Chapter 6: Every inch of me is trembling
The Northuldra tied ropes around Victor's wrists in a firm tug and pushed him through the Forest. Elsa had warned Arendelle through a message from Gale, telling them about the outcome of the battle, and asking to summon soldiers at the Elemental Stones as soon as possible. They would all go back to the kingdom with him as a prisoner.
The Sami warriors were walking with their weapons pointing at Victor, who was complying and silent. Some Northuldra were muttering insults towards him for his actions, and poking at him with their staff. However, Victor didn't get angry nor struggled. He had surrendered long ago.
Elsa looked at the battlefield, and sent a mental note to Nokk to erase all the traces of her ice shields and arrows with a magical wave. The Water Spirit nodded internally, taking this opportunity to congratulate the Snow Queen on the issue of the battle.
She then turned to her family. Because of their injuries, most of them had trouble moving and they needed to be healed urgently. Elsa asked Pebble to pick them up and bring them to the camp. Thankfully, the Giant hadn't been far, as he always was in the vicinity of the Dark Sea to play with Nokk.
Elsa helped her family members to keep their balance and stand in his palm as they were rapidly transported. If she weren't deeply concerned about their wounds, she would have laughed hard at how they were all holding tight to Pebble's fingers. Ryder had panicked yelps as they were moving fifteen meters from the ground. While the others had hands on the rock fingers, he was clinging to it with his legs as well, ignoring his pain in profit of safety.
When the adorable Giant softly put them down on the ground near the camp, he made Elsa promise that she would never make him live that again.
The Snow Queen chuckled, but then her expression changed. She gestured to the Northuldra for immediate help, and quickly explained that she needed people to heal wounds and others to go get the reindeer and horse mounts further in the forest. Jongu confirmed the orders, obeying to the Fifth Spirit.
"Ready? Hold on to my hand if you need to squeeze something." Invited Elsa.
Honeymaren sulked. "But that will hurt you."
"I don't mind."
She watched the healer come close to the bed after she poured some liquid on a cloth. The blonde gulped at the amount that she had put. Agat was the oldest Northuldra healer, but also the most ruthless. The leader wasn't scared anyway. Or at least, she pretended not to.
At the light of the lanterns in the hut, Agat bent over the brunette and pressed the cloth on the wound of her hand. Honeymaren wanted to look, but at the second the liquid penetrated her skin, her eyes flew up to the ceiling, and she groaned loudly in pain. She however forced herself to not squeeze Elsa's hand, and the blonde shook her head at how the moment was inappropriate to be her well-mannered self.
"Good, good. It's done." Said Agat.
She started bandaging Honeymaren's hand as the latter breathed heavily. Elsa passed a hand in her dark hair, as to congratulate her for going through this. She placed the bangs aside and even tied it in a pretty braid so she could see the even prettier face of her lover completely.
They exchanged a smiling gaze, and Elsa took some steps back to let Agat to her work. While the healer took great care of Honeymaren, Elsa started to stare at her in anguish.
"I hate that."
The leader frowned, puzzled.
"What?"
"Seeing you injured."
Honeymaren observed her wife. Elsa now was standing near the bed and crossing her arms, slightly curled on herself, like she was folding in fear. The brunette knotted her eyebrows in a sad and worried expression.
"Hey. Snømus. I'm okay. It's just a-"
Elsa gave her a look. Honeymaren gulped.
"Yeah, I was about to say 'it's just a scratch', but you're not gonna buy it, uh?"
Elsa's eyes filled with sadness and worry again, and she curled up even more, avoiding to stare at her.
"But it's being taken care of." Assured Honeymaren, tilting her head to search for her gaze, a technique she got from Anna. "Also, you're not the reason behind it. Uncross those arms, please."
The blonde did a pout, and Honeymaren encouraged her with a smile. Eventually, Elsa's muscles lost a bit of tension, and she relaxed a bit, standing up normally.
Honeymaren lifted the hand that wasn't bandaged to put it in Elsa's. "We'll all be okay. You don't have to worry about us."
"You really shouldn't move", commented the healer when she saw her doing an effort.
Honeymaren frowned to her. "I'll touch my wife if I damn want."
Agat gulped and returned to her attentions, not daring to contradict the strong leader. Elsa's lips stretched in an amused smile. When she saw that Honeymaren caught it, they softly giggled, and the blonde stepped forward to hug her. That way, she avoided her wife to make any movement, and the brunette felt like she was instantly healed at the scent of Elsa's skin in her neck. Her hair also smelled divine. How come it smelled divine? Why did it smell so clean even though they all sweated like hell during the battle?
"That's unfair." Mumbled Honeymaren with a smile against her neck.
"What?" Asked Elsa as they parted.
"Nothing." Grinned the brunette.
The Snow Queen then sighed. "It breaks my heart, but I have to leave you for now. I'm gonna check the others' state."
"Alright."
Elsa leaned down for a soft kiss, like she always did, but Honeymaren grabbed her ice fabric collar to bring her closer and kiss her deeper, like she always did as well. The kiss however was abnormally long and full of tenderness. Agat blushed as she forced herself to look elsewhere and pretended that the basin behind her was very interesting. When the two wives parted, and slightly gasped, Elsa looked into the two hazelnut irises with emotion.
"Honey, I…"
"Just go. We'll talk about it later. We'll have plenty of time."
Elsa's face went sad, and she gulped. "Okay."
A thumb stroking her cheek as a warm hand cupped her face made her stir away from her thoughts. She smiled, and kissed Honeymaren's palm.
"See you."
"See you." Smiled the brunette.
She watched her leave the hut, and when she did, both Elsa's and Honeymaren's smiles vanished.
No, healing from what had happened on the Dark Sea shore wouldn't be easy.
Elsa fidgeted with her hands as she walked away from the hut, feeling bad about leaving her wife's side for the first time since the event. Because she knew, even if Honeymaren didn't talk about it yet, that she had thought for a moment that she died on the shore. She could almost feel the gaze of the brunette in her back, as it surely didn't leave the door, still concerned and thinking about her even if she left the room.
The blonde took a long inhale, trying to change her mind. The closest hut had Kristoff and Ryder in it, and she smiled as she entered. Kristoff had been taken care of and he was asleep, knocked down after the strong medicinal herbs he had been given to cope with his head injury. She went to his bed and placed a hand on his shoulder, inspecting his face with sad eyes. He had a calm resting face, but Elsa was perpetually worried. Of all of those who had helped Elsa facing Victor, her brother-in-law had the worst wound. However, the healers attested that it wasn't a lesion, and that he would be okay in a few hours. Turns out that he, indeed, had a think skull; it wasn't just a manner of speaking. Elsa smiled at that fact, and turned to the same healers she has been talking to earlier, who now were taking care of Ryder. One of them lifted his head.
"Kristoff will be fine." Smiled Nainnas, a botanist who was crushing herbs in a mortar for his fellow Northuldra, lying on the other bed with his pants off. "However, I need your help for Ryder."
Elsa blinked. She knew very little about healing, and as her wife had underlined it for the past years, she very easily faltered and despaired when she saw injuries up close. The amount of times she fainted or nearly did when trying to assist the Northuldra healers every now and then was almost comical, but Honeymaren would never discourage her. The Snow Queen frowned with determination, and nodded anyway.
"Sure. What do you need?"
"It will take me a few minutes to prepare this concoction. But Ryder's knee has swollen due to his injury."
"What? It has?!" Panicked Ryder, seating up on the bed with wide eyes to look at his knee.
"Stay down." Groaned the other healer, keeping him down firmly, and Elsa smiled at his scold.
It clearly wasn't the first time of the night Ryder was told to stop moving, and the blonde was amused to see the similar nervosity between the two Nattura siblings.
"As I was saying…" Sighed the botanist healer, "We need to seal off the injury before it gets too infected."
Elsa gulped. 'Oh, for Ahtohallan's sake, please don't make me sew the skin back together', she thought, feeling blood leaving her face. She had purposely avoided to look at Ryder's knee until now for this very reason.
"Do you want me to freeze it?" She asked, her voice slightly trembling, hoping this is what Nainnas needed her for.
