A/N: Only one more chapter to go after this! Thank you so much for reading, reviewing and commenting.
Chapter 9 – The Arendellian Folk Festival
Two weeks after one of the grandest weddings Arendelle had ever seen, shots rang out in the dead of night all around the Arendellian capital city, and shouts of angry officers ordered their soldiers to lay siege to the castle. Caught off guard, the palace militia was no match for Weselton's highly-organized forces, and within minutes, the palace had been subdued and Queen Bulda had been captured. Preening with his victory, the Duke of Weselton offered his terms to the Queen, and she laughed in his weasel face. By the morning, though, the church bells were pealing all over Arendelle, and her throne room was filled with her family. Among the company were her still-living sons and daughters, most of her grandchildren, and her twenty five great-grandchildren, including seven youngsters whose mothers were safely out of the country. With the Duke of Weselton's armed soldiers menacing her family, the Queen had no choice. With a heavy heart, she signed the papers binding Arendelle to Weselton, her hope now resting with the one granddaughter that was missing, and the feisty young woman who had become her wife.
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Anna felt soft kisses on her forehead and the top of her head, which was Elsa's gentle signal that it was time to wake up. Anna always slept later than Elsa, but since Anna had taken to using her wife's chest as a pillow, Elsa waited in bed patiently until Anna's usual wakeup time. Then, Elsa woke up her wife with kisses, and since Anna never failed to have a huge smile on her face when she woke, Elsa surmised that Anna was happy with their wakeup routine. Anna stretched a bit before putting her arms back around Elsa and snuggling back into her chest. "Good morning, sweetheart," she mumbled sleepily.
Elsa chuckled. "Good morning, my love," she replied, hugging her back. Anna's breathing started to slip back into its sleep cadence, so Elsa resumed her kissing. "You need to wake up, love," she coaxed with another kiss. "The breakfast tray is almost here, and I ordered chocolate croissants." The mention of chocolate got one blue-green eye to pop open, and Anna started to stretch again, this time stretching far enough to give Elsa a good morning kiss. Elsa kissed back, but before things could go any farther, a knock sounded on their guest cottage's front door. Elsa slipped out from under Anna and picked up her sky-blue robe from its chair, putting it on as she went to the front room. When she opened the door, though, it wasn't a servant with their breakfast food. It was the mistress of the estate, Marchioness Belle de la Bête, and her expression was grim.
"I hate to disturb you, but I have received news over the wireless that is of utmost importance to you both," she said. "May I come in?" she asked.
"Of course, my lady," Elsa said immediately, opening the door and gesturing for her to come inside. "Anna!" she called, turning towards the bedroom. "We have company. Please join us in the front room." Anna, still on the bed waiting for Elsa to come back, jumped off of the bed at once, not liking the sense of urgency she could hear in her wife's voice. She grabbed her emerald-green robe and put it on, making sure everything was covered before she went to the front room.
"Marchioness de la Bête?" she questioned, noticing the serious faces on both of the women. Belle had seated herself in the wingback chair, and Elsa was had seated herself on the couch. "Is everything all right?" Anna asked, sitting closely by Elsa.
"No, Your Grace, it is not," Belle confirmed. "The reports from the wireless have announced that Arendelle has agreed to be annexed by Weselton."
"What?!" Elsa shouted, jumping up from the couch in a fury. "How? The Queen would never have allowed such a travesty."
"From the reports, she had no choice," Belle responded. "The wireless is saying that there was an armed invasion force, and that shots could be heard in the capital city. They also said that, um, that…" Belle hesitated, knowing that news of the capture of her children would make her guest even more distressed.
"That what, my lady?" Elsa growled, sensing what Belle might have to say.
"That the invading force had rounded up all of the royal family, including all of the Queen's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren," she stated. "Everyone is under house arrest at the Palace until the treaty is signed."
Anna gasped. "Our children," she said, her voice almost a whisper because of her distress. "They are threatening our children, Elsa."
Elsa turned towards Anna, and her face was a cold mask of rage. When she saw Anna's distress, though, her features softened a bit, and she returned to the couch to take Anna in her arms. "And they will pay, my love," Elsa swore as they held each other. "They will pay."
"There is supposed to be some sort of formal announcement at 10:00AM," Belle told them. "You are welcome come up to the main house to listen."
"We will get ready and join you shortly," Elsa said decisively.
Belle nodded. "I'll have the servants set out some breakfast for you," she said, getting up from her wingback chair. She looked at them in sympathy. "I am so sorry that I had to bring you this news," she said with sincere regret.
"No, please don't feel bad, my lady," Anna said, immediately getting off of the couch. She laid a caring hand on the noblewoman's forearm. "We needed to know, and we sincerely appreciate you bringing this news to us," Anna thanked her.
