Chapter 2:
She's a girl with the best intentions
The two lovers came back to the party, Elsa a bit reluctant at first but encouraged by a wise Northuldra who knew how to choose the right words for her. Anna also had the final argument to prompt her into socializing with the crowd of diplomats she was about to meet at her birthday dinner. When the two girlfriends came back inside through a window of the first floor - Gale didn't even need to help, Honeymaren's lessons on how to climb trees came in handy - they met the Queen in the corridor. She told Elsa that, knowing her sister's personality and with the wish to make her comfortable above anything else, she had purposely selected them to only be a small group. Elsa's eyes sparkled in emotion at the news, and both Honeymaren and the Queen understood that it really was what had been bugging the blonde; to be surrounded with family was something she loved, but that was all. No need for big ceremonies and loud tables. Anna proceeded to explain and assure that the diplomats present only were open-minded and respectful ones, not the kind to awkwardly ask her for a dance or try to pull her into conversations. She had seen them personally multiple times in her international meetings for the past year, and she personally took the entire responsibility if one of them made Elsa feel like they ruined the party.
The immediate sigh and hug she received from the Spirit was a reward on its own. The redhead chuckled when Elsa muttered a long list of appreciations and loving thank yous to her ear, and once she stepped back, her hands on her shoulders to look at her leader of a younger sister, she also expressed her pride; Anna had done well in inviting politic and high-class figures for dinner that night, as it still was the iconic day of Yule, and many countries resounded with its signification. Elsa had felt a pinch to the heart when Anna had told her how it would go in a letter a few weeks ago, but now she admitted that it was a great idea for Arendelle's image.
Anna grinned, and Honeymaren melted at the sight of the scene, remembering how stressed the blonde had been when she had read the letter. She could still perfectly recall how fast her pace was in their goahti.
Suddenly, Elsa frowned, visibly triggered by something, and it worried both women.
"What is Kristoff doing outside? I can sense that he's playing with the snow. I thought that kids were making snowmen downtown, not in the courtyard…"
Mattias had just walked by with Olaf while she said that, and he widened his eyes.
"Hold on, you can feel what's happening to nearby snow?"
Honeymaren was amused by his entrance, and smirked as she walked by him to go see by the window. "She can sense and control snow kilometers away, good sir."
"Odin's name, that's impressive." He murmured, astonished.
Honeymaren wanted to tease him by saying 'Actually, you should refer to Ahtohallan', but she gasped happily when she saw what Kristoff was doing.
"He's not playing with the kids! Anna! Come see!" She grinned.
Anna stopped talking with Olaf and they all walked to the window.
Elsa grinned at the sight.
Kristoff was waving at them from the courtyard where he was alone, the staff and guests all inside with fresh falling snow and the cold of the night, and he was well equipped to face it. He mainly was waving at Anna at the window, and at his feet, in the snow, was completed a work he was really proud of. He had written 'I LOVE YOU MY QUEEN' with his boots, tracing letters all around the courtyard.
"Aww." Beamed Olaf.
"It's adorable." Smiled Honeymaren.
"Hopefully this doesn't overshadow you on your day?" Asked Mattias, both joking and serious.
Elsa's amused head shake and huge smile proved that no offense was taken.
"Not at all. Quite the opposite, this is just amazing."
She then giggled. "I love how he waited to make sure that nobody would see him. Though, to be honest, I think that sentimentality makes a good King." She smiled at her sister.
Anna squealed in glee, then rushed to the door and the stairs to meet her husband outside. Her emotion had been palpable, and the blonde was glad that Kristoff really knew the little things that would brighten Anna's day. Despite being, like Mattias stated, the main attraction of the day, Elsa knew that it was horrendous to organize everything, and Anna handled it all perfectly on her own. She deserved a break, even for a short moment before the dinner arrived, and the Spirit was really glad they were together.
The dinner turned out to be an absolute feast. Figuratively, it also was delightful for Elsa's taste, between the numerous dishes that were her favorite ones and that Anna had definitely purposely asked the cooks to prepare with the most refine attention, the indeed hand-picked representatives that she only had to take several minutes to do the awkward introductions with, the small group of musicians playing a light melody in the center of the room, and the general disposition of the latter, the table being a huge U shape with her family on the center line.
In fact, for the very first time, at the sight of the seats and the easy recognition of everyone's place as they all walked to them after presentations, Elsa realized that she missed Yelena and Ryder. She would have loved for them to be there. Anna and her had invited them to come, and they had modestly refused, but Elsa thought to herself that she should have insisted more. The emptiness in her heart was replaced by happiness when she noted that this meant she considered them family now.
Her smile didn't escape Honeymaren, and even though she didn't know what was on her mind, she was happy to see that she was comfortable in such a formerly feared dinner.
Once they all sat down, she put a hand on Elsa's one that was on her thigh, and the Spirit gave her girlfriend a loving smile.
After a quick exchange with Anna, Kristoff stood up, and the room quickly turned to silence. It was nearly imperceptible, because Anna had made it so that the politicians present were quiet people, and they all whispered, something Elsa was very thankful for. But when the King started to make his way around the table and stood in front of it in the space that was until now reserved to musicians, everybody was attentive.
Kristoff smiled, particularly amused by Elsa's eyes that had followed him and her visible confusion and emotion when she realized what was going on.
"I can't allow myself to shadow the Snow Queen on her birthday and make something out of ice. So, for a change, I'm actually going to play something for you." He said, in a powerful voice to make himself heard from the whole room, though everybody was listening.
Elsa gasped slightly in happy surprise, her hand lightly squeezing Honeymaren's fingers that still were in her hand, and she gave a grin to Anna on her other side.
Kristoff picked the lute from the band, and the musicians seemed to be looking forward to listening to him. It was a proof of his talent, and the blonde smiled even wider.
"Wait…" Murmured Honeymaren, bending to see Anna. "He can take care of reindeers, cut and lift ice, be King, and he knows how to play an instrument? How many skills does he have?"
Anna bent too, grinning. "Why do you think I married him?"
The general laughter that followed quickly faded when Kristoff debuted his ballad, which he had composed for this sole moment. It made Elsa's heart melt in emotion, and even Anna, who had been there at the rehearsals and vividly participated at each of his proofreading demands, couldn't help but have tearful eyes. It simply was beautiful. The song was delicate and powerful at the same time, quite a perfect fit to be for Elsa, and the composition actually was a strong contestant to Anna's speech, when she came to think about it. Of course, there was no jealousy, and once Kristoff was over, she clapped the loudest, in awe at his singing.
Then she nearly got pushed aside when Elsa quickly stopped her applause to stand up from her chair and ran to hug him. She tried to make the hug as poised as possible, but even from where she sat and clapped, Honeymaren could see that the blonde was muttering a special thank you to the King over his shoulder. The latter laughed at something she said, and they parted. Kristoff gave the lute back and the band started a new quiet piece.
"It was really nice, Kristoff." Complimented Honeymaren once he sat down. "You know, the storytellers from the tribe could benefit from your talent to write lullabies."
"Really?" Snorted the King.
"I'm serious!" She insisted. "It's a real tradition for us."
He had heard about it from Elsa, indeed, and he started to talk about it with the brunette.
The Spirit smiled at them, then turned to her sister.
"While I'm thinking about it, Anna, please remind me to buy a watch in town tomorrow."
The Queen frowned. "Wait what? Why?"
Elsa fidgeted with the slice of bread she had in hand. "I was late last time we had game night."
Anna tilted her head. "You know that I tease you when you're late. I'm fine with it. It's difficult to have a precise notion of time in the Forest, I understand."
"But I want to be on time." Insisted the perfectionist Snow Queen.
Anna smiled.
"I just often forget to check on the position of the Sun when I'm busy." Explained Elsa.
Then she frowned. "But once I buy the watch, I need to remember to always keep it in my pocket."
Then she widened her eyes. "Wait. My daily outfit doesn't have pockets."
Then she mumbled. "I need to remember to make some pockets."
Anna looked at her with amusement. "Or, you could just ask a Northuldra to remind you."
The blonde dismissed her advice with a quick hand gesture. "No, that's way too complicated."
The Queen rolled her eyes.
Honeymaren had an appreciative sip of her glass, and let out a happy hum.
"You like it?" Asked her lover, and she beamed because Honeymaren's reaction also validated that she liked Arendelle, which always thrilled Elsa.
"Is it the same wine than the one you brought back in your first month in the Forest?"
Elsa smiled. "Exactly. It also was the day I crafted a statue in front of you for the first time."
