All or Nothing

Chapter Five

…..

Thank you all very much for the reviews and kudos that have been left on this fic. I managed to get out to see the new Cinderella lately along with Frozen Fever, and thankfully there was nothing there that I can say isn't canon for this fic (as if it matters, but I'm a bugbear for accuracy.)

Someone made the fairly obvious Game of Thrones parallel, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a huge influence, but my main influence comes from the same place as G.R.R. Martin's: European and Celtic history. The differences between Arendelle's royal bloodline and Merida's will become more obvious as time goes on. Elsa's situation here is based on something that may have happened to Mary Stuart in the 1500's.

Also, I'm half thinking of putting this on Tumblr. What do you lot think?

…..

It was astonishingly easy for Elsa's kidnapper to smuggle her out of the castle, easier than it should have been. He was well-known, having worked there for over a year and made friends with most of the roster of staff. He exchanged small talk with the castle guards with the paralyzed queen just inches from their feet, and when he reached the stables he tied up the bundle of cloth she was hidden in to his horse with the aid of an oblivious stable boy. He galloped out of the gates unfettered, and not a single person seemed to have noticed she was gone.

The valet uncovered her face so she could breathe, and she watched to her despair the castle get smaller and smaller as they crossed through the mountain trails. They were joined at the base of the eastern cliffs by five other men, dressed plainly but bearing the coat of arms of the principality of Sangonelle, a small country that had been allied with Arendelle for close to two hundred years.

They stopped just as dawn was starting to creep over the horizon, lit a fire in a clearing and took Elsa down from the horse. Even numb from whatever she had been drugged with, the long ride had given her cramps shooting up her legs and spine. One of the men pulled back the cloak she was wrapped in and grabbed her face, inspecting it roughly. Had she been able to, she would have bitten his fingers.

"Are you sure this is the queen?" he asked, turning back to the valet.

"Yes. That's the queen. Doesn't she look like the queen?"

The man shrugged. "Never seen a queen before. Bit young and skinny."

"That's the one our king ordered. Far be it for me to question him."

Sangonelle's king was young, unmarried and Elsa had met him once, as a child. She couldn't even remember what he looked like. The only thing she really knew about Sangonelle the country was that their chief export was flowers and their military was even smaller than Arendelle's. So what did they want with her?

She soon found out. They talked about her as though she wasn't there.

"His lordship's going to marry her. He couldn't guarantee she'd agree to it, so he asked me to collect her so he can persuade her in person."

The men laughed, their casual joviality at odds with the heinous act they'd committed.

"If she didn't want to marry him before, why does he think smuggling her across the border's going to help?" one of the men asked.

"The drug's good for three days, give or take an hour. Once the marriage is consummated, there's no going back, unless her majesty wants to return to her kingdom in disgrace."

Kidnap, rape and forced marriage, and the men were discussing it all as easily as a group of friends discussing a fishing trip. For the first time in her life, Elsa felt her blood running cold.

"Almost seems a bit too easy. You weren't followed at all?"

"Nobody suspected a thing," the valet chuckled. "I'll bet they still haven't noticed."

The men shared food, wine and stories and congratulated themselves on getting away as Elsa slipped further into despondency. How could nobody have noticed she was gone? Anna would be beside herself, the advisors in a panic, but they were so far away they might as well have been in another country. In less than two hours ride, they would cross the border into Sangonelle and all would be lost.

But just then, a shrill chirp from a nearby tree caught her attention. The men didn't notice, it was just another forest sound to them, but Elsa had heard that sound before. She was able to swivel her eyes around and on the very edge of her vision she saw the brown-and-white speckled feathers between the leaves of the tree.

Lua, she thought.

So Merida had noticed she was gone, and had sent the falcon to track her. Elsa felt a surge of hope burn through her so fierce it brought tears to her eyes.

Two of the men had gone into the forest to relieve themselves, and the others were just realizing that they hadn't returned. One of their party went to investigate, and came back white and shaking.

