While you slept
"Spicy... A little more than I like." She poured some cream over her dish of krumkake and fruit and used a spoon to take some to sooth her tongue.
"Bad luck getting the cinnamon one." Freya had liked the slightly bitter-pine flavour of her selection.
Freya took the jug to pour cream on her own breakfast treat. She turned to Elsa to ask if she wanted more fruit but her poise had dropped and she was blinking rapidly. "Are you-" Freya started to ask but Elsa dropped her spoon with a clatter. Freya was swiftly beside the chair and caught Elsa before she fell, but her lover was limp in her arms.
Sweat was rapidly forming on Elsa's forehead and for the first time in as long as Freya had known her, Elsa was hot to the touch.
"Elsa!" Anna was talking to her sister, shouting, trying to get a response. She had dashed over the second Elsa had slipped."Elsa, are you okay? Elsa!" She put her hand to Elsa's forehead and looked at Freya with concern. "She's burning up."
"And icing over." Freya said, frost was crawling up her sleeves and snow had begun to fall.
"Get her to the nearest bed." Anna jumped up and watched as Freya gently rose with Elsa in her arms. "I'll fetch Gerda and Kai. There should be a guest room a few doors down." She was hurrying from the room as Freya bundled Elsa out. The Queen was still limp in her grasp.
It took a few moments to find the guest room, Arendelle palace had a lot of doors to a lot of rooms. Gently she placed Elsa on the bed, ignoring the crackle of breaking ice as her lover parted with her sleeves. The bed frosted the moment Elsa touched it, the ice raced across the eiderdown, down the bedposts and across the floor. It was creeping up the walls when Gerda and Kai arrived behind Anna. "I have sent for the physician. Discreetly." Kai said.
"Thank you." Freya replied, grateful to the adept help. Gerda and Anna had drawn closer to the bed. Two supportive hands touched Freya's shoulders.
"She's strong. She'll be okay. Whatever has happened." Anna said, encouraging herself and Freya as best she could. Freya brushed the ice from her sleeve and put an arm around Anna, they both loved Elsa and it hurt to see her sick. "Freya, you're so cold..." Anna turned to regard the woman, worry for her too.
"I'm fine. My sleeves froze, that's all." Freya reassured Anna, her focus on Elsa and nothing else.
"Nonsense. I will fetch some coats. It is snowing in here after all." Gerda said, sweeping fallen flakes from the two 'girls' in her charge and hurrying off to collect warm clothes.
"What has happened?" Freya whispered, watching Elsa as more and more ice layered across the room.
"We have set her food aside." Kai said from the doorway, a grim set to his lips. "I know you shared the fruit and cream pitcher and no one would know which krumkake was to be served to her, do either of you feel unwell?"
"Worried yes, but nothing more sinister." Anna said, suddenly realising what Kai was alluding to. "We also ate the Turkish Delight, Elsa only took a bit from hers."
"Yes, it was on the saucer by her breakfast. I will ensure the Physician and the Apothecary take a sample to test." Kai moved to leave.
"Wait! Can you keep some back?" Anna worriedly twisted at her braid. "If it is something that affects her magic this way, we should take it to Grand Pabbie also, he might be able to help where science can't."
"Of course." Kai bowed and hurried away, replaced by Gerda.
"I haven't had a chance to air these, but we will need to wrap up warm in this." She was wearing a thick coat and had two in her arms. "We will wait with Elsa, if you need to change your shirt?" The older woman asked Freya, looking to the frozen sleeves.
"I should probably change." Freya looked conflicted. She ached to stay with Elsa, but the cold was getting to her and the sleeves were pulling the freezing temperature into her skin. She could not afford to be sick while Elsa was.
"Go. I'm not leaving her." Anna patted Freya's shoulder, reaching up to peck her cheek with a sisterly kiss. Freya nodded once and ran from the room, not wasting a second dallying.
"She will recover." Gerda tried to reassure herself and the princess. Kai had already sent for two professionals to work on helping the Queen. Surely a cure would be found?
People were rushing too and fro in the palace when Kristoff returned from his trip to the trolls. "What can be going on?" Olaf asked, watching as an aide hurried past.
"I don't know?" Kristoff had two bouquets of flowers in his arm and a small bag in his hand, gifts for the sisters on Elsa's birthday. He started towards the breakfast room.
"Master Kristoff!" Kai called him, the chief aide looked worried, but Kristoff noticed a flicker of relief when the man noticed Olaf wandering beside him.