"No, quite the opposite. We need fire. Heat is a very helpful way to scar over."
Elsa took a long moment to understand what it had to do with her then. Her specialty was cold, not heat- Oh.
Nainnas gave her an amused smile, but didn't say anything. He knew that everyone was still in shock, and it might take a while to think.
"You want me to call the Fire Spirit." Said Elsa.
"Yes, please." Smiled the man.
The Snow Queen internally sighed of relief. She closed her eyes to search for Bruni's soul, and she felt him several meters away in the camp. He was playing with some children to appease them now that the danger was gone, and helping them go to sleep as time now reached almost midnight. Elsa smiled at the little salamander's kindness and care, and called him through a mind nudge.
Bruni jolted up, and beamed - quite literally - at the idea of joining her. The children laughed as he dashed through the camp in zigzags, and almost barged in the hut, his tiny belly waving as he breathed rapidly in excitement of helping Elsa.
When he saw her standing near one of the beds, he squealed and ran to her feet, where he rubbed and cuddled like a cat. He then climbed along her leg and jumped in her open hand. With happy grunts, he curled against her fresh skin, and exhaled a lot of joyful energy, which warmed Elsa's heart in every way.
She smiled. "Yeah, I'm happy to see you too, buddy. Look, I called you for a specific reason."
She kept him in her hand and turned to Ryder. "See that injury?" She pointed, talking with a voice similar to the one she used to talk to young children, and Kristoff would have made the remark if he were awake. "Could you burn Ryder's skin, very softly, to help seal his wound?"
Bruni made an approving peep. Ryder didn't really like the way she had stated that out loud, and gulped when he saw Elsa approach her arm with him in her palm. But at the sight of the salamander's adorable eyes, he giggled.
"Okay, are you sure about this?" Asked Elsa.
Ryder nodded vividly.
"Are you ready?"
Another nod.
Elsa put down the salamander on his bare leg, and the tiny Spirit pawed his skin in an appeasing gesture as he moved to the wound.
He gave Ryder a sorry look, then it became a determined one as he looked down at the knee. He spat a long but soft burst of fire, his flame licking the skin of the injury.
The Northuldra screamed loudly then hissed, startling, but Bruni held firmly to his leg.
Elsa passed a hand along his arm. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, and he's sorry as well. He is. But we have to do this."
"I know…" He whined through gritted teeth.
Finally, the Fire Spirit was done sealing the wound, and it looked better already. While the healers took care of his leg and bandaged his knee, Bruni jumped back in Elsa's offered hand, and climbed to her shoulder to observe the man too. Ryder's eyelids soon felt heavy, a result of both the relief of pain, the soothing care of the Northuldra, and the tiring day. Even Bruni yawned, and Elsa found it adorable.
"You were amazing." She whispered, too scared to wake up the two injured men now. "Thank you."
The salamander squeaked happily, and curled to sleep on her shoulder, lulled by her natural cold.
Next, Elsa went to the neighboring hut, also used by healers. Eydis was sleeping on the first bed she saw, and she noticed that someone had untied the young blonde's dutch braids so she could sleep better. The princess had a patch applying ointment on her skin where she had been touched by the dark magic, at the top of her shoulder.
Elsa smiled as she approached her niece, and bent to put a kiss in her hair. At the touch, the girl stirred, and Elsa jumped up and worried, thinking she shouldn't have done that. However, Eydis smiled and turned slightly to fall back to sleep. The Snow Queen had been standing still with her mouth pressed in a thin line, not daring to breathe to make sure she didn't wake her up. She exhaled discreetly.
"You're ridiculous." Came a smiling voice on her right.
Anna was looking at her from the bed she was laying on, wearing the same infirm tunic than her daughter. She had asked that Eydis and her would be healed in the same hut, so she could keep an eye on her daughter while she slept.
"And you look very epic with that bandage." Replied the Snow Queen.
Anna grinned proudly, looking at her battle injury in her elbow pit. "Thanks."
She then stared at her sister meaningfully. "You're complimenting me to hide your worry about my health, aren't you?"
Elsa sighed as she walked to Anna's bed. "You read in me like an open book."
"What can I say?" Smirked the redhead with a shrug. "Kristoff doesn't call me book lover for nothing."
There was a silence. Elsa seemed bothered by the topic, and therefore Anna decided to talk about something else.
"Did you know that the elbow pit also is called antecubital fossa? Awesome, uh? Remind me to add it as a word for charades night."
It managed to bring a smile to Elsa's lips. "I forbid you to do that. Besides, now that Eydis is playing with us, it will be impossible to guess."
"The joke's on you, she is the one who taught me that earlier."
Elsa blinked. They turned to the princess, who was sleeping peacefully. When the elder turned back to Anna, she was beaming with maternal pride.
"She's a real genius."
"And she fought really well." Added Elsa. "See? I told you we wouldn't regret to bring her along."
The Queen rolled her eyes. "It shows that you're not the one who raises her. Do you have any idea how many times she scared the hell out of me doing dangerous stuff?"
"Well, just like her mother does with me." Grinned Elsa.
She sat on the bed to wrap her arms around her sister. "I'm so glad that you're okay."
The Queen melted in the hug, closing her eyes with a soft sigh. She was just upset that she could hug her with only one arm.
Anna felt something warm against her neck when Elsa was against her, and smiled when she recognized the familiar sensation of scales. She parted the hug with a chuckle.
"Hey there little guy."
Bruni blinked tired eyes open, and yawned, then grinned happily when the redhead scratched his head. He however went back to sleep afterwards, and Anna observed him tenderly.
"Long day, uh? Being a Spirit doesn't prevent from tiredness." She said, pointedly, staring at Elsa.
"You're right." Said the Snow Queen, and she gently took Bruni off her shoulder, then put him on a fresh spot on a shelf, so he could be comfortable in his sleep. He mumbled a happy squeal.
"You did well", chuckled Anna. "Having a salamander on your neck while you sleep isn't the best option."
Elsa frowned in confusion at her sentence, but also at the gesture she just made, moving aside on the bed as if she was giving her space to lay down.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, he's adorable, but he would have bothered you, no? Isn't it why you put him aside before going to bed?"
"I'm not going to bed."
Anna's eyes widened.
"Wait, what?!"
"I just put him aside because he was tired. You were right, being a Spirit doesn't prevent from tiredness. Gale and him did a really good job, guarding the camp for so long. He deserves some sleep."
The redhead looked at her in utter bewilderment. "And don't you think that you deserve sleep too?"
"What do you mean?" Frowned Elsa.
"WHAT DO I-" She scolded, angry, but immediately lowered her tone to not awaken her daughter. "Elsa, for the love of gods, do you hear yourself? You need to go to sleep too. It's late, we're all tired… Come lay down, you dummy, I don't even know why I'm explaining this to you right now."
She lifted her hand to grab Elsa's arm, but the elder stepped back to avoid it.
"I'm fine."
"What the hell are you doing? Come here, you infinite dork-"
The blonde stepped back again when she tried to reach her, and Anna was too tired and wounded to stand up from the bed.
"I wouldn't be able to find sleep anyway." Said Elsa. "You all got injured somewhere, and I didn't get anything… I feel very bad about it."
Anna groaned. "Oh my goodness, Elsa, that's-"
Someone knocked at the hut, and they stopped talking to turn to the entrance with a synchronized blink.
"Come in." Invited Anna.
To their surprise, Honeymaren entered, and she closed the door behind her. The brunette saw Eydis sleep and she smiled.
"I just wanted to say goodnight to Elsa." She said, keeping her voice down to not wake her up.
Anna snorted in a puff. "Oh, well, good luck with that, because that idiot refuses to sleep."
The blonde twirled to her younger, and gave her a deathly stare.
"What?" Said Honeymaren, walking to them.
Her wife sighed longly, and that sounded more like a grunt that anything else. However, in opposite to Anna, Honeymaren didn't get angry, and placed her hands gently on Elsa's arms, looking at her with soft caring eyes.
"Love, you should get some rest. You've been through an exhausting process."
"You two as well." Retorted Elsa. "And you know I won't go to sleep as long as you don't rest first."
