Anna woke up to her sister kissing her breathless on her back. Her eyes were fluttering open and closed, trying to catch up with Elsa's unusual eagerness. Well someone is happy this morning, Anna thinks tiredly. Then a moment passes and Elsa pulls back with a mopey smile saying all there is to say. Anna springs up, nearly cracking her face against Elsa's as she realizes,
"TODAY'S THE DAY!" Elsa nods enthusiastically and pulls Anna in for a tight hug that they giggle into like children all over again. A day like this is what I've been hoping for since I was a tiny little itty bitty girl, HOPELESSLY waiting for my Prince to come. Her heart pounds a mile a minute and she warms at the look Elsa is giving her. There's nothing but total unfiltered love firing on all cylinders. Anna springs off the bed and Elsa nearly does the same, and for once in her life, Queen Elsa forgets to fix the sheets.
"Alright, I'm going to check with Kristoff that Ryder is bringing everyone from Northuldra." Elsa checks the clock three times before ducking down and fixing her hair in Anna's mirror. "Then I'll be heading out and making sure Marshmallow and Olaf are on their best behavior at the castle already." The wedding was to be at two PM sharp at the peak of the North mountain. Elsa's ice castle finally has a use again. Anna's half listening, dreamily applying her makeup over Elsa's shoulder in the same mirror they're bumping elbows to see themselves in.
Ok, Anna thinks ecstatically. Time for me to make sure everyone who'd like to come from Arendelle are leaving soon and getting myself all done up. YEY! Her shoulders shake while applying her makeup perfectly. She went for a fancier gold-pink eyeshadow this time. When she's about to set it down, Elsa reaches for it.
"May I?" Anna hums yes and kisses Elsa hard, handing the kit to a startled Elsa who almost drops the palette three times. Elsa had been using less and less makeup the last few weeks, but now's not the time for naturalism, Elsa thinks. It's time to look our absolute best. When the two part, Elsa puts on makeup quickly and snaps her fingers to wear her usual ice blue dress until she's about to walk the aisle. Elsa clears her throat and stands, watching Anna frantically throw on a simple dark green dress before struggling with something in her closet with the door closed. Elsa itches her hairline and inches towards the door. "...Ok, see you later?"
"Wait wait wait! One more kiss before the-"
"-Save it for later," Elsa insists, closing the bedroom door to a crack. "I love you-" A skinny hand grabs her wrist that just parted with the door and jerks her back. The only thing that caught her was her sister's lips on hers. Elsa groans when she pulls away and Anna's head is the only thing outside of the bedroom with a toothy grin.
"I love you too, sis."
Three Hours later
Elsa was skating around the castle, rapidly decorating and waving her hands around in every direction while balancing the drawn up plans against the crook of her elbow and her hip. She rode her waternook with Olaf on her lap across the water until the horse leapt up through the sunny hills and carried them to their destination. It had been interesting, especially when Olaf fell (more like jumped) into the water, and Elsa had to ruin her makeup to search for him. Olaf and Marshmallow were "keeping watch" outside for guests (that was the only way she got some alone time). She spun on her heel one final time and shook out the plans, checking each part about a dozen times more before nodding affirmatively.
Elsa had thought ahead, along with a couple of other construction advisors and renovated the ice castle to have working stoves and some other basic forms of plumbing. Ironic, Elsa had thought then, that the place she insisted on being cold was now about to be filled with the warmth of about nine dozen people. She walked around to check on a group of her best chefs from home working on the hearty meal once the vows had been said. She already saw that the long row of ice tables covered with burgundy and gold tablecloths were already set with their plates and cuttlery.
The last thing was to get herself ready, so she excused herself and headed to the new third floor she created last week. It was a well decorated bedroom, just so she and I don't have to go too far to get to it, Elsa thought with a laugh. She closes the door and her nerves finally kick in. Her body feels light but somewhat queasy as she steps in front of the full body mirror.
Kristoff and Anna were leading the pack in their rickety cart with Sven pulling. Her dress was in a safely sealed long black bag in the back of the cart, and she kept compulsively turning her head to check that it was still there. Kristoff chuckled at her and she hit his shoulder, making Sven make a noise of amusement. Ryder and Honeymaren were far behind, leading almost all of the small village of Northuldra with them. Anna and Elsa were still both humbled so many of them accepted their union so openly. Yelana had even offered to host. Anna was rubbing her hands together, nervously feeling her jaw quiver.
"Hey," Kristoff bud in. "Relax will you? All you've done for months is talk about this. It's planned perfectly," he finishes with his typical calm demeanor and a crooked smile. Anna rests her head on his shoulder.
"I knowww," Anna sighs, fixing her bangs and patting the back of her hair that's done down (Elsa's favorite look). And I suspect that's cuz I only wear it down when we're fuc- "CRAP!" Anna shifts unexpectedly and the cart shakes roughly. She starts patting Kristoff's sides and he shifts awkwardly.
"Ok the time for this is long gone," he warns, making Anna roll her eyes sharply.
"No! The wedding bands! Do you have them?!" Kristoff whacks her hand away from his leg and huffs.
