Where Magic Flows
-M. Lauren
Part Two - A Bridge Between
"Are you tired?" Elsa couldn't help but giggle, seeing Honeymaren's head slowly bob.
Her neck pulled straight, and eyes widened. "What?" she asked.
Elsa's laughter continued. "You're falling asleep on me…"
The words were gentle; teasing, even. However, they caused Honeymaren to step further away from her.
"I hadn't meant that literally..." Elsa teased.
Reeling in a deep breath, Honeymaren tried to shake the fatigue. "I'm sorry… it feels like I haven't slept in days!"
"We haven't," she deadpanned. Elsa's lips pulled tight into a smirk. "-but on the brightside, we don't have much further to go. We should arrive in Arendelle before nightfall."
Honeymaren scoffed. "You say that as if I know what time it is…"
She allowed her head to tip forward. Honeymaren's eyes closed. Not allowing herself to get pulled into the comfort of sleep, she groaned and stretched high into her arms. When Honeymaren's eyes reopened, she found Elsa walking much closer to her side than she had before. Her hand tucked into the bend of Honeymaren's arm and she drew her further away from the ledge.
"The last thing we need right now is for you to fall off the ravine..." Elsa lectured. Instead of releasing her, Elsa's fingers closed around Honeymaren's bicep.
"Promise me I can sleep when we get to Arendelle?"
Elsa giggled again. "I promise."
"And you'll sleep, too?" Her brow curved into a perfect arch as she leaned against Elsa's hold.
"I'm sure there's a few things to deal with first, but then after; yes, I'll sleep. In fact, I'm certain Anna will insist on it... She's stubborn like that."
"You're both stubborn..." Honeymaren childishly grumbled. "Hey! But she's going to be a great mom! That's crazy, isn't it?"
The color returned to Honeymaren's cheeks as she turned to her.
"Crazy would be if I hadn't expected it…" Elsa explained. "-but I've been waiting for that announcement for some time now... How I found out, however, that was crazy... or surprising, to say the least."
Honeymaren hummed. "Anna wanted kids?"
"Since she was one herself. Anna has always been the maternal princess of Arendelle." Elsa smiled as she spoke.
"You don't want to be a mom?" Honeymaren frowned. Her eyes remained tired and glassy.
Seeing her sleep-hungry expression had Elsa's smile growing. "It's not that I did or didn't… I've always been indifferent to the idea of kids. Magical ice powers, remember?"
Her fingers waggled teasingly at Honeymaren.
"Still, I think you'd be a good one." she stated matter of factly.
"Is that so?" Elsa sang.
"Uh, huh." Honeymaren nodded playfully. "You kept me from walking off the ravine."
"Well, that says it all, then. I must be parent material."
"Wanna know why else?" Honeymaren leaned in closer. Her smile was a little too wide to be perceived as normal. "...because you're pretty."
Honeymaren stumbled and Elsa held her upright. "Okay, sleepy… now you've officially lost it!"
"Elsa?" Honeymaren questioned, and her eyes gave a long, slow blink. "I'm tired." she pouted.
"I can see that..." Elsa gripped her tighter beneath the arm. "-but luckily for you, I might have lied about that arrival time."
"What'd you mean?" her words blended together.
"Look…" Elsa carefully turned Honeymaren to face the river. Her chin motioned towards the distance.
In the belly of a large, incoming wave was the Nokk. He had the full force of the tide behind him. His head bore low as he surfed across the fast moving water, and surged with the strength of the Dark Sea.
"Woah! Incoming!" Honeymaren announced, and quickly ducked behind Elsa.
"I was afraid of this…" Elsa replied.
As she frowned, Elsa lowered into a fighting stance. Her palms lifted and held out straight from her chest. The nokk was nearing quickly, and headed straight for them.
"He's stirred…" Honeymaren stepped in at Elsa's side.
Her drowsy state had been momentarily shaken. She held out her hand and Elsa's brow furrowed further.
"I can't! I won't, not with you here-"
"Trust me." Honeymaren cut her off.
Her hand raised again, but higher this time. Elsa looked down and softly sighed. She laced their fingers together before lowering them between their hips.
"If anything goes wrong, please let me deal with him..." Elsa calmly begged.
As Nokk continued to near, Elsa closed her eyes. She reeled in a deep breath and concentrated on the heat of Honeymaren's hand. Elsa allowed the love and warmth that she felt there escape into the air around them. Nature was all too happy to accept it, absorbing it graciously and sending it back out into the world.
When her eyes reopened a moment later, Nokk had slowed. His expression calmed as he breached the shoreline. Stopping before both women, he crooned into Elsa's hand. A soft whine escaped him and he turned to greet Honeymaren.
"The other mages must have rescued Cleyo… I understand now why she left them behind- regardless, we must hurry to Arendelle!" she tugged Honeymaren forward. "Nokk will get us there as fast as he can!"
Honeymaren, however, had remained heavy against her feet. Confused, Elsa turned back to her. She appeared dazed and pale-faced beside her. Honeymaren's legs wobbled as she stood, and the brown in her eyes had dimmed to a dull grey.
"Are you alright?" Elsa asked.