Anna snorted. "And we know that you won't go to sleep at all if we do that."
Elsa pouted. She had been busted.
Honeymaren kept her hands on her wife's arms, and smiled tenderly to her. "You have to rest, now."
"I've been resting long enough when I was unconscious."
Anna and Honeymaren snapped wide eyes.
"You can't be serious!" Exclaimed her sister.
If she physically could, she would have accentuated it with a movement of the arms.
Honeymaren sighed. "Look, it's past midnight. We've had a very overwhelming day."
"Yes, which is why you two have to go to sleep."
"You need it as much as we do." Insisted the brunette.
"No I don't. You're injured, and I'm not."
The Queen scoffed. "You almost died!"
Elsa didn't react, so Anna massaged the top of her nose with an upset grumble. Honeymaren looked at them two with a sad smile.
"We can't change her mind, Anna." She stated. "You and I both know how stubborn she is."
Anna sighed heavily, and laid down the bed. When she saw the space that remained, the leader approached timidly. "Can I sleep with you?"
"Oh, yeah, sure." Invited Anna.
"That way, Elsa will be able to keep an eye on us both. Happy?" Smirked Honeymaren as she went under the pelts next to Anna, making sure not to hurt her or herself while she did.
Elsa nodded quietly with a soft smile.
It didn't take long for the two women to fall asleep, they were truly exhausted.
When Anna started snoring and Honeymaren was so deep into slumber that she had that adorable face that Elsa loved, the blonde sat down on a stool and observed them.
However, as they sadly expected it, Elsa didn't rest at all for the whole night. She spent the next hours wandering back and forth between each hut to check on the wounded, and talking with the Northuldra in charge of standing guard.
After spending the day waiting for Arendellian forces to arrive, the Sun started to set over the Forest.
Victor limped as the soldiers led him to the prisoner cage they had put on a wagon. He was still injured at the foot, a pride that made Ryder and Eydis exchange a smirking gaze when he passed by them.
Honeymaren went to the center of the Northuldra camp to talk to her tribe.
"The danger we had been living in for the past days is no more." She announced, her voice strong and powerful. Elsa admired her from where she was, laying against a tree.
"The enemy has been defeated. The battle is over. We won. Each of you had been of precious help, and I would like to thank the Spirits as well. Thank you all. I will go to Arendelle to attend Victor's trial, as the representative of the Northuldra. He will face justice and pay for his crimes, I vow to it."
Several Sami cheered, and others clapped.
"Now, may you all find peace until I return. I leave my brother in charge."
Ryder blinked. "Wh-what?"
Anna was surprised to see he hadn't been warned in advance. When Honeymaren walked to the little group ready to go, he went to his elder sister. "Are you sure about this? I'm injured at the knee, I can't really be of much help..."
"I'm sure. And you will be a great leader anyway, Ryder, don't you worry about it. Besides, since when does an injury prevent you from herding?"
Ryder blinked, and the others were confused too. "Are you saying that managing a tribe is the same thing that taking care of a reindeer herd?"
Honeymaren smirked as she put a hand on his shoulder. "Now that we're all safe, the whole tribe will celebrate with a big feast and a ceremony. In that situation, it is exactly like keeping an eye on a herd."
They laughed, and she nudged him before leaving to join Anna and Elsa.
"Take care." He said to Kristoff.
"We will keep you informed." Smiled the King.
Eydis waved goodbye to him happily, and they all walked away to the wagons, surrounded by Arendelle guards.
Anna walked with her sister and Honeymaren on each side, distracted by the visual of their shadows moving in front of them on the flowery ground. They were long and stretched by the lowering light of the sunset that warmed the back of their necks.
"What a week, uh?" She joked.
Honeymaren nudged her shoulder against hers. "That's for sure."
They chuckled together, and the brunette felt Elsa's shoulder against her. She thought that she was nudging her as well, but in fact, Elsa was losing her balance.
Anna saw her shadow swaying on the side, and both turned to the blonde, whose eyes weren't really focusing anymore.
"And you had quite a week indeed." Smirked Honeymaren. "Let me hold you."
"I can walk." Mumbled Elsa.
Anna and Honeymaren exchanged a smile. Not only that was a sentence they now knew meant exactly the opposite, but Elsa's voice had just betrayed her. She even was rubbing her eyes. It reminded Anna of her son when he refused to want to go to bed.
"Hmm, I don't believe the 'I swear I'm fine' speeches anymore." Said Honeymaren. "I'm gonna carry you to the wagon."
"Honey, this won't be necessa-AH!" Suddenly yelped the blonde, as her whole body had suddenly been taken off the ground.
Anna laughed as Honeymaren easily swift her off her feet and put her on her shoulder. The brunette giggled as Elsa struggled to break free from her strong hold, and they walked to the wagon where Kristoff and Eydis awaited.
The man and his daughter laughed at their arrival.
"I didn't know we had to deliver a sack of potatoes." Teased Kristoff.
"I hate you…" Groaned Elsa weakly, upside down, in Honeymaren's back. "All of you."
Anna faked an offended gasp. They all boarded in laughter, and the Northuldra leader softly placed her wife on one of the benches, next to Anna.
"Maren, there is no need to be mollycoddling me." Grumbled Elsa in her tired voice.
"Holy-molly-what?" Said the woman.
"Yep, she's delirious when she's tired." Added Anna, shaking her head.
"I'm not! You two are constantly taking too much care of me."
Anna passed her arm above the edge of the wagon and leaned on it to look at her amusedly. "And did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, you deserve that care?"
Elsa mumbled again, this time inaudibly.
Anna nudged Honeymaren. "Perhaps we holly molly her too much."
The brunette cackled, and nudged her back.
"You two have bandages on the arm, you shouldn't be doing that." Frowned Elsa.
"Oh my gosh, she is right!" Exclaimed Anna, and the others could hear that she was being sarcastic. "Do you know what it means, Maren?"
"What?" Smirked the brunette.
"We're bandages twins! Bandages buddies! Budd-ages!"
Honeymaren laughed loudly.
"I really hate you." Mumbled Elsa.
It was an obvious lie, especially since her wife's laugh, echoing in the woods to her ears, had made her heart feel like it was floating above the clouds. She smiled softly as the wagons departed.
They had snacks aboard the wagon, and Honeymaren noticed that Kristoff and Elsa passed each other some bread without even consulting each other, in a simple stare. She had noticed this before on a Friday night.
"You two make quite a team." Grinned the brunette, pointing at them. "Are you sure you didn't meet before Anna introduced you? Your alchemy during game nights is unfair."
"I know." Sighed Anna dramatically. "When we pick the teams randomly and they are together, I always feel like it's doomed."
"Not always." Chuckled Kristoff. "We're really not good at classic charades. Drawings, however…"
"Yeah, no wonder why you guess them so easily, though." Sighed Anna. "Have you seen the amount of details Elsa puts in her drawings?! Who the hell takes the time to do perspective and shadows?!"
"And how come you can't get points when you're teaming up with her?" Asked Eydis, because her argument was weird.
"I'm too busy admiring them to actually guess." Mumbled Anna.
They laughed.
"To be fair, our team is only good in family games nights because we balance each other's skills. That's all." Shrugged Elsa.
"The legendary ice bros." Smirked Anna. "I'm proud of that nickname."
"I like it." Complimented Honeymaren. "And I'm sure it will stick."
"It sure will." Grinned Kristoff. "Just like ice."
He laughed, and Elsa as well, then they fist bumped right in front of Anna.
"Oh my gods, you didn't…"
"We totally did." Grinned Elsa.
The redhead sighed. "That's like, the hundredth ice pun this month."
"And not the last." Giggled Kristoff.
"I swear, Maren, they're unbearable. Now you understand why I named them that."
"Oh, that amount of ice puns is nothing compared to the jokes this dork does each and every- ouch!"
They laughed when Elsa tapped her arm.
"I like those puns." Smiled Eydis.
"No, not my niece too!" Whined Honeymaren, and the princess giggled. "I swear, her plays on words could make people run away. Oh, we should have used that as a technique against the monsters!" She falsely exclaimed.
