After she had settled into the palace, Katja had no problems. She started lessons with the tutor, giving Matteus someone to compete against and thus apply himself to learning.
Lisbet had all but adopted her; every morning at breakfast the toddler would greet her with a "Kaaaa!" and fight to give her a hug despite excessive stickiness and her mother's requests.
As the months passed the child began to heal, she was very young after all, although her first family was still a fond memory tinged with sadness. Her new and bright world was caring for her well and she was learning to live with the past.
Freya and Elsa were heartened that the child had grown used to asking them for assistance, permission and approval. Both had beamed with pride the first time she had run shouting to them that she had written the alphabet in a neater hand than Matteus, or the time she had found a "neat" rock to show them. The closer she grew to the women the more informal she became, dropping titles and honorifics for everyone within the palace.
"Katja nearly slipped and called me Mor today." Freya said to Elsa as they sat soaking in the tub after a long day. They had been talking about work and family matters in a half-attentive manner. Though her partner was lying languidly along her with closed eyes in a most distracting manner.
"I am sure she's nearly said it to me too, just a few times." Icy blue eyes opened and focused on the chin above her. "No more child talk though dear... I am feeling decidedly wound up and need some nice relaxing attention."
"Of course my lady." Freya winked down and slid further into the tub.
The tub drained, the doors to the royal suite were iced over from the inside, and nobody would be disturbing the Queen this midsummer's night.
Katja had been living in the palace for nine months when the first minor disaster struck. She had been playing most of the day with Matteus and the children from the town and had begun to sniffle at supper time. "I'm okay. I just have a stuck sneeze." She grinned to Elsa when she enquired about her health.
"Well, if you are sure." Elsa smiled back and ruffled the blonde hair. Katja had her story time and was tucked up in bed with a quick kiss goodnight.
The next morning Katja did not want to get out of bed and was coughing feebly. Gerda sent for the physician immediately and hurried to fetch Elsa and Freya.
"It is a fever." The physician gave his diagnosis lightly, not knowing how grave the words were to Freya. She paled noticeably and backed out of the room, not wishing to frighten the child.
"I... I should go and tell Anna, the children missed Katja at breakfast." Elsa watched her partner leave, keeping still in her seat, no matter how much she wanted to comfort Freya she would not be able to until later.
"Are there any particularly bad fevers around at the moment doctor?" Elsa held the overheated little hand that lay on the bed and smoothed it.
"Nothing to worry about, keep make sure she has a drink often and she should be fine." The doctor gave a bow and was escorted from the room.
"Kai, what meetings and work do I have today?" Elsa looked to her aide.
"The commerce group wanted to speak about a new import model at eleven but no other pressing engagements my lady." Kai didn't need to consult his book for the Queen but he knew from the look she had given him that he would be moving a meeting.
"Alright, I will be here until then, if someone could see that Freya comes back soon?" Elsa thanked her aide. When the door clicked shut Katja stirred and began to cough. "Hey," Elsa held her hand and stroked her back. "This is a bit more than a stuck sneeze."
"Yeah..." Katja sniffed. "I'm too hot."
"I think I have a solution to that. Budge up." Elsa stood and helped the girl shuffle over a little on the bed, when enough space had been made Katja watched with surprise as the woman lay on the bed and positioned herself around, she was about to protest when a cool hand pressed to her forehead. "Better?" Elsa smiled gently at relief on Katja's face.
"Lots." Katja smiled. "Why was Freya upset?"
"Oh, you noticed that?" Elsa kept her hand in place, knowing her cool temperature would help the fever.
"Her voice was all squiggly, like how I feel when thinking about things..." Katja had begun to talk of her past as things; it helped her not to dwell on the loss.
"Freya's mama and papa died of fever." Elsa knew there was no point sugar coating it. Katja had experienced the loss, she had experienced such loss. In a sad way it was a bonding experience. "So she is very worried for you but doesn't want to worry you."
"Fevers can do that?" Katja squeaked, blue-green eyes fixed on Elsa's with a fearful peek.
