Once again, thanks for the reviews/favourites/follows! This is very encouraging! I should probably say that the reason the updates are rather frequent is because I uploaded this on more recently. Once I've exhausted the chapters I've already written, the fanfiction here will go back to being updated with its siblings on other sites.
Credits: Thanks go to hybrid-rain as always for being an inspirational canyon and promoting this and sporadic-tiger for agreeing to be my proofreader and nitpicker and helping me write other characters besides amoral hyperintelligent schemers. Both are found on Tumblr.
Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen and its characters, plots, etc and I do not make or intend to make any profit from this.
That evening, Elsa retreated to her study with hopes that she would be able to significantly reduce her workload. However as she walked, she noted with curiosity the lack of any household staff making their way from the study. She could only draw one conclusion from this, a conclusion she found confirmed when she entered inside.
"Your Majesty," the Spymaster greeted, dipping into a curtsey. "You should really stop keeping a regular schedule."
"Mistress Julia," she said, inclining her head. "What a pleasant yet unexpected surprise."
Elsa rather liked Julia Blondevik despite her eccentricities such as her preference to pantaloons or her unannounced appearances in her study, a rarity she had noted in the relations between kings and their spymasters. From what Elsa could determine from the blonde woman, she appeared content to rest in the shadows, planting her agents like seeds and watching what fruits they produced. Any particularly useful fruit was immediately delivered to the queen's attention which was then dealt however she saw fit and Julia received a small measure of trust for her efforts.
She circled around her spymaster and sat behind her desk. The kerosene lamps were already glowing warmly around the room but the hearth remained unlit. "So I guess there's more you wish to add to the meeting?" asked Elsa, opening the drawer to take out her gloves.
"A few matters," she replied, turning to face the queen. "My seeds tell me that Hans is on the ship Eksile, destined for Weselton. They will inform me when he's arrived at port."
"Do your seeds know what he plans to do there?" she asked as she donned her gloves.
"No, but if I were to guess…"She looked up musingly. "He could be seeking either sympathy or money from the duke."
"Neither case seems to bode well for my kingdom," Elsa said contemplatively, bringing her fingers into a steeple. "I want frequent reports regarding Hans and the Duke of Weselton. And I want the fastest bird sent by your seeds should he leave Weselton."
"Naturally, Your Majesty."
"What of the affairs closer to home?"
"Both the nobles and the common people have adjusted to the recent events fairly well. The general consensus among them is approval for your reign."
"But…" Elsa interjected.
"But…" Julia repeated with a smirk. "A few of the nobles have expressed discontent with you. The reasons for their grievances are as varied as they are tiring. Your failure to find a suitor, your gender clouding your judgment, your youth and inexperience hindering your ability to rule, your powers making you unpredictable and unstable, your policies against Weselton ruining their fortunes, et cetera, et cetera. Bishop Mathiesen, in particular, is very adamant that your presence as a witch will bring ruin upon Arendelle."
Elsa indulged in an exasperated eye roll, causing Julia's smirk to grow wider. "Is there any chance that people will pay attention to his rhetoric?"
"Aside from his followers in the Ordo Malleus? Very little. The public perception regarding them is that they are a band of fanatics."
"That may be, Julia," Elsa said. "But forgive me for being less than comfortable with a cult who sees my removal as the kingdom's salvation."
"Of course, Your Majesty. What course do you suggest then?"
"For now, I would like you to observe him. Pay close attention to his finances and the company he keeps. I assume you already have someone inside this Ordo Malleus."
"Planted and growing, Your Majesty. I've also taken the trouble of arranging the reading material on your desk in order of most urgent and important to least."
Elsa looked to her left and saw that a black folder was placed on top of the pile. Of course, she would think hers is the most important, she thought as gratitude to her spymaster's efforts warred with irritation that someone had disrupted her order. Suddenly a sequence of knocks came and the door burst open to admit Anna.
"Elsa, I was….oh!" she exclaimed, seeing that her sister was not alone in the study.
"Anna, please give me a minute," she immediately said as gently as she could before turning her attentions to her spymaster. "Anything else?"
"No, that was all I wished to say to you," Julia replied rather hastily. "Good evening, Your Majesty. Your Highness." She curtseyed to both the queen and the princess before neatly stepping around Anna and departing from the study.
