Elsa heaved a sigh when the door closed. The events of that day were starting to catch up with her. I've kidnapped a princess…now what? Anna would definitely have to stay in her room, because there was no way in hell Elsa was going to trust her crew not to keep their hands off her. The princess was…well, she was quite beautiful, and some of the more roguish men on her ship probably wouldn't think twice about hitting on her. Elsa would make sure the girl was kept safe, it was the least she could do considering she'd taken her hostage.
The blonde straightened her posture, striding out onto the center of the main deck. Her crew was waiting for her. They were curious as to what the next move was.
"Alright men," Elsa caught everyman's attention, "Excellent job today. We've reaped quite the plunder, so how about we celebrate?"
A deafening cheer filled the air, along with several fists raised in victory.
Elsa nodded. "Set a course for Dun Broch." She ordered, "Tonight, we make merry!"
The men cheered as they scrambled to their stations. Elsa smiled at how eager her crew was to have a night on the town. It would be good to get the madness out of their systems so they won't be so antsy. Anna would probably be safer then, too.
Elsa bit her lip when she remembered the princess. She would be staying in her quarters, which would make Elsa's situation a little more difficult. Hopefully, she would get through this without her secret being discovered. Of course, the poor girl seemed terrified of me, so maybe she'll try to keep her distance, Elsa pondered idly. Yes, keeping a safe distance between us would probably be for the best.
"Stuck in your head again, Captain?" Kristoff's voice startled her. Usually, she was able to maintain her cool façade. Recent events just had her wits frazzled, it seemed.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't you have something you need to be doing?" she grumbled.
Kristoff chuckled. "Easy there, man. I just thought you could use some company."
Elsa huffed and crossed her arms. "I'm fine," at his unconvinced look her mask fell, "Okay, maybe I'm a little worried over this whole 'ransom' thing. It was a little impulsive of me…"
The scruffy man grinned. "Well, it doesn't hurt that the princess is quite easy on the eyes."
"Don't even think about it," she dead panned, "She's off limits, and I expect you to make sure the boys know that as well."
This only made the man's grin wider. "Why, Captain," he began playfully, "I had no idea you fancied redheads."
Elsa's eyes widened dramatically as a light pink blush spread across her pale cheeks. She got angry with herself for reacting like this. It only served to prove him partially right.
"I-I do not!" she barked, "She's a princess, you numbskull! If we return her in anything less than fine condition, we'll be executed on the spot!"
"Easy there, captain," he placated her, holding up his hands in defense, "I was only jesting…Though I could definitely see why you'd want her all to yourself."
Elsa growled in aggravation, wanting to pull her hair out. "Just go do your job or something."
Now he was laughing. "Aye, aye, captain." He sauntered away.
Elsa watched his retreating form, wanting nothing more than to see it flying overboard.
Anna had to admit, the captain's quarters were pretty cool. There were tons of little trinkets and bobbles lined about the walls like artifacts in a museum. She studied each one thoroughly, wondering what sort of story they held behind them. On the desk were several rolls of parchment, each one a depicting various maps. Anna's eyes traced the lines, her inner artist appreciating every small detail the cartographer had included in their work.
She moved on to a large bookshelf, neatly filled to the brim with various tomes and volumes. Anna gleefully noted some books that she'd never seen before, and some that her mother had told her 'proper women' never read. She took one off the shelf and looked at the cover. "Grimm's Fairytales"…Mother always said that fine young ladies had no time for such nonsense…A wicked mirth rose up deep within her stomach, the kind a mischievous child attained when they got away with something naughty, but Mother isn't here!
She waltzed over to a comfy looking chair and plopped down (her mother would be furious at that, too) with the book in her lap. She flipped through the pages and proceeded to read a few of the stories. They were slightly dark, but very interesting, she decided. The tales within the pages captivated her, making her want to go on an exciting journey of her own someday. That's probably why her mother didn't want her to read things like that. It would make her long for freedom and adventure. Something I could never have, she realized.
Although, if getting kidnapped by pirates and held for ransom didn't constitute an adventure, Anna wasn't sure what did.
"You enjoy fairytales?" a soft voice asked her.
Anna hadn't even noticed the captain's arrival, causing her to squeak in surprise and drop the book gracelessly on the floor.
The blonde looked apologetic as he bent down to retrieve the book. "I apologize for startling you."
The princess quickly shook her head, embarrassment flushing her freckled cheeks. "N-No, it's uh, it's fine. Really. A-And I wasn't reading them, I was just, um," She scrambled to collect herself, "Skimming."