"Kai, what is going on?" Kristoff was getting worried. The unflappable aide only ever had a hint of worry over Elsa and Anna, something had to have gone wrong.
"Queen Elsa has been taken ill, Princess Anna is in need of your help." His voice was the usual even calm Kai approached everything with, up until the little waver on help.
"Take me to them." Kristoff decided then, whatever was needed, he would make sure it was done.
Freya sat on a chair by the bed where Elsa lay. It had been brought in from another room, but it was already stuck fast by the ice that was still forming. She was already wearing many layers; a warm vest under her shirt, a jumper and a larger jumper over that and a thick overcoat. Her hands were in gloves and a knitted hat sat on her head. She was still a little cold, her breath clouded in the air, but her only focus was Elsa.
Anna was pacing, she had one less layer on, all the frenetic movement was keeping her warm. "Kristoff shouldn't be too much longer." Anna repeated, it had been her mantra once the Doctor had been unable to diagnose Elsa.
Gerda arrived with another pitcher of water. They had been advised to give Elsa plenty to drink, but the temperature of the room froze any water quickly. "It is warm from the hob." Is all she said, pouring it into a cup.
"I'll give it to her." Freya said, taking the cup and carefully lifting Elsa. Her skin had a sheen of sweat and her face was set in a look of discomfort. This close to the source of the ice, the water was not freezing at all, it was like Elsa had an aura pushing the cold out, taking it all away, forcing it from her. "Drink, please." Freya whispered, putting the cup to her lover's mouth. They were fortunate, some reflex had her parting her lips enough for Freya to give her some water.
The cup drained, but the pitcher had frozen. "I will fetch more." Gerda assured. She left the room, but entered again immediately "Master Kristoff has returned."
"Kristoff!" Anna ran to meet him, he caught her a she ran. "Elsa has been poisoned and no-one can do anything about it-" She halted in a sob.
"We can go to Grand Pabbie." Kristoff held Anna tight. "If it is magic, he will know what to do." Her head was pressed into his chest and she nodded against him. He was warm and safe and certain. A rock for her to lean on.
Still holding Anna, Kristoff guided them into the room as Kai caught up. Kristoff had run ahead when He had seen Gerda leaving a room wrapped up for winter. "Elsa." Seeing the poised and strong Queen limp on a bed in an uncontrolled winter was as heart-rending as the moment he saw her with a frozen Anna.
"The Doctor and the Apothecary can't find any poison in the food. Nothing that would hurt us anyway." Freya said, her voice shaking. "Someone targeted Elsa's magic."
"Do you have the food, the drink. Anything." Kristoff still had Anna clasped against him, she wouldn't let go of his tunic. Freya was too morose to feel envy that the pair could comfort each other.
"It is all sealed, I prepared samples when Princess Anna requested." Kai was at the door, Olaf shuffling in with him. "We have them in the cold room."
"I need to get Sven ready, we can go right away." Kristoff gently tried to part from Anna.
"I'm coming with you." Anna said firmly. "I need to help Elsa." Kristoff didn't argue. He just nodded. "Freya will keep Elsa safe. Gerda and Kai will look after them both. I'll just wear tracks in the floor unless I can help her."
"Hurry. Please." Freya was still in her chair, Olaf had sat beside it, holding her hand in his twiggy grip.
"Of course." Kristoff did not wait a moment longer.
Anna and Kristoff had left hours ago. Freya had not kept track of time very well, she was only focused on Elsa. Olaf was sat on the end of the bed watching Elsa also, such concern on his features. The only change in her condition had been fevered shouts, followed by sobs or whispers. Elsa was still softly mumbling, it couldn't be anything nice, her face was grief-stricken.
Freya ached to hold her love, to soothe whatever hurt was there. But so far it had been too much of a risk, too many staff who would walk in and object. People from outside the palace could discover them and create worse issues.
Feet crunching across loose ice alerted Freya that someone else was present. She did not look away from Elsa. So many staff were coming and going.
"Lady Freya, go to her." It was Kirsten, the younger housekeeper had already convinced her aunt to rest away from the cold, finally convincing Gerda that Elsa would feel bad if the temperature made the older woman sick. She looked beseeching, almost ready to push Freya to the bed and Elsa.
When Freya realised what the other woman had said, she looked to her almost afraid. All she found was a soft and sympathetic smile. "There are few staff left in the castle. Uncle Kai has sent home the aides, Aunty Gerda has dismissed the house staff for the evening." Wearing a borrowed coat, Kirsten stepped closer into the cold room. "I am not going to even try and get you out of the cold, but you can be assured; hold her like you both need. I can warn you if you must move."
