Chapter 4
Anna felt much better when she woke up a few hours later. She actually felt decent enough to sit up in bed. She frowned when she noticed that the water glass on her bedside table was now empty, and El was nowhere to be seen in the cottage. She was terribly thirsty and was about to try to hop over to the basin of water when the front door opened. Anna froze and her stomach flipped.
El walked through the front door, wringing her hair out with a towel. She had a two-piece bathing suit on and wasn't completely dry yet. Anna swallowed as she watched a drop of water roll from under El's breast, across her toned stomach, and stop at the waistband of her low-hanging shorts. Her eyes raked back up to El's face. Anna instantly regretted that choice when she saw El's tongue dart out to catch the water on her lip.
"Christ," Anna thought, tearing her gaze away.
Anna was no stranger to these thoughts. She had known she liked girls since she was a kid. Many people thought that she and Kristoff would court each other, and she could understand the mistake if you observed their friendship from the outside. Nobody but them knew, though, that Kristoff was just as put off by women as Anna was by men. This was one of the biggest anchors that kept their friendship in place, in fact.
She had solidified her theory that she was gay when she was seventeen. She had gone to a masquerade party in Arendelle, in disguise of course, and hooked up with a curly-haired girl from the city. Any doubts about her sexuality had flown out the window after that night. She had been with two other girls since then. It's harder to get out and meet people when you're the next in line for the throne. Still, Anna had never felt such quick and primal reactions from her body simply by looking at someone. Her fingers dug into the mattress and she stared intently at the floor.
El had noticed Anna's reactions. She had noticed her stare and had felt heat in every place Anna's eyes landed. Every rational part of her screamed that it was a bad idea to pursue the emotions that were swirling inside her. After all, Arendelle had not been a friend to her over the years, and the last thing she should do was get involved with the person about to take the throne. But the pull and heat were too strong to resist. El crouched in front of Anna, holding back a smirk when her eyes couldn't help but rest at her chest before meeting her gaze. "Did you need something?"
"The water glass is empty. I was thirsty."
Anna had noticed the confidence in El's eyes, and while she refilled the glass, she decided that she wasn't going to embarrass herself by ignoring the pull she felt toward her. El was resting her weight to one hip and giving Anna a full view of long legs and defined muscle. She was rugged, with sharp eyes and a smug grin. She could play games too.
El gave Anna the glass and she drank from it slowly, purposely letting a stream fall from the corner of her mouth to the column of her throat. She didn't miss El's lip bite that time. "Thank you. Did you just come back from the river?"
"Yes, I did. Sometimes there are peeping toms around here, you have to go in a bathing suit."
Anna nodded. "I've been feeling quite grimy. I'd like you to take me there tomorrow so I can get clean, if you're able."
Their eyes met and Anna gave her a smile. El turned and grabbed an apple from the kitchen, taking a bite. "Of course. That will be no problem at all."
Hans walked from one side of the room to the other impatiently. When the door opened he spun on his heel to see Kristoff enter the room.
"Well?"
Kristoff shook his head and sighed. "We checked a four mile radius around the wreckage. Still no sign of her. One of the scouts found some blood at the bottom of cliff, but there're no drag marks or anything to indicate that whatever left it moved."
"Isn't it safe to assume that it's Anna's blood?"
"Not necessarily. Wildlife fall from the cliff all the time, and a scavenger could've taken the remains back to its den. We have no way of knowing whether or not it's Anna's."
Hans sighed heavily and slumped into a chair. He rubbed his temples. "This is such a shit show. A month before coronation! The Guard was supposed to follow up the Ice Queen lead in Troms, but with Anna missing I had to divide the forces into search parties."
Kristoff stood behind him and began massaging his shoulders. "The Ice Queen can wait. There'll be another blizzard eventually, we'll be able to find her. You were right to focus The Guard's attention to finding Anna." He paused. "I'm worried about her, Hans. She's bright, but I don't know if she's capable of surviving in the forest on her own. I don't even know if she survived the crash."
Hans stood and put his hand on Kristoff's cheek. "I promise we'll find her, Kris. It will take time, but we'll get it done."
Kristoff smiled and stroked Hans' jaw with his thumb. He nodded, then laughed. "I wish you'd shave these goddamn mutton chops off your face. Are you trying to prove your toughness to the soldiers?"
"They're not mutton chops, they're sideburns!" Hans protested, pushing Kristoff away.
Hans had met Kristoff when they were in the Academy, and had quickly formed a relationship. No one knew of it, though, not even Anna. If anyone discovered the potential conflict of interest in the relationship between the Chief of the Guard and the Royal Guard, they would both be relieved of their positions. Not to mention the homophobic press releases that would follow soon after. This didn't stop them from pursuing their feelings, and they now were at the front of a nearly two-year relationship.
Hans ran his hand over his facial hair with a smirk. "And no, I'm not trying to prove anything. I'm sure I could find a soldier with much more appreciation for my sideburns than you."
Kristoff took Hans' hip and pulled him in for a kiss. "Oh I'm sure you could, Chief."
A knock on the door pulled them apart. After being granted entry, a foot soldier entered the room. "Chief, The Committee has asked to meet with you to discuss any leads in the search for the princess."
"Of course. Tell them I'll be there shortly."
Hello everyone!
This is my first story for the Frozen universe: actually, for any universe. I promise I'll bring the story to a close and not abandon it! That being said, my schedule is sometimes hectic so don't expect updates at regular intervals. At the very least, there'll be a new chapter every week, most likely. If you have any suggestions, comments, or just want to let me know how I'm doing, please leave a review.
Thanks for reading!
- Kalle B.