"Well, I hope my husband and I will be able to do more," Belle replied determinedly, placing a friendly hand over Anna's. "I will see you both at the main house shortly." She gave Anna's hand a squeeze before turning around and leaving through the front door.
Elsa stood up from the couch, still seething about the invasion and terrified for her children, and she walked silently back into the bedroom. Elsa always fell silent when upset, and now was no exception. As she soundlessly gathered her clothes, Elsa felt two arms slide around her waist, and a newly-familiar body press into her back. Anna said nothing but merely held her, her slender arms surprisingly strong in their embrace. The firm, warm hug reminded Elsa that she wasn't alone in this, and for some reason, that knowledge gave her permission to feel, rather than to conceal everything like she usually did. Elsa started sobbing, the agony of being away from her children when they were in danger tearing her apart. The hug grew firmer, and Elsa wrapped her arms around Anna's, drawing them even closer. Elsa's terror receded with the flow of her tears, and when she was done, she felt infinitely better, ready to do whatever it took to get her children and Arendelle back. She loosened her grip on Anna's arms and turned around, facing the person she was discovering she loved more than life. "Thank you," Elsa said simply, reaching down to kiss her.
"You are more than welcome, sweetheart," Anna replied, kissing back. Elsa smiled, kissing her one more time before they got dressed and made their way up to the main house.
Belle was waiting for them, and as promised, breakfast was waiting for them as well. Elsa, her stomach tied in knots, was planning to make do with coffee, until a china plate with a small amount of fruit and a croissant were handed to her. "You'll do no one any good by going hungry," Anna chided.
"Yes, Mother," Elsa sassed.
Anna raised her eyebrow, but she didn't comment further as she cut her croissant in two and stuffed it full of soft-scrambled eggs. Belle took a pastry and a cup of coffee for herself, and the three of them nibbled, listening to the wireless as it rehashed information that Belle had already given Elsa and Anna.
When the clock struck ten, the reporter signed off and the broadcast switched over to the live feed of the press conference from Arendelle. The Duke of Weselton went first, and Elsa nearly crushed her china coffee cup upon hearing that sniveling voice. "People of the Weselton and Arendelle!" he said. "It is a great day in the history of our two nations. For too long, our nations have been separated, small, vulnerable, and subject to the whims of the larger countries on the Continent. Today, though, we join forces, and we become great, strong, and in command of our own national destiny. We are one, united, secure, and I am sure this day will forever be a shining one in our nation's history. Long live Weselton! Long live Arendelle!"
On the broadcast, the boos and mocking catcalls of the people of Arendelle could be heard, and Elsa smirked at the resolve and pride of her people. The announcer announced Her Majesty, Queen Bulda, and there was a pause as she slowly came to the microphone. "People of Arendelle," she said, capturing her people's attention. "In spite of what has just been said, today is not a day for celebration. Today is a day for mourning. Our beautiful country has been taken from us, taken by weasels who have underhandedly been planning this day for months. I am sorry, my people, that we were not able to stop them, and I ask for your forgiveness. I had no choice; their men have captured all of the royal family save two, and I was compelled to sign the treaty to end the threat against my family. But stand tall, people of Arendelle, help will be coming, and when it does, we will rise up and break the yoke of the weasels forever. Be strong, my people, and we will be victorious. Long live Arendelle!" she concluded.
"Long live Arendelle! Long live the Queen!" her people responded loudly and vehemently, breaking into loud cheers and applause. Elsa smirked again, pleased with her grandmother's show of defiance.
There was another long pause as someone else stepped up to the microphone. When the first words left his mouth, Elsa realized it was the Duke of Weselton again, and her face drew itself back into a scowl. "Yes, um thank you, Queen Bulda, for that rousing speech," he said, and his annoyance and anger at her words bled into his tone. "People of Arendelle," he began. "As we bring this unification ceremony to a close, I just want to remind everyone of one thing: nothing in Arendelle has changed. Your beloved Queen will still rule; as we speak your royal family are returning to their homes. Your laws and precepts will remain intact; Parliament will meet as it always does today and in future days. Your lives will not change. The only difference you will feel is your increased sense of security now that our military forces are one. Good day to you, People of Arendelle, and may today live on in our glorious history!"
There seemed to be more boos from the audience, but the broadcast of the live feed stopped and the reporter in the studio came back on. Elsa, Anna and Belle listened for a few minutes, but when he had nothing of import to say, Belle turned it off. All three of the women sat in silence, all of them thinking about what could be done.
"We need to summon help," Elsa said at last. "Grandmother knows of my naval connections, and she was telling me to rally our allies. But, it will take some time to sail to them all, and I deplore the idea of being away from Arendelle when my children are being menaced."
"Sail?" Belle questioned. "Why on Earth would you take the time to sail? We have a telephone, and there is a telegraph office in the village. We can send the messages out at once. It might take a few days to coordinate with everyone, but not the weeks it would take to sail."