Honeymaren thought for a moment, then smirked. "You mean, that day when you proposed to draw a portrait of me, then when I peeked at you starting to sketch on your pad, I was so stunned by the level of detail and your perspective skills that I complimented you, then you got all flustered, and in your panic you said "Nevermind, I'm going to craft you an ice statue instead" because it's faster that way, and then proceeded to casually move your hands and created a perfectly accurate statue of me, then got even more embarrassed when my jaw dropped at it? That day?"
Elsa blushed intensely with wide eyes and pursed lips as Anna burst into laughter.
"...Yes, that day."
"Oh my, this is comedy gold." Wheezed Anna. "You never told me about this story. Damn, I wish I were you and saw some memories like these in Ahtohallan."
The Spirit was so upset by their attitudes that she crossed her arms. "Trust me, you don't want to be me. Not when you have such a mean girlfriend."
While her tone was exaggerated, her pout was genuine. Honeymaren melted in a 'aaawww' and placed kisses all over her face.
"Alright, alright, enough!" Chuckled Elsa after a while, extricating herself.
The Queen watched them with a warm heart.
"You know," added Elsa while she cut a piece of meat, "the detail accuracy actually saved your life when I used it as a decoy. Remember when we were in that tunnel we dug with the Giants last year? And we accidentally arrived in a cave and stumbled upon a group of bears? I made a statue of a bigger bear to calm them down while we went in another direction."
"Excuse me, when what?" Coughed Anna, nearly strangling herself with her drink.
Elsa winced. "It wasn't that dangerous."
Honeymaren defended her. "Yeah, don't worry. We had situations that were at least ten times more deadly."
Both sisters gave her a stare. They were different - one curious and one scolding - but she felt crushed for a minute, and cleared her throat as she focused on her plate.
Anna looked at her elder. "I said what I said. I wish I saw memories at will, because it sounds like you two have been on a lot of shenanigans."
Elsa mumbled something, but she was distracted by a maid bringing a new pitcher of wine, and she quickly raised her head to smile at the member of the staff.
"About ice figures", quickly said Anna, whispering to Honeymaren while her sister was busy talking. "Kristoff once told me that Elsa spent ten minutes thinking about what to put on my birthday cake for our first party back together after the Great Thaw. She really wanted to put a little ice representation of us having fun. I guess her confidence improved over time…"
The brunette smiled back, and looked at her girlfriend with love. She had been through a lot, and was happy to see how relaxed she was now.
The tone of a conversation next to Anna rose, and she turned with curiosity.
"And I'm telling you, it doesn't. Rhyme." Insisted Olaf's voice next to Kristoff.
The redhead was intrigued and bent her head to see the end of the table where Olaf was.
"What is going on?"
Kristoff laughed. "He's telling Mattias that you have hearing problems."
The Queen blinked in confusion. "Wait, what now?"
The snowman turned to her, pointing with his fork, where a piece of potato was hanging and would probably fall at some point, given how animated he was about the topic. Mattias suspected that the piece of potato had turned cold, for how long the snowman had been talking.
"You said 'Winter Solstice always rhymes with new beginning'." Reminded Olaf.
Anna thought for a moment, and understood that he was talking about her speech.
"Oh. Yes."
"Well, it doesn't."
"It doesn't what?"
"Rhyme. It doesn't rhyme. Like, not even a bit."
Anna blinked, then burst into laughter, her head wiping back. She quickly held her crown so it wouldn't fall behind her chair.
"Olaf!" She said, retrieving her breath. "It's an expression!"
He widened his eyes. "Really?"
"Yes." Laughed Mattias.
They all joined in laughter, but he didn't take it bad. He took out a tiny notebook out of nowhere - or rather, nobody dared to ask where it came from - and scribbled something down as he muttered.
Mattias patted the snowman's back. "Maybe I should hand you some of my books about literature."
"Gladly." Said Olaf happily. "There are many in the castle's library, but I re-read them all already."
Anna had a pinch to the heart at the sound of it. He reminded her of herself when she was a child, and whispered to Kristoff that they should order new books.
"Well, actually, they are not my books," corrected Mattias, "they are Halima's. She's a brilliant woman, really…"
Something sparkling at the light distracted Anna from her listening, and she turned to see something at Honeymaren's collar. She smiled as she admired it.
"It's beautiful, those little details she put on your tunic."
The brunette followed her gaze, confused for a moment about how she knew who had added them, then she remembered one second later that Elsa was the only one who could craft ice additions to clothes.
"Yeah. I think so too." Smiled the Northuldra tenderly.
"I really like your outfit, actually." Complimented the Queen.
"Thanks. I wanted to pick a traditional Northuldra one to best represent my tribe in Arendelle, especially at Yule which is very meaningful." Honeymaren stated proudly, and Anna saluted the idea with a nod. "Elsa loved the idea but insisted on bringing some touches. I couldn't say no, you know, it's for her birthday after all…" Grinned Honeymaren. "But she did an amazing job. It's both subtle and noticeable from a good distance."
Elsa turned to them at the mention of her name.
Anna nodded again, exaggeratedly now that she noticed that her sister followed the conversation. "She's really extra but has a sense of proper fashion as well."
The blonde blushed, and Honeymaren grinned. The Queen's laughter was however interrupted by the arrival of new dishes, but it was something she was happily interrupted by.
"Oh, Honeymaren, you've got to try this out. You'll be impressed."
Anna showed her a dish that looked like a cake, a loaf of bread, and a piece of meat at the same time. Honeymaren's surprise and apprehension must have been readable on her face, because the redhead chuckled.
"You'll love it, I promise. It's called kjøttkaker. It's meat in the center, and these are carrots, potatoes, and leeks." Presented Anna, making sure that Honeymaren knew everything she was about to eat.
"Ohh, and this is brown sauce, right?" Recognized Honeymaren when she saw what was around the meat, remembering another dish in which she had tried it for the first time.
"Indeed." Smiled Anna. "I'm actually glad you already know that one, because I honestly have no idea what it's made of. But it's divine. Wanna try?"
A bit hesitant at first, but willing to learn more about Arendellian culture, Honeymaren accepted to be served, then took a slow bite. Then, humming, she took another, then another. The Northuldra couldn't believe her taste buds, and she widened her eyes.
"Oh, it's incredible!" She exclaimed to the grinning Queen. "As incredible as when you made me try chocolate for the first time!" She added, turning to her partner.
The two sisters grinned. Elsa was undeniably proud to have introduced her girlfriend to the marvelous world of chocolate treats. The siblings served each other then enjoyed it as well.
"Chocolate isn't from here, though." Noted Anna after congratulating her sister for introducing Honeymaren to her world. "Raggmunk, however…"
They had barely finished their previous dish that she was pointing to a new one, and the Northuldra's jaw dropped.
"What, another specialty?"
'How many are there?' Thought the brunette in awe.
"Don't think you'll leave this place without trying them all." Teased Elsa.
Honeymaren observed Anna serving her. "I think, above anything else, that I'll take some specialities to go!"
The Queen laughed and served Elsa too, and the blonde started to avidly eat it. Apparently, her partner loved that meal, so Honeymaren couldn't wait to try it out. She however made a mistake in hurriedly taking a bite without smelling it first, nor asking Anna what it even was.
She immediately spat it out, and muttered something in Northuldrian, which made Elsa laugh with her mouth full.
"What did she say?" Chuckled Anna, while Honeymaren tried to dignifically clean her tongue with her napkin.
"Lingonberries." Translated Elsa, still laughing.
"Oh. Yeah. They're pretty much the main thing of the dish." Smiled Anna, having pity for the suffering Northuldra. "If you hate them, you're likely to hate it all."
"What's the meat?" Asked Honeymaren by politeness, and at least she would not die an idiot by knowing the composition of the dish, even if she would never try it again.
"Pork." Said the redhead. "The belly. With the lingonberries, it's a combination of salty, sour and sweet. I totally get you because I also find it weird. But the potato pancakes served with it are excellent." She noted, and she took advantage of being Queen to be picky and only grab said pancakes from the dish.
"To be honest, even the name 'raggmunk' isn't appetizing. I should have seen it coming." Joked Honeymaren, and the Queen laughed.
The brunette then watched her girlfriend devour her plate with appetite.
"Ew. You're not kissing me after that."
Elsa stopped in her movements, disappointment visible on her face. Anna laughed even more.
"How can you like it?" Asked Honeymaren with astonishment.
"There are many things I still don't get about Elsa." Admitted Anna with a shrug. "Hopefully, now that you two are together, you'll help me understand some of it."