"Sven's got 'em. Right buddy?" Anna's eyes narrow and she rubs her forehead. Sven makes a noise of agreement and turns his head so the light flickers on the rings tied around his thick neck.
"Oh give me that you goofs!" Anna leans over and reaches, shoving her backside in Kristoff's uncomfortable face turned up toward the sun that's burning his eyeballs to crisps. Anna sits down and shakes her head, inspecting the rings that when pressed together, form a crystal heart. "You really left rings on an animal's neck." Kritsof was about to open his mouth but Anna put a finger up to it and shushed. "Actually, that was probably safer than anywhere on you." She laughed and so did Sven in his own way. Kristoff pouts and stares up the road, holding Sven's lead tight in two hands.
"Is that any way to talk to the guy who's marrying you two?" Anna grins at her feet and pats his knee. "I still can't believe she gave into that," he coughs, rubbing his chest.
"Same," Anna mutters, playing with the rings and feeling her vision blurry. She looks up at Kristoff and he looks back at her, softening his brow. "Thank you so much for everything, Kristoff. I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't taught me a thing or two about love… before." Kristoff has no jealous edge to his voice, or crook in his brow when he says,
"Thanks for letting me love you."
….
Elsa was freaking out. She had her dress on, long and flowy and glittering with an ice train that went back a half-foot. It was low cut, but stopped right before the crease of her breasts. Her hair was up with a crystal pin keeping it in place. She was sitting on the bed with its navy and forest green dyes being tugged on by her nimble fingers. Her legs were tucked up under herself and her heels were on the floor by the door. Her heart was pounding away, making her hot blood itch under her cool skin that was peppered with nervous sweat.
"Get ahold of yourself," she demanded to the reflection in the mirror far across from her. "It's fine. It's completely fine. You want this." Elsa looks at her hand tangled in the skirt of her dress and winces at the wrinkles. "Anna doesn't even care about perfection. Clearly," Elsa chuckles, self-deprecating herself. She shuts her eyes and her thumb rubs against her ring finger that's empty for now. "I love you so much, Anna."
She breathes in, sucking in her stomach, feeling it ache before letting out a long breath through her mouth. She walks over to the door and kicks on her shoes, looking at the time. I should just wait up here as planned. Anna will be dressing downstairs in the guest bedroom and once the clock strikes two, and it rings through my ears, I walk first, and she walks up next, with Kristoff by her side. Elsa's heart starts pumping fast again, and she rubs at it furiously.
One O'Clock
"Kristoff! Can you zip me up?!" He scratches his head before bravely coming into Anna's room. He's floored.
"Wwowww." She gives him the most cheeky yet flushed smile he's ever seen. Her dress is white, but the short train and a quarter of the bodice is dark green. It's quite a lacy dress compared to anything she'd usually wear. And it's shoulderless (another thing just for Elsa).
He walks over to her, careful with every step, and he takes one big leap over her train before zipping her. She lets her hair down and he gawks again. She waves him off with an embarrassed smile.
"No. Really. Who wouldn't die for you right now?"
"Stopppp," she groans, nervously fixing herself in the mirror. Kristoff watches from the little suede bench at the foot of the guest bed.
"I think yours is better than Elsa's."
"No way," she chuckles. "I bet it's so impressive that everyone's eyeballs will explode." They chuckle and he smiles at her a little sadly.
"You look beautiful Anna. I'm happy for you two." She sets down her brush and looks back at him. They give each other knowing looks, both feeling a bittersweetness that's almost suffocating. It was definitely already over between them, but Anna could hardly even think back to what it'd be like if they were still together. Especially once she was married to someone as earnestly loving as her sister. "Come on, let's get that veil on you," he says quietly, picking it up off the bed. She takes a minute before skipping over to him.
Two O'Clock
Everyone had been happily conversing and filling up the castle with voices unfamiliar to it as they engorged themselves in desserts. They all sat, some stood, around the second floor that had been extended out for this occasion to fit velvet red pews. Everyone glanced around and aw'd at the beautiful art they were sitting near that was everywhere down to the floor.
"Damn," Honeymaren whispered to Ryder in the front seats. "Our lady friend is killing it with her ice." Ryder hummed and then groaned. "What?"
"You said 'lady friend' you freakin' weirdo!" She rolled her eyes and fixed her skirt she sewed herself.
"Oh let me live," she whined, throwing her head back. The loud clock rang, and Kristoff hurriedly gave the two wedding bands to the ring boy; that being a loud and excited Olaf who was bouncing around in the back next to Marshmallow who was crammed on the stairs scaring everyone nearby. Kristoff speed walked toward the platform up front and cleared his throat. His face was burning with nervousness as he welcomed and thanked everyone. He held his little book that said all the words he recited about a half million times to Sven, but as he looked at them, they seemed so flat and impersonable. I'm gonna take a thing or two from the love experts. His eyes locked with theirs. They were pushed into a corner, giving him a thumbs up and clapping while everyone stared at them oddly.
Right now it was Elsa's time to shine. Her heels clicked significantly loud against the long red carpet leading up to the platform. Everyone looked at her in all her glory, hips swaying and chin high. Her face didn't show a hint of the anxious wreck she was inside. Honeymaren gripped Ryder's knee so hard he flinched.