"I didn't disturb you, did I?" Anna asked concernedly as soon as the door clicked close behind her. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have just…"
"Anna," she interrupted, taking her gloves off. "It's okay. Don't worry about it."
"She's your Spymaster, isn't she?" she asked as she took a seat in front of Elsa and placed her feet on top of her desk.
"Our Spymaster," Elsa replied. "And she's rather fond of suddenly appearing in my study so there's no way you could have known she was here."
"And she doesn't just tell you this stuff at your council meetings…why?"
"Probably because she doesn't trust the people on the council," she said with a sigh as she took the black folder and opened it with her left hand. Her right hand meanwhile opened another drawer to withdraw a pair of reading glasses. As she read the briefings from Julia, she became increasingly aware that Anna was staring at her. She looked up at her and lifted an eyebrow. "What?" she asked.
"Oh just…you wear glasses now," Anna stammered as her cheeks began to turn to a faint pink.
"I have been for quite a while," said Elsa. "Sometimes the words get fuzzy if I'm reading for too long."
"Oh… well, they look good. I mean you make them look good."
Elsa closed her eyes and craned her head back in mirth. "Thank you," she said, feeling a mixture of both embarrassment and pride from her sister's admiration. The way she praised her beauty was different from those of the lords and princes who came seeking her hand. There was a certain conviction in her words that she found lacking in theirs, as if Anna truly believed everything she said with every fibre of her heart.
She had finished the first page, which mostly concerned itself with the Ordo Malleus, when she noticed that Anna was trying to read that page upside-down. With a soft smile, she handed the page towards her who suddenly averted her glance.
"I thought you wanted to read it?" asked Elsa, feeling rather puzzled.
"Oh…well," Anna began. "I did, I mean, I do. I just don't know if I'm allowed to. That must have come from her, right?"
"You can read it, Anna. I trust you." But as Anna grabbed the piece of paper and tugged on it, Elsa kept her hand on it and said, "Just…some of the things are scary."
"Elsa…," she said in an exasperated voice, pulling the page and reading it. "It's okay, it's just….WHAT?!" Her eyes widened to the size of saucers as they stared at the paper in horror. "There's a cult who think you're a witch and killing you will save Arendelle?!"
"Anna, it's only about twenty people," she calmly explained. "Most of them aren't actually going to do anything, everyone else thinks they're a bunch of nutters..."
"That's still a lot of people, Elsa! Why don't you get your Spymaster to arrest them? Or your Lord Commander? Or you can just go there and turn them all into ice statues."
"Anna," she said, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes. "There's always going to be people who aren't going to like us. It's a simple fact of ruling; I can't please everyone. And if I do all that, it makes me look even worse and more people will want me gone."
Anna looked like she wanted to protest further but the logic of her words seemed to settle in her and she relented. "I don't want to lose you again, Elsa," she admitted, reaching over to grab her sister's hand. For a second, Elsa felt a sudden urge to jerk her hand away. But the impulse passed and she relaxed into her sister's warm grip. "After everything, I just got you back."
Elsa looked up at her sister and saw her turquoise eyes, filled with concern and affection, staring at her. And she saw just how much it meant to Anna to be in the same room as her, to see her face every day and hear her talk and laugh. An uncomfortable lump began to form in her throat that forced her to look away from her sister for a minute as the regret of missing her childhood settled in her. But there was no use lamenting what happened in the past. Her sister was here, alive and well, and…beautiful, far more beautiful than she could ever be. Her brilliant red hair, the delicate freckles that adorned her face, her smile that filled her with the warmth of the sun.
"Do you want to do something fun?" asked Elsa abruptly. She guessed that was the reason why Anna came in the study in the first place but in any case, she was already getting weary of her work.
"YES!" Anna said but then she tilted her head towards the pile of paper on the desk.
"Oh, I'll handle that later," she said dismissively. "Let's go to my old room and finish our castle!"
Anna nodded furiously and added, "Shouldn't we find Olaf and see if he wants to join in?"
Elsa giggled in a markedly unqueenly fashion as they both got up from their seats, hands still held together, and said, "Oh, I'm sure he's already there waiting for us."