The blonde gave her a frown.
She and her sister started to have sarcastic banter, then Elsa caught her girlfriend biting into a slice of bread that had a generous spread of a homemade butter that contained a lot of garlic.
"Hang on, you're telling me I can't kiss you after raggmunk but you're eating that?"
Honeymaren smirked guiltily, turning to her girlfriend. "What, you don't like it?"
"Ugh!" Jolted Elsa, moving her head back like she received an invisible blow. "That smell!"
Anna giggled at her reaction. "Must mean no."
Honeymaren teased the blonde with another blow of her breath, and Elsa shrieked.
"Stop it or I'll freeze your mouth shut!"
"You wouldn't dare." Chuckled Honeymaren as she chewed happily.
The dinner went on joyfully and yet quietly, which was exactly like Elsa had dreamed it to go, and she didn't miss the occasion to tell her sister again. The Queen beamed in victory.
Honeymaren noticed that Bruni sneaked in between the chairs for snacks and Elsa couldn't help herself answering his excited gourmet chirps by handing him some of the delicious food.
'Of course he followed us in the kingdom.' Internally snorted the Northuldra. 'We shouldn't have mentioned the feast out loud.'
The brunette was even more amused to see a guest coming over and asking the Fifth Spirit to ask the Fire one to burn his crème brulée, a request which Bruni happily accepted. Perched on Elsa's extended arm, he licked the top of the dessert with delicate flames, the blonde smiling but at the ready in case something went wrong with the fire. Honeymaren then looked to her right and saw Anna miss her mouth as she brought up her fork because she was very distracted staring at Kristoff opening up his jacket due to how warm the room was. The Northuldra smirked. What a family.
Next to Kristoff, Mattias took something out of his coat, and winked at him, then they both masked a laugh.
"You didn't." Whispered the King.
"I sure did." Grinned the general.
Anna was intrigued by their so-secret behavior, and looked at what Mattias was doing.
He had placed a bottle on the table, smaller than the average wine jugs or beer pitchers next to their plates, and she frowned. It was a simple glass bottle with a simple tag, but something in Anna's instinct told her that it was nothing trivial. Mattias noticed her curious attention.
"For your symbolism, Your Majesty?" He offered, respect and sass mixed in his mischievous eyes.
"You've been making alcohol?" Blinked Anna, astonished.
"I did." Grinned the man. "I tried this new hobby lately. It's a liquor. I used both Arendellian and Northuldra herbs, this is why I find it symbolic. Yelena taught me a lot through the years, actually."
The Queen remained speechless for a moment, picturing Yelena explaining either directly or indirectly what were the best ingredients for booze.
The man blushed a bit at her uncharacteristic silence. "I hope you don't mind. I actually had to hide it in my coat to sneak it inside the party. Kai was very attentive to the circulating food and beverages."
Anna shook her head reassuringly, placing her hand on his. "No, not at all. I'd love to have a taste. Please introduce me to it."
Her excited smile was contagious, and he urged to uncork the bottle to pour some for his monarch.
Kristoff took the two glasses he had asked from a maid and put them in front of Mattias and his wife.
"You're not trying it?" Interpreted Anna with a frown.
The King smiled. "I already did. I went to his house last Thursday, remember? It's really strong, and I intend to have full control of my mind for the rest of the evening, thank you very much." He said, chuckling with Mattias.
"Well, I don't!" Joked Anna, excitedly grabbing her glass.
She held alcohol better than Kristoff anyway.
"More, more! Make it full." She encouraged when Mattias poured his liquor in a satisfying sound. "I'm not a child."
"That, I'm aware, my Queen. But… Full? Are you sure?" Checked Mattias.
"Certain." Smiled Anna, eyeing her sister laughing warmly and openly with Honeymaren. "Today is a day of celebration."
She then bent to Kristoff. "And I trust my husband to take care of the party if the need arises."
The King smiled at her.
"There you go then."
He served her then himself, and put the cork back on the bottle, which he could tell would soon leave the surface of the table again. They lifted their glasses together. His eyes met the Queen's for cheers.
"To Arendelle's future, then."
"To Arendelle's future!" Beamed Anna, who couldn't have come with a better thing to cheer up to.
They clicked their glasses then drank in one go. The content of the bottle also quickly went down.
Later in the night, the liquor was completely gone, which was a sign of joy and a source of many giggles for Mattias and Anna, but eventually a bad idea.
"We're almost there." Smiled Elsa as she turned at the top of the stairs, knowing they made it half-way to the redhead's room.
She was holding Anna's arm above her shoulders, helping her walk, and she smirked when she passed by the guards watching the King and Queen's private wing. Their expressions were a mix of a smile and a respectful nod as the siblings passed, not knowing if the state of their monarch was funny or concerning. Judging by the look the elder gave them, there was nothing to worry about.
They walked in silence as they made their way through the castle to Anna's bedroom. The Queen had her face right next to Elsa's ear, and the latter heard a chewing noise.
"What are you eating?" Frowned the blonde.
If Anna had secretly grabbed another chocolate filled with alcohol from one of the display stands in the corridor, the Spirit would be about to lose her mind.
"What's in your mouth?" She frowned as Anna wasn't responding, now sounding like a dog owner trying to prevent them from chewing on something they shouldn't.
Elsa then realized it was leaves. Leaves from the plant that was placed at the corner of the aisle, a few steps earlier.
"You sneaky dork." Snorted Elsa. Thankfully, she knew the country's fauna and flora thoroughly, and those plants weren't toxic.
"I'm a panda!" Suddenly exclaimed Anna.
"No, you are drunk."
She turned at the angle and finally spotted the familiar pattern on Anna's bedroom doors.
"Hmmm… Spinning…" Murmured the Queen.
Elsa smiled. "You really aren't used to homemade alcohol, are you?"
Anna had a dorky giggle then looked at her sister. "Do you?"
"You know I don't drink."
The redhead frowned.
"But you had champagne earlier…?"
"That was to make you happy and celebrate with you."
The Queen had a dramatic puff. "You don't drink, you don't dance… You don't know what's funny!"
"Your state right now is funny. You're very entertaining, Anna, that's for sure." Grinned the blonde as she opened the door with her elbow.
Anna didn't answer, her head actually tilting as she started to doze off. "Hey hey hey, don't fall asleep yet, I still need to put you to bed."
Anna grumbled.
"Kristoff will find me very seductive when he'll find me snoring and all when he'll go to sleep." She said with sarcasm, still aware of her state despite, well, her state.
Elsa shook her head as she laid her down. "You know he loves you no matter what."
"Of course he does. I'm a legit snack!"
Anna then broke into laughter, and her elder sighed as she tucked her in.
Elsa noticed that her sister was blinking slowly, her eyes progressively closing. She however stayed at Anna's side until she was certain that she was sleeping safely. She sat down on the covers next to her and flicked her wrist to vanish the floating bright snowflakes she had popped to light up the room when she came in to not bump into anything, putting it back to a relaxing darkness. Anna mumbled in comfort, and she smiled. After a while, when Elsa thought that the Queen was finally asleep, and she was about to depart, she heard her shift in a rustling of covers.
"Hey, Elsa."
"Yes?"
"You can time travel, right?"
Elsa frowned, and Anna explained herself. "Like, what if you froze yourself right now in a block of ice and make it thaw in like, a hundred years. That way, you could see my grandkids!" She mumbled in a wavy drunk voice, then giggled goofily. "Oh, even my great-grandkids!"
The Snow Queen rolled her eyes. "Note to myself: never let Mattias approach you with a bottle of liquor ever again."
She could sense that Anna pouted, and it wasn't because of the sass, but because she didn't answer her delirious question. She sighed.
"I would never do such a thing, Anna."
"Why not?"
"Because that would mean you'd be dead, you idiot."
"Mmh. Fair enough."
She then grinned. "It's nice to see that you wouldn't mix science and magic if that meant losing me."
There was another silence, and Elsa made her way to the door again, but by sheer instinct, she saw another question coming, and sighed as she turned around.
"What?"
Anna snorted drunkily, guilty and not sorry. "Can you touch lava?"
The blonde was so surprised by the question that she forgot her exasperation.
"Wha… Uhh, I don't know, I guess I could… I never had the occasion to try, of course, but–"
The redhead had a little giggle as she pointed at her elder face, though she completely missed the direction with her finger. "Haha! I knew you'd take note to try someday. I know you by heart! Curious… Nerd!"
They laughed together, Anna at her somehow victory and Elsa at her crazy rambling.
