Fall had blown by quickly, and now even the endless bite of winter was transitioning into a brisk spring. The months had gone by without any such notion as "winter depression" reaching either of Anna and Elsa's heads. They were far too busy enjoying each other all this time.
Things outside of their relationship were just as great; Olaf became their full-time worry, but he was never a burden since now with the castle's library at his disposal, he was learning to read and became slightly more mature and capable (unless he wanted food. Anna refused to let him make his own food since the last time he lit a quarter of the kitchen on fire and the lead chef refused to even hear his voice at this point. Elsa almost lost her mind as well). Kristoff heard of their engagement quickly; Anna and him had talked again, deciding they'd be better as best friends anyway. So far the awkwardness of a past relationship has yet to catch up with them. Oh, and Sven was now a leader of sheep and some other live crop on the outskirts of Arendelle.
Elsa had found it easier now to rule the kingdom. Mostly because she wasn't quite so miserable doing so with someone to stand by her and guide her like her sister could. Elsa and a few others from the castle have decided to extend Arendelle about a quarter out. This section was only OK'd knowing Elsa herself could make it from ice (it being an ice rink. It also is going to have quite a few other activities for teens and children to enjoy themselves at). On top of the "go ahead" to do that, Elsa found that the counsel took to her better now. A lot less arguing and questioning of her and her reign and who she will or will not marry was settling down. There was a deeper respect now, and Anna constantly reminded her she deserved it.
As for Anna… well. She's just about on cloud nine. She's currently tucked under Elsa's chin, pretending to totally not be feeling her sister up through her dark blue dress that covers the hickies on her neck Elsa almost fainted over two nights ago. They're sitting in Elsa's study at her desk, cuddled up in the wide navy chair. She never understands how Anna somehow fits herself on the leather chair with her, but then again, why question a great thing? Anna lowers the felt collar of Elsa's dress and runs a nimble finger over all six marks.
"Admiring your work?" Elsa says through a grin, eyes still on her book, head tipping to one side to see past her fiance.
"Admiring you in general," Anna responds with a cocky huff. "How about our admiring goes a little further and we skip on over to my room?" Elsa smirks and tickles her sister's side, making Anna jump up into the Queen's lap.
"That sounds lovely. I just need a few minutes to finish this." Anna whines with her head hinged backward and Elsa laughs at her. "You never can wait."
"No!" Anna stands up anyway, twirling once just because why not? "I'll be in my room," she says with a hint of something further to come.
"See you soon," Elsa blows her a kiss that literally carries in the breeze that somehow formed, landing perfectly against Anna's lips. God that was cute, Anna swoons. She stumbles through the halls pressing her left hand against her chest. The outline of the beautiful engagement ring her sister gave her is safely tucked beneath her olive and mustard dress.
They decided telling the town would have far more repercussions than it should, seeing as their maid they fired during the fall decided to spill the word out. Not many believed it, but it took a lot of talking Elsa down from Anna to keep the Queen from exiling him. Anna insisted that would make it look worse on them, even though she immediately noticed a difference in how people treated the royalty, especially Elsa. People became more openly skeptical about her decisions not to marry outside of Arendelle for political benefits. Elsa had always rejected that, and now Anna did too with an intense vigor for obvious reasons. Elsa's mine, she thinks constantly, her eyes eating her sister up every chance they get.
The two often lay around at night, or walk through the forests nearby far out of ear shot and hold hands while discussing things like,
"What kind of dresses should we wear when we do get married, Els?" Elsa always holds her hand tighter when these questions come up. It warms Anna's heart, it's like Elsa's physically promising her it will happen. Someday at least.
"White ones. I'll make mine. I'm not quite sure how it will look yet. I just know I don't want a veil. I do want a long train however."
"Oooh, that sounds cute already."
"Not nearly as cute as you," Elsa cut in, pulling her sister closer for their arms to bump.
"You're sweet."
"You're sweeter," Elsa insisted, kissing Anna's head.
"Stopppp," Anna jokes with a laugh. "...Don't actually stop," she said shyly, head turned away.
"I never will," Elsa had said.
As Anna reminisced on these things, she had a hand on her hip and looked out a window that was directly facing all of Arendelle. She fondly looked on, checking on the condition of each building after the tough winter winds had blown by. What the hell? Anna squints and leans closer to the window, knuckles cold against the burgundy windowsill. A swarm of wind that looks to be particularly black is buzzing in an out of trees on the Southern outskirts of town. The Southern outskirts are just trees and shrubbery, but the wind mass looks almost human like, peeking in and out of trees. Suddenly the black mass gets taller, nearly reaching the height of a house off in the distance. Anna's worriedly watching, brows nearly meeting each other.
The thing slinks back down and flies across the bridge connecting Arendelle to the green and Anna shouts,
"ELSA?!" She hears a heavy drop of books against wood and footsteps moving quickly. The windy mass gets somehow darker, and every small fire lighting up the rocky roads of Arendelle it passes fizzle out. It gets to the main courtyard in the center of town where the largest fountain is next to an ice sculpture of Anna and Elsa, and it seems to stop and stare.
"What's wrong?!" Elsa cries, rushing down the hall. At the sound of her voice the wind mass jerks and flies right toward the castle.
"Stay against the wall!" Anna shouts, and both she and Elsa (with a very confused look on her face) blow out the candles next to themselves and nervously still their bodies.