"Only when there isn't a Snow Queen to chase them away." Elsa said lightly, tapping the little nose and hugging Katja, a little daring she knew but the girl was ill and needed comfort.
"I'm gonna get better soon so Freya doesn't have to worry." Katja said, snuggling closer to Elsa. "Mmm, cooold." Elsa smiled, glad that for once her unnatural body temperature was useful.
Soon Katja was falling asleep again, held in the crook of Elsa's arm and with a cool hand on her forehead. The door opened and Elsa moved to look. "No Mama, stay please..." The sleepy girl muttered, grabbing hold of the hand. Elsa stopped; no force on earth would move her now.
"So, she called you Mama first." Freya said softly so as not to disturb the child.
"Looks like it." Elsa whispered, feeling so warm she wondered if she would melt. Freya gently moved Katja closer to Elsa so there was space on the bed and she lay down the other side of the girl. "Do you think it was an accident?"
"She only ever called her parents Mor and Far." Freya looked at the sleeping girl, still holding onto the pale white hand providing some welcome coolness. "It is Matteus and Lisbet who say Mama."
"Anna and I called our mother Mama." Elsa explained, looking in wonder at the sleeping child who had just given her such a gift. "I suppose she picked it up off them then."
"So, Mama, I'll go and tell Kai that the meeting is off." Freya carefully inched off the bed and slipped from the room.
Elsa spent until lunch time with Katja when the little girl stirred and sat up. "How are you feeling now sweetie?" Elsa asked.
"I feel a bit better now thanks Mama..." Wide green eyes looked up, concerned she had overstepped a line. Elsa smiled and held Katja closer.
"Do you really think of me like that?" She spoke softly as Katja seemed a little emotional, keeping any sort of leading tone for her words.
"If you don't mind..." Katja said slowly, "A Mama is someone who looks after you and plays with you and reads to you and gives you hugs when you are sick." Katja explained; her eyes down the whole time. "You do all of that and Matty and Lissy have their Mama and Mor... Mor is gone now and you do all the Mama things for me." Katja looked up at Elsa. "You're crying... I'm sorry. I won't call you Mama again." Elsa grabbed the girl in a tight hug.
"Katja, you can call me Mama as much and as often as you like." Elsa blinked the water from her eyes. "I'm crying because I am so happy." Katja snuggled closer then.
"Okay Mama." The little girl smiled but stopped with a sudden sneeze. Elsa was quick with a hanky to wipe her nose.
"There you go."
"Thank you Mama."
Kai heard the final exchange from the door, Freya and Gerda nearby. He had gone to tell the Queen that he had rearranged the meeting, missing Freya by a few moments. She had met Gerda who had also been seeking Kai. All three were silent now, hanging on the words spoken between the Queen and the little girl.
Katja carried on calling Elsa Mama. The rest of the family didn't bat an eye, Matteus took it in his stride and Lisbet didn't notice. Anna pounced on her sister later that evening when the children were put to bed, Kristoff in tow. "Oh Elsa, I'm so proud." The redhead sniffled.
"Anna..." She smiled, "I just feel so happy."
"Yeah, it works like that." Kristoff said with a dopey smile. "But, uh, what about Freya?"
The dark haired woman shrugged her lopsided shrug from the chair she sat in. "Katja will call me what she wants I am sure. I love her and she knows it. She hasn't really worked out how this family really fits together, we haven't either."
It would be a while longer for Katja to call Freya Mama.
For a trio of children who lived with a woman who could create snow and ice at will, a natural snowfall still gave them an inordinate amount of excitement. Perhaps it was the limitless nature of the fallen snow, the unregulated depths of the drifts or the knowledge that if it got a little too used up they could beg for more. Whatever it was, they had thrown themselves into playing with gusto.
Meanwhile it was business as usual in the palace. Meetings were held, greetings exchanged and agreements made. It was during these times that Freya most often got bored. Depending on who the meeting or negotiation was with she would have to sit in attendance also, in her capacity as Elsa's personal guard. With the regular council she was free to do whatever she wanted but for certain visitors it was a necessity that she was there, sword visible.