"It might seem improper to ask for aid by correspondence," Elsa hypothesized.
"Nonsense," Belle replied. "It is an emergency, and these are modern times we are living in. We should use the modern conveniences available to us. Cogsworth!" she called, and a short, stout man entered immediately. "Fetch the carriage. We are going into the village at once," she ordered. "And please find the Marquis and tell him his assistance is needed at the main house."
"Yes, Marchioness," the man said and disappeared.
Belle left to fetch a few things, and Elsa and Anna were left alone. "You could stay here, my love," Elsa offered.
"Why?" Anna questioned, puzzled. "Why wouldn't I go into the village with you?"
"Not the village," Elsa said, realizing her abrupt offer had been misunderstood. "I meant stay here when I return to Arendelle with our allies," she explained.
"No," Anna said flatly.
"But…"Elsa began.
"No," Anna repeated emphatically.
Elsa sighed. "Very well," she acquiesced, knowing there was no way to change Anna's thoughts when she was this determined about something. Belle came back into the room a moment later, and three of them left for the village, determined to start the process of driving the Weasels out of Arendelle.
AAAAAAAAAAAA
Two weeks had passed since the annexation of Arendelle to Weselton, and surprisingly, just as the Duke of Weselton had predicted, very little in Arendelle had changed. The two most notable exceptions were the Weselton soldiers marching through the town square and the Weselton flag flying from every building, reminding the people of Arendelle exactly who was in control of their country. Smiling in delight, the Duke of Weselton drove through the streets of what was now his capital city, taking pride in his soldiers marching as he passed them. His car stopped at the back entrance to the Felsenreitschule, the traditional location for the Arendellian Folk Festival, and his driver got out to open the back door. The Duke got out of his car and strode in, easily spying the person he had come to talk to.
With the melody of the Laendler being played by a rehearsing quintet, the Duke strode to the front of the stage. "Herr Detweilier!" he called, and Olaf looked up from the program he was showing to the von Trapp children to look at him in annoyance and dismay. "Hail Weselton!" he saluted.
"Oh," Olaf commented, not returning the salute. "Good Afternoon, Your Grace," he said with no cheer to his usually-bubbly tone.
"Perhaps you have not heard," the Duke said. "The salute has become official. Hail Weselton!" he repeated, giving the salute.
"Hail Weselton," Olaf echoed, giving a half-assed version of the salute that ended with him scratching his nose. He looked the children and rolled his eyes, causing them to smirk.
"I have just come from the house of Captain Schrader," the Duke said. "While attempting to locate her and her wife, I noted that theirs was the only house in the neighborhood not flying the flag of Weselton since the Annexation. But, we have dealt with that situation." Olaf shrugged, planning on telling the children to completely ruin the flag that had presumably been displayed once they got back to the house. "The housekeeper told me that I would find you here," the Duke continued. "It was the only information the woman would give me."
"Well, what kind of information are you looking for?" Olaf asked, pretending to be interested.
"We want to know when the Captain and the Duchess will be returning," the Duke replied.
"Well, they are on their honeymoon trip; uh, they haven't been in touch with us," Olaf said honestly, a smile playing on his lips as he glanced at the children.
"Are you asking me to believe that the Captain and the Duchess have not communicated with their children in over a month?" the Duke inquired incredulously.
"Um, Your Grace, have you chanced to see the Duchess of Nordfell? Would communicating with your children be a priority if you were on a honeymoon trip with either of them?" Olaf retorted.
The Duke thought that over and realized Olaf had a point. He nodded his head in agreement. "When the Captain and the Duchess do return, they will be expected to take their proper place in the new order," he declared.
"Naturally, naturally," Olaf agreed disingenuously. "And may I congratulate you, that is, your people, on deciding to let the Festival go on tonight as planned?" he complimented him, hoping to get the loathsome Head Weasel to leave by being nice.
"Why should it not go on?" the Duke replied. "Nothing in Arendelle has changed. Singing and music will show this to the world. Arendelle is the same. Hail Weselton!" he concluded emphatically, turning away from Olaf and heading to his car.
"Long live the Queen," Olaf responded under his breath. He looked at his seven temporary charges. "Come on, children; let's go home," he offered.
"Why was that man so cross?" Gretl asked curiously.
"Everybody is cross these days, darling," Olaf replied, gathering up their sheet music.
"Maybe the flag with the black weasel on it makes everyone nervous," Marta hypothesized.
"Is Mother going to be in trouble?" Liesel asked.
"Well, she doesn't have to be," Olaf mused. "But knowing your mother –both of them, actually–they will be sooner or later," he admitted with a smirk.
"Are we really going to be singing before a whole lot of people at the Festival tonight?" Brigitta asked, abruptly and purposefully changing the subject before the talk of Mother being in trouble frightened the little ones.