Anna laughed out loud.
"Do you want me to make it hail on you two?" Smirked Elsa.
She then remembered the fight. "By the way, Anna, for a moment there, I thought you were counting down the number of creatures you took down."
The redhead shrugged, not actually denying that accusation. "Doubting of my stamina?"
"Certainly not. I recall you were having some fun while you fought." Smirked Elsa.
"I've often heard the Queen saying that everything is a competition." Said Honeymaren.
"And it is!" Proclaimed Anna, stubborn.
Elsa rolled her eyes. "No matter what, I'm proud of you."
"No matter the score?"
"No, I meant that I'm proud of you all."
"Hmm… That sounds like someone who slayed the least monsters."
Some gasped and some laughed, and they continued to argue about that topic playfully. The sisters cuddled in a shared laughter. The discussions went about different things on the road, until Anna felt that Elsa's cuddle had gone heavier. She turned, noticing that her sister had been silent since a moment. The blonde's eyes were closed. Her head had tilted to her shoulder, and she had just fallen asleep. Anna smiled tenderly.
"She hasn't slept a wink all night, uh?" Guessed Kristoff, staring at her with a smile.
The other nodded. The Northuldra melted at the sight, then unrolled a blanket from the wagon to put it on her wife's relaxed body.
"Sleep well, you ethereal selfless dork."
When Elsa woke up, she was blessed by the sight, feeling and presence of Anna sleeping in front of her, and Honeymaren's arm going around her waist while she was spooning her from behind. The Snow Queen sighed of content. Now that was the best way to wake up ever, surrounded by the two people she cared about the most.
Apparently, they had put Elsa in bed when they arrived in Arendelle on the following afternoon, and ended up taking a nap on the bed next to her. With a happy quiet squeal, she rounded her back to cuddle closer to Honeymaren, placing her arm above hers, and looked at her sister.
"What would I be without you two." She whispered.
She then felt Honeymaren stir, and turned around to her.
"Hey." She greeted when she saw the brunette blink.
She smiled when she saw Elsa and started to stretch, though still remaining laid down.
"Hey you."
Honeymaren was delighted to wake up in front of her wife, especially when her two azure blue eyes were staring at her this lovingly.
"Did you sleep well?" Asked Elsa with a tender smile.
"I should return the question to you. You were a real sloth yesterday when I took you out of the wagon and to this bed."
"I was deep into slumber for this long?"
Honeymaren grinned and nodded on her pillow.
"Since when do you know about sloths?" Chuckled the blonde.
"With a sister like yours? It's impossible not to have heard a thousand praises about sloths when one knows her. Anna constantly talks about how much she loves them."
They laughed, but it was softly to not wake the redhead up, as she was sleeping right next to them. In fact, they had been talking in whispers, making sure to not disturb her sleep.
Elsa turned to watch Anna. She wasn't graceful at all between her tangled hair, her absurd posture and her open drooling mouth, yet the elder's face lit up with happiness.
"I'm glad to see she's okay." Sighed Elsa, seeing that her bandage wasn't red with blood, even though it was dated from the previous evening.
Northuldra's medicine and care was efficient, and the Snow Queen was thankful.
"How's your hand?" Inquired Elsa, turning to her wife again, her natural concern not leaving her.
Honeymaren smiled to that trait. "I'm fine. Better." She could even wave her fingers a bit, and she showed it. "There's one sad thing about this wound, though."
Elsa's heartbeat got faster. "What is it?" She worried.
The brunette grinned. "I want to kiss you deeply, but I only have one hand to cup your face."
She moved closer, and closed her eyes as she softly held Elsa's cheek to land her lips on hers.
Elsa's heatbeat got even faster, but for a different reason; a blush filled her cheeks, and she felt flustered. The kiss was long and intense, and she closed her eyes too. Damn, that touch meant so many words. So many emotions. She could feel how much they had to talk about. How the event on the shore still marked Honeymaren. The kiss was warm with joy to finally be reunited, yet it was frigid with all the sadness still present in the brunette's heart.
That didn't take away any of the passion in the kiss, and soon Elsa returned it with equal force. She moaned on her lips, leaned her body in and grasped Honeymaren's long thick hair.
"Holy Odin, what time is it?!" Shrieked Anna suddenly, and she jolted upright behind Elsa. The latter almost had a cardiac arrest at the sudden shout, and she startled away from the kiss.
Apparently, Anna had been waking up without them noticing, then immediately realized by the light bathing the room that the afternoon already was well under way. Honeymaren laughed out loud when she saw Elsa switch from tenderness to letdown, then laughed again when she saw Anna jump up, stumble and fall to the floor a few meters after the bed.
"I'm fine!" She yelped, standing up swiftly. "I need to go at once. I have a meeting with the staff at 5, then I have to meet Mattias at 6, and the warden for Victor's cell in the prison, and, oh my goodness I'm so super late… I'll see you later bye!"
She left the room in a storm, rushing to her dressing room, yet she gently closed the door behind her. Now that the old bedroom of their parents had been turned into the guest bedroom that Elsa could use when she visited, Anna took extra care of its state.
The Snow Queen blinked confusedly at Anna's sudden and loud exit, staring at where she left, then she laid back down next to the Northuldra leader, her head elbowed on the pillow.
"So, where were w- Wait, I smell really bad!" Suddenly noticed Elsa, now that her nose was near her skin. "How the hell can you kiss me in those conditions?! Gosh, I haven't washed in days!" She exclaimed, shocked and also alarmed to see that Honeymaren wasn't saying anything.
The brunette puffed. "You always smell like licorice mint, love. What are you talking about?"
Elsa grabbed her pillow and threw it to her. "Stop it! You incorrigible flirt."
"I'm not lying."
"Whatever. I'm going to the bathroom. I'm feeling like I need to shower."
Honeymaren rolled her eyes as her wife quickly stood up from the bed, and urged to go to the other door of the room, that led to a private bathroom. Less than a minute later, water was flowing, and could be heard from the bed. Honeymaren sighed. Now the sheets felt really empty.
She shrugged; at least now she could spread her legs and arms all she want. One thing she noticed and always struck her was how, even if she had a starfish posture and stretched all she could, she didn't reach the ends of the bed. How big were those Arendellian beds? That was crazy.
Yet, she couldn't tell if she preferred the overlarge bed of the castle or the smaller one in their hut. Both were great for cuddles, in their own unique ways…
She rolled above the sheets for a moment, listening to the sound of water pouring in the next room behind the wooden door, then she stood up and walked around.
Honeymaren blinked at the sensation coming to her as she did. It had been a while since she last visited Arendelle, even more sleeping there, so she had to get used to it again. Elsa was right when she said that the brunette hadn't come in a long time; she was so busy with Northuldra leader duties that she only hopped in some Fridays for family game nights, and never stayed much longer. Now, it was like she discovered it all for the first time.
The castle's interior truly drove all of her five senses crazy. How come everything, absolutely everything, smelled so nice? Did they wash the chairs with lavender? For the sheets, towels and even curtains to be perfumed, that, she could understand. But why, and how, can a pedestal table released such a fragrance? And it wasn't due to the flower bouquet that was placed on it and changed with fresh flowers every day, she could tell.
And yet, all of this was only smell. Sight, hearing, touch and even taste were going through a whole experience as well. She felt the light bathing the room, giving the place a surreal atmosphere with its dust floating in the warmth of air, that she could sense on her cheeks, where she could also sense the humidity of the fjord that was passing through the open window. She felt the distant sounds of merchants from the Arendelle village mixed with the distant sounds of sailors loading and unloading their ships or chatting joyfully with their peers. All of this was overwhelming, and Honeymaren could perceive on top of everything the delicious smell of kransekake getting baked downstairs in the kitchens, invading her palate in the best way and almost making her drool.
Honeymaren blinked in utter astonishment, and shook her head. She apparently had been daydreaming for a long time, because the bathroom door opened behind her, and she talked to her wife without looking at her, busy inspecting the breathtaking details of the painting frame on the wall.
"Elsa, I never got to ask you, and sorry for being so blunt, but… How in Spirits' names did you live like this?"