"I- You?" Freya rose from her chair, still startled that Kirsten knew of and accepted the Queen and her guard. Not wanting to question further, she sat on the bed and carefully lifted Elsa into an embrace. "Thank you."
"If you are worried; It was hardly easy to figure out, I do not think many more of the staff know of you both." Kirsten spoke softly. "I had to ask Aunty Gerda, once I had an inkling. She would like me appointed her replacement when the time comes- she needed to know I was accepting."
"I take it you are." Freya gently smoothed Elsa's hair, her partner had relaxed a little in the embrace, even if she was still unwell.
"Love is a beautiful thing, Lady Freya." Kirsten smiled. "I will be in the hallway. Until Princess Anna and Sir Kristoff return, no one has any more ideas how to help, but if you need anything, call." The woman left the cold room.
"I like Kirsten." Olaf said, he toddled a little closer. The little snowman was not going to say it, but he had not sat close or cuddled his creator because Freya couldn't. Now she was holding Elsa, it was fair for him to snuggle close too. "Elsa looks more comfortable now."
"Yes, I just hope Anna and Kristoff have news for us." Freya held Elsa tight, not daring to think beyond each of her lover's laboured breaths.
With samples of Elsa's food from breakfast, Kristoff and Anna had rushed to the rocky valley as fast as Sven could carry them. Anna was jumping from the reindeer as soon as they reached the valley. "Grand Pabbie! We need help!" She shouted out hoping the trolls were not too deep asleep.
"Anna, what has happened?" The elder troll came to the pair quickly, from Anna's voice and fraught expression, not to mention Kristoff's swift return, he knew there was a grave problem.
"Someone has poisoned Elsa." Anna gestured for Kristoff to hurry over with the food they had brought. "I had the same breakfast and I am fine. The doctor and the apothecary can't find anything – It has to be something to target her magic."
"Her magic is pouring out of her. The room was frozen solid." Kristoff took the bag from his shoulder and removed each item. A portion of the fruit, some of the krumkake, a small bottle of cream and lastly Elsa's barely eaten piece of candy.
"Elsa fainted, she is in a fever but her ice won't stop." Anna sat, stifling a sob. Bulda stood beside her and laid a comforting hand on her arm.
"I can look at these, but I will need some of my things. Kristoff, bring those please." Grand Pabbie hurried away, rolling fast enough that Kristoff had to run to keep up. Anna could not bring herself to chase them, grief was weighing her down.
"Grand Pabbie will find the problem and we'll fix up a cure in no time." Bulda tried to sooth Anna, Sven pressed a consoling touch to her shoulder.
"I have never seen her so sick, so pale." Anna sobbed. "I know she is normally really pale, but this time- When she fell I though that was the end." Anna confessed in a whisper. She was gathered into a rocky embrace.
"Oh Anna, your sister is too strong to give up." Bulda did her best to reassure Anna, knowing that there was little more she could do to help. The sister's shared a close bond since reuniting, Anna would not rest or be calm until Elsa was well again. Just as Elsa would for her younger sister.
"We know what it is!" Kristoff shouted, running back to them. He hardly paused by Anna and Sven, jumping up onto the reindeer quickly. "Grand Pabbie said it was Frost-bane, someone put it in the candy."
"So someone did target her magic." Anna's voice cracked into another sob.
"I have to go and find the cure, there are special berries." Kristoff was torn, he wanted to travel quickly, but he didn't wish to leave Anna. "They should be on the North Mountain."
"Go! Hurry." Anna was desperate to help, but her Ice Master would be faster without her. If only because he would not have to split his attention from the task to also worry about her. "I'll be fine here."
"I'll be back soon." Kristoff promised, setting Sven galloping off towards the mountain and the berries Grand Pabbie needed. Back to the peak of the mountain. Elsa's place of freedom was possibly her salvation.
"Hurry." Anna whispered, watching Kristoff riding away.
Riding up the North Mountain without towing a sled or escorting a Princess was fast going. It also helped a lot that the snow only started at the normal snowline for the season. Elsa had crafted a beautiful bridge to cross the wide canyon that had slowed his progress with Anna that first journey.
Once they were in the permanent ice and snow of the glacier, Kristoff sought the berries Grand Pabbie has sent him to collect. "The iIsfrukt are blue berries that grow on crystal white plants, they can only live in the coldest places and even there they are rare." The old troll had taken some pigments and drawn a picture on the stone, tiny blue berries on white vines. "These will be the cure for Elsa."