"Our horses are gone. Are you sure you weren't followed?"

"Of course I'm sure," the valet snarled. "The guards are idiots. You didn't tie the horses up properly, they won't have gone far."

"Knut and Malekson aren't back yet, I couldn't find them. Something's happened to them."

"They've had too much wine and gotten lost, you halfwit! If someone was following us we would have noticed!"

One of the other men seemed to think the whole situation was hilarious. He stumbled to his feet and strode into the forest, shouting at the top of his voice.

"You think these woods are haunted, is that it?" he guffawed, waving his arms around. "Knut! Malekson! You must come out, Fass is worried we'll be spirited away!"

The man disappeared behind an outcropping, there was a slight whistle on the wind, and then he spoke no more. The other men called his name, nervously, and when there was no answer they went for their weapons.

But it was far too late for that.

The man known as Fass caught his arrow in the eye and collapsed without a sound facefirst in the snow. The next second another arrow took out the man closest to him, it hit his heart and he had a moment of struggling to pull it out before it killed him. The remaining man and the valet were actively dodging now, but the hidden archer had a keen eye for movement and shot the last of the soldiers through the back of his head.

By now the valet had made his way to where Elsa was lying prone in the snow. He lifted her roughly against himself, holding her under the chin so he could press his sword against her throat. She dangled there, swinging slightly in the wind, feeling the blade press deeper with every beat of her heart. The valet's hands were shaking.

"That's enough!" he shouted into the clearing. "You come out now or she dies!"

To her dismay, Elsa saw Merida emerge from the top of an outcropping at the same time as her captor did, robbing her of the chance to take him out. She was alone, and dropped lightly to the front of them with an arrow aimed straight at the valet's face, but she couldn't take the shot while his sword was so close to Elsa's jugular.

"Ha," the valet laughed grimly. "The woods are haunted after all, your highness. The little red ghost is the only one who comes for you."

"You drop her, I let you live," Merida called to him in heavily accented Dellian.

"You don't bargain with me, you little wretch!" he roared at her. "You put down the bow or I'll cut her open, see if I don't!"

Merida likely didn't understand the words, but she understood the intent. The sword was so tightly pressed against her now that Elsa could feel blood oozing down her neck. Merida's face betrayed nothing, but she met Elsa's eyes, uncertain.

I'm so sorry, Elsa would have said if she could. You shouldn't be here.

Slowly, agonizingly, Merida lowered the bow. The valet laughed, this time with relief. His grip on the sword relaxed and the sting of the blade on her skin eased.

"Two girls for the price of one," he whispered in her ear, nastily. "Maybe my king will let me keep that one as a reward…"

Merida had lowered the bow, but only as far as her hip, and her pull on the string hadn't relaxed at all. Without warning, she shot the arrow through the valet's shin. He howled in pain for just a second before she strung another arrow and shot it through his open mouth. Elsa tumbled to the ground and the valet stumbled back, clawing at his mouth before a third arrow through his eye finished him off.

A moment of grey-clouded sky filled Elsa's vision before Merida's face swam into view, her hair falling either side of Elsa's face like a curtain of flame. She dabbed cautiously at her wounded throat with her sleeve, checked her pulse, pressed her ear to Elsa's chest to hear her heartbeat. All the while Elsa let the relief wash over her, so strong it felt as though it couldn't be contained by her body. The clouds released a steadily descending arc of snow she couldn't stop.

"Can you move anything at all?" Merida asked her, remarkably calm for someone who had just killed six people.

Elsa could only blink, so she did that. Merida's sharp eyes spotted it.

"Good. I counted six men. Were there any more than six? Once for yes, twice for no."

She blinked twice.

"Are we close to where they were taking you?"

She blinked once.

"Great," Merida grumbled. "Then we can't take the mountain paths, they'll be tracking us that way. We'll have to go the long way."

She was gone then, Elsa could hear her looting the bodies of the men. The snow was gradually getting thicker. If she'd been able to move her arms, she could have stopped it. So much of her powers were locked in her gestures, but using just her mind to take control was still proving difficult.