The captain arched an eyebrow, seeming thoroughly amused. "I see." He commented with a slight chuckle, "Which was your favorite?"
Anna stood up and smoothed her hands over her dress awkwardly. "L-Like I said, I was just skimming, so…"
"Right," he nodded with a smile, "Well, when I 'skimmed' it last, I found one of my favorites to be The Master Thief."
The princess finally calmed herself, allowing for a half smirk and a playful eye roll. "Of course that one would be your favorite, considering your occupation."
The captain shrugged. "The thief in the story is a very intelligent man who only steals from the rich and selfish. I also like the message of the tale as well."
Anna looked curious, her eyes regarding the captain with wary intrigue. "Oh? And what is that?"
The blonde grinned, rubbing a hand over the book's cover. "'A man's best weapon is his brain'," he shook his head and slid the book back into its place on the shelf, a faint sadness lingering in his eyes, "It's also something my father would always tell me."
Anna watched the young man for a moment. He was so tragically beautiful, with the light from the window streaming in to catch the silky pale strands of hair and cast light upon smooth porcelain skin. Amidst that halo of light, however, were two deep blue eyes that swirled with dark storm clouds. The contrast was breathtaking.
The princess cleared her throat. "Your father sounds like an interesting man."
The captain's head jerked around to face her, as if she had snapped him out of a trance. His eyes regarded her carefully, storm clouds replaced with curiosity. "He was," he said finally, the softness of his voice even more pronounced. He nodded to her. "What about your parents?"
The princess sighed and sat back down in the chair, the captain following suit by seating himself on a wooden stool across from her.
"My parents are always very busy," Anna said quietly, but then shook her head quickly as if to disagree with her previous statement, "They love me, though! I know they do…they just…they have a whole kingdom to run, so raising a daughter isn't a major priority on their long list of duties, you know?...I mean, thousands of people are depending on them, so…so…why should I be special...?"
Anna hadn't realized she'd been crying until a soft white cloth was being dabbed at her moistened eyes.
Elsa wasn't sure how to feel when she saw the girl in front of her start to cry. The princess' quivering voice broke her heart. The blonde quickly reached into her jacket and pulled out a white handkerchief, dabbing gently at the tearful eyes. As the redhead sniffled, Elsa finally put a name to this feeling she had welling up deep in her gut. It was anger.
Who would neglect such a kind girl? Their own daughter, no less!
"Anna." Misty teal eyes looked up at hers. Were they always that pretty a color? Maybe it's just because I'm so close. Elsa pulled back slightly, putting a safer distance between them before she continued. "Why were you on that ship?" she tried to keep her voice calm and steady, as she'd practiced so many times. Her anger at the king and queen was making it difficult.
The princess shook her head and stood up, Elsa noticed that her shoulders seemed a bit tense. "I was being sent to ensure a treaty took place." She stated vaguely, looking at the far wall. Her eyes refused to meet the captain's.
"A treaty?" Elsa had to know more. There was something Anna wasn't telling her, something important. The blonde shifted forward curiously.
Anna turned away slightly, her posture suddenly guarded. "Yes, but I don't think I should tell you any more than that," she said quietly, her eyes falling to the floor, "After all, you're…" she bit her bottom lip and turned around completely, her back facing Elsa now. The princess didn't finish her statement, but the captain got the message loud and clear.
Of course she doesn't trust me, I'm a pirate for heaven sake! Even I wouldn't trust me! It didn't make the act of Anna shutting her out any less painful, though. If anything, it reminded Elsa of how different they were from each other. A princess and a pirate could never be friends. Anna came from an entirely different world than her own, one that Elsa would never be able to reach.
The captain stood up, sighing as she dusted herself off. "We should be docking soon," she excused herself, "I must go up to direct my men. I'll be back to check up on you afterwards." Her voice sounded pained and clipped, even to her own ears.
The princess didn't move or say a single word, even as Elsa closed the cabin doors.
As the door shut, Anna wanted to kick herself. She'd obviously hurt the blonde's feelings. He's been nothing but nice to me, aside from the whole kidnapping thing…Okay, so maybe Anna had a few legs to stand on in her argument, but the captain could've been a lot worse. He could've kept her tied up, thrown her in the brig, or even allowed his crew to have her. She shuddered, Elric would never do that. I hope.
"I'll just apologize to him when he comes back from docking the ship." She concluded aloud. Her brow furrowed. Speaking of which, where are where docking at?
