Rifiuto: Non Miriena

A/N: Written: 2019 - Licia

Elsa broached the topic of going to Ahtohallan to Vanja the next time she came to check on the twins. Vanja had listened to Elsa's reasonings, her conclusions and what she knew in regards to trolls and how everything in regards to getting rid of a changeling involved changeling children, and then merely shook her head; but Elsa, ever the strong debater, pressed the matter, giving a detailed rundown list of why and what could be learned and how important it was, and how they were running out of time, and had she mentioned why?

And, at first, Vanja had listened; she had listened patiently as the young mother had made her arguments, examining both girls as they nursed as their mother's breasts, for Elsa had quickly learned how to nurse them both, and found it easier to fit two simultaneous feedings into routine that two individual feedings. She had gently taken and burped each little girl as Elsa had put herself back together, listening as the young Snow Queen continued to make her point, even as Elsa had put both girls down for nap after their examinations, before returning to the bed for hers. And then, as Vanja gently ran her hands over the young mother's belly, finally, she'd spoken. And it had been a very firm no, and only upon Elsa's high-pitched whine, of which the healer immediately shushed her- "You just put your daughters down, now either lower your whining or wake them both, but if you wake them, I will not help you put your daughters back down again!"- Vanja told her that she would only allow the young mother to go in three months.

"But by then, the girls will be... four months old! I might as well just wait until I can return to my duties after five months-" Elsa's head snapped towards Vanja, who merely raised an eyebrow. "Vanja, that's not fair!"

"Elsa, you have to let your body rest; it's been through a trying ordeal- not just the pregnancy and birth, but the threading also- and you need to take your time. You still have a long way to go. Elemental healing magic can only do so much; it's why mortals who have such power drain so easily. It depletes their energy. You are half an elemental, no matter if you are only a quarter immortal, you are still an elemental because you not only control the other spirits, but you have power over ice and snow. And because of that, your pregnancy and childbirth was harder on you, but it will get better. You just need to give it time. Which means right now, until the three month mark, you need to rest. Spend time with your daughters; that is the whole point of this, bonding with your children."

"I have bonded enough with them." Elsa muttered, laying back and letting Vanja slip her hands beneath the ice tunic she wore and gently examine her breasts. "I bonded with them when I was carrying them, when I was in labor with them, when I was giving birth to them. I've bonded with them plenty- ouch!" She turned crystalized blue eyes to Vanja, who sighed, understanding where Elsa's sour attitude was coming from. She'd seen it before, in other mothers. It was common, for a first time mother to feel as though she were at her wits end after only a few weeks-

"Sorry." She continued to examine Elsa's breasts, checking for inflammation and infection, and being pleased to find nothing but mere tenderness due to her nursing. "Look," With a sigh, Vanja sat back, keeping her voice soft, for the girl were both sleeping, their tummies full. "I understand that you want to jump right back into figuring out how to get rid of the troll and take back your throne, but you have to understand, Elsa. You can't right now. You gave birth a month ago. To twins. That alone is a huge strain on your body. And that's not including your death and the Threading. And yes, you can heal yourself now, thanks to Fifth Spirit's kiss, but that does not mean you are fully back to normal. You have to give your body time to heal." She held up a hand, stopping Elsa's protests. "I get it, I understand that, but your body still went through a great shock, and it still needs time to heal. Be patient. Five months will be over before you know it."

"When?" Elsa choked out, sitting up, tears in her eyes. She broke down then, the exhaustion finally getting to her, and a moment passed, before the healer pulled the younger woman into her arms as Hans returned, two cups in his hands. He furrowed a brow, opening his mouth to speak, but Vanja simply shook her head. It was not her husband's comfort she needed at the moment, but another woman's, even if that other woman did not understand what it felt like to feel a child grow within her, to go through the process of labor and birth, to deal with the exhaustion that wrapped about her like a cloak. Hans had understood, staying back as he watched Vanja comfort his wife, wishing he could take her pain for her. He set the cup of tea beside the bed, and quickly and quietly checked on the twins, before taking a seat not far away and turning his attention to what he'd decided to work on now, occasionally casting a glance at the two women.