"At least the snow will cover our tracks," Merida called from somewhere to her left. "Could have done without it, though. Perfect bloody timing."

I'm so sorry, Elsa berated herself internally. I'd stop it if I could. I'm sorry.

"I tried to tell your guards as soon as I saw that one leave the castle, but they didn't understand me. So I had to come after you myself," Merida told her as she appeared in her eyeline again, and tied a strip of cloth around her throat to stop the bleeding. "What sort of servant goes running off with mysterious bundles after midnight unless he's up to no good? And you weren't in your office, which was strange on its own."

She rolled Elsa's dead weight onto a cloak she'd taken from one of the kidnappers and bundled her up like a baby. Elsa wanted to tell her not to bother, that the cold didn't affect her and she'd probably need it more herself. But Merida didn't notice the pleading in her eyes. She called Lua down and clicked some commands, and the bird took off.

"She's off finding my horse," Merida explained as she struggled to pick Elsa up from the ground and settle her weight on her shoulders, in a lift that was commonly known in Arendelle as the milkmaid's burden. "Oh bloody hell, you're heavier than you look!"

Kicking up snow with every step and grumbling in Gaelic the whole way, Merida carried the queen of Arendelle like a sack of flour in the direction the falcon had flown.

…..

They found Merida's horse grazing on snowdrops a quarter mile from where the fracas had taken place. Apparently in her haste she'd picked the first horse she could find already bridled, which was a small chestnut jennet. It was saddle-less and wholly unsuitable for carrying more than one person, so she lay Elsa across its back, tethered her in place and guided the horse on foot. They left the mountain path as soon as they were able and travelled through a dense expanse of forest, the trees growing so close and so thick that they couldn't see the sky through the branches.

Merida deliberately weaved in and out of the trees and kept up a steady stream of quiet conversation, both to let Elsa know what she was doing and to keep the horse from getting agitated by the zigzag direction they were travelling in.

"If they send dogs after us they'll be stuck sniffing the trees for hours," she said. Elsa was blown away by how well-prepared she was.

They hit a snag though just as the sun was beginning to set again and they reached the river. Her kidnapper had crossed a bridge to reach the mountain trails but it was the only crossing for miles and far too risky. Merida walked them to the shallows and started to edge her way over, but the horse refused to set foot in the water.

Merida, now cold and tired and frustrated beyond measure, berated and cajoled the horse in equal measure in Gaelic, trying to coax it into the water. Elsa was mildly amused to note that Merida had spoken more words to the horse in the last hour than she'd spoken to Elsa over an entire month.

Finally, she appeared to give up and lead the horse along the bank, away from the shallows to where the water was deeper and stiller.

"Sorry about this," she said to Elsa. That was the only warning she and the horse got.

Merida barrelled into the horse from the side, sending the horse and the queen plunging into the water below. She jumped in herself a moment later, and let out one very short scream as the cold of the water hit her hard. The horse found its feet quickly and tried to turn back to the bank, but Merida got her wits back together and grabbed its reins to start guiding it across the river.

Elsa's cloak was thick and fleece-lined, after the initial splash of water hit her outer covering she was still relatively dry even with her feet trailing in the water. Merida was grumbling shakily in Gaelic, and although Elsa couldn't see her she could guess that the water was up to her shoulders.

"W-we'll stop f-for the n-n-night once we get to the o-th-other side," she called back to Elsa.

It was pitch black by the time they reached the other side; their route had taken almost twice the time of the mountain path. Thankfully, the castle was just visible in the distance. There was a small cave hidden behind some trees near the bank, Lua was perched on a rock just beside it as they climbed out of the water, calling for her mistress.

After quickly lighting a fire with sticks and moss and taking Elsa down from the back of the horse, Merida used one of the cloaks to wipe down the panting animal before she even began to see to herself. Her dress and cloak were soaked through and stuck to her, but she made sure Elsa and the horse were comfortable. Once they were settled and she began undoing the buttons on her bodice, Elsa realized this was going to be a problem.

