Chapter Seven: The Date.
February 8th, 1840.
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!
The following morning, Elsa woke up bright and early to the sound of her alarm clock. She was briefly tempted to go back to sleep for another hour and a half before she remembered what was on the agenda today. She had a very important council meeting that morning, which normally wouldn't last longer than an hour or two. However, this particular council meeting was being held to discuss a solution to the machinations of the Farmer's Front. Given the amount of trouble the Front had caused for the Crown, Elsa expected today's meeting to drag on through lunch before the council made any progress.
Not long after she awoke, Elsa heard a knock on the door. A maid entered the room carrying a breakfast tray and set it down on Elsa's lap.
"Thank you, Gerda. That's all for now."
"Of course, Your Majesty," said Gerda as she departed from the room.
As Elsa ate her breakfast, her gaze drifted to that morning's copy of the Arendelle Gazette. A political cartoon was splattered across the front page. It depicted Elsa and Loki Stuttgart on opposite sides of a brass scale, pointing revolvers at each other's heads.
… God give me strength…
In spite of the Crown's failure to tie the Farmer's Front to anything, the council members were insisting on some form of punishment for their actions. Most of them were baying for blood, and some of them even suggested implementing martial law, among other extreme measures.
Even Elsa was losing her sense of how to solve this problem. "Listen… Listen!" she shouted over the council members, "… Clearly we will not find a solution to this problem today. We understand that you are concerned for the state of the kingdom, but we will not resort to martial law. That is precisely what the Farmer's Front wants us to do."
"But Your Majesty…"
"Listen to her," said Kristoff firmly. "Any abuse of authority will just give more credibility to the anarchists. We'll be playing right into Stuttgart's hands."
"Exactly. Thank you, Master Bjorgman. Now… this seems as good a time as any to adjourn the meeting. Perhaps we can return with clearer heads tomorrow morning." She stood up and nodded to the council. "Good day to you all."
Elsa could not get out of that meeting fast enough. It was one o'clock when the meeting adjourned for the day, so that meant she had an hour to get ready for her date with Prometheus.
On her way to her room, Elsa passed by Olaf, who was sitting in front of a cuckoo clock, waiting for the little bird to come out.
Elsa smiled and shook her head. "A watched pot never boils, Olaf."
Olaf took his eyes off the clock for only a moment. "What?"
CUCKOO!
Olaf's head whipped back to the clock. "Hey, wait—! Awww…"
An hour later, Elsa emerged from her closet wearing a satin blue dress and a matching blue bonnet. "… Well, Anna…" she asked her sister nervously, "… What do you think?"
"… It's perfect."
"I hope he likes it."
"Elsa, you'll be fine. Now, come on, he should be in the courtyard by now."
The Stark sisters walked out to the courtyard, where they found Ambassador Merryweather astride his horse with a picnic basket under his arm. He was wearing black boots, white trousers, a white shirt, and a long blue tailcoat with red trim and polished brass buttons.
He dismounted his horse and approached Elsa. "Elsa… you look lovely today."
Elsa gave a blushing smile. "… Why, thank you, Prometheus. You look very handsome yourself."
"I brought a picnic lunch. Uh, roast chicken, tomatoes, white wine and some chocolate bon bons."
Mmm… A man after my own heart… Elsa cleared her throat. "That sounds delicious."
"I was wondering if you'd like to pick the spot, since you know this country better than I do."
"Really? Well… there is one spot that would be perfect. I can give you directions."
Anna put her hands on her hips in a mock gesture. "Now, you make sure to have her home by sunset, young man…"
Elsa rolled her eyes. "Oh, Anna…"
"I promise I'll bring her back safe and sound." Prometheus gestured to his horse. "Shall we be off?"
They climbed up into the saddle and rode out of the courtyard. As they galloped through the city gates, Elsa felt the weight of her station, all the problems of the kingdom, lifted briefly from her shoulders.