She turned around to get the answer from her lover, when she got struck by a sight that propelled all of her previous emotions away in a flick. Elsa appeared like she was walking right back from the heavens.
The blonde was drying her hair with an embroidered bath towel. Its bright white cotton and purple and green motives seemed to glow as she rubbed her bangs with it in the daylight. Elsa's neck and cleavage still were a bit wet, water drops rolling down along her body, stopping to another towel that was tied around her chest and pouring until her ankles.
Honeymaren stared at her with wide eyes, her hazelnut irises inspecting every single inch of perfection that was offered to her in this moment. Somehow, a flash of the very first moment she had talked to Elsa came to her mind, seeing her younger face next to a campfire. A confident, strong woman, who exhaled a goddess aura, but who also showed traits of a vulnerable and quiet character; giving Honeymaren the immediate feeling of Elsa being the most balanced person she had ever seen. The first minute the blonde had started talking, she showed both great intelligence by her words and eloquence, and genuine curiosity and naivety with her questions and interest for the Northuldra culture. And in that very moment, Honeymaren swore to herself that she would always protect her no matter what, just like she knew that Elsa would surprise her countless times.
The brunette realized that she hadn't been breathing since she turned around, and gulped to avoid choking on her own saliva.
What was she saying again? She lost track of her own thoughts - and even the possible existence of her brain - when she saw Elsa approach. The blonde looked like the most attractive divinity with shining white-gold hair and a single towel on her body that seemed like a toga. With her seductive walk and slightly swaying hips, Elsa seemed to have come down from above and beyond to judge her sins.
Honeymaren blinked, and her mind returned to its previous state. Soon the smells, noises and all the rest came to her senses again, putting her back in the uneasy feeling. The Snow Queen noticed it when she was close enough to see her face.
"What is troubling you?" She asked in a soft voice, her eyebrows knotting with worry at the discomfort of her wife.
"This castle… It's overwhelming, with all its features. I can't believe you used to live here for so many years. How did you not go crazy with everything? It's all so… Overly perfect."
The blonde has a chuckle. "Well, it helped as a distraction from my powers when I was younger."
She shrugged, and she did it so exaggeratedly that her towel shifted with the move. Honeymaren's eyes snapped wide and she rushed to go forward and grab the top of it, above Elsa's breasts.
The blonde startled. "Uhm…? What are you doing?"
Honeymaren's lips pressed in a thin line. "I don't…"
She was about to say 'I don't think I can survive seeing you naked by accident right now after all the emotions that went through my body and mind, because such a final sight could easily kill me', but she settled for a simpler explanation.
"I worried that your towel would fall", she mumbled, her cheeks burning with blush as she put her hands away.
"Oh, don't worry, it's fine. We have pins in the bathrooms that are here for this purpose."
She showed where the pin was, firmly tying the towel around her chest, but Honeymaren preferred not to look lower than her neck. She nervously looked away, and pretended to smooth her beige tunic.
"Honey, are you okay?"
"Uh?"
When their eyes finally met, Elsa was grinning openly. "You seem… Distracted."
"I'm good." Gulped Honeymaren. "Really good. A bit hungry. Are you hungry? I'm hungry. It's hungry. It's a snack. Like, it smells like… It's nice… Snack. I…" She sighed, both to take her breath and because she was aware that her ramble was filled with slips. She tried to focus and talk normally. "Can you smell that delicious baking? We should go down for a snack."
Elsa smirked but bit her lip to force herself not to comment on the behavior of her wife.
"Sure. I'll just change first, and then we can go."
"Change?"
She was surprised to see Elsa grab an actual dress and go behind the screen. It had been set there on a hanger, and Honeymaren thought until now that it was Anna's, because it was deep red.
"I'm not gonna use ice. Anna ordered this dress for me last month." Elsa explained, her voice masked by the panel. "She talked about it a hundred times in her letters. I want to make her happy and try it out today."
The brunette heard her fumble behind the changing screen. "Ahtohallan, why does this have so many ribbons?" She muttered. "Ah, there. I have to get used to loops again. I feel like a child trying to remember how to tie shoelaces. There."
She turned around the screen.
Honeymaren was so wrong to think that a naked Elsa would have been the reason of her death that day. She hadn't seen her wife wearing actual fabric in a long while - which she really didn't mind at all - and when Elsa walked to her, all her mental connections ceased to function.
Above it all, she was astonished to see that cherry red suited her so well, and judging by Elsa's unsure expression, it was the very first time she was wearing such a color. The dress had a simple corset base, but a lot of beautiful enhancements had been added. First, it had many ribbons that fell and looped and seemed to float here and there. Second, it was elegantly tailored at the hips, which enticed Honeymaren to no end. In Elsa's typical style, it was floor-length, though the brunette's eyes stopped at the hands of her lover when she saw that she had joined them nervously in her center, keeping a regal posture.
Elsa really shouldn't feel any hesitation about this dress; she looked utterly stunning. She turned around so her wife could judge the back as well. Honeymaren gasped silently when she saw that the dress was a bit open in the back, from the middle to the kidneys, revealing her silky skin.
Elsa finished turning, and looked at Honeymaren timidly.
"How does it look? Does it fit me?"
The leader blinked. Of course Anna knew Elsa's measurements perfectly. Of course she did. Now that was just unfair. Honeymaren however felt like all of her word lexicon had just been tossed by the window. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.
The Snow Queen giggled. "A bit slow after naptime, uh?"
Honeymaren frowned. That insult brought her right back on Earth. "No. I'm not. It's just… YOU!" She suddenly exclaimed, pointing at Elsa with both arms.
The blonde grinned bashfully. "Don't say anything then. I got it from your expression."
At the end of the afternoon, Elsa walked around the castle, searching for her younger sister. It was raining heavily outside, so she knew that it's not where she would find her. Even if rain wasn't an obstacle to fun when she was younger, and Elsa often found Anna running in the puddles in the courtyard, the Queen now preferred to listen to the sound of raindrops from indoors.
When the blonde saw that Anna was neither in her study nor the kitchens, she had a thinking pout as she listed the remaining places.
"The library." She suddenly said out loud with a grin.
But her smile vanished away. Anna went to the library alone only when something was wrong.
She went to knock to the door, and a distant voice invited her in. Elsa was happy to see the redhead sitting by the window, but she closed the door behind her.
The room was a bit dark, for the Sun was hiding behind the clouds and the sky a strong grey. Anna was sitting in the alcove and looking outside. The floating dust of the room, which normally matched really well with the color of her hair and the clothes she wore, made the atmosphere gloomy and sad.
"Are you alright?"
Anna turned and forced herself to smile, which Elsa cleverly noticed. "Yeah, why?"
It would have been blunt to say 'You're obviously lying', so the elder simply approached, joining her hands in front of her. She wasn't sure if Anna was in the mood for touch, so she only smiled.
"You know, we didn't really get the time to talk about it."
The redhead gave her a quizzing frown.
"About what happened on the Dark Sea shore. What you felt when I passed out, and… To put it in your words, when I almost died."
Anna gulped audibly. But, in opposite to her elder, when a question was making her emotional, she didn't look down or away; she kept her eye contact with Elsa, but with an bigger weight to it.
"It… Felt terrible. I was terrorized."
Her voice was weak and cracked. That visibly was what she had been thinking about before she arrived. Elsa's face twisted in a sad and sorry expression. "I know. I mean, I imagine. I can't know, but I…"
She gulped, in lack of speech. Her younger looked at her silently, and Elsa felt her throat tighten.
"I can't know. Excuse me for bringing the topic, I shouldn't have-"
"No, Elsa, it's fine." Smiled the redhead. "Well, it certainly wasn't, but I'm glad that you want to talk about it."
The Snow Queen realized that Anna's smile now was sincere. It was like all she needed had been for Elsa to mention it.
"I'm happy to see that you are not afraid to ask me."
Elsa's expression melted. It's true, she had changed. A few years ago only, she wouldn't have dared to open such a discussion, especially about death. It took them ages to finally sit down and talk about their parents.
