The Duke wasn't sure of just where these chills were coming from: Elsa's hands upon his ruddy cheeks or her telling the Duke she loved him (?!). True, the temperature of Elsa's hands gave him pronounced goose-bumps and he wasn't yet used to anyone having abilities the likes of hers...but it wasn't unpleasant either. After all, how could the Duke be complaining when not only Elsa was caressing his face as if he were more handsome than he really was, she told him she loved him? Oh he had to be dreaming now; how strange it was to hear that sort of thing coming from her! But fortunately, the Duke pulled himself together to respond in turn with, "I love you too, my dear," though not being able to completely lessen the silly, besotted look he must've worn.
Of course, this wasn't aided by Elsa's likewise sudden admission to a meeting she had to attend (just when things were going so well...). This time, it took the Duke a moment longer to respond than before. "Oh. Um...yes, of course." Business before pleasure, he had to forcibly remind himself; Elsa was the queen. Too bad he had never been good at separating the two mindsets. "I-I can only hope then to see you soon as well...heh," he finished, grinning uneasily.
Elsa smiled reassuringly at the Duke, her sparkling white teeth looking like immaculate pearls. This was not the end of their time together. Now that Elsa had felt what romantic love was, she was addicted to that feeling. She didn't care what rumors might spread from this, what people would say about her behind her back. The outside party whose opinion she cared about was Anna and she'd supported this all wholeheartedly. In fact, Elsa's every moment with the Duke today would probably not have happened if Anna hadn't gotten involved. Elsa reminded herself to thank Anna later.
"As soon as I'm able," Elsa whispered softly, "I'll make sure to arrange something." Elsa still wasn't sure what she had in mind. She didn't care what they said at court but she visited a man in the middle of the night or called upon one. Maybe she'd have to talk to Anna about this, too. With one last longing look, Elsa looked into the Duke's eyes. He really loved her. "I have to go," she said reluctantly before starting to walk off to her meeting. "See you soon…my love." Elsa almost giggled at how much like Anna she sounded. It all felt so strange coming from her lips. It was like the words didn't fit her mouth. While Elsa rushed to her meeting, Anna watched nearby from behind a statue.
The flushed look on her sister's face and her disheveled hair told Anna everything she needed to know about how her 'meeting' with the Duke went. Still, she wanted to hear it for herself. Elsa, herself seemed to be a tad busy, so Anna would have to go ask the Duke for details Unceremoniously Anna flounced into Elsa's meeting room to see the Duke still there. The young lady smiled brightly upon seeing him. "Hello, Duke!" Anna played at the usual pleasantries. She curtsied lightly before rushing to his side. "So….you and my sister…? It all went well?" Anna looked to explode from the excitement she was trying to contain until just the right moment.
By the time Elsa hurried off to her meeting, the Duke's giddiness had amplified tenfold. Once more, he was drunk off of love; his mind was floating off towards seeing the lady of his affection again, mentally making due with what time could not catch up with him on. Left behind was the Duke's head and it chastised him in the distance, "don't spoil it again, you old fool." But the Duke couldn't help getting swept away, couldn't help the grin that had sneaked over his face at how well things had went. His imagination filling his vision in place of the floor, the Duke hadn't notice Anna until she exclaimed his name nearby. "Ah!" the Duke exclaimed as well and jolted back to the present. At Anna's obvious curiosity over Elsa, the Duke did pause. Even though Anna was Elsa's sister, the Duke was still unused to sharing details of intimate relations. In his world of propriety, it simply wasn't allowed. He would've never been able to achieve what he had done with anyone else at home.
"Um..." the Duke let out a brief nervous laugh, "yes. Yes, it did. Quite well, in fact." Luckily, the Duke caught hold of his tongue before it wound off into babbling and he scratched the back of his stiff collar afterwards. "So we're making good progress." He then looked up at Anna. She truly was a remarkable woman in her own right; as with Elsa, unlike any he had ever known, powers or not. Despite Anna having told him to not worry about repaying her help, the Duke's inclination to do so was still there and growing stronger. The excitement in Anna's eyes reflected his own and it made his heart skip a beat though he couldn't say he was sure why. The Duke then gave Anna his most confident bow since his arrival and told her, "Thank you for everything."