"Berries, berries that only grow in the frozen places." Kristoff scanned the snowy expanse. Blue and white spread before him, few details in the gleaming. "Berries that aren't anything like normal fruit."
"They are magical, in their beginning." Grand Pabbie explained, "They still hold that little spark from the times of coldest ice. Just as the Frost-bane fights with heat and burning, the Isfrukt embraced the cold and thrived."
"I should have brought Olaf." Kristoff said to Sven as they trekked further up the mountain. "He would have found them by now."
"We could ask the big guy for help?" Sven suggested. He looked onward to the ice palace and it's guardian within.
"That is as good an idea as any." Kristoff agreed, they climbed to the palace. He had a theory, that magic could find magic. Olaf always knew where Elsa was, even without thinking. Marshmallow could possible be the same.
At the very least, he lived up here and could have seen the berries growing. Like his creator, Marshmallow loved beautiful things, berries in the ice and snow had to count as beauty.
The Ice Palace never failed to impress Kristoff and Sven, the artistry and the fine ice hit a spot in their hearts that sang. Elsa had returned after their adventure to repair the damage and place a pattern of texture onto the staircase, so everyone could access her palace.
Kristoff walked up the stairs, Sven behind. The resident guardian must have heard them, the large snow golem emerged from the door to see who was near. "Friends!" Marshmallow shouted, a wide grin on his face and a tiny crown sparkling on his head. Though his grin fell when Kristoff was not smiling back.
"Hey big guy. We need some help." Reaching the palace, Kristoff looked up at the snowman. "Elsa is sick and I hoped you might know where I can find the cure."
"Elsa sick?" Marshmallow spiked up a little; just like his creator, he could get spiky when anxious.
"Yes, Grand Pabbie sent me to find Ice Berries." Kristoff said, he didn't step back, he wasn't scared of Marshmallow. He was a part of Elsa and he would never be afraid of her. "Like this, see?" He traced a shape in the snow gathered on the porch of the palace, roughly like the picture Grand Pabbie had drawn.
"Berries?" Marshmallow examined the drawing carefully.
"They grow up here in the cold. Have you seen them?" Kristoff really hoped the big snowman would understand. This was their best chance of helping Elsa quickly.
After a moment of consideration, Marshmallow nodded slowly, he turned and shut the door the the ice palace. "Down there." He pointed to the deep crevasse that the staircase bridged. Kristoff had learned that the snowman had fallen there when Hans and the guards came for Elsa. "I show you." Marshmallow nodded once and started to walk.
"Thanks Big Guy." Kristoff felt a burst of relief, since he had seen Elsa prone on a bed amidst an icy room- it was good to have hope. The woman was his family; his sister now just as much as she was Anna's sister. To see her sick was worrying him beyond belief.
"Follow." Marshmallow was taking the lead, they had crossed the chasm on the stairs but the snow-golem was now carefully taking a trail that hugged close to the cliff. It had to have been the way he returned to the palace, after the battle with Hans and his unfortunate fall.
It was slow going on the treacherous path, more than once Kristoff was glad that Marshmallow was there to lead him. Sven was waiting at the top, the reindeer had taken one look at the trail and shook his head. "You go without me, it will be faster." Had been backed up with a bray.
A relief really, Kristoff would have worried for his buddy. A gust of wind, one of many that had blown through the canyon, buffeted them both. Marshmallow's strong hand pressed Kristoff back against the cliff. "Okay?" The snowman rumbled.
"Yeah, I'm good. Are we near?" Kristoff couldn't see the bottom of the chasm yet. Thankfully Marshmallow nodded. He pointed a little further down the path they were on and let go of Kristoff, taking a careful step onwards. The ice harvester followed.
A few further, very careful, steps down and they reached an opening in the cliff-side. It was a cave, or so it seemed. Marshmallow had to duck a little to enter, but there was sunlight shining in from above. Some geological formation had created a tiny hidden space on the North Mountain. "Pretty berries." The snowman said, pointing to a tangle of almost impossible plant-life nestled in the cavern.
The tiny berries shone in the light, a shade of blue that was crystalline. The vegetation they grew from was diamond clear, each stalk and leaf reflecting the snow rather than holding its own colour.
"They sure are pretty big guy." Kristoff could only agree, they were honestly bringing a tear to his eye. "I won't take them all." He promised, stepping forward to fill a bag with the fruit. Grand Pabbie had advised he take a few fist-fulls of the berries, enough to make several good doses of the cure Elsa needed.