Look away, she told herself sternly. Just look away.

But she couldn't look away. She still couldn't move her head away and if she closed her eyes, Merida would think something was wrong and come closer. That was the last thing she needed with the places her mind was going.

Don't think that way. Don't feel. Not again.

Merida's sodden dress hit the floor with a thump, followed by her linen shift. She was wearing just a thin vest and bloomers, both of which were soaked through and transparent. The vest was too short, baring an inch of peach-toned skin. Elsa kept her eyes trained above her waist with difficulty, until Merida pulled her hair to one side to wring the water from it and her full breasts were so clearly outlined, the stiff peaks of her nipples so prominent that Elsa gasped for breath.

Being in this cave, so close to the beautiful body of a young girl, was bringing back thoughts that Elsa had banished from her mind for many years.

…..

She supposed it was natural, the only man she'd been around for any length of time was her father. Her days were filled with her mother, her sister and a succession of maids and governesses.

But even in the very earliest days, before she'd struck Anna with that icy blow, when stories of handsome knights and beautiful maidens were read to her, her eyes were always drawn to the girls in the pictures who were so winsome and graceful. Women moved so fluidly and left the scent of flowers in their wake, men stomped and spat and cursed and smelled of meat and sweat. Even her father, that genial well-mannered gentleman, did not in her eyes possess the same easy elegance as even the lowliest kitchen wench.

Flossie was the one who brought it to a head.

Her true name was unknown to Elsa, Flossie was a nickname given to her for her untidy, careless nature. Elsa was ten years old, Flossie in her late teens or early twenties. She was given the job of cleaning Elsa's bedroom and serving her meals, someone obviously thinking that the young spirited maid would bring some cheer to the dour little princess.

The maid was plump, heavy-bosomed. Her uniform seemed to fit her badly, the buttons of her bodice often popped and the straps of her apron would fall, bringing her sleeves with them. Sometimes when she bent over her petticoats would show, or she would forget her petticoat entirely and show a good three inches of her bloomers above her stockings. The stockings themselves would come loose from their garters and leave her milky-white calves bare. Even her springy blonde curls had trouble staying in her cap. The other maids compared her to a broody hen, the head housekeeper despaired of her, but she did her job cheerfully and efficiently so she kept it.

Elsa's eyes were drawn to Flossie, no matter what she was doing. While she pretended to concentrate on her arithmetic, she watched Flossie tend to the fireplace on her knees with her bottom in the air and her petticoat raised above her thighs. She tracked the gentle bounce of the maid's bosom as she hurried about with serving dishes. One afternoon, as Flossie leaned forward to ladle some soup into Elsa's bowl, two of her bodice buttons sprang open, and Elsa moaned quietly with longing.

Not quietly enough.

Flossie noticed, because of course she did. A slow smile crossed her face as a mortified blush crossed Elsa's. She fixed her buttons and left without a word. What was meant by the smile, Elsa could not know.

After that, Flossie was untidier than ever. It was clear to Elsa that she did it deliberately. Now her petticoats, on the days she remembered to wear them, were rolled up to bare her knees and thighs when she worked at the fireplace. Three bodice buttons would come loose instead of two. In summer she would complain about the heat and raise her skirt to fan herself, grinning at Elsa all the while.

Perhaps she was happy that she, a serving wench, had such power over a girl who was so far above her. Or perhaps she was just trying to provide a giddy thrill to a lonely, sexually frustrated adolescent. Either way it left Elsa a nervous wreck. She knew enough to know that thinking of another girl in such a way was considered at best a joke, at worst an abomination, and in a princess completely unthinkable.

Flossie was removed from serving at the castle after a year, only to be replaced with another problem.

Madame Martine was a Bretanol noblewoman, a widow of fifty years old whose estate had been swallowed by her husband's debts. She gladly took on the position of governess to Elsa (Anna had a different governess, one who was not so austere.)