Throughout their short conversation, Anna's smile grew and grew until she was almost nothing but a walking pair of shiny, white teeth. It made her beyond ecstatic to see the Duke and Elsa happy and in love. "That's amazing. I'm so happy for you both." Anna sighed delightedly, releasing a breath she had been holding in since seeing Elsa emerge from the meeting room. Anna could just imagine how Elsa was feeling right now and it warmed her soul that her previously solitary sister had found someone to share a special romance with. Anna couldn't help but think of her own failed romantic pursuits, but she quickly dismissed all thoughts of Hans and Kristoff from her mind. She could see how much the Duke loved Elsa reflected his big, blue eyes and that meant that Anna had been right to help the relationship along.
"You're welcome," Anna graciously accepted the Duke's thanks with a smile and knowing nod. "It was really all you and Elsa, though. I just gave you two a good shove in the right direction." Anna mimed shoving, causing her twin braids to swing wildly. "I'm really glad that everything worked out. I already think you and Elsa make the cutest pair." Anna's head tilted slightly to the side as she was already imagining the Duke and Elsa walking hand-in-hand together. It was so romantic.
The Duke smiled at Anna's modesty, charmed by her carefree mannerisms. She proved increasingly endearing to him every time they spoke; her name so suited her in terms of personal if not physical grace. "Well, I must pay credit where credit is due, Milady." The last word of the Duke's sentence however caused him to falter again. Wasn't this bizarre to still be not calling Anna by her first name when he was intimately involved with her sister? "Or...given everything, I should address you as 'Anna' instead." 'No more boundaries,' he thought and nodded affirmatively. If he was this close to Elsa already, then it no longer could be considered improper to share that same closeness with Anna too.
An uncertain look crossed Anna's face. She had not even considered that the Duke had not been using her name up until now and actually had to think back to confirm it to herself. After she'd given it some thought, she was just happy that he felt comfortable enough now to use her name. "Yes, please call me Anna. We're friends now. Maybe someday we'll be more." Anna smiled pleasantly before realizing that her innocent statement could be misconstrued. "Uh, um, close...like in-laws, I mean!" Anna rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly and bit her lip, almost as if to stop more words from pouring out of her mouth. Why she had said it like that, she wondered. After a few moments of even more awkward silence, Anna tried to veer the topic of conversation back to the Duke's statement. "I- I just realized that I don't know your first name." Anna's pale cheeks began to take on a rosy hue. "I'd like to call you by that from now on...if you don't mind."
Well, that was...unexpected. Raising an eyebrow from Anna's choice in phrasing, the Duke's inquiries went into motion at once. 'Be more?' Did he hear her correctly? And what difference would being in-laws make for their relationship anyway? The Duke's gaze fell to his feet during the awkward silence that followed and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. This wouldn't do. He was jumping to conclusions when he knew the damage that caused. Anna...Anna was probably only blathering like he had been. It was a trick of the tongue, not her fault. Nonetheless, telling himself that did nothing to usher the Duke's mentality elsewhere. Soon, he was unknowingly feeling a bit hot under the collar likewise.