"Of course. Look," Olaf requested, pointing to the official program. "The von Trapp Family Singers. And here are your names: Liesel, Friedrich, Louisa, Brigitta, Kurt, Marta and Gretl."
"Why am I always last?" Gretl asked plaintively.
"Because you are the most important," Olaf said promptly, tweaking her nose. She smiled, and the rest of her siblings laughed.
They walked out of the venue, and Brigitta had another question. "Uncle Olaf, are you sure Mother will approve of our singing in public?" she asked doubtfully.
"Oh, she'll be pleased and proud," Olaf stated without hesitation.
Brigitta turned back to look at her oldest sibling. "Liesel, do you think so?" she asked.
"Don't you trust me?" Olaf asked, pretending to be offended.
"No," Brigitta stated bluntly.
"You're a very intelligent girl," Olaf complimented her as he opened the car door, and she giggled.
One by one, the siblings plied in, but before Liesel could get in, she heard a familiar voice calling her name. "Liesel!" Hans shouted. "Liesel!"
Liesel smiled and turned around. "Hans!" she said excitedly, walking towards him. Olaf allowed it, but he glared at the young man as his dormant paternal instincts flared to life. "Hans! I'm so glad to see you. It's been such…"
"Good afternoon," Hans said brusquely. "You will take these telegrams, please, and deliver them to your mother and her wife as soon as they come home."
"They are on their honeymoon," Liesel said, uneasy and hurt at the way Hans was treating her.
"I know that," Hans said dismissively. "We make it our business to know everything about everyone."
"We?" Liesel questioned, before noticing his uniform. She gasped softly. Hans had become a member of the Weselton Youth.
"Just see that they get them," Hans said coldly, any traces of affection gone now that she was looking at him with a mixture of betrayal and disgust. She was as foolish and arrogant as her mother, and Hans was now bigger than the both of them.
Liesel's heart was breaking at the cold look in Hans' eyes, but she tried one more thing. "Don't you want to come over tonight and deliver it yourself?" she offered, hoping that if she could get him alone and if they could talk, she would be able to get him away from those people and get them back together.
Hans sighed in annoyance. "I am now occupied with more important matters," he spat, "and your mothers better be too if they know what's good for them!" He turned around, leaving a stunned Liesel holding the telegrams. She looked after him sadly and then got into the car with her siblings.
AAAAAAAAA
A ship bearing the insignia of the Marquis de la Bête sailed into Arendelle harbor, and after receiving permission from the port master, it docked at one of the slips reserved for Her Majesty. In short order, the Duchess of Nordfell and the Baroness Schrader disembarked, thanking the crew profusely. After a fond farewell to the Marquis and Marchioness, a porter loaded their luggage into a waiting taxi, and Elsa and Anna were on their way back to the Schrader estate.
Everything about their arrival had been purposeful; the time, date, and conveyance were all carefully chosen. They had sailed in during broad daylight because Elsa wanted the Weasels to know that they had returned. That way, it would make it appear as if they had nothing to hide. They had specifically chosen the date because it was the day of the Arendellian Folk Festival. That evening, when the navies and soldiers of the Southern Isles, Dunbroch and Corona, Arendelle's staunchest allies in the Great War, sailed into the harbor, most everyone in the city would be in the Felsenreitschule attending the Festival. It would keep the civilians away from the fighting and away from harm, and if the Head Weasel attended like he was supposed to, he would be easy to capture after his forces had fallen. They had come on the Marquis' ship so that he and the Marchioness would be near to assist in the organization and coordination of the fighting force, and Elsa was satisfied with their preparations, at least as much as she could be, considering war was never straightforward.
When the taxi turned into their circular driveway, Elsa looked as angry as Anna had ever seen her. Concerned, Anna looked at the house, and she instantly saw the issue. "We will take it down as soon as we get out, sweetheart," she soothed. "That flag will come down immediately." Elsa nodded as the taxi rolled to a stop. He unloaded their luggage and took it into the house, and Elsa paid and tipped him. As he drove away, Elsa violently tugged on the odious banner hanging from her house. With a satisfying rip, the flag came down, and Elsa turned it ninety degrees after she had caught it. With another show of strength, she ripped it in half. Anna smirked. "Feel better?" she asked.
"Very much so," Elsa replied with a smirk of her own. Sudden yells of "Mother! Mother!" caught their attention and they turned to see Olaf and the children circling the driveway. The shouts continued until the car was parked. "Hello there!" Elsa responded, opening the car door for them.
"We didn't expect you so soon!" Friedrich exclaimed as they all piled out.
"Did you bring us anything from the Continent?" Kurt asked excitedly, coming around the car to hug his mother. Elsa chuffed his ear affectionately before firmly hugging all of her children that she could reach. She had been so afraid for them, but all seemed to be well. They happily returned her hugs, until a new voice reminded them there was someone else they needed to welcome home.