She had a soft smile, and walked further to sit and cuddle with her next to the window. "Of course I want to talk about it. I want to know how you feel."
She then briskly moved away. "Sorry, maybe you need some space."
Anna grinned and grabbed her wrist. "Come back here, silly. Of course I want you to stay close."
They smiled and sat against each other, watching the rain drops fall along the window. It reminded Elsa of the times when they would have rain drops races, and she caressed the glass with her fingers.
A silence passed.
"I already addressed the topic with Honeymaren earlier. Can we talk about it, please?"
Anna put her head on Elsa's shoulder.
"Only if you promise me one thing."
"Sure, what it is?"
"That you won't judge me if I start crying while I talk about how I felt."
Elsa missed a heartbeat at that sentence. She gulped, and held her sister tighter.
"Of course I won't judge you."
"Good." Said Anna's voice, and it was firm and strong. "Because it's important that you realize I saw you faint and not respond to my calls two times in one day."
The blonde felt like she got punched right in the guts at the highlight of Anna's point of view on her behavior. She detached from the cuddle to look at her sister. "Anna, I…"
"You what? You're sorry?" Finished the redhead, not detaching her eyes from the window.
Elsa's eyes sparkled with sad tears. "Yes. A thousand times. And I can't even begin to imagine what it was like for you."
"Yet it wasn't your fault."
"Excuse me?"
"Okay, going to Ahtohallan and go through those repressed memories was a really dumb decision of yours, especially when you stubborn ass decided to go on your own with no backup. But the fact that the previous Fifth Spirit had this many hidden memories? Not your fault. You couldn't have predicted it, and that's why it was this much to take for your body and magic. And, speaking of magic, that's why it also wasn't your fault about what happened on the shore. None of us expected that, once your magic is taken away, you risk hypothermia. Well, to be fair…" She added, rolling her eyes to the ceiling, "This wouldn't have happened if you weren't that extra and didn't craft a perfect armor. But I'll never criticize you on that, quite the opposite. And of course, the magic extraction was not your fault. You did all you could to prevent it. In fact, it's with your argumentation that Victor changed his mind and came back on his acts. So, I should actually be thanking you."
Elsa startled of disbelief. Her younger now was grinning, which contrasted with the expression she had at the beginning of the conversation.
'Thanking me?' She thought, stunned.
"No, wait, this is not going the direction I wanted it to go…"
Anna smirked. "Why? What were you expecting?"
Elsa was now pouting. "You're not supposed to defend me! You're supposed to scold me! Tell me I was wrong, doing all that! Tell me how hurt you are! You… You're not supposed to be your… Open-minded and gentle and caring self!"
The Queen grinned. "So, from what you're saying, I shouldn't be myself?"
Elsa blushed out of frustration. "I didn't want- I mean, of course I love it when you're like that, but- I didn't want you to be… So nice! I had meant to console you, to soothe you, not…!"
She was at loss for words now, and sighed. In fact, tears had started filling her eyes, and Anna tilted her head in sadness.
"Aw, you tiny thing. You really thought I was going to blame you, uh?"
The blonde shivered as she inhaled, trying her best to not ironically be the only one to cry. "I thought you were going to be angry at me, to be sad, to… Damn, Anna."
The latter chuckled at how overtaken Elsa was. She put a hand on her shoulder. "Need I remind you that I'm the mother of two children? I've been through an infinite number of discussions like those. To balance things out has become a second nature to me." Smiled the Queen.
Elsa blinked longly, and her tears got chased away. Anna continued.
"My mind is still filled with sadness, and my heart is still heaving with sorrow. Yes. I can't deny it. But I never felt any resentment towards you, sis."
The elder looked at her like she was a living miracle, and had a heavy sigh. "I owe you so much, Anna, I swear on Ahtohallan."
The redhead playfully shrugged. "Meh."
Elsa chuckled, and bent to kiss her sister's forehead. Anna smiled tenderly at the sensation, closing her eyes.
When she opened them, Elsa was looking at her with a grin. "Can I ask you something? Something that may change your mood?"
Anna saw where this was leading, and chuckled. "The answer is yes. You want to ask me if I want to build a snowman, right?"
Elsa suddenly widened her eyes. "OH MY GODS."
Anna frowned. "What, you're genuinely surprised that I found out? That's really easy-"
"No, I mean, Olaf! I just thought about Olaf!"
Now Anna blinked, lost. "...And?"
Elsa suddenly stood up, standing away from the alcove, and she started pacing around, her hand passing through her hair. That was an alarming mannerism, and Anna's eyes widened. Elsa couldn't believe she only realized that fact now.
"I have to check on Olaf! To make sure that he didn't melt when I lost my magic! Oh, who am I kidding? He surely melted. Oh gods…"
"No, wait, Elsa…"
The Queen was about to reassure her in saying that her magic didn't go away during the transfert, just like her weapons additions and clothes didn't disappear. Olaf was certainly safe. But it was too late; Elsa was frowning in that specific way when she mentally conjured her magical creatures.
In a little gust of snow, Olaf appeared right in the middle of the library, in between them, falling from mid-air on his butt. He bumped on the floor in a mix of yelps and tinkling metal, his backpack bouncing with him. His tiny pan, that hanged to a fastening, tinkled against the floor as he finished his roll face down in a flat stop.
"Ouch." Winced Anna, her outstretched arms closing in fists.
"OUCH!" Exclaimed Olaf, standing up and rubbing his head, placing his carrot nose back. "Waow! What the heck just happened?!"
He looked around, first recognized the Arendelle castle library, went 'hey!', then saw Anna and went 'hey!', then saw Elsa and went 'HEY!'
The last exclamation was filled with anger.
"Olaf!" Smiled Elsa, sighing in relief. "I'm so happy to see that you're okay…"
"Why did you teleport me?!" Shouted Olaf.
The two women startled at his reaction.
"I was right into an important exploration! And I had just found the perfect camping spot for tonight! AGGHH!"
He let out a long and upset whine, and picked up his fishing hat from the floor to put it back on his head.
Elsa was confused, but above all, sorry.
"Olaf, I didn't mean to interrupt you, I… Look, I can bring you back exactly where you were at. Do you have the location?"
The living snowman stared at her like she was totally dumb. "No, I don't, that's the whole purpose of exploration! I went at a place where no one thought of tracing a road, I only know that it's down West!"
Elsa blabbered as she confused herself in apologies. At the corner of her eye, she saw that the Queen was gripping her mouth not to burst into laughter.
"WHY did you teleport me?!"
"I'm so sorry, Olaf, I just wanted to know if… If you were okay, and…"
He saw the weather through the window behind Anna, and let out a long grunt. "Ahhhhhhgh, and it's RAINING here? It will take me forever to go back to that place!"
Anna grinned behind her hand. "Yeah, it's a good thing you have this fishing hat to protect you from the rain. Where did you get it anyway?"
"That's a long story. And it includes poker techniques I'm legally not allowed to disclose yet."
Elsa was set aback. "Excuse me?"
"Elsa!" He exclaimed with a grunt, pointing at the blonde with one of his twigs, turning completely to her, so Anna took it as an opportunity to laugh even more. "You shouldn't have done that! I'm a grown-up now! I'm independent! I can live my own life!"
The Snow Queen was overtaken by the situation. "I…"
"Awww, look at who's rebelling against his mother." Cackled Anna.
"I'm not his mother!" Blushed Elsa.
"I'm not her son!" Blurted Olaf.
Now Anna laughed even more. She had to hold herself to the edge of the alcove not to fall.
Olaf and Elsa argued for a long time until, in a huff, the snowman picked up his stuff, set his backpack, and walked past her to open the door and go outside.
"I got a lot of walk to do now. Bye."
He slammed the door, and could be heard mumbling as he went down the stairs in a sound of metal tinkles.
Anna wiped her tears as she stood up, still wheezing. Elsa was still standing up in front of her, and was stunned.
"Now you know how I feel with Eydis." Grinned the Queen.
"You think I didn't hear when you called me 'tiny thing'?" Smirked Elsa. "I'm two years and a half older than you!"
Anna laughed in the corridors, and her laughter echoed against the walls. "I couldn't help it. Did Maren ever say something about that adorable pout you make when you're upset?"