Come to that, what he was thinking of Anna wasn't exactly clear either. The Duke coughed before replying to Anna's later request. "N-No, of course I don't mind it. My name is Edgar." His gaze returned to Anna but the intention was of a different, grayer shade. While Anna's attractiveness had not garnered the Duke's initial notice, it didn't mean that it didn't exist. Maybe that would explain it, the Duke rationalized. But then why would Anna...oh, it didn't matter. There was nothing to support it. He was with Elsa now (had been with Elsa for around an hour but that wasn't the point) and he could only be flustered, not conflicted. Not after what they all went through
"Edgar," Anna repeated breathily, sounding perhaps a little too relieved. She was happy to have changed the subject finally, but she was also happy to learn the Duke's name: Edgar. She felt closer to him already. She had a strong feeling that some day Elsa would marry Edgar and then he and Anna would be family. The thought made Anna happy to finally have someone else to be close to after so many years of isolation from the entire world. "That's a nice name," she practically hummed out. "I'm totally glad that we're using first names now. I feel like I can be so much less formal now." At that, Anna seemed to slump her shoulders comfortably and a smile tugged at the edges of her soft lips. Despite the earlier awkwardness, she seemed to be, again, completely at ease. Anna's gentle, playful gaze met Edgar's and she held it without looking away. It was only then that Anna noticed just how blue Edgar's eyes were. She was unaware of how her smile was again growing and how she began to feel a warmth in her chest.
The Duke blushed at the breathiness in Anna's voice when she uttered his name. He never believed that he could be this dirty minded. How embarrassing. Shaking his head in an attempt to get back on track, the Duke straightened his posture and tilted his head to better see Anna. "Oh, you think so?" he asked, hands carefully folded behind him, "It's rather traditional where I'm from. There've been Weselton kings named 'Edgar' in the past." His mouth forming a little smile, the Duke started to return to the calm that he was accustomed to having with Anna. He glanced thoughtfully from the corner of his eye. "I'm glad also that we're on a first name basis. Your own name is quite pleasing in its own right."
Meeting Anna's gaze yet again, the Duke chose to enjoy the silence that eventually settled between them which rather surprised him. Normally, silences like this intimidated the Duke into talking to compensate for them. But this silence didn't challenge the Duke. Instead, it invited him in. It invited him to notice further details about Anna that he had overlooked. The cinnamon freckles sprinkled atop her brow, the natural rosiness of her cheeks, her sea-hued eyes that swam from blue to green...these traits became apparent to the Duke with each passing second. What struck the Duke in particular was the extent that Anna shared in common to Elsa. While expressed separately, the same beauty belonged to them both. And when Anna's smile returned, the Duke returned it in kind because it drew him in through her kindness.
"Thank you," Anna said, accepting the Duke's compliment. Her pretty, pink lips parted, revealing a genuinely pleased smile. Anna could not recall ever receiving a compliment on her name before, which was unsurprising, given how long she lived in isolation inside of Arendelle Castle. Even once she'd left the confines of the castle, Anna had not met anyone who'd given her a compliment on her name, not even Hans or Kristoff. That struck Anna as odd, thinking back. Anna sighed wistfully. The silence that had settled between the Duke and her allowed Anna to think back to the painful memory of Kristoff leaving her and her smile faltered just a little bit, before remembering that today was a happy day, especially for Elsa and Edgar. "You and Elsa are so lucky to have each other," Anna said sincerely. "I can tell you both really love each other. I mean, I might not be the best judge of that ever," Anna admitted while her rosy cheeks grew even redder. "But….yeah. I can tell that you both already have something special together."
Anna's wistful smile caused the Duke to knit his brows in concern that gradually washed over his features. Something was amiss, had long been amiss: her wholehearted investment towards bringing him and Elsa together, how she practically threw herself into assisting the Duke as if to ward away a deeper issue. There was more to that vague smile than Anna was letting on. Surely a pretty girl the likes of herself had found someone of her own (though Anna being with someone didn't seem appropriate)? Yes, there was the debacle over Prince Hans but wasn't Anna already with another at the end when the Duke saw her last at the dock? "Wait though," pointed the Duke upwards in the immediacy of his realization.