Hans paced back and forth in the foyer of the Duke's mansion, his thin eyebrows narrowed in frustration. Barely a month ago, he was the one whom people waited on and here he was, grovelling for the pleasure of the Duke's presence. As if he needed another reason to despise the sisters. As Frederik promised, as soon as the ship docked at Weselton and he carried his trunks off the deck, the Eksile immediately departed, leaving Hans to furiously remember the ship's name and captain for when he returned to power. By some miracle, he managed to complete his walk unmolested from the harbour and by an even greater miracle, he managed to find a hotel with suitable accommodations. Certainly not fit for a prince, but given his current situation, he supposed he should count himself fortunate they found him a room with little fuss.
"Sir," the steward said from the landing above him. Hans looked up as he stopped in mid stride. "The Duke will see you now."
He gave him a curt nod and ascended the mahogany stairs to follow the steward into the Duke's office. The mansion was richly decorated as befitting for the Duke. Violet satin curtains framed the windows, bright yellow tablecloths draped over decorative tables, pale red velvet carpeting, paintings depicting noble scenes of old hung on the walls. It was all very impressive but Hans was a prince and thus immune to the effects of the décor. He came here for one thing and he would be damned if he did not leave this mansion without it.
The steward led Hans in front of a black door and knocked twice against it.
"Come in," Hans could hear the grating voice of the Duke call.
The steward opened the door and simply announced, "Your visitor." It appeared in Weselton, titles mattered more than the people who held them. Sure enough, behind an ornate desk was the Duke of Weselton, the two men who had accompanied him to Arendelle on either flank. Hans decided to take a more prudent approach and inclined his head downward, muttering "My lord". However the Duke chose that exact moment to quench his thirst and sipped from his cup.
"Ah, Hans," the Duke finally greeted, setting down his cup of tea or coffee or whatever with a clatter. "Please sit. What brings you to the fair city of Weselton?"
"An unfortunate change in my fortune, I'm afraid," he replied, taking a seat.
"Yes, I've heard. Exiled from your own home, stripped of all your titles. So tell me, Hans, what do you seek here? A job perhaps? Or maybe you have come here to beg?"
Anger flashed through Hans but he suppressed it as he replied, "I came seeking a partner who shares the same goals as I do. But perhaps I came to the wrong place."
"And what would those goals be?"
"The ruin of the Snow Queen and her pet sister. Don't try to lie to me, my lord. I know that because of those two, you have lost the greatest prize of your expansions. Because of those two, the King of Holstein has seen fit to tighten his leash around your neck. And because of those two, you are forced to pay for the losses suffered by the kingdom in their draconian agreement with Arendelle."
The Duke's eyebrows narrowed behind his spectacles as he leaned forward and said with a sneer, "How did you come across this information?"
"Waiting for the privilege of this meeting has given me ample time to gather useful information."
The Duke sighed. "I suppose I should ask the main questions. What do you want and what do I get?"
"Money." Seeing the triumphant look on the Duke's face, Hans hastily continued, "Not for myself. But for what we need for my plan to be successful."
"Your plan?"
"Yes," he said in a voice that barely concealed his exasperation. "I have a plan, which I can see is more than you can say." He would have continued his contemptuous tirade but he noted the irritation forming in his face. "As for what you get in return, you will get everything you came to Arendelle for and more. There will be a new trade agreement, one that will actually benefit both parties, and naturally I would cease Arendelle's embargo against your duchy."
"If you had not interfered with me that day, I would have had all these things by now," grumbled the Duke.
"Somehow I doubt that the murderer of the queen, even the Snow Queen, of Arendelle would be well-received by its people," Hans said coolly.
"You tried to kill her as well."
"After I tried all other options of stopping the winter."
"Speaking of the winter, how do you propose we handle her powers? She's obviously learned how to control them. Any attempt against her or her sister and we'll be frozen ice cold!"
Hans had given that some thought. In fact that's all that occupied his mind on the voyage from the Southern Isles to Weselton. He had also thought of ways to avoid a direct confrontation with the Queen. "It will not come to that," he said. "If we follow my plan, then the queen will not be defeated by our hands but at the hands of her people."
"But what if, Hans?!"
"I have plans for that situation as well, Duke. But it will not come to that. We just need to be clever and careful with this. And patient."