"Hello!" Anna said sunnily from her place in the doorway, just as happy as Elsa to see the children safe, sound and happy. The juvenile mob surrounded her in an instant, and she hugged them all, lovingly ruffling hair and caressing cheeks as they all welcomed her back.
Elsa smiled at her children and her wife for a second before she glanced down at the flag she still held. She frowned, and she turned that frown on Olaf. "I had nothing to do with that, Elsa," he assured her.
Elsa dumped the ruined flag into the backseat of the car. "We had some planning to do, but we came back as fast as we could," she said, giving him a hug.
"Planning, eh?" Olaf questioned with a sly grin. "I told the children you would be getting into trouble sooner or later." Elsa smiled at him and went to join her wife and children.
"Well, well, well," she said, moving through the happy crowd to stand beside Anna. "We missed you!"
"We missed kissing you goodnight," Anna added.
"We missed all the noise you make in the morning telling each other to be quiet!" Elsa joked, and the children laughed.
"Most of all, we missed hearing you sing," Anna concluded.
Upon hearing the word "sing", Brigitta was reminded of something important that they needed to share with their parents. "Oh, you came back just in time," she said, happily grabbing a program from Olaf. "Look, Fraulein Anna..." she started before pausing to think. "…I mean, Mama," she corrected herself shyly. The children had discussed at length what they were going to call Fraulein Anna when she got home, and since they already called Mother, well, "Mother", they had decided that Mama suited Fraulein Anna best. Anna smiled, completely charmed, and Elsa smiled proudly from her place beside Olaf. Brigitta blushed a bit before she continued. "We're going to sing in the Festival tonight!" she announced, showing Anna the program.
"What?" Anna questioned, knowing how reticent Elsa was about the children singing in public. Many different enthusiastic voices confirmed what Brigitta has said, but they all fell silent as a disapproving Elsa confiscated the program and turned to glare at Olaf.
Olaf grimaced before putting on his best charming grin. "Uh, surprise, surprise!" he chuckled.
Elsa plastered on the false smile that Anna remembered unpleasantly from her first days as a governess. "All right, there are surprises for everyone on the terrace," she announced, still looking at the program and thinking. The children yelled in delight and took off, and after they had gone, the fake smile faded. "We'll talk about this inside," she told Olaf brusquely, turning to go inside the house.
"Elsa, I would have told you, but you were away," Olaf protested, following her. "I had to make a last minute decision. I was fortunate to enter them at all."
"Olaf," Elsa said evenly.
"They'll be the talk of the festival," Olaf wheedled.
"Olaf," Elsa said again.
"But the committee heard them, and they were enchanting," Olaf whined.
"Oh, Olaf, what did they say?" Anna asked, eager to hear what professional musicians thought of her music lessons.
"I have never heard such well-taught enthusiasm," Olaf replied, hopeful that Anna could convince Elsa.
Anna smiled and took the few steps separating her from her wife. "Oh, sweetheart, don't you think just this once?" she cajoled before putting her arms around Elsa and lowering her voice. "It would keep them safer tonight," she whispered.
Elsa looked at her wife and smiled wryly. "We haven't been married long enough for you to be able to read my thoughts," she chastised affectionately, giving Anna a small kiss. "But yes, it would, and that's exactly why I was considering breaking my own rule about them performing. But I think there would be only one thing that would convince me," she decided.
"What would that be?" Anna prompted.
"You would need to join them," Elsa stated. Anna started to protest, but Elsa forestalled her. "You are not a soldier or a sailor, my love," she said honestly. "I know you want to help, but I really do think that this is the best way for you to help. We can all go to the Festival, making the Weasels think nothing is amiss. I'll slip out during the performances to meet our allies, while you stay to make sure our children stay safe."
"And keep me out of the way in the process," Anna pointed out in irritation. Elsa didn't answer, but merely looked at Anna, and the pleading and worry in those vivid blue eyes did Anna in. "Very well," she conceded with a sigh. Elsa kissed her gratefully, and Anna kissed back. At Olaf's embarrassed clearing of his throat, the two women separated, and he looked at them hopefully.
"The children will sing tonight," Elsa informed him, causing his face to light up. "But you will have one more performer. Anna will be joining them."
"Of course, of course!" Olaf gushed. "Her presence will be more than welcome! Wait," he said suddenly. "Where will you be?" he asked suspiciously.
"Oh, I will be there," Elsa assured him. "For part of the time."
"You are using my Festival as a cover, aren't you?" Olaf accused, although there was more resignation than anger in his tone.
"Yes," Elsa replied succinctly.
Olaf sighed. "Sometimes you are worse than my brother," he grumbled in mock annoyance. "And I knew you were up to something when Kristoff ran back to the Southern Isles the instant you telephoned. But regardless, let me know what I can do to help," he requested with a proud smile. Elsa nodded at him, and he left the room.