"It's time for you to quiet down and sleep, Anna. And by quiet down I mean shut up." She added with a smirk.
Her sister didn't reply. She was lost in her thoughts, and when the elder finally succeeded in tucking her in the bed and pulling the cover to her chin, she eventually talked again, this time with a small voice that sounded like the one of a child.
"I wish I were you." She sighed dramatically. "Molten lava is soooo beautiful, I wanna put my hand in it… Why does it look so pretty if we can't touch it? It's unfair…"
"Shhhh…" Silenced Elsa, passing a hand in Anna's hair and calming her down. It was effective, for the younger sister immediately melted in the touch, and started to doze off.
It was likely than the redhead would add something, so Elsa kept her hand in her hair just in case, but the redhead couldn't form any coherent thoughts anymore. She fell into Morpheus' arms - and probably Dionysus' ones too, thought Elsa - with a deep smile. The blonde actually shared it too.
It had been an amazing birthday.
"What do you mean, they only last one day?" Exclaimed Honeymaren.
Anna laughed as she stirred her hot chocolate. "Well, it's in the word. Birth. Day. It's the day you are born, not the whole week."
The Northuldra has stopped her tasting of croissants and other breakfast specialities from around the world that she loved to discover when she was in Arendelle, and stared at the redhead with a confused frown.
"But when Elsa came to Arendelle last Summer to celebrate your birthday, she stayed for several days."
Anna smiled as she drank her mug. "That's because it's Elsa. She always makes it a whole thing when it's my birthday."
"And you don't?" Retorted the brunette.
"Hey, easy now, are you saying that I don't spend enough time with her?" Smirked Anna.
"It's not what I meant…" Mumbled the woman, embarrassed. Accusing Anna of Arendelle to not take care of her sister was both a lack of minimal observation and an offense.
"Because if you want to go down the sassy road, may I remind you that since you two are a couple, she spends way more time in the Forest than here." Pointed the redhead.
Now Honeymaren blushed deeply.
"I'm just kidding." Smiled Anna. "Sorry to disappoint you, but no, birthdays only last one day. The celebration can be longer, for sure, and I suppose that you referred to a Northuldra tradition of making a feast for a long time. But you know Elsa like I do. She begs me to do something simple every year, and of course I respect that."
Honeymaren was about to reply something like 'I agree, but still, she deserves a whole week to be showered with the love she deserves', when Elsa entered the room right on cue and they both clasped their mouths shut.
Kristoff was accompanying her, and he noticed the unusual silence from his wife. "Anna isn't drowning your ears with her morning energy?" He teased, talking to Honeymaren.
"Ha. Ha. Ha." Sighed his wife, but she didn't take it bad at all, and they even stuck their tongues at each other when Kristoff took a seat.
"Oh, wait, she's not drinking coffee. That's why." Noted the King.
"I wanted Honeymaren to try our hot chocolate, then I couldn't help but ask for one too." Defended Anna.
"And there's none for me?" Fakely gasped Elsa as she sat next to Honeymaren.
Anna's hands fell on the table. "Is everyone going to provoke me this morning?"
The others giggled. She shook her head with a smile.
"Your mug is next to the fruit bowl."
"Oh, thank you."
They all happily ate their breakfast together, Honeymaren loving this sensation of a second family. Or rather, extended, as the word often used by Elsa on the other way about the Northuldra actually described more how she felt about it. The brunette was glad that Olaf had been awake all night to have fun with the kids all around town and now was sleeping soundly in the stables, so she could enjoy the calm. When they all were busy chewing, she could even hear the seagulls outside, an animal she didn't even know existed before Elsa opened the world for her.
Kristoff engaged in a conversation topic about Mattias' liquor and it made everybody laugh, even Anna who then proceeded to explain how the drink felt, and how it actually could be improved. Elsa strongly discouraged it and Honeymaren cackled at her reaction.
Time flew while they continued to talk, until Anna took leave to go check her morning mail and Kristoff to check on Olaf.
The staff started to clean the table and Honeymaren insisted on helping, but Gerda was having none of it, nearly pushing the Northuldra back to her seat with a frown when she stood up.
Elsa giggled at her confused blink, and the latter pouted a bit when they found themselves alone in the room again, the blonde finishing her mug.
"I still have a lot to learn here." Grumbled Honeymaren.
"It will come, don't worry." Assured the smiling ex-Queen. "You have all your life to learn."
There was a silence, then Honeymaren suddenly snapped. "Oh, this gives me an idea!"
She quickly went out of the room, now making Elsa the confused one. A short time after, she came back with a refined wooden box that seemed, from its rattling noise, to contain small pieces of wood. It had a square shape, and Elsa easily recognized it.
"How about, to celebrate your birthday even more, you teach me how to play chess?" Grinned the Northuldra.
Elsa smiled at her suggestion. "Why not."
Explaining the rules and each pawn and their special abilities took a lot of time, but thankfully, the Northuldra was genuinely attentive, and asked only a few questions.
The only big interruption she gave through Elsa's speech was to say how much she admired her, because now that she saw all the strategy behind the game, it brought a new perspective to her girlfriend's intelligence, as she knew for a fact that she always won against Anna.
"You know, I'm this good at chess because I practiced for years. It's a game where you can play against yourself, in fact you train even better that way. And no need to tell you that I got all the time I needed for that when I was young… And I was especially in the mood to be against myself, if you see what I mean. I made myself my own opponent."
"That's really dark…" Winced Honeymaren. "I had meant to lighten up your mood by bringing this chessboard from the other room, not ruin it."
"It's okay." Chuckled Elsa. "I'm fine with some self-derision."
She started placing the pieces on the board, and Honeymaren followed her gestures attentively. The blonde lifted her eyes and saw in the familiar chestnut irises that she had switched to what Elsa called the 'huntress analysis mode'.
"Honey." She simply said, biting her lip not to laugh.
"Hmm." Simply replied the brunette, too busy watching.
"I haven't started yet. I'm just placing the pieces."
"Oh."
Honeymaren rubbed her forehead. "I feel so stupid."
"You're really not." Assured Elsa. "At least you're curious about chess."
Once done, she gestured to the board. "Alright. White ones always start first."
Honeymaren puffed. "That's racist."
"You're quite right." Smiled the Spirit.
They started to play, and their first game actually lasted long, until Honeymaren made a beginner mistake, and Elsa won. The next game was way shorter, with the brunette making a wrong move - her girlfriend gently explained why she shouldn't have done that - that blocked her, and the third game also was long, but Honeymaren had forgotten how the knight moved, and found herself tricked by Elsa. She groaned, massaging her temples as the latter placed the pieces once again.
"I can make it, I know I can make it, it's just… It's a lot for now." Muttered the Northuldra.
"You'll manage. If Olaf can understand it, you can."
Honeymaren's eyes widened. "Olaf knows how to play chess?"
Azure blue eyes stared at her with amusement. "If I didn't know you, I'd think you're being offensive."
"Sorry, it's just…" She sighed. "I don't know chess rules like Anna does, I don't know how to play an instrument like Kristoff does, and I don't know anything about geometry and physics and whatnot that you know so much and allow you to be that amazing artist and create those incredible things, I don't even see what I–"
The brunette had her head down as she rambled, and she noticed that all of the pieces of the board briskly trembled, several of them falling down. She barely had the time to lift her head that Elsa's hand seized her right one on the table, and it was warm and forgiving without a word.
Honeymaren realized that the blonde had been standing up a bit to quickly reassure her, bumping the table with her thighs.
"Honey, you are good at so many things. Excellent, even."
The blonde then proceeded to list all the talents the Northuldra had, and the latter had to admit it, even if she kept it modest, she was surprised by how many things Elsa had identified and that she never noticed herself.
From hunting to harvest, from handiwork to herding… Elsa listed everything, and Honeymaren wondered if she hadn't been writing poetry about it.
"But more importantly," Elsa concluded, "you are you and it's why I love you. Why would I date someone who's like everyone else?"
Honeymaren smirked tenderly. "When you see it like that…"
She looked down in emotion, and saw the state of the board. "Say, should we play on a smaller table? Am I too far for your taste?"
Elsa giggled at her smirk and casually sat back down and placed the pieces back.
Anna walked in with a pile of documents, happily surprised by their presence.
"Oooh! What did I miss?"
Honeymaren wanted to tease her girlfriend and say 'Actually your sister nearly flipped the table over to jump on me and kiss me' but retained herself.
Elsa showed the chessboard to her sister. "I'm teaching her how to play."
A loud 'flump!' resounded in the room when Anna dropped the pile of papers on the table. "Awesome! I can't wait for us to play together, Honeymaren."