It didn't take long however until his once-certain hand dropped and lost its firmness. What was that man's name again? "Aren't you..." Sighing, the Duke shifted his open hands side to side as he weighed out a possible identity. It was a good while ago and he had already been tied up in reaching Elsa's attention so he was hardly in the best position to meet others (especially random commoners). "...aren't you with..." Upon starting over the third time, the Duke was able to recall the beefy, blond man's rough-spun clothing with poorly stitched fur trim. It was in the style of those who labored in the mountains, wasn't it? But the Duke eventually slumped his shoulders in defeat when nothing else came to light. Oh well, it was close enough of an indicator. "...that mountain man?" he attempted out of politeness.
Anna's smile waned more with each attempt from the Duke to recall Kristoff. She knew exactly who he was talking about from the first try, but she didn't interrupt the Duke-however it was less out of politeness and more out of a vain hope that he would stop talking or mention someone who wasn't Kristoff. Then the Duke called Kristoff 'that mountain man' and Anna couldn't help but wince. The very words brought images of Kristoff in a carnal embrace with… Anna shook her head lightly, half to shake the images out of her head and half to negatively respond to the Duke's question. "No, Kristoff and I aren't together anymore," Anna said in a tone that sounded more wounded than she had meant it to. Anna could feel another silence coming on now, this one considerably less comfortable than the last one. Anna's eyes were starting to feel fuzzy and she was already starting to sniffle. She wanted to say something else, to assure the Duke that it was not a big deal, but that could she say about Kristoff to the Duke that wasn't either going to open her sensitive tear ducts or be a complete lie? In the end, Anna found her mouth blubbering of its own accord. "He left me for s-someone else. He-he said that….'reindeers are better than people!' Anna buried her face in her hands.
The Duke's reaction towards Anna's news of her romantic availability was equally mixed (at first, anyway). Since when was Anna ever hesitant about expressing her opinions? It was a reluctance that didn't suit her. If she could punch a prince in public, then...oh. His eyes shot open, their size amplified by the lenses of his pince-nez. Oh. Lips puckering as if he had sucked a lemon dry, a visible shudder coursed through the Duke's body. How...how utterly scandalous. Never mind that such a man was ever going to be the best choice for a princess but...to think that degenerate caused Anna this grief in the first place was unacceptable.
The Duke's hands curled into fists from the notion alone. "All right," he breathed, attempting to calm himself though still twitching slightly. "I won't speak anymore of it." That image will linger though, unhappily considered the Duke. Focus on Anna, focus on Anna (wait, shouldn't he mean Elsa?). "Best we move on, yes?" he insisted hastily with a final twitch.
Anna wiped her moist eyes on the sleeve of her dress before nodding towards the Duke. "Yes, thank you," Anna said gratefully. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that, but thank you for listening," Anna sniffled a little as she watched the Duke twitch awkwardly. She was more than a little relieved to see that the Duke was every bit as uncomfortable now as she was and that he did not want to press further on the subject of Kristoff. There wasn't much she could say about the end of their relationship anyway. One day Kristoff simply stopped lying to himself about being attracted to women and left Anna shortly thereafter. Despite how the mere memory still caused Anna pain, there was nothing she could vent about and no comfort to be found in sympathy. In Anna's opinion, it was never a good idea to dwell on the past and let it consume and control you. She'd seen what that had done to other people close to her. Ever resilient, the corners of Anna's mouth rose effortlessly into a smile once again as she was reminded of Elsa and how her sister had found her happy ending.
"Moving on," Anna repeated, letting the words hang in the air for a few moments. "If you're not busy today, would you like to see more of Arendelle with me? Elsa's meetings usually last forever so we'll have plenty of time to see the sights."
Poor Anna. The Duke sighed internally when he heard her sniffle. If only her parents betrothed her to someone worthy of esteem when they were alive. Then maybe she wouldn't have had nearly this many issues in romance. At least, that's how it would've been in Weselton; Arendelle's customs still perplexed the Duke, regardless of coming to terms with Elsa and Anna. If only, if only...the sooner they focused on something else (anything else), the better. Therefore, it relieved him greatly to see Anna smile again, that effortless smile of hers, like she hadn't been on the verge of tears in the first place. The Duke's own mouth curved to form a half-smile upon hearing her echo his previous sentiment. "No, I'm not," he answered Anna as to whether he was busy for he wasn't.
