Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is no way an accurate historical representation of certain events. I have tried to stick as close as I could to known medieval documentation. But if I wanted to write a research paper on medieval times, I'd have pursued a PhD in medieval history and not be writing fanfiction.
So, please read at your own discretion.
Kristoff tilted the wine bladder, holding it above his opened mouth for the last few precious drops of wine. The liquid burned down his throat, causing a spread of warmth through his body. Flinging the empty wine bladder aside, he flopped back onto the pile of hay that had been his makeshift bed for the past two days.
A single candle, housed in a glass lantern sat in the corner of the stall, next to his discarded plate armour which in its dirty and unpolished state resembled a pile of scrap metal. He rolled onto his side, reaching for another bladder of wine sitting in a puddle of water; only to have Sven nudged it further away with his hoof.
"What was that for, Sven?" Kristoff demanded, his eyes crossing as he tried to focus on the reindeer shifting in and out of his vision.
Sven huffed back, shaking his large head and kicking the wine bladder into a corner.
"Give it to me." Kristoff lunged forwards and landed against the dank ground of the stall.
Sven snorted and sat on his haunches, effectively blocking Kristoff from reaching for the wine.
"Fine. Whatever. I'll get more from the kitchen." Kristoff slurred, struggling to get his feet beneath him. He managed to take a single step before swaying to the side and landing back on the hay stack.
"Maybe later." He mumbled, drifting off to sleep.
He had barely closed his eyes when a bucket of cold water was thrown unceremoniously into his face.
"WHAT THE HELL!" Kristoff roared, jerking awake.
He squinted at two figures standing by the door to the stall before another bucket of water was tossed into his face.
"I'M AWAKE DAMNIT!" He wiped the water from his eyes before peering up at his assailants.
"Oh it's you two." He grumbled as his eyes fell on Elsa and Anna.
"Good to see you too, Kristoff." Elsa greeted.
"Gahhh. What's that smell?" Anna gagged, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Ughh. Even Sven smells way better than you do."
The reindeer gave her an affronted glare before trotting over to press a wet nose against Kristoff's cheek, silently consoling his bruise ego. Kristoff grabbed hold of Sven antlers, letting the reindeer pull him into a sitting position.
"Leave me alone." He muttered.
"Get up, Kristoff. Stop wallowing in self-pity. We've got work to do." Elsa's voice was firm, causing Sven to shrink back.
"Work?" Kristoff laughed hollowly. "What work? I've failed my king, disgrace my family's honour. What use do you have for a failure like me?" He glared daggers at Elsa who stared back unflinchingly.
Anna touched Elsa's forearm lightly, catching the blonde's attention. They shared a brief glance, Anna conveying through her eyes that she can handle this to which Elsa nodded and stepped back.
"Get up, Ser Kristoff Bjorgman." Anna commanded, noting the flicker of surprise in Kristoff's eyes at her authoritative tone. "You are a knight of Arendelle. As long as there is breath in you, you are bound by duty to serve the royal family. My father may be gone, but I am still here. And I need you more than ever now to prove your loyalty and bring justice to the people responsible for my parents' deaths."
"Why do you not hate me? I failed my King, your father. If I had been faster, I could have saved him." Kristoff hung his head; the guilt that he had desperately tried to drown out with copious amounts of alcohol was resurfacing.
Anna squatted, folding her arms over her knees, bringing herself to eyelevel with Kristoff. "I don't blame you, Kristoff. Elsa told me what happened. If you hadn't incapacitated my father's killer, he would have escaped. You did what you could and that's enough in my book." She smiled gently, hoping her words would bring Kristoff some closure.
"How certain are you that I wouldn't fail you too?" He asked softly, staring intently at Anna's boots.
"Because I know you won't let history repeat itself. I trust you, Kristoff. Now, rise. Stand tall."
"Serve and protect…" Kristoff mumbled.
"That's right." Anna encourage softly, rising to her feet. "And for Gods' sake, take a bath." She added.
Kristoff laughed, a deep hearty rumble. He will redeem himself. As long as an Arendelle still lived, he had cause to pick up his weapon and fight. Serve and protect. That was the oath that he had sworn.
xxx
"Take a deep breath, Princess Anna." Kai patted Anna's gloved hand on his arm reassuringly.
Anna smiled nervously and did as told, closing her eyes momentarily to calm herself.
They were standing before the closed doors of the chapel, waiting for their cue to enter. Anna was in a breathtaking pale blue wedding gown that flared around her ankles with a long trailing train of shimmery, translucent silk stretched out on the crimson carpet behind her. The dress hung off her shoulders, the heart shape bodice showing off freckled skin before leading into elbow high white silken gloves. Her strawberry blonde hair, braided and curled atop her head was mostly covered by the translucent veil held down by a heavy tiara forged from gold that brought out the copper hue of her hair.