The brunette looked embarrassed. "I'm gonna be a beginner for a long time…"
The Queen shrugged as she sorted the documents. "You can't be worse than me. We'll match well."
Elsa gave her sister an offended gasp. "Don't say that! You've become way better at chess recently."
She then considered when did Anna get her current level. "I'm wondering if it's because now, you rule over people, so you have a better vision of the big picture, like an overview."
"Okay, drama queen, calm yourself." Snorted Anna, not even lifting her eyes up from the papers.
"I'm serious!" Swore Elsa.
The monarch gave her a sassy look. "So what, now that I'm Queen, I'm better at strategy and therefore chess as well?"
"It's not even that far stretched." Replied the blonde. "You're more anticipating than before due to your tasks in your job. You tended to improvise most of the time - you still do, you're still you, but you get my point - and it showed in the way you played. Now you actually take your time, weighing every decision. You plan more."
Honeymaren smiled at her girlfriend's wise words. Anna remained silent with modesty.
"Honey agrees with me." Said Elsa, pointing at her.
The Northuldra blinked. "I didn't say anything."
"But you smiled."
Honeymaren snorted. "Because I think you two are cute."
She noticed Elsa's frown, and laughed. "But I do agree, yes. You may still be the energetic flame I met, Anna, I still saw your evolution through the year. Once Elsa is done explaining the rules to me - and to be honest, trained me a bit - I'll gladly want to have a game or two against you."
The redhead smiled at the two pairs of supportive and loving eyes. "Thank you. I will."
She walked to Elsa to boop her nose, and the latter smirked. She didn't need to hear Anna say 'Thanks for the compliments, you dork.' to understand the pride and emotion of her soul.
Elsa resumed her explanations while Anna returned to her pile of papers. It was a good thing that the table was large, because she started to make a dozen piles. As minutes passed, her papers were spreading further and further.
"What is all this?" Wondered Honeymaren.
Elsa couldn't blame her for being distracted from the chess lesson, because Anna was making a mess.
The Queen sighed, but it sounded resolute and proud. "All the construction permits I have to sign. Many good ideas for the town. I don't know where to start, so I think I'll sort them by type. Or importance. Or size. Maybe all."
Elsa and Honeymaren were impressed, and the blonde stood up to read some of the papers, not touching anything to avoid interfering in the redhead's sorting.
Not even conferring with each other, the two girlfriends mentally postponed the chess lesson; reading the permits was way more interesting.
Honeymaren made an impressed pout when she went through the description of a new marketplace that was wider than the current one and included more stands from abroad. Elsa asked more details about the one she was reading; a large fountain made of multicolored marble. Anna was pleased to talk about those projects and introduced more to them.
At some point, the Queen was hit by an idea, and a big smile stretched her face.
"Hey, Elsa, do you fancy a stroll through town this afternoon?"
Elsa gave her a pleading look. "Please don't tell me that you planned a big surprise or something."
Anna chuckled. "No, no, I respected your wish. I just thought about it. It will be simple, I promise."
It relieved the blonde, and she nodded. "Alright then. Where are you going to take me?"
Anna may not have planned anything, the elder knew her by heart and supposed that she at least had a place in mind.
The redhead's smile grew larger.
"Do you remember the extension of the school I told you about in my letters?"
Elsa gasped in joy. "The one made to accommodate the new students? The Northuldra students?" She added, giving a quick glance to her lover before setting her excited eyes on Anna again.
"The one." Smirked the Queen. "They just finished the construction. Wanna go see it?"
The excitement on Elsa's face was bright enough to light up the room.
"Your Majesty, what a surprise! Please, come in!" Beamed the teacher.
"We're not interrupting anything, I hope? I purposely picked the end of the day."
"No, not at all!" Assured the woman. "How thoughtful of you."
"I wanted to show the new school to Elsa." Informed Anna, stepping aside and revealing her sister, whom she knew was timidly hiding behind her.
The teacher nearly fainted at the sight, and bowed just as much as she did when she had saluted her monarch. "Lady Elsa, what an honor!"
It had been so long, and it was such a delight to meet her again. The teacher noticed that each time she got to glimpse Elsa on her rare visits in Arendelle, the blonde seemed to be a happier person than the time before.
The blonde blushed a bit as she returned the greeting. "It's all mine. On the outside alone, I can tell that you all did an amazing job."
'There we go', internally smirked Anna, noticing the sparkle in Elsa's eyes as she admired the external beams.
She then cleared her throat because the teacher had gone into a long ramble of something on the lines of 'Coming from you, Your Highness, and your renowned creative mind, it is the best compliment, thank you so much…' and so on.
"Elsa, how about you go in, and I'll join you later."
The Spirit looked around and saw that some parents were arriving since it was the end of the afternoon and nearly time to pick their kids. Anna took that opportunity to talk with her people, which Elsa encouraged with a proud smile before she stepped in.
The Queen smiled warmly at the Arendellians and shook a few hands.
"Hello, how are you? How are the brass band rehearsals going?" She asked the first parent.
Elsa grinned as she listened to Anna catching up with the civilians while she walked in the corridor, and she entered the classroom. It was very bright and it already filled her with happiness. Its numerous wide windows made it perfect for kids to not feel trapped, and she knew a lot about it. The place was wide, colorful, and heartwarming, and Elsa admired it from floor to ceiling.
She looked around at the walls, some made of stone to host things like the fireplace, and the others made of paneling, but it was nearly entirely covered with children's drawings. Always interested in art, Elsa looked at them closely, her arms in her back as her eyes wandered from one to the other. She blushed a bit when she noticed that some of them represented her in her bright white outfit and that the kids exaggerated its brightness with a sort of golden aura, making her look like an angel. Thankfully, most of the drawings represented classical landscapes, though she spotted some of Olaf doing something funny, or some showing Anna and Kristoff dancing in the latest festival.
Elsa's eyes landed on the blackboard, where the last lesson of the day was still written with chalk. Apparently, they had been learning about the sea and coasts.
She noticed that the tables had been pushed aside against the walls and that at the center of the room, on the floor, was spreaded a giant multicolored rug, on which the kids were sitting and playing different games. They were so absorbed in making train noises, or playing with dolls, or completing puzzles, that they didn't notice that Elsa had entered.
The teacher joined the blonde after closing the door, and clapped her hands. "Children, look who has come to visit!"
They stopped playing to look up, and Elsa saw about twenty pairs of eyes widen in surprise.
"LADY ELSA!"
They kneeled up and beamed in joy, some even standing up and jumping around her.
"Calm down, calm down." Warned the teacher. "Easy now."
She waited for them all to sit again then looked at the blonde. "I'll go put the maps away, do you mind?"
Elsa fidgeted with her hands. "No, not at all."
She watched the woman roll the coastal maps she had suspended next to the blackboard back into their leather cases and put them under her arm, then exited through an adjacent door.
"Lady Elsa! Lady Elsa!" Yelled a kid, and the so-called looked down at him.
"Yes?"
"Can we ask you a question?"
"Of course", smiled Elsa, and she took a chair from the nearest table to sit in front of them.
"What do the four Spirits look like when you merge them?"
Elsa blinked, freezing in mid-air before sitting. "Excuse me, when I what?"
One little girl frowned. Did the Snow Queen not know grown-up words? "That means, like, join together."
"I know what it means." Said Elsa gently as she sat down. "I just don't understand. Spirits don't merge."
A good part of the kids were instantly disappointed, and let it know audibly.
"But then, how do they combine their forces?"
"Yeah!" Exclaimed another boy. "How do they get super strong, and form one big awesome Spirit?"
Elsa was utterly lost, though she saluted their imagination. "They, uh… They simply join their forces by adding their unique skills to the others when they need it, and…"
"You don't get to ask them to assemble? You don't have that power?"
"My dad told me that you can. That you have all the power on them."
"That's right." Confirmed Elsa. "It's what being the Fifth Spirit means. I can command them."
"Oh! Oh! You should, like, turn them all into a majestic and gigantic dragon!" Jolted a kid.
All the others unanimously approved his idea.
"And like, it would throw really big purple flames! And, and, its wings could be made of clouds, cause, clouds are made of wind and water, right? And it could have super strong scales made of rocks!"
Everybody cheered. Nevermind, thought Elsa, this kid was the one she would give the award of the most imaginative brain.
They kept adding new crazy features to the now called "Super Spirit", and the blonde's eyes darted from one to another, stupefied by their speed of improvisation.
The Queen then passed behind them.