Until he himself met with Elsa again, he was stuck between diplomatic and emotional limbo. "Since I specifically came to settle Weselton's trade dispute, there wouldn't be anything else. So..." The Duke's fingers nimbly tapped through the air in a line before being splayed towards the door. "lead the way, Anna." His curiosity piqued, the Duke decided to go kill two birds with one stone: figuring out more of Arendelle and figuring out more of Anna. All in the name of sating innocent curiosity, of course.
At the Duke's acquiescence to her request, Anna's lips parted to reveal a delighted, toothy grin. She leaned into the Duke before latching onto his arm with both hands, wrapping her arms around his. "Great! Let's get out of this stuffy, old castle. I just know you'll love the places I'm going to show you." Without any further discussion, Anna practically dragged the Duke off to go see all that Arendelle had offer the two of them. She showed the Duke the ice skating rink that Elsa had created for the townspeople to skate upon. Anna even demonstrated to the Duke how she had learned how to skate…after falling on her butt a fair number of times in front of him. Later, the pair visited the shopping district and Anna treated the Duke to Arendelle cuisine.
As the sun set on their day of carefree sightseeing, Anna took the Duke to one of her favorite spots in Arendelle, where she could watch the sun's reflection in the fjord until it disappeared under the waters until tomorrow. Today was slightly different, however; Anna spent an inordinate amount of time taking long glances in the Duke's direction - making sure he was enjoying his time in Arendelle, of course. "Thanks for spending the day with me," Anna said sincerely while she shifted in her spot on the grassy hill. "I had a lot of fun." Anna regarded the Duke with a warm smile as her deep, blue eyes stared into his.
Quaint, the Duke settled upon. For a country, Arendelle was quaint down to its capital (no offense to Elsa or Anna). Well, a decade's price in isolation was one guaranteed hefty. Ironic that he had once assumed (along with everything else) that this land was brimming with riches when in reality, its isolation was just superficial allure. Even the food wasn't what the Duke was accustomed to, stocking high in sweetness yet low in sophistication. Not that it bothered Anna, far from it; he lost count of how many of those pastries ('krumkakes?') she had consumed. The Duke sighed and applied his critique elsewhere. At least there was the skating rink. True, he never ice-skated before but really, how difficult could it be?
Ballrooms were just as slippery, more often than not, and if he were there on the rink with Anna...he'd be sure to catch her. Didn't he say he would? The Duke's face shifted into a grin almost conceited in its assurance. Perhaps when all issues were settled, he'd perform the Hallingdans again on that rink with her. "So did I," he was able to respond truthfully to Anna's own satisfaction on how their day together went. The two of them were now sitting atop a hill side by side staring into the sunset and though the Duke never paid much attention to sunsets before, he could see clearly why Anna brought them to this spot.
Just like Anna, it was...unexpectedly beautiful and golden red, the same shade as her hair. Equally so, the Duke was somehow able to literally feel if not view Anna's attention shine over him as the sun had with its rays of light today. While glancing over at Anna, the Duke saw that a strand of hair had stubbornly escaped from one of her braids. And before the Duke was even aware of it, he leaned in closer to Anna and reached out a hand by her face, the tips of his fingers grazing it softly before tucking the stray hair behind her ear. But in a flash, the Duke realized his folly and immediately moved away, clasping his hands together in his lap. "Excuse me."
Feeling the Duke's fingertips brush against her face and tuck a wild strand of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear, Anna turned to see him, sitting in embarrassment, keeping to himself with his hands clasped politely in his lap. Anna would have been embarrassed, herself, had she not seen the Duke looking like a child who had just been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Anna's pink lips curled up into a sympathetic smile. "Thank you," she said to the Duke as she reflexively reached back to check that the strand hadn't come loose again. It hadn't…unfortunately. Anna didn't know why, but she did feel a pang of disappointment that the strand of hair didn't pop out from behind her ear.