"Help?" Marshmallow watched Kristoff picking each berry gently.
"Don't worry, I have enough now." Kristoff checked the bag, there were plenty of blue berries. They were still gleaming in the bag. The plants were not bare either, the small glen looked beautiful still. "I can get these back to Pabbie and help Elsa."
Marshmallow nodded, he looked back out to the path. "We go now." He led the way back to the path. Kristoff kept close behind, now he had an idea of the path, it would be faster going.
"Do you think they will be much longer?" Anna asked for what felt like (and probably was) the thousandth time. She was grateful for the patience of the trolls, even as she paced and talked to herself.
"Sweetheart, they will be as fast as they can." Bulda said, soothing as best she could. It had been hours since Kristoff and Sven had set off, the sunset was creeping up on them. Now Anna was worrying about her husband and her sister.
"Do not worry child." Grand Pabbie stood beside her. "They will be successful." He had already prepared what he needed to create the medicine for Elsa. As soon as the berries were delivered, he could finish it.
There was a shout, someone rushing into the valley. Kristoff on the back of Sven was racing in, a bag outstretched in his hand. "I have them." They were with the three quickly. "Here Grand Pabbie, the berries."
"Kristoff!" Anna waited for him to pass the vital berries to the old troll before she grabbed onto him. "Are you alright? You were gone for hours."
Kristoff wrapped an arm around her and held her close. He could feel Anna shaking, just a little, he could help with that. "We had to go as high as the ice palace and then deep into the chasm." He wisely didn't share the danger, not right now. Anna had too much to worry about without the journey. "Marshmallow helped."
"He's a sweetheart." Anna mumbled into Kristoff's chest, gripping her arms around him tight. "I'm so glad you are back."
"We're only half done." Kristoff had to remind her, it was sobering, his adventure had taken until sunset. Elsa had been sick since breakfast. She was still at the castle in an unknown condition. Anna's reply was a stifled sob, she did not loose her hold. He led her to sit, hoisting her onto his lap and circling her with his arms. Neither were sure how long Grand Pabbie needed to create the cure for Elsa, but they would wait for it.
Olaf watched over Freya and Elsa. His creator was still sick, her fever flushed face still filled with sadness. Freya had nodded off while sat holding Elsa, she still cradled her lover against her. But her sleep was fitful, she would wake again if Elsa moved at all. "Hurry Anna." Olaf whispered.
It was night time now, even the evening staff had retired to bed. Kirsten and Gerda were still up. Olaf had seen Kai too, the chief aide checking in as often as his wife and niece. Sat beside Elsa, he could keep a close watch on Freya too. As her head dipped, her hat fell, he stood and pushed it back in to place. "Freya is keeping you safe Elsa," He whispered. "So it is okay to wake up now."
"Whi?" Freya woke again, blinking away the frost that had settled on her lashes. "Olaf?"
"Sorry, I was telling Elsa that she was safe, so she could wake up." The snowman smoothed Elsa's hair with a twig hand, he knew his idea had been silly, but he was trying to have hope. "Are you cold?" He looked at Freya, frost was tracing her skin again, thankfully only a layer over and not from any ice-magic lodged inside her.
"'m not too cold." Freya objected, she had several extra layers, a number of scarves and her hat and glove on. No force on earth was going to part her from Elsa.
"I can ask Kirsten or Gerda to get you a hat drink, or a blanket?" Olaf stood on the bed. They had tried to put something over Elsa earlier, but it has frozen so solid with ice that it had actually shattered. The fact that Freya was mostly unaffected by the cold gave Olaf the idea that Elsa was still with them in some way, so determined not to hurt the people she loved even when unconscious.
"Not just yet Olaf." Freya brushed the frost from her cheeks and pulled a scarf back over her face. It muffled her words, but it kept her warm.
Shouts caught their attention.
"We need a jug of water, some cups!" It was Anna shouting, getting closer. Feet hurried through the hallway. "Is she-" Anna burst into the room, her question too hard to utter.
"She is still with us." Freya said, not letting go of Elsa for a moment. "She has been taking water, but not really stirred at all." She didn't want to mention the heart-rending shouts and sobs that had disturbed the silence.
"We have the cure, Grand Pabbie has made a mixture with Isfrukt berries." Anna skidded on the icy floor and stopped at the bed. "We have to add it to water."
"He knows it will work?"Freya sat up, bringing Elsa into her lap.