"Oh, kids, you've asked the right person to tell you fantasy stories. Elsa once crafted ice wings to put on Nokk."
Elsa gave her a stare, but the scholars had vividly turned back to her after they had turned to Anna at her arrival.
"You did?!" Exclaimed a girl.
"Do you have a photograph of it?" Asked a boy, overexcited like his friend.
"I'm not really the kind to do photographs." Smiled Elsa.
Another girl lifted her arm to ask a question, bouncing to get her attention but not speaking unless she was invited to. Elsa saluted the politeness and pointed at her so she could ask.
"Did you craft him a horn too? Cause that could make him a unicorn!"
"Yeeeaaah!" Yelled other kids, loving the idea.
Elsa raised her hands, blushing, while Anna burst into laughter. "N-no, I… He wouldn't like it. I just put wings on his sides to show Honeymaren what a pegasus looked like. He didn't like it and shook them off immediately."
"Honeymaren?"
"Who is Honeymaren?"
"Who?"
Elsa blushed again at all the kids staring at her and asking, this time pressing intensely.
"Ooookay, I think that's enough questions for today." She gently said, wincing a bit.
Anna had a smile. "She's right. Come on, your parents have arrived to pick you up."
They all jolted and stood up in jumps, yelling happily before running outside.
Elsa couldn't hold back her long sigh, slumping a bit on her chair despite her composure.
"Not used to kids, uh?" Grinned Anna.
"They are a lot. I mean, I'm used to kids' questions with the Northuldra kids, and they ask me about my magic very often. But they have a different approach to it. They're also way more calm." She noted, her eyes wide. "Arendellians are hysteric. What do they eat, one kilo of sugar each?"
Anna laughed out loud before dragging a chair to sit next to her. Elsa noticed that she was way more at ease than she did when she was Queen, and it wasn't just with social interactions; the day before, Elsa didn't hide her laughter behind her hand anymore. She also had noted earlier that Anna had been shaking people's hands, something she obviously never would have dared to do when she was in charge. The blonde kept observing her and noted that Anna however took the time to pass a hand on her dress when she was seated to avoid wrinkles on it. When she lifted her head, her teal blue eyes met Elsa's.
"What?"
"Nothing." Smiled the elder. "I was just thinking."
"About?"
Elsa's lips curled in a smile. Would Anna lose her curiosity one day? No, never. "You. The way you handle things so perfectly. It's like you were destined to be Queen."
Anna shrugged.
"Well, technically, I always was. We had the same royal education, milady. And it just was a question of time until I would go on the throne. Besides, I was born ready. Only your help and support with your visits since the coronation allowed me to complete my formation."
The blonde's eyes filled with proud tears and Anna kept going.
"Remember when we were in Corona, all those years ago? Oh my goodness, this feels like a lifetime away. You had crafted me a crown in ice and I told you that I would never want to be Queen."
Elsa winced. She remembered this moment perfectly, and she didn't have to see it in Ahtohallan to revive the memory; it was branded with a red iron in her mind. "You had broken down into tears."
"Yep, that moment." Confirmed Anna. "I had broken down because I thought that a coronation for me would rhyme with death for you. See, back then, you had been Queen for a few weeks only, and I didn't notice that it didn't make you fully happy. You were so cool and so amazing at it, like, fully skilled, and I admired you so much, and I was so afraid to lose you again after all these years apart… I don't know why, but it didn't come to me that there also was the possibility for you to abdicate by comfort."
Elsa lowered her head at the compliments with a timid smile, then looked at her again. "Offering you the throne was the best decision I ever made for this country." She stated assuringly.
Anna shook her head. "Please. You saved it from a tidal wave."
The blonde fidgeted with her fingers. "I just acted on instinct. That wasn't really a decision per se."
"Per se?" Scoffed Anna. "Elsa, you rode from the damn Dark Sea to Arendelle in one go and stopped a giant wave with your bare hands." She insisted by punctuating her words with gestures. "Raising a magic wall the size of a mountain!"
"Nokk helped." Replied the Spirit modestly.
"Ugh, why do I even try with you." Groaned Anna, rolling her eyes.
Elsa chuckled, and the redhead shook her head at her with a smile. The blonde then lifted an eyebrow.
"The funny thing is that you weren't even there to see it. Did you ask every Arendellian present on the hill that day to tell you what happened?"
Anna's lips pressed together. "...Maybe."
Elsa twirled her wrist to levitate one of the toys on the floor in a swirl of icy breeze and put it in her hand to fidget with it. "And who tells the story the best?"
"Oaken. One hundred percent." Nodded Anna.
They both laughed, and Elsa kept fidgeting with the toy.
"I've always wanted to be more than just the spare." Smiled Anna, sighing at the retrospective.
"You always have, Anna." Assured her elder, lifting her eyes from the item to smile at her. "You have the heart and determination of a leader, and are the perfect fit to rule this country."
A silence followed, the redhead keeping it modest. However, the silence coming from Elsa, who returned to fidget with the toy, worried her.
"Are you okay? You know, I could order one for your next birthday." She teased to lighten up her mood.
The blonde snorted. "I'm just trying to understand what it is."
"A toy for kids." Grinned Anna, still sassy. "I know that you're the kind to craft sextants to nerdy Arendellian children, but they do have classic wooden toys sometimes."
Elsa didn't reply and instead moved her thumb to make the little cogs of the toy turn, and she had a facial expression that Anna remembered from somewhere. When she put the finger on it, she immediately dropped her sarcasm.
Her elder sister had had that same nostalgic and daydreaming gaze when she had found her childhood plushie in the attic, and had toyed with it gently and passively.
"It's well made." Smiled the blonde, absentmindedly, admiring how it worked.
"Elsa…"
"Hmm?"
Anna tilted her head with affection.
"Did you have toys, when you were little? I mean, after eight years old."
The clever and observant redhead quickly understood that she had hit right on target, because Elsa startled a bit, then lifted her azure blue eyes to her. However, she didn't answer. Her gaze went down, but not on the toy, to land on the carpet in introversion.
Anna kept going. "I just remembered that after… The accident… Mama gave me all of our toys. The ones that usually were in the trunk in our bedroom when we shared it. I think that… What hurt me the most was when she also gave me the doll that represented me, and that you always kept on your side, like I did with yours. I had figured that you were a grown up now, even if it was all of a sudden, and that you suddenly decided and asked her to give me all of the toys. I… My brain was a bit mushy with all the troll magic, and it was the only theory I could find."
Elsa didn't answer, or rather didn't answer yet, because when the Queen decided to apologize for recalling that tough past, the Spirit actually lifted her eyes. They weren't filled with tears, which was surprising.
"I'm the one who told her to keep all the toys in your room when Father decided to give me my own for safety. I wanted to make sure that I didn't break them, or cover them with an unmeltable layer of ice. She insisted, I remember, but I was firm. After that, I only had Sir Jorgenbjorgen left. And your birthday gifts, too, but I kept them on shelves to not damage them. I should have made my own toys out of ice, now that I think about it, I had plenty of imagination, but I was too afraid of losing control."
"Elsa…" Sighed the redhead with emotion.
"It's okay." Shrugged the Spirit. "It was a long time ago. Things were different."
Anna tilted her head again, this time curious.
"May I ask how come you're not emotional about it? I was about to say I was sorry for bringing up the topic, but… You seem okay."
Elsa smiled warmly. "You taught me to talk about it. And I'm lucky to have listening ears in my family."
Anna smiled tenderly.
"You're the one who changed me for the best. And Honeymaren, too… She helps. She really does." Smiled the blonde adoringly.
She got lost in thoughts, and this time they clearly weren't sad. She then blushed, embarrassed as she looked at her now grinning sister.
"I mean, so does Ahtohallan. When I visit her, she gives me a large selection of memories, and I have many beautiful ones with you from after the Great Thaw, so it helps to cope with our horrible childhood."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Smiled the Queen.
She then stood up, her smile widening again. "Did I ever tell you that I love that you and Honeymaren are together?"
Elsa groaned as she understood where her mind had stopped, and put the toy down. She stood up next to her and poked her at the ribs, making the Queen's laughter sound through the school.
"Oh, there you are! While you're here, do you mind making me some ice enemies?"
The elder smiled, and turned at Anna's voice, witnessing her getting all excited in her training gear down the stairs. "No problem. I'll join you in the courtyard in five minutes."
"Perfect." Grinned the Queen, clasping her fists. "Just in time for me to warm up and grab my favorite sword and shield."