"I wish Pappa and Mamma could see this." Anna murmured; a sad smile on her face.
"They are right here." Kai touched a hand to his chest, right above his heart. "And they'd be very proud." The shorter man beamed up at Anna.
The rich mellow sound of a hymn from within the chapel filtered through the closed doors. Slowly, the doors were pulled open by two castle guards dressed in their finest tunic and Anna had her first glimpsed of the decorated chapel interior. Early morning sun streamed in through high windows, the natural light filtering through the stained glass to cast a vibrant spectrum over the room. Black iron candle holders attached to pillars at strategic intervals held burning candles, lit to create a cosy atmosphere than for lighting. On a second floor platform behind the altar, the choir dressed in burgundy robes sang; their soothing voices combining into a perfect symphony that resonated off the arch ceiling. A large banner bearing Arendelle's sigil of a crocus hung on the wall behind the chaplain with a smaller version attached to the front of the altar. The backs of the polished maple pews running in parallel rows were decorated with garlands of orange blossoms, ivy and brambles.
It was a summer theme wedding in autumn.
Her breath caught in her throat as she spotted Elsa waiting at the end of the aisle, on a step below the altar where the chaplain conducted the ceremony. Elsa's platinum blonde locks were pulled up into a similar French braid crown twist with a pale blue ribbon woven in. She had on the white version of her officer's uniform, completed with golden epaulettes and polished gold buttons. The right side of her jacket was adorned with various medals awarded for her valour in battle or accomplishments within the military while on the left hung the single thick silver aiguillette indicative of her current status as Grand Marshal.
"Come. Elsa's waiting." Kai whispered as he led Anna beneath the archway and they began walking down the aisle.
The audience was small, composed mainly of the highest ranking officials and their spouses with the obligatory line of knights in full armour standing at attention around the perimeter of the room. As they passed, each row of dignitaries bowed in respect, warm smiles on their faces as they whispered compliments.
Elsa had turned to watch her approach and Anna met twinkling cerulean eyes. The small tentative smile on Elsa's lips warmed her heart and she had to remind herself not to run down the aisle and into Elsa's arms. A step below Elsa, Olaf was grinning toothily, his hands bearing the maroon cushion on which a pair of rings rested on.
The singing stopped as Kai guided Anna to take her place by Elsa's side. He smiled proudly, his eyes moist with tears as he placed Anna's hand on Elsa's arm before hurrying off to his seat next to a quietly sobbing Gerda on the first row of the bride's side. The audience took their seats as Anna and Elsa turned to face the chaplain.
"You look beautiful." Elsa murmured, turning her head slightly.
Anna smiled shyly, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks at the intensity of Elsa's stare.
"Ser Elsa Frost, wilt thou have Princess Anna to be thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?"
Elsa kept her gaze firmly fixated on Anna's as she responded with confidence. "I will."
The chaplain then turned to repeat the challenge to Anna to which she responded with a breathless "I will".
Nodding his satisfaction, the chaplain gestured for Olaf to approach. The dark haired squire as ring bearer practically skipped up the steps, holding up the velvet cushion. With a curt nod from the chaplain to proceed, Elsa picked up the smaller of the rings then reached for Anna's left hand.
Easily reciting her vows, Elsa delicately removed the ice engagement ring from Anna's ring finger before slipping on the wedding band then replacing the engagement ring. Like the engagement ring, she had crafted their wedding bands from her ice. They were unbreakable, frozen solid for eternity, forged by her will and designed according to her wishes. The wedding band was a plain ring, translucent with intricate designs of snowflakes woven around in a pale white of packed ice crystals. Brushing her thumb against both rings, she welded them together into a single band to Anna's amazement.
Anna blushed when Elsa deviated from the ceremony plan to place a light kiss on the back of her hand. Barely concealing her happiness, she reached for the remaining ring held up by Olaf and slipped into onto Elsa's finger. She couldn't remember if she messed up the lines of her vows, not that it mattered with Elsa smiling down at her.
The chaplain concluded the ceremony with neither woman paying much attention to the rest of his words. They were lost in each other's eyes, forgetting for a brief moment that they had company until the expectant stares jolted them from their reverie and Elsa leaned down to kiss Anna chastely to applause.
It was a struggle to pull away and not deepened the kiss. They had spent the whole of yesterday apart at the insistence of Gerda claiming it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. Add that to the amount of administrative duties regarding ruling the kingdom and planning a wedding in less than a month had literally drained both women. By the end of each day, they hardly had much time to spend together other than collapsing into a deep slumber curled up against each other.