Heart heavy, Elsa made her way to the ship deck. With her captain's mask firmly in place, she gave direction to her men as the ship docked in the port of Dun Broch. Everything went off without a hitch, and her crew was eager to go out and enjoy themselves. When all was taken care of, she set them free to do what they wished, knowing they would either visit the local tavern or the whore house. She didn't care for either of those places. Too loud and too raunchy.
She had to go check on the princess. Anna. The name felt like a weight on her shoulders. The captain was feeling guilty for taking Anna away, for stealing her freedom for monetary gain. The poor girl was being forced to stay in her bedroom, trapped behind that solid wooden door. How traumatizing that must be! She must hate me, she lamented, I'm the worst. Why did I have to steal her away?
Elsa heaved a heavy sigh as she made her way back to the captain's quarters. She opened the door to find Anna seated in the same chair as before, waiting patiently for her return. The redhead stood up quickly when she saw her. "U-Um, I wanted to apologize—"
"No, please," Elsa stopped her. Anna had done nothing wrong by choosing not to trust her. If anything, Elsa was wrong in expecting to be trusted. "You do not need to apologize to me. You have done nothing wrong, your highness."
The princess took a step closer, her teals eyes filled with guilt and pain. "Call me Anna," she pleaded quietly, "And captain, I wanted to thank you for treating me so kindly, even if you are the one who is keeping me here."
Elsa couldn't believe what she was hearing. The princess was saying 'thank you'?! Was this what they called 'Stockholm Syndrome'? Surely, there was no way Anna would want to be in the position she was in. The blonde was completely floored.
"Do you not hear your own words?" Elsa questioned incredulously, "I am keeping you here as a captive! You certainly have nothing to thank me for, if anything you should be angry with me!" Elsa had to take a deep breath and calm herself. Her voice was starting to become higher with her emotions.
"I know that," Anna's voice sounded small, "I know, I just…" she trailed off, her eyes gazing out the window as she fell silent. Several tense moments passed like that where neither said anything. The only sound in the silence was the faint hush of waves against the hull of the ship and the distant cry of gulls on the wind.
Finally Elsa spoke. Her voice sounded strange, weak and quavering. "I'm sorry." She whispered. The blonde needed Anna to know how much she regretted taking her hostage, she needed the princess to understand how guilty she felt for keeping her as a prisoner. Father would laugh at me, Elsa reminded herself, 'a pirate should always live without regret', he'd say. How weak she was.
Anna cleared her throat, drawing her attention. "Captain…" her voice sounded shy, but lacking in sadness or accusation, "Would you mind escorting me around the ship? I'd like to get some fresh air, if you don't mind…" It was an invitation. A harmless question without any malicious intent.
Elsa's mouth formed a small 'o' shape. She was expecting bitterness, or even withdrawal from her captive. But the princess seemed willing to move past it all. Heck, she even wanted to spend time with her! How could someone be so forgiving?
Elsa realized that she didn't give an answer when Anna shifted nervously and began to ramble. "I-I mean," the redhead spoke again, "You don't have to, if you do not wish to do so. I'm sorry for being so demanding. O-On second thought, forget I even asked. I-I mean, you're the captain, and here I am ordering you to show me around. That's really bothersome to you, and I just—"
"Anna." Elsa stopped her gently. Which was hard, because watching the princess ramble nervously was very interesting to observe. Blushing suits her, Elsa thought idly. "It's quite alright," she said, "I'd be happy to escort you."
Teal eyes lit up. "Really? Thank you so much!" her tone was light and cheery, as if Elsa had just given her a wonderful gift, "To be honest, I've wanted to tour this ship ever since I first saw it approaching on the waves. The detailing and design are simply incredible!"
Elsa raised an amused eyebrow. "I am happy to hear you say that." And she truly was. A pirate's ship was an extension of themselves. To complement The Snow Queen was to complement its captain. "Shall we?" she offered her hand, which the princess took with a slight blush.
Anna paused when they reached the doorway. She bit her lip and stared at the floor. "You won't let the other pirates do anything to me…right?" her voice sounded small, timid, and Elsa just wanted to pull her into a protective embrace and shelter her from the world.
That would be strange, however, so she settled for squeezing the shorter girl's hand. "Most of the men are ashore right now," she said calmly, "But even if they weren't, I'd never let them touch you, you need not worry. You will always be safe with me, I promise."
Elsa was rewarded with a small smile and a dainty blush as Anna nodded. "Thank you, captain."
Alright! I'm so happy you all enjoy this story! No, seriously, your reviews just make my day. On a side note, there's something awesome about writing pirate fiction while listening to the Pirate's of The Caribbean Soundtrack. So epic!