Anna said pointedly. "Have a good night, ladies."
"Good night," Katherine said with a bow of her head as she stepped into the room and Anna passed her on her way out. Both Elsa and Anna had told her plenty of times that she didn't have to observe any of the royal protocols with them, but the habit was hard to break.
"Night," Elsa said, watching her sister leave before she smiled at Katherine. "How was dinner with the troops?"
"It was fun," Katherine said, moving towards Elsa. She gave her a soft kiss on the top of her head before she went to the side of the bed closer to the wall. She propped some pillows up and sat down, motioning for Elsa to settle into her embrace, which she did gladly. "How about you?"
"Mm," Elsa shrugged, closing her eyes, letting herself relax in Katherine's arms. "Same as usual."
They sat entwined for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts as Kat ran her fingers mindlessly over Elsa's head.
"Can I ask you something?" Elsa said, breaking the silence.
"Of course."
"Have you told anyone else about us?" Elsa opened her eyes as she waited for an answer.
"Not yet. Why?"
"It's just," Elsa shifted, disentangling herself from Kat's arms to face her. "It seemed like it was important for you to be able to. I thought you might have by now."
"Well, it was more about knowing why you didn't seem to want to. Also," Kat lowered her gaze. "I guess I understand now what you meant about the safety of keeping it to ourselves for now." She had come close to saying it a couple of times since she almost did with her father. Every time, it had seemed like she was so close to the freedom of sharing something that made her so happy that she could taste it. However, as much as she craved it, something always held her back. "Plus, with everything going on…" she trailed off, meeting Elsa's eyes again.
"Yeah," Elsa nodded in understanding.
"I also wanted to talk to you about something, actually" Katherine said.
"What about?"
"Being back at HQ, I realized that I kinda miss being there. Not that I don't love being here with you, believe me, but—"
Elsa placed her hand on Katherine's, interrupting her. "Kat, it's okay." She smiled and shook her head. "As much as I love having you around all the time, I also believe your skills could be put to better use out there. Especially now."
When Kat had joked that Elsa only kept her around for her looks, she hadn't been entirely wrong. She hadn't been completely right either, because Elsa firmly believed Katherine was a strong, smart, capable soldier. But she didn't really need extra security. It had all been a ploy to get to see her every day. Like when you're in school and you ask your crush to explain something to you that you already know just so that you can have an excuse to talk to them.
And now that that wasn't necessary anymore, Elsa didn't mind changing it up again. Not to mention there was a brewing war. They would need every single soldier to be ready to be deployed at a moment's notice.
"You do?"
"Of course. And you're right. Now that I get to be with you on a more unofficial capacity," Elsa smiled, "I suppose I could do without you for a few hours every day."
"Could you, though?" Katherine narrowed her eyes in mock skepticism.
"I'm sure I'll manage," Elsa chuckled.
"All right then," Katherine nodded, glad that they were on the same page.
"You know, I could even put in a good word with Captain Olsen. Maybe that could get you closer to getting out into the field, if that's what you want."
It wasn't necessarily what Elsa wanted, much preferring to keep her as far away from danger as possible. But she also knew that she shouldn't want to keep her from what she had worked so hard for. On the contrary, she had to support her in that. So she should help her in any way that she could, right?
But the offer had Katherine frowning. On that front, they weren't quite on the same page. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."
"It wouldn't be a problem. I could just let him know how good of a job you have been doing here and that I think you deserve—"
"I know it wouldn't be a problem for you, Elsa. But it could be for me," Katherine said, her features sobering. When she was met with a confused expression, she elaborated. There was a slight edge to her tone as she felt the frost from earlier settle in her back, making her stiffen.
Suddenly feeling restless, conflicting emotions swirling in her mind, she got to her feet to pace around the bed, gesticulating in frustration.
"Have you thought about how it would look like once people found out about us? I've had enough of a hard time with my father being the general. And now I'm dating the queen?" Katherine let out a derisive laugh. It was the first time she had thought about it that way, and boy did it not look great.
"Is that why you haven't told people about us? Because of how it might look?" Elsa asked, her voice small. The last thing she wanted was to create any problems for Kat.
Katherine heaved a sigh, as she stopped, lifting her gaze to the ceiling in thought. "Maybe, I don't know." She shook her head and met Elsa's eyes, which softened her. "Look, I know you mean well. And I appreciate it. I do. But you're going to have to let me get this one on my own."
"Alright," Elsa conceded. "I just wish I could help."
"It's fine. It's nothing I can't handle."
"I have no doubt about that," Elsa said earnestly. As much as she felt an overwhelming need to protect Katherine, she also firmly believed that she didn't need anybody for that. It was all very confusing in her mind and in her heart.