"My hair is always popping out of my braids," she explained with a theatrical sigh. "I don't always notice when it happens…." Anna didn't even know where she was going with this line of thought. "Could you fix it again…if it happens again?" Anna felt a heat emanating from her cheeks after she'd asked the question that felt like it had forced its way out of her mouth.
"A-Anna," stuttered the Duke. Originally, he wanted to reply "you're welcome" but those obligatory words instead took root within the depths of his throat. "Um..." The Duke gulped futilely and scratched the back of his collar. He knew well what the correct answer to Anna's question should be: a polite but resounding "no." At this point, he couldn't pretend that him helping Anna with any hair problems would be out of plain gentleman's etiquette. Not when his mind had other ideas. Already he started to wonder what that strawberry-blonde hair would look like entangling all his fingers or splayed free from restraint across the grass they lounged upon while...making an odd squeak, the Duke's blood rushed as fast as his explicit imagination came to life. Over Anna? What would his Elsa think of him, consciously fantasizing about her own sister?
The Duke then rearranged the source of his attention and squirreled any inappropriateness behind. Nothing, he mentally insisted. Anna was pretty; that couldn't be helped. Wasn't it inevitable that he'd picture her in such a suggestive light? Still though, the Duke didn't want to make it a habit. Lest it became apparent to Anna or Elsa, heaven forbid. He averted his tense gaze from Anna, getting caught up from how flustered he turned out to be. "Yes, whatever you desire," he offered hastily, unable to mask his recent thoughts as well as he would've liked and prayed Anna wouldn't notice anything off about them.
'Whatever you desire' – The words affected Anna far more than she'd ever care to admit. Indeed, a shiver ran through her entire body and left her trembling lightly as she imagined just how far that seemingly innocuous phrase could extend. Why was she feeling those feelings? Why was she thinking those thoughts? And why was Anna thinking them about the Duke of Weselton, of all people? This was wrong on so many levels to Anna and they were all cycling at super fast speed through her mind. The Duke was not what Anna would have ever considered her ideal man- or as she had often recited: 'her beautiful stranger, tall and fair.'
No, the Duke was a short, scrawny little man that she towered over even were she to slouch and him to stand on his high-heeled boots or on tip-toes. Then there was the fact that he couldn't be considered handsome by any stretch of Anna's imagination. His nose was comically large for his face and looked more akin to a beak, actually. Then there was the fact that the Duke was old enough to be Anna's father…and his hair was receding. Anna kept all these things in mind as the odd pair of them sat next to each other at sunset, but she found that as much as it surprised…and kind of weirded her out…Anna really didn't care. She found that all of the Duke short-comings on a scale of conventional attractiveness were not repelling to her, but were unique and interesting and becoming more and more attractive to her. Anna was an unconventional woman, why shouldn't she have an unconventional mate?
One thing kept her from confessing how she was feeling right then and there: Elsa. Simply thinking the name sent pangs of guilt through Anna's heart. She tried to ignore it. It's not like anything could ever actually happen between herself and the Duke. He was with Elsa now - the Queen. Why would he want her kid sister? Anna smiled at the Duke, playfully, but hesitantly. "Whatever I desire? Aaaanything I desire?" Anna laughed awkwardly. That was harmless, right? It wasn't flirting. It wasn't. She was just trying to mask the fact that she and the Duke could never be…wasn't she? Regardless, Anna felt an intense heat emanating from her chest.
Why did she have to phrase it like that? Why did he phrase it like that? The Duke bit his lip, not immediately looking back at Anna but out into the distance in front of them. How alone they were out here, like anything could happen. "Anything you desire," the Duke heard himself affirming Anna's question, liking the way that sounded far too much for his own good. He glanced from the corner of his eye towards Anna and her awkward smile. Did this awkwardness even have anything to do with Anna's appearance? It hardly seemed fair. What if it was simply him projecting his longing for Elsa onto Anna? The Duke sighed and steepled his fingers in his lap. The later it was getting, the more intimate their setting felt, like an open invitation.
