Rifiuto: Non Mirena
January, 1855
The Deck of the Vinterrose
The Seas Between Arendelle and the Isles
She sighed, leaning against the rail of the ship as the wind tugged at her hair and the salt of the sea filled her senses. It was this sea that had united them together in holy matrimony back in forty-one, this sea that separated them, and yet allowed them to come together and create a family, this sea that was in the veins of their children as much as the winter winds of Arendelle were.
A moment passed, before she pushed herself away from the railing, turning and making her way across the deck and below, into her cabin, slipping out of her shoes and curling up in bed to sleep. Hans was with the children and Anna had passed out hours ago due to seasickness- the strawberry blonde would never truly get her sea legs- leaving her to the quiet rocking of the ship as it worked its way through the waters. It would be a long journey, one that would cross land and sea, and- hopefully- result in a strong agreement in regards to trade-
She lifted her head, turning to see Hans having slid into bed beside her once the children were sound asleep. A sleepy smile tugged at her features, as she reached a hand back to him, which he took and kissed. "What do you say we get you out of these clothes, and then sleep in tomorrow, since we have nowhere urgent to be."
"Sounds nice." She sat up, allowing him to help her to her feet, as he worked on removing her dress and then worked on the stays of her corset. "Do you think I'm making the right decision? Accepting the Sultan's invitation?" He paused, and she turned her head to look up at him. "Hans?"
"It's not for me to say, Eliza. It's your decision, I am merely coming along to-"
"- keep an eye on the Sultan so that he does not add me to his harem-"
He gently tugged on the stays, tightening them, eliciting a gasp of surprise from his wife. "- provide support." She whipped around, snow-white curls tumbling over her shoulders uncontrollably. Blue eyes narrowed, and he merely finished unlacing the undergarment before allowing it to fall to the floor at the queen's feet. Now completely in her shift, he gathered her to him, meeting her gaze. "Eliza, you know my feelings on this. You know how I feel about you meeting with the Sultan; I think it's dangerous and reckless-"
"And I think you're overreacting, Johannes." She replied, pushing him away gently. She plopped down amid the blankets of the bed they shared, tugging the long strands of hair slowly over her shoulder, and after a moment, he grabbed the brush from the vanity and settled beside her, tugging her hair free so that he could start brushing it- starting slowly from the top and working his way down in single strokes as much as he could before having to work on brushing sections. "He is a ruler, just as we are. The only difference is that he-"
"Runs a harem." He winced as she reached behind her and gently smacked his chest.
"And you are married to me but we do not sit upon the same throne. What difference does it make if you have one wife or he has several?"
A soft sigh answered her, and after a moment, he stopped; she turned to face him. He watched her, long, thick snow-white strands of her hair pooled in his lap and spilling onto the floor of the cabin. "It just... for a man to take more than one wife, Eliza-"
She shifted to fully face him now, surprise in her blue eyes. "So, he has more than one wife. So he probably has many children- we have many children, Johannes. Darling, look at the similarities we have compared to the differences-" But before she could finish, a soft knock sounded, followed by a small voice,
"Mama? Papa?"
Camilla stood on the other side of the doorway, dressed in her nightgown, hair in rags, holding tight to her doll. Her parents shared a glance, before Hans got up, going to their oldest. "Little girls are supposed to be in bed, little princess." He knelt before her, pausing at the look on her face. "Did you have a nightmare, mitt lille hjerte?" She nodded. After a moment, Hans stood, scooping the ten-year-old up; Milla only weighed about fifty-five pounds, making her smaller in size by the standards of most other girls her age. However, given that her mother was also quite small, it didn't surprise Hans.
Once they'd returned to the bed and sat, Milla crawled towards the queen, settling in Elsa's embrace. The child looked up at her mother, before settling against her. Silent, she began to play with the long, silky strands of her mother's hair, silent. After several moments, Elsa spoke, reaching up to brush a finger against her daughter's cheek. "Would you feel better if you stayed with Papa and I for a bit?" The girl nodded. As Elsa pulled the covers back and slipped beneath them, Milla curling into her embrace, Hans changed into his pajamas, soon joining his wife and oldest daughter.
He kissed each softly, before pulling them into his embrace. Milla snuggled close, resting her head against her mother's breasts, relaxing slightly as Elsa squeezed her gently, her fingers trailing lightly up her daughter's back. The oldest of the king and queen's children, Milla was perhaps the one most used to their mother's powers, for she spent the most time at her mother's side. The young monarchs did not play favorites among their children, though it was sometimes evident that Annes and Milla were the favorites- possibly because they were the oldest- even if their parents never said anything. Overall, Hans and Elsa tried their hardest to love and treat all their children equally, but even the best parents ended up unintentionally playing favorites.
Once all were settled among the blankets, the gentle motion of the boat gliding across the water rocked them all to sleep, nightmares forgotten.
