A/N: You have no idea how excited I am to post a new chapter! Enjoy!
Also, as you read this chapter and each chapter after it, keep in mind the time period. During this time, homosexuality was punishable by death.
Two days. It had been two days since Elsa and Anna walked, and the shopkeeper couldn't keep her mind straight. What would have happened if she took Anna's arm? What if she actually told Anna about her past?
Would I still be sitting here alone... thinking about her?
Elsa closed her eyes and massaged her thoughts away. No, stop. You can't. She's prey, nothing more. Denying was fruitless, of course, for no matter what her brain thought up, her heart wouldn't have it.
Reading presented the woman with no better of an escape than running in circles would have. She felt trapped by her own desires.
Just then, there were footsteps outside of the front door. Elsa's eyes darted in their direction, and she honed her ears in on them. They stopped for several seconds inches from the door. The woman's heart stopped dead. She knew who it was.
As if on cue, Anna opened the door and walked in. Elsa froze, allowing herself a split second to don a cold disguise.
The red head approached the desk, already sporting a victorious grin. "Hi, Elsa."
"Can I help you?"
The confidence on Anna's face was almost intimidating. For the first time in many years, Elsa felt small. She fixated on the necklace. "I think so. Would you care for another stroll?"
The shopkeeper's mouth hung open. She was expecting the question, but that didn't make answering any easier. Deep down, she was overjoyed that Anna had come back. Her eyes darted to the window on their own accord, analyzing its luminosity. The sun was still out, but the night was nigh.
She was going to automatically say yes, whether she liked it or not. But she couldn't, not at this time. "I... no thank you."
Anna was dumbfounded for such a short time that the reaction would have been imperceptible to anyone except Elsa. "You agreed to another one last time," she countered.
The shopkeeper clearly recalled their previous excursion. "No I didn't."
The younger woman rolled her eyes. "Well, you didn't say it. Not out loud, at least. But you didn't say no."
Elsa tried to speak, but words evaded her. Anna wasn't even making sense, but she was winning because Elsa wanted her to win. She wanted this walk, to get closer, even though she knew she shouldn't. "Come back in three hours."
Anna froze. Her mind drew an impressive blank as she processed the implication. She wants me to come back at night, probably so no one sees us, right? If she doesn't want us to be seen that means she wants... Understanding flushed over the red head's face like a rolling wave. She smiled. "Oh, I get it."
Elsa realized the only motive that would make sense to someone that didn't know of her... condition. She fought like a savage beast against a blush, but it fought back, scarring her cheeks with red as it lashed at her. For all her ability to blend in to shadows, she could not vanish into thin air. And right now, Elsa resented that fact. "No, it's not that- I-"
"Shh, Elsa, it's okay." Anna smiled innocently. "Better safe than sorry. I'll be back in a few hours!" She grinned and skipped out of the shop.
The pale woman stood there, still as a stump. Her brain was blitzing her with ideas. What does she think we are now? What does she think... or know I want? You screwed up. Still, Elsa couldn't help but look briefly on the bright side: Anna was definitely attracted to her.
What are you doing?
Three hours passed like three days. Elsa couldn't properly distract herself while she waited. Even as she tried to learn new magic, her eyes drifted off to watch the sun make it's way to the horizon. Her mind became more and more flustered as hunger encroached.
Anna skipped up to the door, a stupidly wide grin on her face. This was going to be a good night, she could feel it. She didn't hesitate when she entered the curiosity shop.
They walked side by side out into the world once again. Despite herself, Elsa reached out and enclosed the red head's arm with her own. Anna melted basking in the flames of serendipity.
The shore was close. Hans' back ached and arms burned from the work. It was labor that a prince was scarcely used to, but he was determined. A heart darkened by vengeance is not easily deterred.
After several hours of rowing, the man was dripping with sweat, glimmering in the moon light almost as much as the seawater. He pulled the canoe onto a beach and out of sight, abandoning it for now. He checked his dagger once more, and looked off in the direction of the park.
"I'll see you soon," he whispered to himself.
Familiar with the route, the two woman automatically strolled towards the park. This time, however, Anna didn't mind the silence, it was peaceful.
When they did finally get to their destination, it wasn't gloomy and daunting like it was last time. The trees, though still blackened by the night, stood still, protecting the women from the moon's gaze with their branches. The distinct lack of life left behind a serene silence that neither wanted any squirrel or chipmunk to break.
Well, at least that's how Anna experienced it. Elsa, on the other hand, wasn't having such and easy time. Her mind was plagued by her usual demons, the internal arguments scurrying around like infected rats. Hunger clashed with caring as reason took on feelings. She couldn't take her ears off the pounding of Anna's heart or her mind off the soft, curvacious lips.
She needed something, anything to keep her mind off of all of this, lest her heart explode.
"I never told you where I came from," she said.
The red head's ears perked up, her heart fluttered. Elsa initiated conversation! Oh my, I- wait, listen, no, wait respond first, don't just stare!
"You don't have to- I mean, it's none of my business, really, you seem private and I, um... shouldn't have invaded that." Why was breathing so hard?
Anna was already fatigued by the walk due to her mysterious illness persisting, but the added pressure of Elsa starting to open up destroyed any chance she had of making it without resting. She collapsed on to the same bench as before.
"I-" The shopkeeper thought her words through, she had to make the time line make sense to Anna. "I was born in The Southern Isles."
"Oh," Anna said, "where's that?"