The chaplain cleared his throat causing the newlyweds to straighten up, cheeks tinted a rosy red. He raised a quizzical eyebrow, regarding them through narrowed eyes as they stared straight ahead.
To everyone else, Anna and Elsa's marriage was an arranged one. No one; saved for Kai and Gerda knew of the affection both women shared. As such, there was a façade to be kept up. At least for the time being until the threat of war looming over their heads was eradicated.
"As per our late King's wishes, the wedding ceremony will be followed by the coronation ceremony. Grand Marshal, if you'd please?" The chaplain gestured for Elsa to stand directly before him as he moved around the altar.
The chaplain delved into a long speech, charging Elsa for the responsibilities of a monarch; all of which Elsa promptly tuned out in favour of watching Anna from her peripheral vision. Anna was standing a few paces to her right, hands folded neatly before her and head bowed slightly. Elsa wondered if Anna had dozed off, she wouldn't be surprise if the redhead had until the redhead turned her head a fraction of an inch to send her a fugitive smile.
Elsa smiled back, hardly noticing that the chaplain was holding up the golden tiara encrusted with a large sapphire in its centre.
"Grand Marshal…" The chaplain hissed and Elsa sheepishly lowered her head.
With the crown securely placed atop her head, Elsa picked up the pure gold traditional sceptre and globus cruciger from the velvet cushion held up by the chaplain. Turning to face the audience, she kept her face impassive as the chaplain concluded the ceremony by blessing the coronation and the kingdom under its new ruler.
Stepping to the side, the chaplain announced as the audience rose to their feet. "Queen Regnant Elsa Frost and Princess-consort Anna of Arendelle."
The audience applauded enthusiastically and repeated after the chaplain, their voices echoing off the high ceilings.
Quickly replacing the traditional items, she turned back to the crowd, her lips pressed together in a tensed smile. In a flash, Anna was by her side, a warm hand slipping into the crook of her elbow and Elsa visibly relaxed, her smile becoming more natural.
"Still don't like crowds, huh?" Anna murmured as they made their way down the aisle, smiling politely as dignitaries offered their congratulations.
"Can you blame me? Most of them clearly don't approve of my election." Elsa whispered back.
"What's a party without someone making a scene?"
Elsa chuckled in response.
xxx
Like the wedding ceremony and the coronation ceremony, the nightly ball was a quiet affair. A small band sat off to the side of the ballroom, playing a mixture of slow waltzes and lively folk music. Servers moved through the room, offering a variety of snacks or wine on sliver platters while the guests focused on dancing and mingling. Occasionally, the guests would approach the small podium where Elsa and Anna stood to offer their congratulations and compliment the newlyweds on the beautiful ceremonies.
Anna had changed into a teal dress with a bronze trimmed, sweetheart bodice and black sleeves that covered majority of her freckled skin. Her ring glittered on her left hand clasped snugly in Elsa's.
Elsa still wore her outfit from earlier, the officer's uniform differing only in the twinned golden aiguillettes hanging from her left shoulder that indicated her new status as Lord Marshal, a position that accompanied her coronation as Queen Regnant and ruler of Arendelle. She smiled amicably at the crowd, looking but not actually seeing the guests dancing in the centre of the room. Her mind was miles away, worrying about what was to occur later that evening once the guests left and the gates were shut. In time, her intimate interactions with Anna were bound to escalate. But were they ready for that form of physical connection?
"Elsa?" Anna lightly squeezed Elsa's hand, drawing the blonde's to turn unfocused eyes on her. "Where did you go?" Anna asked gently, concern evident in her eyes.
"Oh. Nowhere. Just distracted." Elsa replied vaguely, smiling in assurance when Anna quirked a quizzical eyebrow. "It's nothing."
"You're my wife, husband, whatever. It's only been a few hours since we exchanged vows. Whatever happened to 'for better and for worse'?"
"I believe the correct term is wife." Elsa corrected with amusement, her eyes darkening as she was lost in thought. "I'm nervous, I guess." She reluctantly admitted after a long pause.
"Nervous about?" Anna turned to face Elsa, one hand reaching up to cup the blonde's cheek.
Elsa averted her gaze, positive that her ears were burning in embarrassment. "Later. Alone." She mumbled.
"Oh." Anna flushed as she caught on to Elsa's train of thought. "That makes two of us then." She muttered.
"Are you –" The press of Anna's lips against hers caused Elsa to falter as she gave in to the kiss.
"Yes. I want you, Elsa." Anna answered Elsa's unspoken question, brushing her lips lightly against the blonde's again. She didn't care if the entire ballroom was watching; the guests could gossip however much they wanted. She was legally bound to Elsa now. Public displays of affection between married couples were expected.
"Then why are we still here?" Elsa murmured.