"I know. But other people do. And…" Katherine avoided Elsa's eyes again as her frustration turned into something else. Something vile and piercing in the pit of her stomach. Shame. "Well, I do, too, sometimes."
"Oh, love…" Elsa said, sympathy etched in her features. She moved to the edge of the bed and reached for Katherine, taking one of her hands into her own, coaxing her closer.
Katherine obliged, and sat by her side, her gaze remaining on the floor. "It's just, I'm not new to being underestimated. And I don't want to feel like you do, too."
"Hey," Elsa said pointedly, making Katherine face her. "I'm sorry I overstepped. I'll try to not do it again, but I can't promise you I'll be successful every time. So I need you to know that it never, ever, comes from me not believing you're able to handle it yourself, okay?"
Katherine felt herself unwind, the shame that had replaced the cold anger melting away. "Okay," she nodded.
"I guess some part of me just wants to protect you. You might get how that is," Elsa smiled at Kat, who met her with a playfully indignant air.
"What? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Sure," Elsa rolled her eyes. "Now come here and give me a kiss."
The following day, Elsa and Anna were in the Council Chamber discussing their current situation regarding the Hodgevike nobles with the dozens of people who comprised the full council.
First, Elsa relayed the information that the Bjerkes had given her. "Basically, they're asking us to help them take down their king. Of course, Arendelle wouldn't usually consider interfering with another kingdom's politics. But in this case, we're going to need to stop him anyway. The question is whether we do it with their help or without it."
Thomas Raynor — arguably one of the most opinionated councilmen the room — was the first one to speak his mind. "We should accept their help. This could give us the advantage we need to put a stop to Oddvar for good."
"By marching our army into another kingdom's coup d'état?" Kai, ever the devil's advocate, countered.
"Let's not forget our endgame is to stop their attacks on us. The point is to defend ourselves," Captain Erik Rapp explained.
"Besides," Anna said. "What would even be the point of them lying to us? Why risk retaliation on our part if we were to find out?" She had a hard time wrapping her head around the concept. Intellectually, she knew people lied to get what they wanted, but she had never actually seen lying as a way to get anything, herself.
Needless to say, everyone else in the room, well accustomed to dealing with all sorts of political antics, could think of plenty of reasons for the Bjerkes to try to manipulate Arendelle.
The naiveté in Anna's question reminded Elsa why she had been reticent to involve her sister in these matters. At the same time, Anna wanted to learn, and it was only through exposure that she would.
Elsa's eyes scanned around the table to gauge the councilmembers' reactions. Most seemed unruffled, if a bit puzzled. But then she caught Thomas Raynor's son chuckling to himself.
"Got anything to say, Peter?" Elsa said, making everyone's attention land on him.
When he met Elsa's fulminating stare, he sobered up quickly, clearing his throat and shifting in his seat. "N— no, Your Majesty."
"If I may?" General Anderson interjected. When Elsa nodded, he explained, "For one, they could be working with Oddvar. They may be taking a risk, yes, but for a big enough payoff, it might be one they're willing to take."
"That may be the case," Thomas said. "But I've had dealings with the Bjerkes. They are an upstanding family. And they have never been the biggest supporters of their king."
"And if they do want the throne for themselves," Kai completed. "I suppose they don't win much by screwing over a potential ally."
As the debate continued, the consensus leaned towards the idea that the immediate, very real threat of Oddvar took precedence over the hypothetical possibility of deception.
After an hour of back-and-forth, Elsa had heard enough. They had made their decision.
"So, I guess we're accepting their help."
Now, she just hoped it was the right one.
The next morning, Katherine was, as it had become a habit, in Elsa's room while she finished getting ready for the day.
"How are you doing this morning?" Kat asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Still obsessing over yesterday's council decision?"
"I don't think I'll be able to not obsess over it until this thing is over," Elsa said as she braided her hair. She had already accepted her fate.
"Well, for whatever it's worth, I think it was the right decision. We still need to go after him. And, even if they're messing with us, we can prepare for that. We can be on our guard. It's kind of our thing, you know."
"I might have heard something about that, yeah," Elsa smiled, sitting by her side.
"Anything I can do to help?" Katherine asked her, throwing her a sidelong glance. She was brought back to before they got together, when she saw Elsa worrying like this, and not being able to do anything about it. She didn't feel much more useful now.
Elsa looked at her tenderly as she entwined her fingers with Kat's. "You being here is enough. Believe me."
Fear and doubt were still ever present in Elsa's mind. But recently, her heart had become lighter, as she slowly let love settle deep within her, and it did wonders to make the load that came with her responsibilities more manageable. It was particularly clear in the way that she didn't have to work as hard to keep her powers in check anymore.