"Mother? Mama?" a voice behind them called out, and Elsa and Anna turned around to see Liesel. "I was so excited to see you that I forgot about these," she said, taking two paper squares out of her pocket and handing them over.
"Why weren't they delivered?" Anna asked, knowing who usually delivered them and why Liesel looked forward to it.
"The messenger was in town when we were rehearsing, and he said he didn't have the time to come by," Liesel responded sadly.
"Was that his only reason?" Anna asked, ignoring Elsa's pointed stare.
"Yes, but he wasn't being completely truthful," Liesel replied dejectedly.
Anna reached out to give her daughter a hug. "I'm so sorry, sweetie," Anna murmured as Liesel hugged her back tightly.
"It's okay, Mama," Liesel answered. "With the uniform he was wearing today, he wasn't the boy I thought he was. I'll find someone better."
Anna smiled. "That's the spirit," she encouraged, and Liesel smiled as she let her new Mama go and went back out to the terrace.
"And what was that all about?" Elsa asked pointedly.
"Liesel had been seeing the telegram delivery boy, but he apparently joined Weselton and broke up with Liesel. Liesel is understandably heartbroken, but she wouldn't want to be with someone like that anyway, so she is sanguine about the breakup," Anna summarized.
"Liesel was seeing someone," Elsa repeated, her voice growing outraged. "And you knew!?"
"Yes," Anna said truthfully. "She confessed it to me the night of the thunderstorm. But you left the next day, and by the time you came back, the boy hadn't been here in a while. Then everything started happening between us, and I became more occupied with my own romantic issues rather than Liesel's. I'm sorry; I should have told you, and I promise not to keep anything concerning our children away from you ever again."
Elsa let out a huff of anger, but she knew why Liesel, especially back then, would have confided in Anna rather than her, and she knew why Anna would have kept the information from her. "Please see that you don't," she requested, her voice cold more out of habit rather than disapproval.
Anna winced at the cold tone, but she impetuously grabbed the lapels of Elsa's suit jacket and pulled her into a kiss. After a moment of shock, Elsa melted into the kiss, and her arms went around Anna. "Please don't be cold with me again," Anna demanded when she slackened her grip and broke the kiss. "Please don't shut me out. It was a different time, and we had a much different relationship. It won't happen again."
"It's all right, love," Elsa said calmly, not liking the subtle distress in Anna's tone. "I understand why you didn't tell me. All is forgiven, I promise you." She reached down to kiss Anna once more. "Besides, if you keep kissing me like that, I wager there is very little I would not forgive," she purred, and Anna blushed as she kissed back. Their telegrams were completely forgotten, and both of them slipped to the floor. When the paper struck the tile with a subtle "whap!", the two women came back to reality. Elsa sighed and reached down for them, handing Anna hers before opening her own.
Within a few seconds, Elsa growled and crumpled the telegram in her hand. Anna looked up from her own telegram in alarm. "What is it?" she asked.
"Weasel-town," Elsa spat. "They've offered a commission in their navy. I've been 'requested' to accept immediately and report to their naval base in Weasel-town tomorrow. As if I would ever join them and their navy."
"Well, as of tomorrow, Weasel-town probably won't have a navy, so I wouldn't trouble yourself too much, sweetheart," Anna said optimistically.
Elsa smiled at her wife's typical optimism. "What does yours say?" she questioned.
"Oh, it's from Weselton, too. Apparently they want my signature on some sort of official document," Anna replied. "They already have the Queen's approval, though; I'm not sure why they would need mine."
"Because the Duchess of Nordfell is the largest landowner in Arendelle after the Queen," Elsa told her. "You control a considerable amount of land, including the North Mountain and the Nordfell Abbey grounds. If you don't sign, then you potentially have enough leverage to start a revolt against them. Since you weren't here to intimidate like the other Dukes and Duchesses, you have not yet signed whatever they were forced to, and Weasel-town wants to rectify that."
"Too bad I won't sign, then," Anna said unconcernedly. "As of tonight, their threats mean nothing."
"Speaking of tonight, we need to get the children ready," Elsa said, giving Anna a small, proud kiss to the temple after her statement. "We need to tell them that you are going to perform with them, and that things will be...unsettled tonight."
"Unsettled?" Anna questioned. "I suppose that would be one way to put it. But you are the mistress of understatement."
"Just as you are the mistress of hyperbole," Elsa teased back.
"Then it seems we are a perfect pair," Anna declared with a smile, and the two of them went upstairs to get themselves and their children ready.
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Night fell, and it was time for everyone to make their way to the Festival. They went to the garage to get the car, and all ten of them managed to squeeze themselves into a car designed for six. The gate was still closed, so Kurt disentangled himself from his siblings and went to open the gate. Elsa drove out of the driveway and then stopped, waiting for him to close the gate and get back into the car. Just as the gate clanged shut, though, two pairs of headlights illuminated their car from behind. From his window in the mansion, Kai smiled. He had done his job well; the traitors would be captured and Weselton would rule Arendelle forever.
