One month had passed since the Battle of Arendelle. Slowly but surely over the last four weeks, the townspeople had been able to repair the damages left behind in the wake of the fighting. Elsa and Kristoff had gone back to Erigisen to help restore the battered city to its former glory. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that her people were quite taken with the blonde man and his immense knowledge of all things ice.
It was with this in mind that Elsa had decided to make him a lord and have him manage Erigisen in her stead while she was living with Anna in Arendelle. He humbly accepted the honor and promised to make regular reports.
The people of Erigisen and Arendelle were overjoyed that their two kingdoms were finally going to be joined under one house. Trade was never better, the citizens were never happier, and both kingdoms were at peace. Finally.
"Hold still, Anna!" Rapunzel grumbled, "I can't pin the hair piece in with you squirming all around!"
The redhead straightened in front of the mirror. "Sorry, 'Punzie. I'm just so excited, and nervous, or maybe I'm just gassy? It's just…" she looked at her reflection, a slow smile spreading across her painted lips and a healthy glow burning in her freckled cheeks, "It's finally happening, isn't it?" her voice was quiet and filled with awe.
Aurora finished tying up the back laces on the dress corset and smiled at her. "We have all waited for this day to come."
Rapunzel grinned mischievously. "And tonight as well." She joked.
Aurora gasped, scandalized. "Rapunzel!"
Anna turned and looked at them, confusion etched unto her pretty features. "Tonight? What about tonight?"
Rapunzel raised an eyebrow. "You know…" she said pointedly, clearing her throat for emphasis, "Tonight." She proceeded to wiggle her eyebrows in a very silly fashion.
"Oh…?" A long moment passed before realization dawned and a dark blush spread from Anna's toes all the way to the tips of her ears. "O-oh!...u-uh, y-yes…I, I mean, I uh…" she cleared her throat as if to speak more, but no sound came out.
"I think you broke her," Belle observed from the corner of the room.
"I didn't do anything," Aurora defended herself, "It was all Rapunzel."
The French woman chuckled and turned the page in her novel. "Well, it's better for the subject to be broached now, I suppose." She murmured, becoming lost in the text once more.
They were interrupted by a knock at the door. The Queen of Arendelle poked her head in. "Everything alright, girls?" she asked.
"Yes, your majesty." They chorused.
The Queen slipped into the room, closing the door behind her. "There's no need for formalities, dears. After all, my husband and I will be passing the reins off and retiring soon anyway." She smiled at that, "Just call me Hestia."
"Mama, have you seen Elsa yet?" Anna asked, finally regaining the ability to speak.
The Queen shook her head. "No dearest, I was busy making sure all the preparations for the ceremony were ready. As a matter of fact," she took out a tiny timepiece and inspected it, "The ceremony set to begin in…sixteen minutes."
The room broke out into chaos then. Rapunzel and Aurora running around to make last minute adjustments to the dress. Anna started panicking.
"Oh no, what if I mess up my vows? What if my makeup smudges?" she rambled frantically, "What if my shoe catches and I trip and knock things over and, a-and I knew I should've practiced walking in heels more!"
"Honey, relax," her mother soothed, placing a calming hand on her shoulder. "Today isn't about any of that. It is about you and Elsa, and your love for each other."
"B-But-"
"Remember that Elsa will love you even if you do all of those things you were worried about."
Anna finally calmed down, offering her mother a sheepish smile. "I know, mama," she said, shyly looking down at her dress, "I just want everything to be perfect today, because she deserves perfection."
Her mother chuckled. "Of course she does, dearest," her mother agreed lightheartedly, "But remember that love is not always about perfection. Elsa loves all of you, your perfection and your flaws."
"From what I've seen," Belle chimed in, "I think Elsa is especially fond of her flaws."
Hestia smiled at her daughter. "See?"
Anna nodded. She looked at herself one last time in the mirror, breathing in deeply and letting out the last of her nerves in a heavy sigh. "Okay, I'm ready."
The sun shone down brightly upon the beautiful palace gardens. Ornate white pews were set up for guests to sit in as they waited for the wedding to begin. People from all over had come to observe this sacred bonding of two influential kingdoms. It also didn't hurt that the couple being married was extremely pleasing to the eyes.
Ribbons and streams of delicate white cloth hung from the surrounding marble pillars, accented by silver silk and clusters of red roses. Flower petals were strewn about the main walkway, and white lilies were placed tastefully about the alter and woven up into the extravagant wedding arbor. The cool spring air was filled with the scent of blossoming flowers.
A string quartet waited off to the side while making some last minute fine tuning to their instruments. All was perfect, peaceful, and lovely.
Except for maybe the giant snowman that stood a few feet away from the alter, a tiny ice bowtie around his neck and a small box in his enormous icy clutches. Elsa had been able to restore her friend from his previous liquid state, much to the relief of everyone.
Many of the foreign guests had been intimidated by Marshmallow at first, but after some coaxing from the locals, they eventually got used to him. Some of them even tried to talk with him. He didn't know what to do with all the attention.