"Somebody put Frost-bane in her candy, Grand Pabbie found it and the Isfrukt will remedy that poison." Anna sat on the bed and reached out to take one of Elsa's hands. Olaf stood closer to them both.
Gerda stood in the doorway, a tray with a glass and jug upon it. "I followed Kristoff's instructions, but won't the cold freeze the water?"
"The berry juice should stop it freezing." Anna said. Kristoff had left instructions, he had gone to settle Sven in the stables, their day had been very active and tiring.
Gerda nodded and put the tray on a dresser and poured a glass, it looked like normal water apart from the slight sheen to it. "Here, he said she should drink as much as you can get her to."
"Of course." Freya took the glass and held up Elsa's head, her eyes were still shut and her brow drawn in devastated sadness. "Elsa, take a drink of this for me?" Freya gently put the glass to Elsa's lips. The cool glass and the cold liquid must have appealed, she opened her mouth. "As much as you can my love." Freya whispered.
Even after just a trickle of the liquid, Elsa seemed to improve. She did not wake, but she drained the glass herself. "That is just what you needed." Freya pressed a kiss to her forehead, she was not burning up any more, Elsa was still warmer than usual but not worryingly so.
"Grand Pabbie said it would probably take a few doses." Kristoff had arrived now. "We have enough to make up more jugs, all it takes is a few drops to a jug of cold water."
"Thank you." Freya couldn't articulate how grateful she was.
Kristoff sat beside Anna on the bed.
"I take it you will all be staying here?" Gerda asked them all. She had not tried to move Freya and it looked like Anna was going to be just as impossible to remove from the room. Hardly waiting for an answer she sighed. "I'll collect blankets for you all."
A night, a day and a second night had passed. Investigations were under way to find where the poison had come from and who could have known to target Elsa's magic. All the while, Freya and Anna had been giving Elsa the cure as she slowly improved.
Her family were simply glad that she was recovering, even if she was still sleeping. With her power no longer leaking out, nothing was freezing but the ice that was already there had not melted yet. The room was still cold, coated in so much ice.
Between the three of them; Gerda, Freya and Kristoff had managed to get Anna to sleep in her bed for a few hours a time. it was only the suggestion that Anna would be of more help to her sister if one of them was healthy, to undertake some of the work and aid in Elsa's recovery. Freya had promised not to leave Elsa unless Anna or Gerda were there, so at last the princess had surrendered.
"I will be checking up regularly." Anna had said as Kristoff carried her away to get some sleep, it was the early hours, not night but not yet day.
"Of course. I'll be right here." Freya was sat beside Elsa on the bed. Waiting for her to wake. Olaf had gone for a walk around the palace, the little snowman knew that Freya needed some time alone with Elsa.
For the time being, Freya was just content to sit with her beloved. Elsa's sobs and shouts had not returned, but Freya still gently smoothed a finger across a pale forehead whenever Elsa's brow drew into a mournful knot.
It was one of those moments that Elsa seemed to wake. Her eyelids fluttered and a feeble cough shook her form. Freya immediately picked up a glass of the mixture and helped Elsa drink some. It brought more coughs. Worried, she spoke soothingly "Careful, careful now." Drawing Elsa a little closer.
A voice wracked with sadness spoke, "Freya?" The pause seemed to last and last, as if Elsa was fighting to speak "You... you died."
That was the last straw for Freya, she swept Elsa into an embrace, close and strong. Anyone who dared disturb this moment would not concern her. The former King and Queen could walk in and Freya would continue to sooth and reassure her dearest love.
Eventually the whole story was shared, for both of them. It hurt Freya's heart to know that Elsa had thought her dead in her terrible fever-dream. She had to move when the door opened, propriety demanded she at least sat beside the bed, but it was only Anna came to check in. The princess was delighted to see her sister awake, so Freya could return to sit beside Elsa while the pair hugged and fussed each other.
Later, as things returned to normal at the palace, Freya still kept close to Elsa. Right beside the bed as the doctor checked Elsa's more mundane symptoms, carrying her to her room when she was allowed to be moved.
Sleep was easy now Elsa was improving. After several more doses of the mixture she had shaken the worst of the symptoms. Freya did wait for her lover to fall asleep first, but as soon as Elsa's entire self relaxed in Freya's arms, the woman slipped from wakefulness.
I wanted to cover the other half of this story, what Elsa's loved ones faced.
Anyway: I have been working on a story that reworks Frozen II, with Freya included. That shall be a chapter here, or would a separate story be preferred?