The Duke contemplated for several minutes, minutes that Hans spent adjusting the finer details of his plans. Finally, the Duke said, "I will need time to consider your proposal, Hans. In the meantime, consider yourself a personal guest of mine. You will be given lodgings here and have whatever needs you have handled by my staff."
"You are too gracious, my lord," Hans said, standing up and bowing slightly from his waist. "I will need someone to help move my belongings from my current residence."
"Yes, yes," the Duke said dismissively. He took a bell from his desk and rang it a couple times. Within seconds, the door was opened and the steward stepped in.
"Yes, my lord?" he asked as soon he got up from his bow.
"Assist Hans in settling in the guest room and make sure he gets whatever he wants," commanded the Duke.
"Of course. If you will follow me, sir."
Still only a sir, thought Hans grudgingly as he followed the steward out. But if he was burdened with any virtue, it was patience. And it wouldn't be long before he would be addressed as King Hans of Arendelle.
Anna yelped as her elbow slipped off the desk for the fourth time in the last hour. She was sitting by herself in the library, her books and notes laid out in a semicircle around her and a cup of hot chocolate within arm's reach. She knew her sister liked coffee but she didn't care much for the taste. However she was tempted to overcome her aversion if it meant she could stop dozing off like this. She rubbed her eyes before she tried to find the last sentence she could remember. Oh the things we do for love, she thought. If this is actually love. Ever since the thaw, there was one thought that she kept going to, one thought that she would always muse over if nothing else took her mind. Was she in love with Elsa?
If she overlooked the part with Elsa being her sister, it wasn't too hard to see why. Who wouldn't be in love with her? She was smart, kind, patient, clever, gorgeous, talented, funny, graceful, and just awesome. For a while she thought she wanted Elsa's company because she was her sister and sisters were always together. But now she wondered if there was a deeper cause for that desire. After Elsa opened the doors between them, she still wanted more time with her. Any moment not spent in her company was a moment wasted in her eyes. Whenever her thoughts touched upon her sister, Anna found it very difficult to think of anything else. She wondered what Elsa was doing at the moment, how she felt about whatever she was doing, and what she would much rather be doing.
Which is why she spent most of her "alone" time in the library, poring over all the books her ancestors have collected for anything that could teach her about love. Everyone was right; there was much she needed to know about love. After Kristoff and him, she wanted to be sure before she flung herself into another attempt at it. Especially since she didn't want to lose Elsa. Even if she didn't love her back, which was probably going to be the case, Anna still wanted to be friends with her. But what books that did talk about love were poems and songs from ages ago and while they might have been useful then, Anna found it very difficult to see them relevant now. If only she had a tutor on love… That's it! she thought triumphantly. It would be too awkward to go to the trolls, especially since Kristoff would probably be there. But they weren't the only love experts she knew. She was half way out of the library when she realised she forgot something. Five minutes of hastily putting the books back into their proper shelves, she was out the door to find Olaf.
Curiously, despite him seemingly know exactly where to find either sister, Anna was having a difficult time tracking down the little snowman. The first place she checked was the gardens where he would be enjoying the last few weeks of summer before autumn came but she didn't find him there. Then she tried the kitchens where he was known to linger to smell the meals prepared there but there was no trace of the snowman there. There were, however, some chocolate that the kitchen staff seemed to be giving away, which is to say not supervising. Finally she tried Elsa's old bedroom which she had placed in a permanent state of winter so they would always have a place to play in the snow. Olaf was not there. Exhaling deeply, she wandered around the courtyard when she heard a voice cry out for her.
"Anna! Hey, Anna!"
She looked up and saw the little snowman sitting on the roof of one of the smaller towers, his stumpy legs dangling over the edge and his twig arms frantically waving in the air. After a minute of wondering how the snowman managed to get up there, she quickly climbed up to join him.
"What are you doing up here?" asked Anna after she gave him a hug.
"Enjoying the magnificent view," Olaf cheerfully replied. "You can see so much from here. Everyone looks like tiny little ants. It's marvellous."
Anna smiled at him before she mustered her courage. "Olaf," she began. "Is it okay if I ask you a question?"
"Of course! What is it?"