Suddenly, all fell silent as soft strings began to play. All eyes were glued to the lone figure walking slowly down the aisle. Every guest rose from their seat and bowed.
Elsa was a vision of beauty, her strides long, even, and graceful. Her dress was pure white, accented with light blue lace around the hem line and bodice. Her platinum hair was woven into a thick braid down her back and had beautiful blue orchid flowers interlaced among the strands. They matched her deep blue eyes, which were framed by long dark lashes. Her supple ruby lips ghosted with a demure smile.
She was absolutely stunning.
When Elsa reached the alter she turned towards the audience and gave a polite curtsy, which earned bows and curtsies in return. Then she waited, casting a nervous glance to the priest, who smiled at her in return. She fought to keep from wringing her hands.
"It's alright to be nervous, your majesty." She heard him whisper.
She nodded slightly and cast her eyes over the audience once more. She caught sight of Mulan and Merida, who had both helped her get ready. Though Merida wasn't much help, Elsa was surprised by how much Mulan knew about hair and makeup.
Then she noticed Kristoff and Eugene, who looked rather gentlemanly in their crisp tuxedos. The illusion was broken, however, when she saw Kristoff pick his nose and eat it. She would have to talk to the man later about the proper etiquette befitting a lord.
None of that mattered, however, as the music suddenly changed and the wedding march began to play.
It all happened in slow motion. Two pairs of eyes, one blue as the spring sky above, another teal like the shining sea, met as if for the first time.
"She's…beautiful…"Elsa breathed in awe, her eyes unable to look upon anything else as Anna made her way to the alter, guided by her teary eyed father.
Anna's dress was white with light green accents laced into the hemline and bodice, similar in style to Elsa's. They had picked them out this way because they had wanted the styles to complement each other. Her red hair was done up into an elaborate twist of braids interwoven with white and light green silk. An elegant wreath of lilies and green gladiolus flowers rested atop her head. She looked like a spring goddess.
As Anna released her father's arm and came to a stop next to Elsa, she smiled and blushed at her soon to be wife. My wife…I already love the sound of it.
"You look beautiful." Elsa told her quietly, unable to stop herself from taking Anna's hands in hers.
The redhead blushed bright pink. "Th-thank you…you look beautifuller, I-I mean not 'fuller', but uh, I mean 'more beautiful'." She stammered. Gods, I'm already messing this up!
Elsa pressed her lips together, a sappy smile threatening to reveal itself. "Is it bad that I want to kiss you before I'm allowed to?" she whispered lowly.
Anna beamed at that, remembering what her mother told her. Then she felt overwhelmed by sheer love in that moment. Mistakes didn't matter, nothing did but the woman standing in front of her. "I love you, Elsa."
The blonde smiled, revealing perfect white teeth. "And I you, my love."
The music stopped, and the priest cleared his throat before speaking.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bear witness to the union of two souls, two hearts that have found completion in each other. We are gathered here to gaze upon true love at work, to witness the marriage of Queen Elsa of Erigisen and Crown Princess Anna of Arendelle."
The priest continued to speak, reading the occasional passage from his sermon book. Anna and Elsa couldn't look away from each other. Everything around them had begun to slip away, until all that was left was the two of them together in that moment.
"May I please have the rings?" The priest asked, breaking them out of their love induced stupor.
Everyone watched with wide eyed interest as Marshmallow trudged over to the man and offered him the little box. Anna had thought it was a cute touch to make the snowman the ring bearer.
The priest opened the box and held it before the couple. He looked to Elsa, who nodded and took one of the slender gold bands into her hands.
She locked eyes with Anna, who bit her lip and offered her hand. Elsa cleared her throat nervously.
"Anna, my love," she began, taking her hand, "From the moment we first met all those years ago, you have always held a sacred place in my heart. You were the first person to look past my powers, to see me as I truly am. Your smile makes me feel as if I can do anything. When I was alone in my castle, I would think of nothing but you and your smile constantly, endlessly. And now," she slowly slid the ring onto Anna's finger, "I want to be able to see that smile every day for the rest of my life."
Tears filled Anna's eyes. "Oh, Elsa…"
The redhead turned and took the other ring from the box. Elsa smiled and offered her hand. Anna took it, feeling the pale digits tremble slightly.
"Elsa…I don't think I have words that can properly describe how much I love you," she stated emotionally, "I remember thinking about how beautiful you were when I first saw you, and then realizing how lonely you must've been all by yourself. Elsa, you are so strong, stronger than anyone I've ever known. I've put you through so much, and you still held on to your love for me. You've carried the burdens of others on your shoulders and ask for nothing in return because you are so beautifully selfless. But you don't have to bear it all alone," she carefully slid the ring over a slender finger, "Because from now on I will be right there by your side. Always."
Elsa squeezed her hand as tears welled up in deep blue orbs.