Perhaps they should be heading back to the castle, before this talk of "desires" got out of hand. "It's...getting late, isn't it?" he asked, voice coming out hoarse (suggestively husky) and he coughed before finally turning his head. "Shouldn't we...be going back?" But...he didn't really want to. No...the Duke wanted to let his mind wander in the direction it was taking, regardless of it being unfair. Perhaps he was getting overly taken with Anna's openness and the ideas it tempted. Either that or it proved how much he was missing time with Elsa. The Duke just couldn't decide what it was.
'I desire to stay here a little longer,' Anna thought to herself as she bit her lip to keep herself from blurting that out. She desired to touch the Duke, to kiss him, to hold him. Anna desired to tell the Duke that she was starting to love him and desired to hear the same from him in return. She couldn't bring herself to actually say any of that, however. She simply nodded slowly, weakly. This caused another strand of Anna's wild strawberry-blonde hair to pop out from one of her braids again. "Yes," Anna said in a husky voice of her own (though it sounded more like she was trying to sound confident and authoritative more than seductive). "Let's go back to the castle." Inside her head, Anna screamed at herself. She thought that she could have easily convinced the Duke to stay with her all night if she so 'desired'. Then the image of Elsa came back into her head. Was it so bad to entertain a fantasy that would never actually occur? Anna's bright blue eyes searched the Duke's. Could she change her mind- ask him to stay with her until the sun rose again? Anna may have said the words, but she couldn't find it within her to stand and actually walk back to the castle. This was better. A mischievous smile played on Anna's youthful, supple lips. "Duke...could you tuck my hair back again, please?"
Temptress, the Duke immediately thought upon noticing Anna's supple lips curve into that bewitching smile. She did know what she was doing, didn't she? He'd have never guessed Anna could be so...the Duke's heart pounded furiously against his rib-cage, demanding for him to respond. And so he did. Try as he might, the Duke couldn't find anything in him opposed to Anna's request. Besides, his quick fingers already made the decision for him as they chased after that strand of strawberry blonde hair dangling oh-so hopefully by Anna's cheek. Only this time, the Duke didn't quickly tuck Anna's hair behind her ear. Staring at the strand with dilated, non-blinking eyes, he let his fingers slide down the strand to its very tip before winding it around his index finger.
He next shifted his attention back to Anna herself when he at last tucked the hair back, not even bothering to mind his fingers touching her face, her pleasantly smooth skin. Anyone else would find it quite shameful to get such a thrill from something as small as this but not the Duke. And from what the Duke was taking of Anna, she was no different. It would be so easy...so easy to lean in closer, closer. "A-nn-a," he suddenly spoke, unable to hide the groan that came from saying her name. Oh well. That was also a small indulgence. And Anna would never be one to judge him for it. Somehow, the Duke knew that this time was for them alone - literally. Focus man, focus, he soon internally berated. You promised her, you promised Elsa. "Your sister is waiting for me." Straightening his posture, the Duke cast his eyes to his feet amid further uncertainty. "She...she told me she'd...see me again."
Anna tried very hard to keep the intense guilt and shame she felt from showing on her face. 'Your sister is waiting for me…' The words echoed inside of her head, ping-ponging from one thought of betrayal to the next. Anna had been not-so-innocently flirting with the Duke while Elsa waited earnestly for the one person she had ever had romantic feelings for. Anna knew what she had to do then, even if it would hurt herself, the Duke and even Elsa in the process. She decided in that moment that Elsa had to know what she was feeling. It wasn't right to hide this from Elsa, not when she had her sister's confidence. Anna nodded to the Duke slowly, but more adamant than she thought she would have with how weak she actually felt. "I'm sorry I kept you from Elsa…and Elsa from you. Let's get back to the castle."