"You're going to make those moving ice statues with weapons?" Asked Honeymaren happily, joining Elsa's level. "That's something I have been waiting to witness for a long time!" She beamed.
Later on, the brunette was trotting behind her girlfriend like a child about to see a show. Elsa smiled timidly at her, touched by her admiration.
Every time she could, or rather every time both sisters were in the mood, the Snow Queen would craft moving ice statues for training that looked very close to actual warriors. The mindset indeed was important: for Anna to really want to train during her breaks between two royal tasks, sword fighting being something she loved to do - though as much as sunbathing on the balcony - and Elsa to agree to put her sister in a certain amount of danger. Big, sturdy, small or fast, she always gave her creations diverse body types for Anna to be ready to confront anyone. Obviously, the idea originally came from the fiery redhead, and every time Elsa created them and observed her sister fight, she didn't regret it.
That day, the elder chose to craft a big viking muscular woman with a two handed labrys axe, and a sly small rascal who would have two daggers. Their weapons would be made of Elsa's usual very solid ice, so she made the wise decision to not add shields to their equipment. It was funny how, months ago, she would have panicked at the sight of two such enemies attacking Anna at once just for fun, but now she was used to it and barely needed to lift her head from her cup of tea every once in a while to check on the training session.
The sun was hidden behind the clouds - it would soon rain, noted Olaf who had been very into meteorology lately - and the weather actually was ideal to practice in the courtyard without also getting an insolation.
The fake fight was with real stakes and Anna took great pleasure in ducking right in time to avoid the ice labrys, or slide and jump in the air to counter the speed of the daggers. It lasted a full hour, until the redhead lifted the hand with which she held her shield in the air, and stepped out of the circle traced with snow with a happy tired smile. The two fighters respectfully stopped their moves and placed their arms along their bodies, bending to the monarch. Anna giggled and reached for the towel her husband was giving her.
"Thanks, babe." Sighed the Queen as she rubbed her face.
A valet took her sword and her shield.
"Done?" Asked Elsa.
"Yes." Nodded the redhead who also had a red face. "I needed this, thank you. Some politicians really have been putting me on the nerves lately. It's good to let off steam."
"You're welcome. That was a great session." Smiled Elsa, and she dissipated the two enemies in a twist of the wrist and a swirl of snowflakes, smiling in pride at her sister's grin.
"That was amazing." Honeymaren clapped.
Anna looked at her with amusement after she drank from her gourd. "What was? Elsa's magical beings or me?"
"Both." Assured the Northuldra.
The Spirit smiled at her girlfriend as she set her cup of tea back in the saucer.
"I could craft some ice warriors for you to fight against during staff training, if you wish."
As sparkling as Honeymaren's eyes were and how enthusiastic she looked, she thought she would jump on her with a "YES!" but the Northuldra gently shook her head.
"I have to decline the proposition. The tribe would be uncomfortable fighting against beings of your creation. Interacting with Ahtohallan's magic through battle… Or any conflict simulation… It's kind of a blasphemy. And I would feel uneased too."
Elsa felt her heart falling like a stone. "...Yeah. I get it."
A silence followed, and Anna and Kristoff exchanged a glance. The King rushed to approach the pair with a laugh. "You should have been there when Anna genuinely asked the captain of the guards to install a punchbag in the great hall."
The two girlfriends smirked as they turned to him, then the fiery Queen, who was blushing. It was a good thing that Kristoff had found a funny topic to switch to, but she didn't expect that.
"His face when she told him that they could make it hang from one of the beams…" Cackled the blond. "I think that Gerda lost her mind too."
"I was just kidding." Said Anna with a shrug, even if everyone else knew that there was a bit of seriousness in that absurd conversation she had had with the soldier.
"It's a good thing that the captain also is meant to protect you," added Olaf, who had been present that day. "And he told you that it would have been too dangerous anyway. It's too bad, though. A real shame." He added with a sigh. "I would have loved to have a sandbag the size of an adult so I could practice my hugs."
He opened and closed his twig hands in little squeaks, and the other smiled in relief at how he didn't mean to train for combat. Frankly, thought Honeymaren, the perspective of this chaotic snowman learning how to fight was scary.
"Honeymaren, I still expect you to teach me archery, by the way." Reminded the Queen. "The guards refuse to teach me since I planted an arrow in Gjermund's–"
"Maybe she doesn't need to hear the full story." Winced Elsa.
"Quite the opposite, you have all my attention." Grinned Honeymaren, who had heard Anna say 'ass' despite Elsa's quick intervention. "Who is Gjermund?"
As funny as the story was, she hoped that it wasn't someone from the staff, who would have just been walking next to the practice circle.
"A very unfortunate soldier." Mumbled Elsa, massaging the top of her nose. "It happened when I was still Queen. The amount of embarrassment… You have no idea."
The Northuldra smirked at their different facial expressions. "I can imagine."
"I may be their monarch now, they really decline my order when I hand them a bow or start installing the bale targets. They would rather resign, can you believe that?" Chuckled Anna.
Anyone with common sense would have therefore pushed the idea away, but Honeymaren was a kind, open-minded, and challenger-lover person.
"You got yourself a deal. I'll teach you."
"What?!" Blurted Kristoff and Elsa with the same voice.
Anna didn't hide her 'Yessss!' and clenched her fist in victory.
"Honey, she could hurt someone." Whispered Elsa in shock, Anna too busy being calmed down from her excitement by her husband to notice their aside. "You know how turbulent she can get. It's a bad idea."
Honeymaren looked at her lover with a lifted eyebrow. "Tell me, did you think the same the first time Anna started sword practice with the guards?"
"Of course I did." Answered Elsa naturally. "I was reading a book on the balcony, and watched her observing the soldiers below at the same time, and saw her ask them if she could join. They were even very eager to teach her. I never ran down the stairs so fast."
The Northuldra tilted her head. "And is she, or is she not, now, a genuine ace with a sword?"
Elsa opened her mouth to retort, then closed it. She bit her lip as she thought. And found herself unable to answer anything else than a sigh. "Okay, I get your point."
She got nudged by her girlfriend. "And you have enough confidence in me to be a careful teacher, do you?"
Elsa pout turned to a loving smile. "You're always careful."
"Then you have nothing to be afraid of."
She eyed Anna who was making rounds in the courtyard like she had just won a tournament. Elsa followed her gaze with an amused smile.
"It will be long, that's for sure, because fighting with a blade and aiming with a bow are radically different things." Admitted Honeymaren. "And Anna really is more of the adrenalyn type than the focus one. But… I feel like there's a part, deep in her, that is fit for it, and that I could improve. She can do it. We both know how resourceful she is."
Elsa smiled at her girlfriend. "It would be really nice. For her, and of you. Thank you."
The Northuldra kept it modest and realistic. "It took me years to practice, however. Don't expect any big progress too soon."
She was surprised by the smirk on the elder's face. "Oh, she will astonish you." Assured the blonde.
"...What?" Blinked Honeymaren.
Elsa sat up from the bench and patted her shoulder. "I'm not adding anything. You're the teacher now."
Honeymaren watched her go with a dropped jaw, speechless. A tiny wood hand patted her knee. "Yep. Good luck." Sighed Olaf dramatically.
The Northuldra started to grow concerned.
It was positive, right? Right?
It eventually was time for Elsa and Honeymaren to go back to the Forest, and after the family crossed the bridge, Anna took a left when she should have walked right.
Honeymaren frowned, pointing at the harbor. "Wait, didn't we plan to say goodbye there?"
Anna grinned and hooked an arm around hers, tugging her with a contagious joy that made the brunette smile before she even knew what was going on.
"We have to get a picture of us before you leave." Insisted the Queen, her tone both royal in the order and excited in advance to have a souvenir of Honeymaren's venue.
Elsa and Honeymaren exchanged a smile, and the Northuldra agreed. The idea was quite great, and they followed her to the photographer's store.
As someone who had been introduced to the Fifth Spirit's ability to freeze moments in time at the same moment of her life than the existence of magical - but apparently scientific - machines that can capture faces and landscapes on small pieces of paper, Honeymaren still was overwhelmed by the concept.
It truly felt like she did the leap of a Giant, arriving in this new life after more than twenty years of having drawings and paintings as a sole representation of the past.
"I would have loved to call a painter to do a portrait of us, because it's more beautiful than a photograph, and way more colorful," Anna said with enthusiasm, and her elder smiled at her energy, "but we would have to pose for several days, and I didn't want to annoy you with it nor bother your schedule."
The brunette blinked in confusion. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Well, yes. As Elsa and you are about to leave." Said Anna when she saw her face.