The Snow Queen sighed. "About a hundred times, yes."
"There." Winked Anna.
Her expression then changed as they were walking.
"How did it go, with her?" She asked timidly. "The conversation about that time we all thought… You know."
Elsa had a sad smile. "Just like she understands me like no other does, I know her like nobody else, so it was easy to start talking about that topic after our snack. But that doesn't change how hard it was to address her feelings, and how the whole moment traumatized her."
Anna gulped. She walked closer to circle her elder's shoulders.
"Elsa…"
"I'm okay. We're okay. One thing I've learned from all of this, is that I need to show you how alive I am."
The redhead smiled. Her sister's tone had been playful, but also sincere.
"I want to spend as much time as possible with you two, and actually the whole family, to forgive myself for that heartbreaking moment. And help you heal from it."
Anna's face melted in a touched expression. She slid her hand in Elsa's, which the latter appreciated, and she squeezed it.
They kept walking on the carpets. The gloomy weather outside gave a dimmed natural brightness, so the staff had lit the lamps on the walls. It particularly enhanced Elsa's red dress.
"It looks good on you!" Complimented Anna, her cheeks full with her big grin. "I'm so happy to have ordered it this perfect."
Elsa looked away bashfully. "I don't know… It looks a bit too red, no? Its color reminds me of blood."
Anna puffed. "Calm down, drama queen. It's just that you're not used to wear warm colors."
The blonde had a wince. "Maybe that's why I'm feeling so uncomfortable."
Her sister's eyes widened. "Hey, if it's scratchy or too frivolous or anything, feel free to change, Elsa, please." Insisted Anna, her happy voice switching to care.
"I'm fine." Lied Elsa. "This dress is too gorgeous to take it off."
Anna smiled. She loved the adjective.
Elsa felt conflicted as they walked together to the lesson room to talk to Eydis and Isak before heading to the dinner table. She genuinely appreciated Anna's gift, and the dress was really beautiful, but she felt weird in it. And yet, weird wasn't really the word… It was like she had a queasy feeling, like she was not feeling herself. She shook her head to dismiss that sensation, and smiled to her nephew and niece when she entered the room.
Elsa barely had the time to salute the smiling tutor when Isak jumped from his chair and ran to her to tackle her waist in a hug.
"Auntie! I'm so happy that you're back!"
"Me too." Smiled Elsa, brushing his hair. "And I almost didn't make it…"
Anna gave her a strong look that meant 'Don't you dare joking about it this early', so she stopped.
"You smell nice!" Complimented the boy.
"Why, thank you."
It was a natural reaction from the child, because Elsa had taken a shower a few hours before. However, what was strange is that she didn't feel more clean than before. She did smell nice, but it was just a fragrance. In fact, she felt like she was still dirty, and didn't notice until now because she got distracted by her discussions with Honeymaren and Anna. Now, she was dying to run back to the bathroom and rub all of her skin severely.
Elsa detached from the children after greeting them, trying to change her mind by observing the room. She smiled at what surrounded her. The royal children had lessons in the room where the portrait of her father was hanged, representing him in official outfit as he lifted the orb and scepter during his coronation. She lost herself in the memory of a younger self, on the morning of her own coronation, when she had trained to do that very gesture without losing control over her power and freeze everything.
Before leaving, the tutor had opened the doors of the balcony to let some fresh air come in. Two children racking their brains doing mathematics problems could produce a lot of heat. While they were busy chatting with their mom to talk about their lesson, Elsa walked on the balcony, humming in joy at the welcome damp of air. She loved how the specific smell of the fjord reminded her of Arendelle, and brought a feeling of warmth within. It also reminded her of the salty breeze of the Dark Sea every time she would go to Ahtohallan, so in all cases, the sensation caused by rain in the distance and the smell of petrichor always filled her with delight.
"It's great to have some rain." Said a voice behind her.
Only a voice could be this positive about a type of weather that many despised; when she turned, she smiled to her sister.
"It will make the farmers up the hills happy. Crops needed this."
Elsa grinned as she put her forearms on the railing, still sheltered by the roof. "I love that you think about all those little details. You make a remarkable Queen. Our old geopolitics teacher must be pale with envy to see your talent."
Anna giggled at the compliment. "He actually retired. I saw him in the village not so long ago. Besides, talent is passion with practice. I simply like it when farmers are happy. Good soil also means more food, and better food."
"And you love food." Smirked her elder.
"Yep."
They laughed for a moment. Elsa passed her hand on the railing. "I remember that this balcony was the very first place where I saw the guests coming to my coronation."
The redhead smiled, looking at the gates below. "This is a really great spot to watch the kingdom indeed."
"I was mortified with fear, though." Chuckled the Snow Queen nervously. "Waow… This feels like a century ago. A lifetime, even."
"It is, in a way."
They observed the rain together, until Eydis' voice resounded behind them.
"Mother, can we play with Aunt Elsa before dinner?"
Both women turned around. "Oh, sweetie, no. We have to go. We came here to walk down with you. It will be served soon."
"Please, please please!" Begged the teenager.
Anna put her arms on her hips. "Wasn't the level of adventure those last days enough to satiate your adrenalin?"
Eydis giggled. Isak intervened with a dramatic dismiss hand gesture. "It's okay, 'dis. I'm sure that Auntie cheats at games anyway."
Anna scoffed, and Elsa blinked in surprise at his nerve. But quickly, she remembered that Isak was a very sore loser, even worse than her sister. With a mother like theirs, it was no wonder.
"Elsa never cheats at games." Chuckled the Queen. "She's even very bad because of that."
Elsa looked at her with a raised eyebrow, wondering if that was defense or mockery from her part.
"It's obvious that you all have never played kyykkä with her." Scoffed a voice at the entrance.
They turned to see Honeymaren leaning on the door frame, her arms crossed with sarcasm.
"She keeps tickling me so I miss the throw when she teams up with Ryder."
"Wait, you cheat?" Blinked Anna.
Elsa bit her lip. "Maybe…"
"You're aware that the best cheaters never let you know that they cheat, right?" Underlined Honeymaren.
Anna's jaw dropped like she just realized a lifetime trickery.
"Wait, what the heck is kyykkä?" Asked Eydis.
"A game with wooden pins. It's a combination of chance and skill, which your aunt both have, and it's a nightmare for me when I'm not in her team. By the way, I'm certain that when Ryder and her are together, they plot against me. Even if we're seven teams to play, they still do their best so I gain zero point."
The children giggled in unison.
"Anyway, what are you two devils waiting for? It's dinner time!"
They all walked down to the dinner table. While they set the excited children down, Elsa chatted a bit with Kristoff, thanking him for everything. To ease her worry, he joked on how deeply asleep she was when they arrived in the early afternoon.
"We'll have to make sure that she actually sleeps tonight", laughed Anna, who naturally had been eavesdropping.
Honeymaren added a mockery as well once they sat down. "Jongu told me that he saw you wander here and there all night. Even the Spirits tried to put you to sleep, but what can they do when their unifier is stubborn as brass, uh?"
"Stop it." Mumbled Elsa as she helped herself with lamb.
She then went in a very bad mood for the whole dinner.
Elsa started seeing defaults about everything. The messy behavior of Isak at the table when he played with his food, the way Eydis toyed with her fork, the way Anna tapped with her knee against the table, the loud talks Kristoff and Honeymaren had, everything made her go nuts. When the staff arrived with new courses, Elsa saw mannerisms in Ronny's moves that she started to hate, she noticed how the food wasn't perfectly symmetrical in the dishes, and she kept being distracted by the coughs of the maid who was serving wine. The blonde also observed elements of decoration that she never criticized until now, and that she, suddenly, couldn't bear to see anymore. It all made her nauseous, and she had to force herself to eat.
Elsa was actually surprised by her own temper when they all finished dessert. Why was she acting like that? They only had been joking when they talked about her sleep, and their remarks were just tease, she knew it. Then why was she so grumpy? Why did she only see what's bad?
She was on her nerves, and something was up. But what?
The conversations continued between the members of her family, but her mind had gone elsewhere.