The Duke of Weselton stepped out from behind the headlights just as Elsa got out of the car. "Baroness Schrader!" he saluted. "So nice to see that you have returned from your honeymoon."
"I wish I could say it is nice to see you, Your Grace," Elsa replied icily.
The Duke ignored the comment. "But what of your bride? Where might the Duchess of Nordfell be?" he asked, and the soldiers he had brought with him snapped to attention.
"I am right here, your Grace," Anna said, getting out of the car herself.
The Duke of Weselton studied them. "You both received telegrams, but neither one of you answered. Telegrams from Weselton explaining how you could assist in the joining of our countries," he stated.
"We will assist in our own good time," Elsa said dismissively. "But we thank you for your concern."
"I'm afraid your assistance is needed now, Captain," the Duke said with smarmy triumph. "So we are here to escort you and the Duchess to Weselton tonight where you, Captain, will accept your commission, and you, Your Grace, will sign your oath of allegiance."
Elsa blanched. The thought of either or both of those two things happening was repugnant in and of itself, but she also needed to be in Arendelle to lead the incoming liberators. Thinking fast, she went with the almost truth. "I'm afraid that's going to be quite impossible," she informed him. "You see, we and our children are singing in the Festival tonight, and we need to be going or we will be late."
"And you ask me to believe that, you, Baroness Schrader, Captain of Her Majesty's Navy, are singing in a concert?" the Duke asked cynically.
"Yes," Elsa said simply. "Like you, Your Grace, I am a person of hidden talents."
The Duke remained highly skeptical, so Anna intervened. "Here is a program," she offered, walking over to the Duke and handing it to him.
The Duke used the headlights to read the paper. "It says here only the names of the children," he pointed out with suspicion.
"We were on our honeymoon; Olaf had no guarantees we would be back," Elsa lied smoothly.
Anna glanced at her watch exaggeratedly. "We really must be going, Elsa," she said with mostly-false impatience. "We are going to be late, and this night air is not good for the children's voices."
The Duke looked at them and made a decision. "Well, a slight delay in bringing you to Weselton will not be serious. Therefore, you will sing. You will all sing," he declared. Elsa hid her frown. It would be impossible for her to slip away during the performance now, but somehow they would manage. Perhaps Olaf could keep the others apprised of the changes. "But only because that's the way I want it to be," the Duke continued. "It will demonstrate that nothing in Arendelle has changed. And when you are finished singing, you both will be taken to Weselton. Now, if you two ladies will get back in your car, we will escort your family to the Festival."
"No escort will be necessary, Your Grace," Elsa replied coldly.
"It's a pleasure, Captain," the Duke assured her smugly. "After all, we wouldn't want you to get lost in the crowd."
Elsa glared at him but said nothing. She caught Anna's eye over the top of the car and gave her a reassuring smile. Anna smiled back, and they both got into the car. Elsa put the car into gear, and with the Duke and his henchmen trailing behind them, they drove to the Felsenreitschule.
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"With A, B, C…." Anna sang, harmonizing with the stanza of Do-Re-Mi that the children were singing. As she sang, she looked around, seeing a Weselton soldier everywhere she looked.
"With jam…." Elsa followed, thankful for the times that Marta and Gretl had convinced her to join their music lessons. Elsa knew her voice was good, but she never would have been able to follow the layers and the harmonies if she hadn't attended. She looked around much as Anna had, but her military eye caught cracks in the defenses that Anna hadn't seen. Her smile turned into a smirk, and she nodded happily at Anna. Reassured, Anna smiled brightly and sang the last few lines of the song with enthusiasm.
The crowd broke out into raucous applause as the children bowed and curtseyed. The Duke, sitting in the front row and wanting to keep up appearances, begrudgingly smiled and started clapping along with the crowd. The Queen, sitting in the royal box, clapped and smiled as well, happy to see Elsa and Anna back and genuinely enjoying her family's performance. Elsa and the family had been running late, so they hadn't had the time to talk before the performance, but the few words and gestures Elsa had managed to exchange with Bulda gave the Queen confidence that plans were afoot.
The applause died down, and the spotlight shifted to Elsa as she broke away from her family to stand at the microphone alone. From just offstage, Olaf offered to bring the guitar, and she nodded her head. "My fellow Arendellians," she said, "our country is facing challenges the likes of which we have not seen since the Great War ended. There was one song that united us as a people then, and it has united our people for generations. It will unite us now, because at its heart, it is a love song, and I know that you share this love. I pray to the Maker that you will never let it die." She took Anna's guitar from Olaf, and after strumming a few bars, she began to sing.