For the first time since she met her, Elsa chuckled. It was choppy and incomplete, but its departure seemed to dissipate a marginal amount of stress, too. Is she actually comfortable around me now? This is... wow!
"It's straight south of here."
For a fleeting moment, Anna felt as dense as the village idiot. "I knew that! I was just, just making sure you remembered?"
The mood lightened slightly, both women becoming at ease. It was a bizarre feeling for the red head, not having to consciously keep fighting her wit for survival around this pale woman. She liked it.
"Why'd you come here?"
Elsa pondered the question for a few moments. She relaxed, not letting toxic thoughts in, allowing herself to be happy just this once. She decided the truth could wait indefinitely. "It was just time for a new start," she simply explained.
Anna took a tentative step into choppy water. "Was it- was it because of your, um, your parents?"
The question felt like a stab to the heart, catching the shopkeeper off guard and hitting home all too hard. Biting back tears, but pain still showing on her face, she croaked "s-something like that."
"I'm sorry, I didn't meant to-"
"It's okay."
"Oh-okay, you sure?"
"Yes, Anna."
Elsa once again transfixed her hunter's vision on pink lips. They were so smooth, silver light playing on them in the moonlight. As hard as she fought, she couldn't stop looking.
Anna was controlled by a similar force. She too was honing in on red lips, tracing the line of a pale, ever so lightly freckled jaw. She couldn't help but scoot a little closer to the woman. They spent an eternity dancing with their eyes, and when the song was finally over it was now or never.
Thump thump thump was all Anna could hear in. Butterflies in her stomach rattled her body, she had to fight not to hyperventilate.
Then, as quickly as it came, the moment was gone. The option slipped through their hands like a fickle fish. Anna wondered if she missed her golden opportunity.
"Excuse me, ladies."
The red head's eyes bulged out of her skull and she jumped ten feet in the air. "Ah! I mean, who's there? I mean, uh, hi." She looked at the intruder, nervously twirling her strawberry pig-tails in her hands.
Elsa was dead still, as if the spectator could only see her if she moved. Anna didn't have time to get an accurate read on her face.
The man was rather handsome, standing straight, obviously well-fed with an impressive physique. He smiled smoothly at Anna. Elsa narrowed her eyes, hate creeping through her gaze. "I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time."
The red head furrowed her brows. Why was someone wandering around this late? And why did he want to talk to them? "No, I mean, I guess not. What- who are you?"
Seamlessly, the newcomer picked up the conversation once more, turning to face Elsa now. This time, Anna paid close attention to her features. The look on Elsa's face was unmistakable. She despised this man, though the reason was unknown.
"How impolite of me, I'm Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. I'm coming through Arendelle to catch up with Elsa."
Wait, "prince"? Southern Isles? That's where Elsa's from. "Wait, you know each other?"
Elsa denied at the same instant the man affirmed.
"No."
"Yes."
Panic rose like high tide within the shopkeeper. It was all about to unravel, she could taste the putrid underbelly of her secrets spilling into the wrong hands.
"We have a sort of... history."
Jealousy shot through Anna like a nervous tick. "W-what kind of 'history'?"
Elsa stood, standing nose-to-nose with Hans, marking her territory. Anna decided that if she were standing where the brown haired man was, she would have taken a knee in defeat.
"Don't," Elsa growled at Hans. Anna's skin vicariously crawled.
He turned to address the confused red head. "I'm afraid you've made an unfortunate choice of... companionship. You see, Elsa is-"
"He's a liar!"
"She's wanted in my Kingdom."
"Anna, don't listen to him!"
Anna's mouth hung open. A criminal? It was impossible to believe. But is does explain why she's so secretive and acts so closed off. It made sense, it all did. Unfortunately for the girl, she had no idea how heinous the crimes were said to be. "W-what? No way! Elsa's too nice, she's-"
"Oh yes, you see, I have a warrant for her arrest and... execution here."
Execution...? Even if Elsa was wanted, Anna didn't want to see her executed. The thought sent cold, menacing shivers up and down her spine and left a deeply unpleasant presence in her stomach.
"He's lying to you!" The shopkeeper's voice was wreaking of desperation now. Anna didn't know who she believed. Why would someone lie about that? And it does explain why she doesn't tell me more about herself... and her new start...
Hans sifted through his pockets and withdrew a folded piece of parchment, handing it over to Anna. She turned to allow moonlight to illuminate the page, but wasn't sure she wanted to read it.
"Execution- what- she... for... murder?" Anna's world collapsed, the weight of darkness surrounding them destroyed all of the girl's optimism and cheer about the night. A rancid taste developed on her lips from her past desire to kiss Elsa. She wiped it clean. "She's a... a killer?"
"Anna! It's not true!"
"Oh, yes it is. The victim was a prince nonetheless. My own brother." Hans seemed to be enjoying Elsa's unraveling quite a lot. Anna was at a loss for everything, what to think, say, do. She just stood there in shock, not moving, not processing. It was like the Earth stopped spinning altogether, like time took a vacation.
Pleading blue eyes as rich as the sea behind them peered at the red head as she tried to find words. They looked genuine, the only problem was they were as hard to see into as the ocean, too. Anna couldn't decide where to lay down her loyalty.
Words kept slithering away, but Anna finally managed to get a hold of her serpentine tongue. Her voice was barely audible over her fear stricken heart. "Elsa.. W-who are you?"
A/N: Stuff gets real in the next chapter.