The priest smiled at them both. "Do you, Queen Elsa of Erigisen, take Crown Princess Anna of Arendelle, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
Elsa smiled down at her, eyes conveying all the love she held in her heart and then some. "I do."
"Do you, Crown Princess Anna of Arendelle, take Queen Elsa of Erigisen, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
Anna grinned up at the blonde, a glistening tear running down a freckled cheek. "I do."
The priest nodded. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you both married in the eyes of the holy church." He smiled at them, "You may kiss the bride."
Cheers rung out all around as their lips joined together in a passionate kiss. They poured all the emotions they were feeling in that moment into each other. It was beautiful. It was perfection.
The reception was lively and filled with music, dancing, and delicious confections. Everyone found it amusing that the wedding cake was actually chocolate flavored underneath that misleading white fondant.
Anna and Elsa were attached at the hip it seemed. They went around hand in hand to greet the guests and thank them for attending. Everyone gave them well wishes, and some of the more tipsy ones offered them embarrassing marriage advice.
Afterwards they danced together, with Anna being surprisingly graceful in her movements. Or perhaps Elsa was just very skilled at leading. Some of the guests just stopped to watch them dance, smiling at how beautiful they were together.
The two did separate for a moment when Anna's mother asked for a dance with Elsa. Anna reluctantly agreed.
Hestia smiled at her daughter-in-law as they danced together. Elsa was nothing but courteous in her words and actions, wanting to show proper respect for her wife's mother. Hestia conspiratorially told her about Anna's early childhood, which the blonde found great interest and amusement in.
Then they talked about Elsa's mother for a bit. Hestia had said that she would be extremely proud of the fine young lady Elsa has grown into. Then the song ended, and the blonde was offered back to her wife.
Anna pouted at her mother. "I know you told her all about my embarrassing moments."
Hestia just giggled and left them to go mingle with the other guests.
They went back to dancing together, Anna leaning her head on Elsa's shoulder as they swayed. The redhead faintly took notice of Mulan and Aurora dancing together across the room and smiled. Both of them were blushing like mad. It was very cute.
"Did you see Aurora and Mulan dancing together?" Anna asked once they retired to their room. "I think they like each other."
She heard Elsa chuckle from behind the folding dressing partition. "I have a feeling that there will be another wedding in the future."
Anna was about to make a witty comment in response, but all words died on her lips when Elsa emerged from the partition. She was wearing a silky light blue night gown that accentuated her perfect hips. Oh my goodness…those hips will be the death of me.
Rapunzel's words from earlier came back to haunt her, and suddenly Anna felt like her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest.
Elsa took notice. "Anna, what's wrong?" she placed a cool hand to a burning forehead, "You seem flushed. Are you feeling alright?"
My god, her scent…Anna gulped, starting to feel light headed. Pull yourself together woman!
"I-I'm fine!" she took a step back, inwardly cringing at the worried look this earned.
There was a heavy silence that weighed on the room for a few moments before Anna spoke again.
"A-Actually, I'm really nervous…" she admitted shyly.
Elsa piqued a concerned eyebrow. "Why, love?"
"W-Well…" Anna blushed darkly, "T-Tonight's our…our w-wedding night, so…" she trailed off, but the implication was clear as day.
Now it was Elsa's turn to blush darkly. "O-oh…I, um…I see." She stared at a corner of the room, at a loss on what to do or say.
Anna nodded, her eyes glued desperately to the floor. "S-So…I-I mean…" her voice was trembling slightly.
Elsa heard Anna's distress and immediately wanted to console her. "W-We don't have to…d-do anything, if you do not wish to," Elsa quickly reassured her, "I-I wouldn't mind just lying beside you as we sleep." Even though I would like to kiss and taste every inch of your body.
Anna shook her head and looked up at her wife. "It's not that I do want to…" she stated sincerely, "I-I just don't think that I'll be that good at it…w-what if I can't please you properly?" the last part came out in a worried whisper.
Elsa's heart swelled and she took a step closer to her wife. She pressed a long kiss to her supple lips. "I love you, Anna, with all that I am." She took the redhead's hand and placed it on the exposed skin of her collarbone. "Just from your simple touch, I am overwhelmed by many pleasing sensations."
She slid the hand down to rest over her heart. Anna felt the pulse jumping against her palm. Elsa smiled lovingly. "So please, do not doubt yourself or your ability to please me. You already do. Immensely."
Anna smiled, teary eyed, and nodded. "I love you, Elsa."
"I love you too, Anna. Always."
The shorter girl reached down and interlaced their fingers. She smiled at the way the two gold bands glinted and gleamed together.
"I want to." She said finally, biting her lip.
"Yeah?"
Anna nodded. "Take me to bed, love."
Elsa's blue eyes darkened as she brought up their joined hands and kissed Anna's ring finger. "As you wish."
So, what'd you all think? I know, I'm a total sap. I can't help it. The Epilogue should be done by Friday at the latest. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and thanks for reading this story.