Finally, Vanja pulled away, reaching up to wipe the tears from Elsa's cheeks. "It'll be okay, Elsa. It's overwhelming, I get it. New motherhood always is; they say it's the hardest thing a woman will go through. But it's worth it, wouldn't you say?" Slowly, the younger woman nodded. "That's why it's important that you rest, not just so your body can finish healing, but so your mind can heal, too. Your daughters need their mother, which means you need to just not be physically well, but mentally and emotionally also. And if you ever feel as though you need to talk, or rant or just want to cry, and don't want to be alone, or don't want to do it in front of Hans, you can always come to me. Okay?" The other woman nodded, and Vanja gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. Once she was gone, Hans moved to settle beside her, handing her the cup of tea he'd brought before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Thank you." She whispered, stealing a quick kiss before he shifted to settle onto his back.

"So how are our girls doing?"

A small smirk tugged at his wife's lips as she turned to watch him, sipping her tea. "Growing, as babies should." She set down her cup, glancing at the crib.

"They're fine, Els." Hans replied, sensing her worry as he set his cup aside. "Both sleeping soundly."

"Good." She released a breath. "They should be, especially considering I nursed them both not long after Vanja came by to check on us. She said they're doing well, going weight,"

"Like babies should?" He smiled at her, and she nodded.

"And that we shouldn't be alarmed if the girls grow in the next few weeks, that growth spurts are common. She did say however that she things Thea probably needs a little more care, that she's a little behind Iduna, but that that's not uncommon with twins. She said that a couple extra feedings should help her gain weight. Not that she's not gaining weight, just that-" He reached up, resting a finger against her lips.

"I get it, Els." With a sigh, she settled down beside her husband, propping herself onto her elbow.

"Do you think we're doing okay? As parents?"

He sighed. "I think we're doing as well as we can, given everything we've gone through in the last few months." He reached over, gently brushing a strand of hair off her cheek. "Hey, look at me. You're doing a wonderful job as a mother. It's not easy, so be proud of yourself." He then leaned over, kissing her soundly before settling back down. She sighed, shifting closer and curling into his side. Automatically, he wrapped his arm around her, pressing a kiss to her head. Silence settled around them for several minutes, before Elsa finally spoke.

"Hans?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Do you think I'll actually be able to?"

He stopped stroking her back, thinking. "Defeat the troll queen?" She nodded. "I think you will. We just need to find the right way to defeat her. The way that causes the least amount of bloodshed, and how to..." He stopped, yawning. "Sorry."

She giggled softly. "Tired, Papa?"

He 'hmmed' softly in response, turning turning to meet her gaze, and after a moment, she pushed herself up, leaning close to kiss him. "You are one to talk, Mama." He leaned up, brushing a soft kiss to her forehead, before allowing her to settle back down against his chest. A soft sigh escaped him, one Elsa felt, and she relaxed. "We need to figure out the best way to get to the troll queen without others noticing; Gods only knows, but the household and guards have probably sided with her because they've had no choice. If what Kristoff has said is true, desperate men do desperate things, even side with a traitor to preserve their livelihood. Which means we can't trust the guards and household-"

"We can trust Matthias." Elsa replied, and he gently patted her hip.

"That, I'm surprised."

"I'm not. Matthias grew up understanding that the rightful monarch of Arendelle was the one who sat upon the throne, the one who did what was best for the country, even if that meant abdicating for what was thought to be best for the country. He's had a lot of years to learn his loyalty to Arendelle. Matthias is loyal to Arendelle, not the monarch. The monarch is an extension of Arendelle; he or she is the representative of her country; they are the part of Arendelle that walks among the other monarchies, who makes the treaties and alliances in favor of the country-"

"So, the physical, tangible manifestation, like you." She looked up at him, brow furrowing briefly. "You are Fifth Spirit's physical manifestation." She nodded, remembering.

"Right. And whoever sits upon the throne, is who Matthias pledges his loyalty to. Before the mist fell, it was my grandparents- Rita and Runeard, and then my father, even though he was trapped in the forest for thirty-four years, he was still loyal to Arendelle. And then me, and now-"

"I'd say he's probably still loyal to you, Elisabeth." Hans replied, yawning. "Excuse me." She chuckled softly.

"He seemed to have a difficult time believing that the woman upon the throne is not my sister. I don't know what exactly convinced him-"

"Maybe it was seeing you, almost six months pregnant, pacing the floor that day? Or being there when the girls were born? Or-"

"No, it was something else. Something that didn't have anything to do with me. But whatever it was, it turned him to our side quickly. Not that I'm not grateful-" She sighed, shaking he head. "Regardless, it doesn't matter. What matters is figuring out how to stop the troll queen."

"Least amount of bloodshed. Least amount of detection. Minimal contact with the city and townsfolk. If we can just get to her, and her alone, we can keep others from getting hurt and keep the body count to-"

"One." Elsa replied, darkly.