Honeymaren didn't respond. She stared at Elsa as if looking through her. She hadn't heard her, but she tried stepping forward anyway. As Honeymaren did, her unsteady feet caused her to overbalance. Elsa was immediately there to catch her, holding Honeymaren up beneath the arm.
"What's going on?" she whispered. Anxiety thickened her tone.
Elsa slowly led her toward Nokk. Honeymaren leaned her full weight against him, complexion still draining from its tan color. Elsa was frowning at her. Eyes baring low, she was trying to read Honeymaren's mind.
"Sorry…" she breathed. Her eyes blinked to clear the daze. "-just dizzy… maybe hungry… that's all..."
"Are you sure?" Elsa's hold tightened as Honeymaren continued to sway. "You look worse than you did before…"
Turning away from her, Honeymaren worried her lip between her teeth. "I'll explain later… when we're back in Arendelle. I promise there's nothing to worry about now."
She'd heard her, but Elsa didn't move. She stepped in closer to Honeymaren, forcing her attention upwards. "You said that earlier, while at Ahtohallan… why do I get the feeling you're still keeping something from me?"
Drawing in a short breath. Honeymaren sighed. "I tried earlier, but you were already so overwhelmed... I didn't want to stress you out more over something we don't need to concern ourselves with now."
"You're aware that none of that makes me feel better, right?" Elsa touched a finger to Honeymaren's chin. "Tell me... You have to tell me."
Lost in deep pools of blue, Honeymaren stared. What she felt there- it was fear, anger, and most prominently; it was love. Elsa's love for her surged more noticeably than any other emotion. That revelation had Honeymaren feeling warm, and caused her to pull away.
Her hand remained on Nokk to hold herself upright. "As I said earlier, there's more to this connection than just my ability to feel emotions… more than strengthening yours… When we touch, when you're using your powers… you're taking from me… You're draining my energy, my emotion… my life force..." her words cut off at a whisper.
"What?" Elsa fought with her eyes held wide. Her hands caught against her waist as if burned. "Why wouldn't you tell me? Why would you allow me to use you like that, then?"
Honeymaren's ears hid behind her shoulders. "Elsa, you already know why… There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you... for Northuldra, and even for Arendelle… You're too important to me."
Growling, Elsa's arms crossed. "-but knowing how I felt about being responsible for your injuries and for your heart- did you not think I would be upset about this? You kept this from me! You let me use you- hurt you, even!"
"Elsa, please!" Honeymaren stepped forward, but Elsa held up her hands.
"No. You were right... We should finish this conversation in Arendelle."
She motioned sternly to Nokk. Her tone had released all but formality. Honeymaren hesitated briefly until, with a sigh, she guiltily clambered onto Nokk's back.
Elsa slid in behind her. She took the reins in her hands. She was careful to keep space between her and Honeymaren; while using her arms to keep them both upright. Elsa wouldn't touch her more than she needed to. It was fear that kept her back rigid.
With a single tug of the reins, Nokk darted forward. He would have them at Arendelle in no time, but now Elsa's feelings about being there were deeply conflicted.
"Say that again." Anna's arms folded over her chest.
She stood at the foot of her bed as Kristoff sat up and peaked over her shoulder. Both Kai and Mattias were in the doorway. Their hands tucked behind their backs as they addressed them. With teeth grit and eyes low, Mattias stepped forward.
"Neither Russhave or Westleton will make arrangements with Arendelle until Elsa has returned from Northuldra."
Anna blinked. She blinked again. "I'm sorry, but what does Elsa have to do with this? I'm the Queen of Arendelle now, and it is my kingdom that is under siege!"
"Yes, your majesty," Kai drew in at Mattias' side. "We have made both parties aware of this, however, they are only interested in meeting with you if Elsa is also there to attend."
Temper short, Anna rolled her eyes. "Did you also make them aware that Elsa is not here, and that no one knows where she is?"
Both Kai and Mattias remained silent as Kristoff slid to the end of the bed. Anna's attention turned to him. Seeing the concern in his expression caused her to soften instantly. With a gentle sigh, she straightened and pulled her hands against her waist.
"I'm sorry," Anna nodded, drawing her eyes back to Kai and Mattias. "I appreciate you coming here to give me the update. I will take that into consideration, but for now we must move forward under the assumption that Elsa will not be returning anytime soon. I will be making the next address to both Russhave and Westleton; how they chose to respond- that is what we must discuss in our next council."
Kai nodded sharply. "Yes, your majesty. Allow me to gather the committee members. I will have them convene in the meeting hall by half-two."
"-and I will rally the queen's guard. It's important we have our men well-prepared for whatever comes next." Mattias added.
"I quite agree…" Anna hummed, her lips tugging to the side. "Until then, please leave me to discuss this with my husband. There are certain aspects of this addressment he has not yet been made aware of."
"Of course, your majesty." Mattias bowed, and then Kai did the same.
"I shall return to collect you before the meeting." his arm pulled over his waist politely before following Mattias from the room.
Once alone, Anna took her time when turning to face Kristoff. Her eyes drew up slowly from the floor and hesitated briefly before finding his.