"Well, you can count on that. As long as you want me, I'll be by your side," Katherine assured her.
As Elsa took in the love in her eyes, the warmth of her hand, she realized just how far she had come. It was almost hard to remember why she had kept herself from letting people in for so long.
Suddenly, Elsa craved the taste of her girlfriend, the need to have her close — closer — overpowering everything else. She wanted to show her just how grateful she was for her presence, and, her body taking over for her head, there was only one way she could think of doing that right now.
Elsa cupped Katherine's face with her hand, and they leaned into a kiss. As it had also become custom, it quickly grew deeper, greedier.
During the last few weeks, as they had slowly gotten to know each other in a quest to find out what got the other's body reacting, what sounds they could draw from each other, they allowed their hands and mouths to venture to different areas. Nothing that went beyond the boundaries established by their clothing, neither of them feeling quite ready for that just yet, but enough to turn the heat up in all kinds of places.
And that was exactly where this make out session was destined to go. That was, if they hadn't been unceremoniously interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Your Majesty?" They heard Kai's voice from outside as they pulled away, panting.
Kat's eyes went wide, and she cursed under her breath as Elsa stood and ran her hands down her dress, trying to compose herself.
Elsa opened the door just a crack, making sure Katherine stayed out of the advisor's sight.
"Yes, Kai?" Elsa said, slipping on a nonchalant expression, hoping her cheeks weren't flushed.
In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder how they hadn't been caught by the castle staff yet.
"We've got news from the border. Another Hodgevike noble arrived late last night. He was moved to the dungeons this morning with the other two. They're requesting an audience with you."
Elsa frowned, the announcement knocking any thoughts of continuing what she had been doing with Katherine out of her head. "I'll see them in a moment. Could you, uh, meet me there?"
"Of course." Kai nodded and left.
Sighing, Elsa closed the door and turned to Kat. "It appears we have some more visitors."
"Should we expect many more of you?" Elsa asked to the three men standing before her in the dungeon.
Once again, Katherine was close, watching them carefully.
The newcomer, Felix Bjerke, was a young man. Daniel's son, as it turned out. He was as tall as his father, if more athletically built, and while Daniel's hair had turned white, Felix's was still dark brown.
"You will understand that there's several of us, and there's not really any other way we can communicate," Daniel explained, taking the lead once again.
"What's the news, then?" Elsa said.
"Reports of uprisings in the north of Hodgevike have made the king very nervous," Felix offered. "So much so that he sent out some battalions to put them out."
"So his defenses are weakened," Elsa concluded.
"For now. But they won't be for long," Felix said.
"We have a priceless window of opportunity here, Your Majesty." Daniel's expression was bright, if laced with something eerily close to pleading. "Let's put a stop to him."
Elsa's features were unreadable, as smooth as ice, as she stared at the prisoners, a silence filled with expectation hung between them. Finally, she gave a sharp nod. "Alright. Kai," she threw him a sidelong glance, "have the military leaders come here. You," she continued, looking back at the Bjerkes, "are going to help them device a strategy with what you know."
"Of course, Your Majesty." Daniel gave her a small bow of his head, the corner of his mouth lifted in satisfaction.
By noon, General Anderson and his colleagues were presenting their new strategy to the queen and her council.
The stealth approach had been gaining traction with the military leaders, but with the new information, a full frontal approach seemed more realistic, especially if they wanted to deploy quickly.
"Does anybody have any objections?" Elsa asked, scanning the faces around the table.
The silence was heavy in the room, the reality of the situation making the atmosphere as glum and sober as the dreadful weather outside, where it was snowing heavily from dark thick clouds.
"No?" Elsa asked after only having gotten negative responses. "Then, General, you can go ahead and put this plan into action."
He nodded, his expression solemn.
"If that's all, thank you, gentlemen. You can go. We will keep you appraised of the situation as it develops, of course."
It was a go. Her army would be deployed in less than forty-eight hours. As the councilmember trickled out of the room, she leaned forward in her seat, her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her laced hands.
Her mind immediately went to the image of hundreds of her people being sent into the line of fire, and she felt as if a lead weight had been dropped into her stomach. The tell-tale buzzing of magic ran along her arms and legs, and she had to stop herself from freezing the surfaces her body was in contact with.
Once that was under control, she sighed, closing her eyes. She had a feeling that that weight would remain there until all of this was over.
The only solace she could find in the sea of dread that these developments had submerged her into was that it was highly unlikely that Katherine would be part of the regimen that would be sent out.
There was no way they would be sending rookies out.
Right?
AN: As usual, thank you all for reading!