"I was…wondering…"And in a breathless stream of words, she told him about breaking up with Kristoff, her feelings for Elsa, and how they developed into something more romantic than sisterly but just as strong. All the while, the usual talkative Olaf silently listened to what she had to say.
"I just don't understand," Anna finished. "I thought I just loved Elsa as a sister. But I think it's something more…"
"Well, who said you have to choose?" Olaf asked.
Anna just blinked at him.
"You want to love Elsa with a romantic love. You want to marry her one day, right?" Olaf asked. He paused, his little eyebrows narrowing in confusion and his tall head tilted to the side. "But it sounds like you think you have to make a choice. Between sisters and…romance. Who said you had to choose; why can't you just be both?"
"But…people think it's a little weird when sisters love each other that way."
"And people probably think it's a little weird when a snowman walks and talks and smells flowers in the sun but here I am!" he said, grabbing his little feet and chuckling to himself.
Anna couldn't help but share in his mirth. And in a way, what Olaf said made sense. There were much stranger things in their world and certainly in their own kingdom. A large family of trolls with rocks for bodies lived within their lands. Their very own queen, her sister, was capable of controlling ice and snow. She created a magnificent palace made of sheer ice in a single night and thawed a winter that everyone thought would never end. With all of that, how could the people ever think her love for Elsa, both sisterly and romantic, be anything but good? As long as she loved her back….
"Olaf, do you think I should tell her?"
He nodded furiously.
"But what if she doesn't love me back? What if she thinks it's too weird?"
"She'll always love you, Anna. She's your sister. How can she not?" The snowman paused again and this time something curious occurred. His face tightened in absolute resolution. "Look at me, Anna."
Anna did, tilting her head to the side and wondering what she was supposed to see.
"How do you think Elsa made me?" The familiar bright smile appeared once more. "She used the love she had for you. The memories of all the joy and happiness you two shared as children. She kept all that. It gave me life. The act of true love that thawed you had to be between both of you. That's why it didn't work when Kristoff brought you back to Arendelle. As a sister and beyond, I think Elsa loves you, Anna."
Anna felt tears form in her eyes and looked away for a minute as she dabbed them away.
"Okay, I'll tell her," she proclaimed.
Olaf's eyes lit up and he clapped his hands eagerly. "Now?!" he asked.
And then the logic part of her brain came back and knocked some sense into her. "Eh…give me some time," she said. "I just need to make sure."
Olaf's smile briefly turned into a frown before going back to normal. "Just tell me when! Oh I can't wait to see it. It's going to be magical!"
Anna stared at him as she giggled nervously. "Just…make sure she can't see you, okay? Usually these things are done in private."
He covered his mouth as comprehension settled into him. "Ohhh…okay! I see now. I'll just hide somewhere no one can see me. You'll see!" He chuckled to himself until he realised just what he said. "Wait, I mean, you won't see me. Because…I'll be hiding!" he quickly corrected. Anna laughed and wrapped her arms around the adorable little snowman.
"Thanks Olaf!" she said.
"Of course, Anna!" he said, returning her gesture. "Anything for you. You give the best warmest hugs ever!"
Author's Notes:
Whatever else the man may be, Hans is not an idiot. He definitely has a plan. He has a plan for his plan. He has a plan for his plan for his plan. What will it be though? If you're inclined to guess, please do.
Julia Blondevik is an original character of my own creation. However people who know me marginally well and/or are aware of a certain actress will know exactly whom I'm drawing inspiration from. Just to clear something, the relationship between Julia and Elsa is purely professional. She will not be in the way of the Elsanna ship.
One of the things that...kinda troubled about Frozen fanfics is how much fuss the writers seem to think it will kick up. We are talking about a world where trolls exist within a good distance from the city and the queen has the ability to create and control ice and snow. And if we are to take that Frozen is part of the arching Disney animated canon like I am, then there's mermaids, genies, talking animals, witches, fairies, healing flowers, voodoo doctors, sorcerers, etc. All sorts of crazy things. But incest is what gets the people all riled up?
I imagine there were a couple of changes in the religion of Arendelle. One would be the appearance of a cult dedicated to the worship of Elsa. Another would be a sect of the current religion, which for simplicity's sake I have as Catholicism, which would regard her as a witch. They will have an impact soon enough...
Once again, I welcome any and all feedback you might have to offer.