"Oh my God. So hot. So hot. So hot." She could barely breathe and she laughed into her palm. Ryder chuckled and whispered,
"Well I know what you'll be dreamin' about." She hit him and they laughed under their breaths until Yelana whacked them both. Elsa clicked her way up the stage and stood on the side near Kristoff, hands in her lap. He smiles at her wide and she gave him a hesitant smile back.
"You're doin' great," he shushed, and Elsa nnn'd back in response. The organ was playing already, and Elsa listened closely to ignore the stomach clenching discomfort of eyes all over her. Then it happened. The two huge doors opened and Anna was walking out. Both Kristoff and Elsa felt their breathing stop.
"Holy…"
"Shit," Kristoff finished raspily. Elsa's eyes are wide and her jaw is hanging. She's happy no one was looking at her anymore. Anna cheerfully stalked her way down the aisle, nodding to the guests she passed who were clapping loudly. She was magnetic, her beautiful smile had everyone swooning.
"I'd take both," Honeymaren whispers in awe. Ryder almost coughs in laughter, suffocating himself with his calloused hands. Once Anna took a step up onto the stage, Elsa couldn't help but reach for both her hands, but at least she stopped herself from kissing her right then.
"You look amazing," they both say to each other with big cheesy smiles. The stars in their eyes are blinding. They can't focus on anything else, and that burning anxiety for Elsa just fizzles away. This is happening. This is really happening. Kristoff says his traditional opening lines, but he finishes with a heartfelt,
"Never have I seen two people love each other more than these two. And I'm surrounded by lovebugs. They're a perfect match," he says, shakily. And Anna looks at him encouragingly. "No one can argue that." Elsa smiles at him gently and he clears his throat before asking for their vows. It was Anna first. Elsa felt a little nervous again, even in rehearsal she never understood the reason to say all of these personal things aloud. But then Anna started talking, and the feeling of seeing Anna be so beautifully vulnerable made perfect sense.
"There's nothing more right than love," Anna said, looking up at Elsa through her lashes. "But somehow this is… righter," she chuckled, and so did a group in the crowd. "We haven't always been the closest, but the past year I've spent with you is somehow better than any silly fantasy I had as a hopeful little girl." Anna squeezed Elsa's hands tighter and her face grew serious. "In sickness and in health. At the end of the world and back. I'll be right there next to you. I love you absolutely, Els." Elsa could cry. Everyone in the crowd clapped wildly, cheering softly with their words. Olaf was sniffling in the back, hugging Marshamllow's gigantic unimpressed leg.
Kristoff said one or two things more before everyone turned to Elsa expectantly, and she looked at the crowd through the corner of her eye, feeling their gazes burn. Anna made a noise at her and Elsa caught up again. If I just look at Anna, it's fine. She hummed before her steady vocal cadence lulled everyone into her words that were set over the top of the quiet piano on the opposite side of the organ.
"I hardly thought love was real," Elsa started quietly, gradually raising her voice. "I'd read about it and hear people among the castle huddle up and divulge every last detail of how it swept them away so completely. It was all nonsense until I accepted that I was the only thing holding myself back from it. I wasn't willing to open myself up to something that's made me feel so full and so thoroughly at peace for once in my life until you, Anna. It wasn't until you took the step to make us happen." Elsa and Anna lock watery eyes and lace their fingers together. "However, here we are now, both of us equally taking the step toward forever, because…" Elsa smiled brilliantly and Anna felt herself choke up under her veil. "In sickness and in health. Until the day our lives are extinguished, I plan on being by your side… even into death." Everyone claps louder than before and shout their words of encouragement. Elsa flushes.
Kristoff waves his hand to Olaf who bounces his way down the hall, balancing the rings on an indigo pillow making Elsa die internally while Anna laughs airily. He bows down in front of them and Elsa takes the first ring, gently placing it on Anna's delicate hand. And then Anna does the same, gleaming up at Elsa all the while. They both pat Olaf's head and he hums happily before he runs back down the trail.
"Do you, Elsa, take Anna to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Kristoff asks tightly. Elsa nods firmly and assertively answers with,
"I do." Then Kristoff looks at Anna who's bouncing slightly on one heel.
"Do you, Anna, take this Queen to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do!" She squeaks, and a few people chuckle animatedly.
"And with that," Kristoff starts, the two women feel their heart rates somehow quicken to threateningly worrying levels. He bows his head. "You may now kiss the bride!" The crowd erupts in cheering and Elsa and Anna laugh softly while Elsa lifts Anna's veil, setting it on her hair thoughtfully soft. Anna clasps her hands over her heart and Elsa reaches for her waist, pulling her in and kissing her at last. It's chaste and sweet, but nothing could have felt more right.
And for once in Elsa's life, the worry about what others think is completely alleviated from her mind. She's not the same insecure girl she was just a year ago, and she never will be again. She's a Queen. A friend. A sister. A woman. A wife. But most of all, she's just another person caught in the perpetual heartache that is life. And now with Anna by her side, she can truly live happily ever after.