She had no way of knowing just how her afternoon with Prometheus was going to go.
Elsa directed Prometheus to a hilltop overlooking the kingdom. To their right sat the city gates. To their left sat the North Mountain. And ahead of them in the distance sat the memorial to her late parents.
After the picnic, Prometheus intended to bring Elsa straight home, but they were having so much fun that they ended up talking for hours. As the day came to an end, they turned around to face the west and watch the sunset.
"I had a lot of fun with you today, Prometheus. For part of the day, you helped me forget about my day-to-day problems."
"It was nice to let loose for a while. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."
Elsa's gaze grew distant. "… Prometheus… I… I am a woman with a responsibility to my kingdom, and with so many factors working against me… You probably saw the cartoon in the paper."
"Oh, the one with the brass scales and the pistols?"
"That's the one. A woman in my position, and I emphasize woman… cannot afford to look ridiculous. And I have cultivated a public image that's very… regal and conservative. And that image leaves no room for flexibility. But… when I'm around you… it's strange… in a good way. I feel vulnerable, unprepared… but also safe. sigh. I fear if I say anything more on the subject, you'll think me rather foolish…"
"Elsa… if this is uncomfortable for you, you don't have to keep talking about it."
"I know… but I want to… I want you hear this… It's just not easy for me to say."
"Well, then, just take a deep breath and let it out slowly."
Elsa did just that. "… I have grown rather fond of you. I'm not certain if this is what I think it is. All I know is that I really like you… But I understand if you'd rather not court a woman like me…"
She trailed off as she saw ice spiraling out of her feet and over the grass. Her instant reaction was one of fear… until Prometheus took her hand in his. She looked into his eyes, felt the familiar, comforting warmth of his hands. And the ice slowly began to thaw.
"… I like you too, Elsa. I find myself drawn to you in a way I haven't felt for some time now. And if we just left it at that, without discussing it any further, I would be satisfied. The last thing I want to do is tarnish your reputation."
"I want to do this again sometime, Prometheus. I really do. I'm just not sure how it would work."
"If you need time to figure this out, Elsa, I'm not above waiting."
"… You are very kind, Prometheus." She let go of his hand and scooched closer to him. "In an ideal world, I'd like to have the kind of relationship with a man that my sister has with her husband."
"They do seem happy together."
"Do you know what I really admire about their marriage?"
The look on Prometheus' face became a cautious one. "… You're not gonna sing, are you?"
Elsa gave him a playful swat on the arm and began to sing.
"He holds her in his arms,
Would you? Would you?
He tells her of her charms,
Would you? Would you?
They met as you and I,
And they were only friends,
But before the story ends,
He'll kiss her with a sigh,
Would you? Would you?
And if the girl were I,
Would you? Would you?
And would you dare to say,
'Let's do the same as they'?
I would. Would you?
And would you dare to say,
'Let's do the same as they'?
I would. Would you?"
At the end of the song, Elsa blushed and turned away. Prometheus sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, Elsa… Since you've been so open and candid with me tonight… There's something really important I have to tell you…"
But before Prometheus could say anything more, Elsa heard a zipping noise, followed by a sharp, pointy sensation in the side of her neck.
"Ouch!" Elsa pulled the foreign object out of her neck. "… A dart? Why would… whoa… I don't feel so good…"
"Elsa? What are—GAH!" Prometheus felt a different dart land in his shoulder. "Ugh… some kind of… drugged?"
Elsa looked at the back of her hand. "My skin feels funny…"
"Hippo birdies to you…" Prometheus went numb and fell over backwards. Elsa grew equally numb and fell across his chest.
The last thing either of them saw before they blacked out was a circle of rogues in orange shirts gathering around them. One of the rogues had, long brown hair with a slight grey tinge, piercing green eyes, and a scar across his left lip.
"Take them to the mines. And break her hands and feet before she wakes up. Come the morrow, the Farmer's Front shall make Arendelle great again."