"Edelweiss, edelweiss, every morning you greet me," she began, and the crowd fell into a reverential silence as her beautiful mezzosoprano and its simple guitar accompaniment filled the amphitheater with Arendelle's national anthem. "Small and white, clean and bright, you look happy to meet me," she continued, skillfully playing the guitar while she sang. The Duke of Weselton shifted around uncomfortably, and he glared briefly at the stage. Elsa paid him no mind, deciding to focus for the moment on a beautiful redhead she had once unknowingly wooed with this same song. Anna smiled, remembering the moment, and Elsa smiled back before she returned her attention to the crowd.
The rest of the stanza went smoothly and the crowd sat transfixed, but when Elsa went to repeat the verse, she faltered. She loved Arendelle and her family so much, and so much hinged upon tonight that the pressure caught up to her, making her voice trail off. The orchestra had joined her on the repeat, and so it played the melody without her until a strong soprano rang out from the wings. "Small and white, clean and bright, you look happy to meet me," Anna sang, coming over to Elsa and taking her arm.
Elsa smiled at Anna, all the love she felt for her wife shining in her eyes. She rejoined the song, and Anna beckoned the children to join them as well. The children came over and put their arms around their mothers, joining the song and singing as loudly as they could. With her one free arm, Elsa encouraged the crowd to join in, and soon everyone, from the Queen herself to the stage sweeper, were singing along. The only exceptions were the Duke of Weselton and his men.
When the song was finished, the crowd broke out into applause once more, and the family bowed before moving off stage. Olaf passed them as he went to go back out on stage, and he pressed a note into Elsa's hand as he did so. "Contacted allies. All is well. Be prepared for encore," it said. Elsa smiled and quietly told her family of their plans. They would sneak out of the amphitheater after the encore, with Elsa going to the docks and Anna and the children going to Nordfell Abbey. If Elsa disappeared, Anna and Elsa knew the Duke would not hesitate to use the children as leverage, so they needed to be away from him and his men.
"Thank you ladies and gentlemen, thank you," Olaf said, quieting the crowd. "The Festival Competition has come to its conclusion. Except of course, we don't know what that conclusion will be," he joked charmingly. "And while the judges are arriving at their decision, I have been given permission to offer you an encore. This will be the last opportunity the Schrader family will have of singing together for quite some time. Even now, officials are waiting to escort the Duchess and the Baroness to their new places in the service of Weselton." The crowd murmured its loud disapproval at that statement, and the Duke of Weselton cowered behind his soldiers. "And so, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the family Schrader again, to bid you farewell," Olaf concluded, blowing the family a kiss.
The selection for the encore was, appropriately enough, "So Long, Farewell," and with the addition of their parents, the children's setup for the cuckoo clock was a little different. Elsa and Anna stood in front this time, and the children popped out from the sides and top. Much as it had done at the party, the song charmed the crowd completely, and they happily laughed along as the children sang their parts and were guided off stage. After Gretl sang her part and left, Anna and Elsa were left by themselves, and holding hands, they sang the last goodbyes as they walked off stage to the applause of the crowd.
When they had all disappeared down the tunnel, Olaf came back up on stage. A page brought him the envelope from the judges table, and an excited murmur wafted up from the crowd as they speculated about the winners. Moving his microphone to the center of the stage, Olaf opened the envelope. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he announced. "I have here the decision by our distinguished judges. We will start with the award for third prize. For this honor the judges have named the first soloist of the choir of St. Idina's Church, Fraulein Schweiger!"
The orchestra played a fanfare, and the ecstatic Fraulein came out. She bowed to the crowd and Olaf energetically and often, which Olaf encouraged to give Elsa, Anna and the children more time to escape. He handed her a bouquet of flowers, and she bowed again. Finally, a page came to escort her off the stage, and she continued to bow as she was led off.
Olaf returned to the microphone. "The second prize goes to the Bell Quintet," he announced. Another fanfare played, and this time a much more demure group of four men and one woman came to claim their prize. All five of them heartily shook Olaf's hand, and Olaf flexed and shook his hand out to get some feeling back into it.
There was only one prize left to be given, and the buzz in the arena was strong. Olaf stepped up the microphone. "And the first prize, the highest honor in all of Arendelle, goes to…the Schrader Family Singers!" Olaf announced with pride. The fanfare played and the crowd applauded, but no one came out of the tunnel. Ignoring the Duke of Weselton's stare, Olaf tried again. "The family Schrader!" he called, and the fanfare played again. Still no one came out of the tunnel, and the Duke started to rise from his seat. Footsteps finally sounded in the tunnel, but instead of a family of nine, it was a single man in a Weselton officer's uniform. "They're gone!" he yelled, and the Duke leapt from his seat. Outside the arena, the booms of ships' cannons started sounding, causing the Duke and his men to flood out of the exits.
"And so it begins," thought Olaf, sending up a silent prayer to the Maker.