BOOM! The gust of wind following this thing slams against the window like nothing else. Anna watches the glass vase from across the hall facing the window and she points at that vase for Elsa. They stare on, seeing the black reflection. It's oddly broad shoulders move back and forth as if looking down the hall. When it turns in Anna's direction, it seems calm, but once it turns in the direction of Elsa, it starts twitching and the roar of wind is so heavy it makes the window pane creek dangerously.
It slams something light against the window and Elsa tightens her fist that's getting a subtle glow of ice around it. Then there's a SLAM! of one of the Arendelle flags posted around town crashing into the window, and both Anna and Elsa jump off the wall and stand in the moonlight shining through the glass. The black wind gets longer, somehow opaque enough to block most of the light, and the shape of the being casts a long tall shadow in the dimly lit red hallway. Elsa's hands are now covered in ice. It's a threat. But this thing threatens her back by tearing the Arendelle flag to shreds inside of itself and spitting it back out.
Elsa grits her teeth in disgust, launching toward the window and undoing one of the two latches. Anna grabs her sister's waist and tugs her back.
"Are you crazy?!" She starts yelling, unable to hear much besides a loud groaning of wind which scarily enough, almost sounds like people's cries and screams from somewhere deep within it. "That thing could kill everyone in here!" Just as she says that, a few servants bunch together with candle lights and scurry down the hall toward the two. "Stand back!" Anna holds her hands up and the mass seems to back up as well. Elsa keeps her eyes on it and she slams a fist of ice against the glass, cracking it slightly. The thing backs up even further before trying to intimidate Elsa by launching forward a foot. Anna and the rest of the servants who can see it fall back, but Elsa doesn't budge. The wind takes notice, and it flies away, it's black shadow covering the town before it shrinks into nearly nothing and drops down into the trees.
"I'm gonna go find that thing," Elsa declares, knuckles cracking when she shakes the ice off her skin.
"Your Majesty, no!" Comes a servant in her long yellow nightgown. "That seemed—"
"—Way too dangerous!" Comes another. Anna nods with them, but Elsa doesn't see it, her eyes are transfixed on that spot in the trees that happens to be the same spot where she cracked the glass into the shape of a lopsided x.
….
"Els?" Anna was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall under the windowsill where everything had happened. Anna and the servants talked Elsa down from leaving while it was night, but they could not get Elsa to leave the window no matter what they tried. "But we can have guards take turns keeping post," they tried many times. Elsa refused, insisting she would do it. Anna wouldn't leave her side anyhow. Even if it had been two hours. She doesn't know how Elsa is still standing in those uncomfortable heels.
"Baby," Anna begged, knowing Elsa secretly loved that word, "Please just go to bed."
"I have to be here to protect Arendelle if it decides to come back. I can't let anyone get in the way; that wind was much too strong."
"Yes. It was strong. Now put your ear against the window." Elsa frowns and Anna aggravatedly points to the window. "Do it." Elsa does, annoyed that she has to do something so silly looking. "Do you hear it?"
"Only slightly."
"Then I'd say that's different than the crazy ass wind that thing brought by." Elsa wrinkles her lip in defeat and runs her hands down her arms. "Yeah. Let's go. You can't go looking for that thing being totally exhausted anyway." Anna gets up, pushing on the floor, and holding Elsa's hand, dragging her toward Anna's bedroom. Elsa mumbles arguments the whole way and Anna shuts every one down with a shh or a yeah yeah pouty pants. Anna pulls her dress over her head and throws on her pajamas while Elsa stands in front of Anna's largest window with arms crossed under her breasts. "Oh my Godddddd." She stomps over to Elsa and whips a dark green nightgown at her head.
"Fine." Elsa takes off her clothes, neatly folding them and resting them on the backless sofa next to the fireplace before getting in the bed where Anna has the sheets folded down. Elsa hugs Anna and her sister sighs contently against Elsa's breasts. Anna lies her head against her pillow and looks up at her sister who's sitting up, a hand against her mouth. She worries just like Mamma did.
"Kiss me," Anna requests, rubbing Elsa's thigh. Elsa looks down at her, a blankness to her face that quickly attempts to soften. Elsa transitions to her side and kisses her sister on the forehead. "Not that kind of kiss." Elsa's shoulders bob in a half-laugh, and she presses her closed lips against Anna's. Anna holds the back of her sister's head and kisses her harder, but Elsa tries getting out of it anyway, turning her head so Anna's lips slip over her cheek.
"Sorry I… I'm distracted." Anna suppresses the rejection and gently places her warm hand on Elsa's face that's colder than usual, turning her head so they face each other.
"Hey. Listen up. I'm gonna say this now, cuz I know you're gonna be stubborn. No, don't roll your eyes. We are going to go fight that thing together—ah, I said no eye rolls."
"Anna there's no way."
"Just save your breath. And if you decide to skip out on me before I wake up, Kristoff will come and tell me which direction you went off in."
"Anna I really don't want you to do this."
"And I really don't want you to get hurt. We're going together."
"But what if it's like that gigantic rock monster a few months ago? That was so dangerous for you!" Elsa's eyes plead with Anna who's shaking her head again and again. Elsa sighs and falls back onto the pillow, wiping her bangs out of her face.
"Are you done?" Elsa shrugs in response, her lips aggravatedly turned up on one side. Anna holds the judgment back from her face and rests her crossed arms on her sister's chest, tucking her chin into the crook of an elbow. Elsa traces Anna's jaw with her middle finger. "Promise me you'll try sleeping, and promise me you won't take off on me."
"...I promise."