Anna stood up easily even though her legs felt like they were made out of pudding at the moment. Outwardly she looked like the same bright and cheery Anna that she always was, but inside Anna felt almost sick to her stomach for what she was doing to her sister behind her back, even if nothing had actually happened. The strawberry blonde-haired girl smiled gently at the Duke as she began to lead him back toward the castle. "Thank you for coming with me today. I had a lot of fun. Too much fun." Anna laughed a little at that, but it was bitter-sweet when she thought about what this day of fun and flirting may have cost her.
At Anna's weak laughter, the Duke laughed back in similar tones. He lifted himself gingerly off the grass with only his fingers to lessen the dirt's impact upon his gloves before replying "You're welcome" to mirror Anna's cursory courtesy. Yet again, no words were needed; yet again, the Duke just knew what Anna kept unsaid, how the time for returning to the castle couldn't have come sooner. Not because of dislike (never dislike) but rather...liking each other's company too much. The Duke eyed longingly over the grass they had once sat upon, still freshly bent from their indentations. He was at an age where he should know better by default. So why then was he recalling the hot-blooded recklessness of his youth that wanted more? Wasn't Elsa alone good enough?
Before the Duke could stop himself, his mind took advantage of the open-ended question with images of Elsa and Anna together with him...no. The Duke shook his head reflexively for a split second before starting to walk after Anna towards the castle. Though he remained quiet as they headed back, his thoughts were gathering up a storm. Wanting more riches was one thing...but these were two women he cared about. How could he treat them like this? Knitting his brows together, the Duke gazed resolutely ahead. There was no way he could go back to pretending he projected Elsa onto Anna or that Anna was simply Elsa's younger sister. Anna...Anna was so much more to the Duke than something that trivial.
Remembering how Anna nearly died a stone's throw of months earlier caused the Duke to have a lump form at the base of his throat. But fortunately for the Duke, he and Anna made their way up the steps to the gate just in time to halt any memory's onslaught. It was then that the Duke stopped to regard Anna, the former storminess that clouded the blue in his eyes gradually passing away. "Anna," he started, the majority of what he wasn't able to convey trapped inside his gaze, "...I really should be the one thanking you."
Anna couldn't help but swallow into her unusually dry throat when she heard the Duke say that he should be thanking her. The words themselves on their face were simply polite talk, but the tone the Duke used when he said it…it made Anna feel butterflies in the pit of her stomach despite the earlier awkwardness and all of her guilty feelings. The young woman wasn't sure what to say. Usually, she'd have bitten into her lower lip or fiddled with one of her braids in such an uncomfortable situation, but this time was different. It wasn't awkward even after a long silence between them. As Anna and the Duke gazed into each other's blue eyes for what felt like far too long to Anna, she became intimately aware of his feelings toward her and of her feelings for him.
For better or worse - and Anna thought worse right now - the Duke was thinking about her instead of Elsa, or at least about both her and Elsa. However it had happened, Anna felt that she was equal to Elsa in the Duke's eyes. The feeling sent a shiver through Anna's spine. Anna stood there with the Duke in the vastly empty-feeling castle courtyard until Anna could take the silence no longer. "Please tell Elsa I'm sorry I kept you from her." Anna would tell Elsa all about her day with the Duke and apologize for it later, but for now it seemed right that Elsa should know why she was being made to wait. "Good night, Duke."
Something had passed between the Duke and Anna tonight. Whether fate, destiny, the Duke felt it to the bone, felt it in the church with Elsa (God's doing). What else could explain how right this was? Even the ongoing silence between him and Anna flowed like air into his lungs, like how to breathe. The silence didn't sink in like quicksand but provided a foundation for the Duke. He simply knew without knowing and somehow, it made sense to him. And so the Duke calmly said "I will" in response to Anna's request towards Elsa, the shame having departed him. His gaze remained steadfastly with Anna when he reassured her, "But I enjoyed our time together." Here was where he was supposed to be. "Good night, Anna."