Today was one of those days. It did not help that the happy sounds of playing children filtered up from the courtyard.
As the Southern Isles prince began yet another argument towards his proposition to garrison and harbour a detachment of soldiers, "To foster greater cooperation" and Freya got closer and closer to wishing Elsa would just freeze the man, the sounds of playing were cut through with a scream.
"Katja!" Matteus' loud clear shout, for the boy had his mother's projection and his father's lungs, reached the meeting room in an instant.
The silence that followed froze things swifter than Elsa ever could. It was testament to her control that the room was not in blizzard but her eyes shot to Freya, begging her to investigate. With the slightest bow the woman was out. "Guard, I need to attend to an important matter, please take up station with the Queen." One of the men on the door saluted.
"Sergeant." He marched in smartly even as Freya was bounding through the palace to the front door.
The courtyard was quiet but the sobbing from Katja was a blessed sound for Freya. For horrible moments she had been worried the girl was seriously in danger but any noise was good. At the edge of the snow covered expanse were a small huddle, Lisbet was clinging to her brother and Anna was leaning over the huddled figure of Katja. "What happened?" Freya called across, loud enough to let Elsa know she had reached them.
"We were playing and running and Katja slipped and fell and hurt her knee bad on something hidden in the snow." Matteus gabbled out, he looked a little pale, there was blood speckling the snow around the little group.
"Katja..." Freya crouched down next to Anna to see the girl. The child was shivering, her eyes scrunched up, her head bowed and holding her leg, the thick woollen leggings torn through and a nasty cut on the bared skin. "Come; let's get you to the infirmary."
"She won't let me move her." Anna said, worry in her voice.
"Will you let me take you Katja?" Freya asked gently. "I can get Elsa if you would prefer." Hearing Freya, the little girl opened her eyes and looked up. Tears trickled down her cheeks, still ruddy from playing in the snow. Her arms shot out.
"Mama Freya, it hurts." She sobbed a little and hissed when Freya lifted her up.
"We'll get it all fixed inside." Freya soothed, striding through the snow with the others close by. Ash-blonde mingled with her black curls when Katja snuggled against her shoulder.
Later, with a carefully dressed knee and a new pair of warm leggings, Katja was playing a board game with Matteus, Olaf and Anna as Lisbet did her best to steal the playing pieces and generally be nuisance. Elsa and Freya watched them between reading their books. After the game was done a tiny pat to their knees attracted their attention.
"How are you now Katja?" Elsa asked, scooping the girl up to her lap and laying the girl's stocking-feet onto Freya's lap. "I am sorry I couldn't come out earlier."
"I'm alright Mama." She said, but did not really sound it.
"Are you sure?" Elsa stroked the soft blonde hair. "You don't seem to be alright."
"Do, do you mind if I call someone else Mama too?" Katja whispered to Elsa, worried.
"It depends who." Elsa half teased. "I don't think Kristoff would like to be called Mama." That got a giggle from the girl.
"Freya is my Mama too," Katja supplied, "but you only get one Mama I thought."
"Hmm," Elsa moved and pulled Freya closer to them. "You already had two though? Your Mor is still Mor even though she is gone and you have me. Would one more hurt?"
"No?" Katja hazarded, carefully picking up Freya's hand. Freya kept silent, not wishing to intrude on the process, to interrupt or scare the girl. "I'd like you to be my Mama too." Two pairs of green eyes locked and smiles grew beneath them.
"Well, call me Mama." Freya whispered. "I think it the best title anyone has given me." Katja shuffled over to sit on the other lap and snuggled against the woman who was a little broader and taller than her other Mama.
"Okay Mama." If she noticed that Freya was crying it didn't worry her. She had two Mamas, that made her the luckiest girl in the world.
I hope this one wasn't too choppy!
There are a few more updates for Free to come, a modern AU story I have ideas for and another more fantasy story oneshot I am working on... I love writing!
There are also plenty more ideas for here.