If there was a period after the thaw that Elsa wanted to relive, it was during the first few weeks since adopting Elise. During the first week, she had asked Gerda to take care of Elise's hygiene, but she had always been there to watch and take note of how everything was done so she could learn how to do it on her own.
"Elsaaa," Elise gurgled, soap bubbles covering her head and stomach as she splashed around in the water. Gerda was currently washing Elise's body down with water to remove the suds, and Elsa smiled from around two feet distance at her new daughter.
"I'm right here, Elise," Elsa said, waving her hand. Elise waved back, but when she put it down, she splashed the water, effectively getting Gerda quite wet.
"Sorry," Elsa immediately said, standing up to retrieve a small towel by the cabinet before offering it to Gerda. She made Elise stand up before draining the water. She wrapped her up in a towel before taking the small towel from Elsa.
"Thank you, your highness," Gerda smiled, wiping her face and neck dry of the soapy water. Gerda picked Elise up before bringing her to her room, setting her down on a quilt-covered table. Elsa had trailed behind her old nanny, and when Gerda put Elise down, she immediately reached out for Elsa.
"Elsa, up, up, up!" Elise giggled, not all all wavered by her lack of clothing. While Gerda was still looking for safety pins for Elise's cloth diaper and getting her night dress, Elsa took another towel from the dresser and proceeded to carefully dry Elise's hair.
"In a while, Elise," Elsa reprimanded lightly, drying off Elise's body as well. Gerda came back and took over, and Elsa stayed back, allowing her to do her work. Elise was asked to lie down while Gerda expertly put her diaper on, fastening it with two safety pins before making her sit up and putting a white cotton night dress over her head.
Elsa answered her daughter's prior plea and picked her up, holding her close, despite her hair still being quite damp. Gerda curtsied before leaving the room, telling Elsa to just call and she would respond immediately.
After freshening up herself, they both went downstairs for dinner where Anna had already started on her soup. Elsa sat down on her usual seat, and Elise was seated quite far from her, two servants tending to her immediately.
"Elsaaaa," Elise whined, feeling especially clingy today. Elsa tried to ignore her pleas, wanting to be able to instill a bit of discipline in her. But when Elise released a high-pitched wail, Elsa wasn't able to bear it anymore and stood up from her seat, briskly walking over to Elise and snatched her from her high chair, trying to soothe her cries.
"I'm sorry, Elise, I'm so sorry," Elsa said, rocking and bouncing Elise in her arms as she cried into Elsa's chest, her arms wrapped tightly around her neck. "Stop crying now, baby, I'm here. Elsa's here."
The servants had retreated immediately, but Anna looked on, pitying the small girl but she felt her admiration for her sister grow exponentially. Elsa was so good of taking care of others, and Anna could only hope that she would be able to do the same to her future children, as well as to everyone else.
Elise's cries had gone down, and Elsa cleaned the tear streaks from Elise's cheeks with her finger. "Are you alright now, baby?"
Elsa had never been too keen with pet names, but it seemed to appease Elise for some reason. Elise nodded her head, sniffling a bit. Elsa sat back down on her seat, placing Elise sideways on her lap. She then turned to the servants who were standing a few feet away from the long dining table.
"From here on out, please place her seat right next to me to avoid unwanted temper tantrums." Elsa told them, her voice both apologetic and musing. They had replied with a well-rehearsed 'Yes, your majesty' in unison, making her smile at them before turning her attention back to Elise and Anna.
"First tantrum, check." Anna chuckled, taking another bite from her food. "Also, I never pegged you as a sentimental mother."
Elsa blushed at this, but held Elise tight in her arms. "I'm just relieved to know that she's easy to handle."
From here, they had carried on supper as normal. Elsa had fed Elise small portions from her plate which one of the servants moved, and she was hungry enough to manage to clear all the food on her plate. Elsa took bites in between Elise's slow chews. It was Elsa's first experience feeding her, and she loved the feeling of being needed.
"So full!" Elise moaned, leaning her side against Elsa's chest. Elsa smiled down at her, rubbing the small girl's stomach with the hand that was wrapped around her.
"I'm glad," Elsa smiled, wiping the sides of Elise's mouth with a napkin. She was considered underweight for her age, borderline malnourished, and all Elsa could do was allow her to eat anything she wanted to put a little bit of weight on her. Anna had already retreated from the table early, claiming that she had to wake up early tomorrow because she was visiting Kristoff's family of trolls for a few days.
"Elsa, go to warmmm," Elise said to Elsa. It took a while to comprehend when Elise first said this, but now, Elsa fully understood. She made her way out of the dining hall and towards the family room. Elsa and Anna used to play or just relax here with their parents, but right after their passing, it had never been stepped in, unless it was for general cleaning. After the great thaw, they had returned to it, and had been an almost everyday route when Elsa had Elise.
Elsa had asked one of the standby servants to start a flame before sitting on the couch in from of the fireplace. Elsa propped her legs up on the couch, Elise doing the same on her lap. Elise's back was against Elsa's chest, and she was breathing slowly, drowsiness starting to take over her.
Elsa started humming a soft tune, rubbing Elise's stomach with her thumbs. Elise yawned, closing her eyes. Elsa sighed; she never would have imagined that she would be in this position right now, but reality was literally in her arms.
And she had no intention of letting that go.
"Hello, Elise," Elsa whispered to the sleeping form in her arms. Elise had only been with her for a week, but the overwhelming love for the little girl in her arms made her feel like she was really hers. "You know, although I was never able to capture some of your firsts, I guess you were able to capture a lot of mine."
The fire was relaxing; she was at ease.
"I'm still learning how to do everything properly, so please forgive me if I do anything wrong." Elsa confessed, breathing deeply. She had no idea where to start. "I am trying my very best, I swear. I promise that very soon, I'll be the one who'll be changing your diapers and giving you baths and tending to you when you're sick, despite how nasty things might transpire."
Seeing that she still hasn't woken up, she carried on. "I promise to fight the monsters under your bed and protect you from the boogeyman in your dreams. I'll teach you how to defend yourself, how to stand up for what you believe is right. And I'll be there to support you through everything."
"I don't want you to hide anything from me, and in return, I promise not to hide anything from you." Elsa had to pause for a while when she said this, her mind flashing back to her childhood and teenage years. She breathed deeply before carrying on. "No matter how big or small the matter may be."
Elise shifted in her arms, now lying on her side. Elsa rubbed her back, sighing when her fingers felt the protruding bones. "I am trying to fatten you up, alright? So don't be afraid to ask for another piece of chocolate or another bowl of fruits and cream; I will be very willing to give it to you."
Elsa stood up, cradling Elise in her arms. She walked towards Elise's room, kissing her forehead before laying her down in her crib. She watched her sleep for a short while before carrying on with her love letter.
"I want you to know that you are one of the best things that happened in my life." Elsa tried to keep the tears at bay as she leaned down, her lips touching the crown of her head, kissing Elise for the first time. "You may have been with me only for a while, but believe me when I say that I love you."
The tears that she had been holding back finally fell from her eyes, her heart overflowing with emotion. She smiled through the tears, a small laugh escaping her lips. "I love you so much, baby. More than anything."
I've always wanted to write about Elise's first week in the castle.
I received mixed reviews about Erik, so I have no idea whether to pursue writing him or not. Oh well. But, please do keep your requests coming! I might not be able to use them all, but I will try my best to incorporate your ideas.
Also, thank you so much for all of the amazing response for this story. They make me really, really happy.
Please do tell me what you think. Wishing you all the best!