"What haven't you told me?" Kristoff asked. His expression tightened.
Stepping forward, Anna stood before him. Her hands splayed over Kristoff's knees and she bit down on her lip. "We discovered that the source of the illness was actually intentional poisoning from a source called mercury… we are under the assumption that either, or both, Russhave and Westleton are responsible for the deaths of those children..."
His brows lowered and Kristoff tilted his head. "You learned this after I left?" she nodded. "-but you're only telling me now?"
"I'm telling you now because I will have to make hard decisions because of it. If Arendelle learns that they are responsible for the poisoning, and for the lengths we will have to go to in order to decontaminate our waters; they will want the monarch to do everything they can to hold them accountable. I have to address both Russhave and Westleton under the impression that they mean to do Arendelle harm. I cannot assume they are here for any other reason..."
His frown only deepened. "-but Anna, they outnumber us! You said it yourself that Arendelle can't win…"
"I know…" Anna sighed. "-but that is why I am telling you this now. For the sake of our people, and in honor of the children we lost, I have to try by whatever means possible."
Kristoff's hands came to cover hers. "What do you mean by that?"
She shrugged. "I don't know yet... I will meet with the council and see what they have to say. Just know, this is larger than losing Arendelle to an enemy force. This is about providing justice to those affected by their actions before the siege itself can happen."
"You plan to attack our enemy outright?"
Anna shook her head, her eyes pulling away from his. "I am saying, if I have to- I need you to understand why I've done it."
"-but you plan to address them yourself?" Kristoff quickly stood, demanding Anna's attention. "That would put you right in the heat of battle! Anna, no! That's not safe! Not now..."
Drawing in a sharp breath of air, Anna lifted her chin. "My responsibilities as Queen of Arendelle don't stop because of personal matters, Kristoff. You know this!"
"Let me do it!" He took her shoulders beneath his hands. "Let me address Russhave and Westleton! Stay behind with the council and be here to support Arendelle, come what may."
Anna pulled back from his hold. Her eyes stayed strict on Kristoff's. "You know I can't do that! Not only are you still recovering yourself, but this is something that can only be done by the queen."
Unwilling to listen, Kristoff sauntered over to the dresser. He pulled a tunic on over his thin dress shirt and replaced his sleep-pants with tan slacks.
"I'm coming with you to that meeting." he said, not looking at her. "I want to hear for myself what the committee says is best."
Anna stayed stationed at the center of the room. Her arms hugged around her waist. "I would really rather you say here and rest…"
"It's not going to happen, Anna! I can't rest knowing what you plan to do!"
Kristoff continued moving around the room so fast, Anna struggled to follow with her eyes. He was angry; that went without saying. However, Anna didn't know how to prove to him that she knew this was the right thing to do.
Finally, she sighed. "If I allow you to come to the meeting with me, then you have to be willing to accept whatever decision we come to."
He turned sharply toward her. Kristoff's mouth opened to respond, but Anna had continued.
"-if we decided to use force against their armies, you have to accept it. If you fight me on it, you'll not only embarrass me, but you will also dishonor the committee."
Anna spoke like a true and noble queen. Very rarely had she used this tone with Kristoff, and he decidedly realized why. He hated it. Kristoff hated the dejected way that Anna looked at him. He was angered by her words and, most importantly, the lies.
"Anna, I don't care about the committee! I care about you, and about our child!"
"Don't!" she held up her hand. "Don't make me choose, and don't make this any harder on me than it already is! As queen, I fight for Arendelle first. You have always known this about me! Please, don't try and change that now!"
Anger, sadness, frustration, and fear… they plagued Kristoff all at once. As his mind traveled between emotions, his eyes followed with them. They traced over Anna's pale face and over her tightly clasped hands. He stepped forward, and she stepped back. Kristoff did it again, but Anna had frozen stiff.
Very gently, Kristoff took her face between his hands. His thumbs brushed beneath her eyes and he sighed. "Do what you need to do." he whispered.
Anna's mouth moved to respond, but Kristoff continued.
"Do what you need to do, but know I will be at your side every step of the way."
Brows drawing low, Anna assessed him cautiously. "You won't fight me on it?"
He shook his head.
"-and you won't try to stop me?"
Again, Kristoff's head turned. "No, Anna… as much as I don't want to support you in this, I took the same oath to protect you that you made for Arendelle."
Anna hesitated as she arched forward onto her toes. Her eyes continued to circle his face while she leaned into him. After a short breath, Anna's lips landed on his. She felt Kristoff's hands tangle into her hair, and he held her to him tightly.
"I love you…" he mumbled. His lips sought Anna's once more. "Don't forget that."
When she pulled back, Anna's heart stilled momentarially. Her husband was in pain, yet still willing to meet her half way.
"I love-" Her door opened after a very short knock.
Kai was there, appearing flushed and breathless. "Your majesty," he tried.
Anna and Kristoff pulled quickly away.
"I'm sorry for the intrusion.. It's-" Kai straightened. "It's your sister, your majesty... Your sister has returned home."
Blue eyes widened to the point of strain. "Elsa…" Anna sighed, and her feet carried her into a sprint.
Cheers,
-M.