That wasn't what intrigued Honeymaren.
"You have to pose for several days...?"
The redhead smiled. "For a painting, yes. How do you think the painter gets all the details? From the people and clothes?" She added, to make it clear in subtext that it wasn't just a treatment for royals, and that it was how painting works.
"You don't actually have to stand still for days, Honey." Assured Elsa. "I mean, when we did that painting after the Great Thaw, we did have to stand still for very long sessions, and I remember the soreness we had, and it felt like days," she admitted, and Anna nodded vividly at the shared memory. "But… It's not that literal."
Honeymaren looked at the siblings like the process was dumb.
"Can't the painter remember it? Take notes? Do… Scribbles, then work on it in their workshop?"
This started a long discussion between the siblings and her, and Kristoff and Olaf chuckled at the stubbornness of the three.
Later, they said goodbye to each other at the photographer's store, as Anna was waiting for the picture to be made and Kristoff had started a long discussion with the man. Once they finished their long rounds of warm hugs, Olaf waved at Nokk through the window, the Water Spirit making an impression on the sailors when Elsa summoned him to wait in the harbor and he splashed the people working on the docks.
The Snow Queen tied her bag across her chest and walked along the pontoon, then jumped on Nokk's back in one swift and skilled hop, the brunette admiring her skills. Then she suddenly remembered something.
"Hold on." She said when Elsa held her hand out to help her climb behind her.
The Northuldra then ran away in a hurry, and the Spirits both looked at her in confusion.
"Where is she going?" Wondered the blonde out loud.
Her girlfriend ran along the docks, right to a fisherman stall. The Arendellian looked at her with surprise after he witnessed her last minute sprint.
"Hello." Saluted Honeymaren with a big smile. "Before we leave, I really wanted to take home one of the specialties of the fjord."
The man erased his surprise to stretch his big bushy mustache in a smile, delighted that she chose his shop. Though, he thought, it probably was because he had happened to be the closest to their departure point. He rubbed his hands in the cloth at his waist, pausing his oyster shucking, and proudly held the suspenders of his apron.
"You have the best of the best here, ma'am. Make your choice."
He showed all the fresh dishes and morning's fishes exposed on his stall with pride.
"Alright." She smiled. "Two… Uh… Sorry, I'm still struggling with the pronunciation. Two sursilds, please."
He smiled as he served her. "You said it right." He assured, not picky on her accent, for it was understandable anyway and he was not the kind to put off a customer. "You can also call it pickled herring, you know."
"Oh. Thank you."
He gave her two jars that she stored in her satchel, then he frowned.
"Wait, aren't you vegetarian?"
Honeymaren had an amused smile. "What makes you think that?"
The fisherman fidgeted with his mustache. "Well, you're a Northuldra, aren't you? And you're in harmony with Nature, right? All against animal cruelty and such?"
The brunette chuckled. "One can be carnivorous and still respect the animals, sir. We raise and breed our herds in the open air, and always pray when we kill our prey during the hunt. It's all about sustainability."
Now the man felt a bit awkward, especially at the polite way Honeymaren corrected him.
He cleared his throat as he looked around his stall.
"Two tørrfisks for the road, maybe?" Invited the merchant to make it up to her. "It's on the house."
Honeymaren shook her head. "No, it would be too difficult to carry, even if we'll travel fast. Besides, you actually took that speciality from us."
The man blinked, confused. She winked and didn't add anything, the time not really ideal to debate the origins of traditions.
"You can keep the change", she said, putting the rest of her coins in his glove. "Have a nice day!"
"You… Too…" He blabbered, as whe went as fast as she approached.
Elsa watched her girlfriend arrive with amusement.
"Nokk says that you bought herring."
Honeymaren frowned as she climbed on his back with her help. "How does he know?"
Nokk snorted with sarcasm, and she felt his vibrations from his body to hers.
Elsa smiled as she translated. "He said 'I'm the Water Spirit, what did you expect?'. I suppose that he can sense every fish."
"That's… Really weird, and logical at the same time." Remarked the Northuldra.
The magical horse neighed.
"I wasn't being rude!" She promised.
"He knows." Laughed Elsa. "He just says that there's rain ahead, and we should go now."
"Alright, alright. Sorry, I just wanted to bring something home." Apologized Honeymaren.
Elsa tackled her ice sandals on Nokk's belly, and the Water Spirit departed.
As Honeymaren held to Elsa's waist, a sensation that the latter adored, she raised her voice to be heard in her ear with the noise of the wind around them.
"With all respect to him, could you ask the Water Spirit if he can divert the rain elsewhere? Just a bit, please. Anna offered me this satchel and I really don't want to stain it before I show it to the others."
Nokk neighed.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Blushed Honeymaren right away. "It's extremely rude of me, I…"
"He said he's already on it." Smirked Elsa, turning to look at her reassuringly. "We talked about it while you were with the merchant. Look ahead!"
Honeymaren blinked, her heart squeezed in emotion at all she had to unpack from her sentence, and followed her girlfriend's pointed finger.
They were about to go under a dark gray cloud that was heavy with water and had started to pour rain, about to shower them. If it were a few degrees below the current temperature, it would have snowed heavily. The ride was so fast that the Northuldra hadn't seen it approach, or rather hadn't seen that they approached it.
In no time, they found themselves underneath it, but instead of receiving drops on her hair, Honeymaren only felt the breeze, and she looked up in astonishment.
The rain was diverted on the sides and behind the magical horse, stopping a few meters above them to go in another direction, like an invisible umbrella that made the drops float instead of splashing them.
The scene was a wonder to observe, and Honeymaren spent several minutes turning her head in all directions to watch. She then passed a hand against the water flank of the horse - holding tight to Elsa with the other, because they were very fast - and thanked him with a prayer. Nokk playfully splashed her with his tail, and she laughed.
A long silence then passed, as the couple gently made their way up the river.
"What are you daydreaming about?" Smiled Elsa, turning to her lover again.
Honeymaren widened her eyes. "How do you know I'm daydreaming?"
The Spirit turned with a tender expression. "Your hold is lighter, like you drifted to another place."
Honeymaren looked at her, then bashfully at the horizon.
"It's okay, you don't have to tell me." Assured the blonde. If anyone knew how important privacy was, it was her.
Honeymaren thought for a moment, then decided to share. After all, Elsa was her most beloved confidant.
"How many prejudices do Arendellians have about us?"
Elsa frowned in front of her. "What? Same sex couples are legal in the country, I don't see what kind of preconceptions they could have about us. Wait, was someone mean to you about it?" Then worried the Snow Queen, and Nokk could sense that the hands at his neck were colder.
"What? No, no, it was nothing of the sort." Replied Honeymaren, stunned by the direction Elsa took.
Though she kept a reminder in a corner of her mind to definitely explore that topic later.
"It's… That fisherman, on the docks…" Mumbled the brunette as she let her thoughts wander again. She felt Elsa's body tense under her arms, and could tell that the clever Spirit already was mentally browsing through every acquaintance she had and names she knew among the merchants in town to make sure to send a fiery letter to Anna.
"Calm down, he did nothing mean. Only… He made me realize how little your people know about mine."
Elsa was about to reply, and Honeymaren held her tighter. "Wait, I know that Anna and you have done a lot of things to make it right. You do all you can to avoid fake information, rumors and misconceptions, but…"
She sighed. "Nevermind."
An habit to drop the subject that she took from Elsa.
"No, we can talk about it." Insisted the blonde. "We do everything in our power to teach about Northuldra culture, but for obvious reasons we only can do it with children, through education. This is what the new classes are about, and the exchange works beautifully, according to the teacher I talked with."
"And the many times the Northuldra kids came to the elders of our tribes to tell them about exciting stuff they had just learned in their weekly trip to town." Nodded Honeymaren.
"Yes. See, this is exactly the thing. It has to be transmitted. From generation to generation. It takes time… I'm not gonna lie, Honey, it will take a lot of time. But soon, I promise, you will see the results."
She felt the brunette's cheek rest against her bare shoulder blade.
"I know, baby, I know."
Elsa smiled at the reassurance in her heart, and the nickname.
"I was just a bit frustrated. But I believe you." Said Honeymaren, cuddling close.
Elsa raised one of the hands she was using to hold to Nokk with his great speed to put it on Honeymaren's at her navel. After a while, she took one and brought it to her lips to kiss it with a smile.
"I will always defend your people, Honeymaren Nattura. I swear on my life."
Honeymaren blushed as she was touched and even turned on by her girlfriend, eager to arrive at their home while the wind whistled in her ears.