Elsa was glad, at first. Madame Martine was well-preserved but not especially attractive. She was thin and dressed severely, buttons done up well past her throat and hair pinned back so tightly it also pulled back some of the skin of her face. But when she pulled off her gloves, Elsa noticed that she had the most beautiful hands.

She contained herself for a long time, and Madame Martine was an excellent teacher who was not really as strict as she appeared to be. She kept her gloves on almost all of the time, but took them off for meals, whereupon Elsa would look away.

One night, having worked particularly hard on a philosophy problem, Madame Martine told her to put down her pen and take a break for some tea.

"You shall pour, I think," Madame said, bringing over the teacups.

It happened so quickly Elsa had barely time to think about what she was doing. One moment she was pouring the tea and Madame was taking off her gloves, the next moment she had stroked Madame's bare hand with her own and was looking at Madame's shocked face. She practically threw herself away to sit at the other side of the table, to act as though nothing had happened even though her face was burning and the air was turning ice cold.

Madame kept her composure, pulled her gloves back on, and they sat in silence for a moment that seemed to stretch for hours. Finally, she spoke.

"In her lifetime," Madame began, "a woman must keep many secrets. Particularly if that woman is of noble birth."

She smiled at Elsa, not unkindly but it cut through Elsa as easily as a scowl would have.

"We will not speak of this again," Madame promised her.

Elsa buried her feelings. Conceal, don't feel, while she was keeping secrets why not keep more? And true, if people thought her powers were a curse what would be said if they knew she had unnatural longing for female company too? Best carve it out and put it somewhere deep inside where she never had to think about it again.

…..

But female flesh was, up until this point, buried under layers of thick wool and silver buttons and cold formal politeness. Elsa had never been this close to a nearly naked woman before. Merida was completely unconcerned that Elsa might have been watching her, she was using one of the spare cloaks to dry herself off and wringing out the scraps of cloth she was still (barely) wearing. Her dress and cloak were hanging beside the fire to dry.

When she covered herself with a dry cloak, Elsa was relieved, but only a little. Even knowing how naked she was under the cloak filled her with unbearable longing. Merida approached her to check that she was wrapped up warmly and to pull her closer to the fire, and even that small closeness set her skin tingling.

"I'll keep watch until morning, you should try and get some sleep," Merida said to her.

As if she could sleep now. But she closed her eyes and at least mimed sleep, for both their sakes.

…..

At sunrise, Elsa dutifully kept her eyes closed as Merida pulled on her still-damp, still ice-cold dress and trussed her up onto the horse again. Crossing the terrain to the castle was a shorter distance now but even more difficult, the snow had turned the ground into a thick quagmire that Merida or the horse or both kept getting stuck in. By the time the castle was in front of them, the horse was snorting angrily and Merida's mood was foul.

The guards stopped them at the gate, aiming their spears at Merida and shouting orders at her too fast for her to understand. From what Elsa could gather, the whole castle was in a frenzy since her disappearance.

"Oh, you not want queen?" Merida snapped at them in broken Dellian. "I put queen back where I find, yes?"

There was a moment of silence, and then the guards were at Elsa's side, yelling for help. They pulled her down from the horse, a stretcher was found, they wrapped her in blankets and called for the doctor. Out of the corner of her eye Elsa saw the guards produce shackles and arrest Merida, who incredulously protested her innocence in the little Dellian she knew and Angolsi, neither of which helped at all. Giving up, she angrily let herself be lead away muttering in Gaelic.

Don't arrest her, you idiots! Elsa screamed internally. She saved me! She was the only one who came after me!

But then Anna was at her side, breathing so frantically Elsa feared she had done damage to herself. When she saw that Elsa was alive and relatively unharmed, her eyes flooded and she threw herself across Elsa's body, hugging her so tightly she felt her ribs creak and sobbing so ferociously her whole body trembled.

Elsa supposed it was nice to know somebody had missed her.

…..