Elsa kept pacing back and forth in the guest bedroom. She was conflicted, questioning herself, and her thoughts were bouncing around in her brain in unstoppable hops.
She sighed heavily as she came to a stop, realizing she better do so or the flooring would be pressed where she kept walking.
Then her fingers fidgeted on their own accord, and she grumbled when she noticed; she had to put an end to that behavior.
The Snow Queen had pretended to go to the bathroom while the others were having tea in the living room after dinner, and now she had spent too much time here… They would soon find it suspicious.
But before returning to them, she really wanted to understand what was going on, and why she was feeling like this.
As she closed her eyes to focus, she could tell it was linked to magic. It wasn't related to the Spirits, though, for she could feel their common joy as they rambled around the Forest, even from the Arendelle castle. So what was it related to? Ahtohallan? No, it was easy to tell that it wasn't about the ancient glacier. Was it her ice and snow magic, then?
She opened her eyes, and conjured some snowflakes in the air from her left palm to test it out and see how she would feel. In the split second before she did, Elsa realized that she hadn't been using her magic for the last two days, simply lacking of opportunities. When she projected the snowflakes, they floated as usual, but an odd sensation roamed her entire soul. She felt oddly filthy. That same sensation of dirt she had experienced before came back immediately. It was like she was covered with mud, or marked with soil, or even mucky. Yet she knew that her skin was cleaned, and her dress was entirely new. She looked down at her body, touching the outfit at parts. No, the whole fabric exhaled nothing magical that could make her feel that way. But damn, did that color started to piss her off. It really looked like blood.
As she absentmindedly made her snowflakes twirl around her fingers in a flick of the wrist, an habit she had while she was thinking, a more precise sensation came to her mind. It was like she had sticky fingers. She vanished the magic with a frown, and rubbed her skin. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Then why do I feel like that?" Muttered Elsa out loud. "This is driving me mad!"
She clenched her fists and stretched her arms down in frustration. An outburst of magic came from her core, so sudden it surprised her; it also had a very specific vibe that Elsa had never experienced before, even when she discovered herself new ice and snow skills. It snapped in her like she had triggered something, and it felt like she had unclogged something deep inside.
The very millisecond she felt it pass her wrists, she hurried to bring all her focus in her palms to stop the magic in its race. The weird magic obeyed, and she begged for it to retract and dissipate.
Once done, Elsa's eyes were wide open in panic, and she panted as her heart beats rose in speed. That wasn't magic that coursed that fast through her arms. Or rather, it wasn't…
She suddenly twirled around, grabbed the door handle to open the door and ran in the corridor. She almost fell in the stairs with the speed at which she was going down; but she didn't care. She grabbed her dress up to run even faster, grabbed the handle of the living room door, ran to her sister, but didn't grab her. She even briskly put her hands along her thighs, doing all she could to absolutely not touch anyone.
"Waow, Elsa, are you okay?" Blinked Anna.
Eydis turned around in a happy jump from the couch where she was sit on her heels.
"Ah, here you are! Papa is talking about a machine in America that allows you to talk to someone who isn't even there. That's totally not true, right? That can't exist, right? I'm sure that the word tell-a-fun isn't even real. He's messing with me, right?"
"It's pronounced 'telephone'", corrected Kristoff as he rolled his eyes. "And it's very real."
"You can't believe everything that the newspapers say, Kristoff." Laughed Honeymaren.
"Is it magical, then?" Asked Isak to the brunette.
She heard his question, but didn't respond. She had just noticed Elsa's sudden entrance, and clear distress. She frowned as she tried to understand what was wrong with her wife. Elsa had isolated Anna in a corner.
"You look like you have seen a ghost." Worried Anna.
"I need to talk to you. Please. Alone. Right now."
Everything stopped in Anna's brain at those words. The last time Elsa pronounce those exact words, with this intensity, with this alarmed eyes, was a lifetime ago. And it was right before her coronation party went upside down. Anna had always wondered how different things would have been if she hadn't been a recalcitrant idiot and accepted to follow Elsa, because she would have revealed everything about her 13 years of secrecy and silence.
The redhead instantly put her cup down, and nodded firmly. She invited her to lead the way, already following her nervous wreck of a sister in another room. As they went out under the others' confused gazes, Anna gave a look to Honeymaren. Nevertheless, the leader nodded wisely, not insisting on following them. If Elsa insisted on the privacy, she was willing to respect it.
Anna closed the door behind them as they entered the council room, thinking it was best to not go to her study upstairs. It was too far, and Elsa's concerning behavior needed to be taken care of immediately.
As soon as she turned to watch her elder, she saw that Elsa was in a state of complete stress. The redhead rose a hand as she came closer.
"Woaw, woaw, hey hey hey, Elsa, look at me. Breathe. Try to breathe."
Elsa was panting heavily, switching in between clenching her hands, stopping to watch her sister, then pacing in the room, then stopping to watch her again.
"Elsa, hey, no matter what it is, I love you, okay? Try to calm down. Look at me. There. Great. Keep your eyes on me." Indicated Anna, smiling as she followed her instructions.
Elsa closed her mouth and continued to breath heavily through her nose, but she followed Anna's steady and slow nods that helped her catch a regular breath. Finally, she settled to a calm attitude.
"Theeeere. Better, uh? Relax."
Anna smiled and was about to step closer to enlace her, when suddenly Elsa took a step back and clenched her hands together.
The blonde clenched her eyes shut and closed her mouth in a thin line, shaking no with her head. She was in a lack of words, or rather, she didn't want to say 'Don't touch me'.
"Oh." Reacted Anna, and she felt like her heart sunk in her chest. "Okay."
She accepted that choice, but she didn't like it at all. She didn't like what that meant, and she didn't like the state it was putting Elsa in. She reluctantly took some distance.
"It's alright if you don't want to, Elsa. I understand. I'm staying by the door, I promise I won't move. But I support you. You can tell me anything."
The blonde opened her eyes and looked at her in a mix of sadness, worry and thankfulness.
"I… I know why I feel weird." Stated Elsa in a croaked voice.
"Okay?" Said Anna, not understanding what she was referring to, yet listening closely and encouraging her to continue.
Elsa had stopped touching her hands to put them along her body next to her hips, trying her best not to clench her fists.
"At first, I felt dirty, even after I took a shower. Then I was feeling odd about the color of this dress… That I can't dissociate from the concept of violence. I felt really uncomfortable with my own body, like I was out of my shoes, though not literally, you know? And I kept having this sensation of filth, of grime… It's like my whole body and mind is sticky with a matter I can't figure. I felt nauseous during meal, and I kept reproaching stuff to everyone and everything. In general, I'm not feeling myself at all. Anna…"
The redhead was devastated by Elsa's confessions and analysis, and gave her an interrogative look.
"What?"
"I think that Victor gave me all the magic he had in him. I don't only have my ice magic back. I have dark magic too."
Anna's teal blue eyes widened in terror, and she gasped.
Elsa twisted her face in a sorrowful expression, and she lifted her arms, then regained the angered state she had been in when she was in the bedroom. Instantly, the same horrible feeling roamed her veins and raced up to her open hands.
Ink black goo slowly spilled out of her palms and fingers, thick and sticky. It fell to the floor and splashed heavily at her feet.
Elsa gulped and took a breath to avoid crying.
"I have dark magic too."
* HIATUS *
Author's Note:
Dun dun DUUUUUN.
Yep. You read that well. A hiatus. You were already screaming at that cliffhanger, and now you want to kill me even more, uh?
Don't worry dears, "Lift the Spirit" will be back soon. I just need to take a break and balance my personal stuff with the writing of this fic. Which you were updated of once per week, you lucky cuties!
As a very not famous actor said in a very not famous movie, "I'LL BE BACK."
In the meantime, you guys can re-read the 6 first chapters 😄 :D
And obviously, if you're craving for more, you can order a copy of "Untangling the Frozen Knots", my 140K words printed fanfic that is a crossover between Tangled and Frozen. Have a search for the website on Google! If you state that you're from fanfic-net when you fill the form, I'll give you a discount! 😊 :)