"I don't know. Would Your Majesty care to retire for the evening?" Anna teased.
"Pray tell how do we get rid of the guests?" Elsa raised a sceptical eyebrow.
"You're the queen. Just order them to leave." Anna grinned impishly.
"Throwing out my subjects on my first day as queen. Way to make an impression. You're such a bad influence, Anna." Elsa chided, the small smirk on her lips betraying her amusement.
Anna stuck out her tongue. "I learn from the best."
"Geez, tone it down. You two are causing a scene." Kristoff drawled as he approached the podium, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Well, now it's a party!" Anna exclaimed before both women burst into a fit of giggles.
Kristoff raised an eyebrow, unamused. "Seriously, I'm really happy for you both, but you are making me feel a little sick with the lovey dovey air." He wriggled his fingers around them.
"Would it be easier to stomach if I'd allowed Sven to attend? This really is about your missing date, isn't it?" Elsa deadpanned.
"I think I like you better when you were socially inept. At least then I wouldn't have to deal with your sassy remarks." Kristoff sniffed in mock disdain.
"Why, how dare you speak in such a manner to your queen?!" Anna pressed the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically.
"Great. Not you too." Kristoff groaned, massaging his temples with his large hand.
Much to the large blond's annoyance, the women chuckled at his expense; drawing a few curious glances from a small group of guests nearby.
"The uniform suits you." Elsa appraised Kristoff in his new officer's uniform when she had finally sobered enough to speak.
"I don't know how you wear this all day." Kristoff grumbled, tugging on the high collar in a fruitless attempt at loosening it from cutting into his neck.
Elsa shrugged. "You get used to it."
Kristoff shot her a wintering stare, pulling at the collar of his jacket again to create a better fit. Dark colours had always suited him and the fitted black jacket with yellow epaulettes and bronze aiguillette giving him a mysterious aura; quite unlike the standard green and purple tunics that he usually wore over his chainmail that was far more suitable on a court jester.
"How are things at the barracks?" Elsa asked, breaking the lull in the conversation.
"Fine. Not the same without you though. Olaf's been bugging Marshmallow to train him in the finer arts of being a knight. Kid's got talent with a sword though." Kristoff shrugged his broad shoulders.
"Why don't you train him yourself?" Anna piped up, drawn back to the conversation when the lively folk dance she had been watching ended.
Elsa nodded in agreement. "Technically Olaf's your squire now. You're the sole commanding officer as Field Marshal housed in the Keep."
"Weren't you listening? He's talented with a sword. My preferential weapon is a pollaxe. Very different styles of fighting, in case you've forgotten after a few weeks of the castle life."
"You're a decent swordsman. Olaf would learn much from you." Elsa pointed out.
"I'll think about it. You're not making things easier for me with this promotion. I've got so much logistics to deal with it's not even funny. I'm a knight!" Kristoff muttered with indignation.
"The quill is mightier than the sword. Don't take too long. Olaf is almost a man grown. As much as I'd prefer that he stays far away from the frontlines, he can't remain a squire forever." Elsa exhaled heavily in resignation.
The clock tower chimed then, ten strikes resounding through the courtyard, muffled through the thick glass windows of the ballroom. The band struck up a slow song as the disappointed guests began breaking off into smaller groups, moving away from the dance floor.
"That's my cue. I'll have the guards standby to escort the guests out." Kristoff snapped into a smart salute before bowing as he retreated back into the crowd.
"Well, guess that's our cue too." Elsa smiled down nervously at Anna.
Giving out orders to her men on a battlefield was far less daunting than addressing an expecting audience. And that was exactly what was awaiting her. Approximately a hundred eager faces were staring in her direction, waiting for the closing address to conclude the festivities.
Anna slipped her hand back into Elsa's, squeezing the blonde gently in encouragement. Elsa had long prepared for the short speech, she had memorised the words, knew when to smile and how to hold her posture. But nothing could ever prepare her for the anxiety of standing before an expectant crowd. It wasn't that she had limited experience in dealing with social settings; she had plenty in fact; except issuing orders or addressing her men in a pre-battle speech hardly counted. She had fought alongside and trained with her men, they were her comrades on the field and her brothers in arms off it. But these guests were mostly strangers, dignitaries present only because the future of Arendelle affected their pockets; it wouldn't come as much of a surprise that all of them were against her election. Politics had never been her strongest suit but she would have been a fool not to realise that she was essentially treading in uncharted waters with hungry sharks swimming circles around her and who knew what else lurking in the depths to finish her off if the sharks failed.
Putting on an amicable smile, Elsa inhaled deeply; both to calm her nerves and in preparation to project her voice. "Thank you for your attendance, my bride and I are truly grateful to be able to share such a memorable day with friends and partners. As Queen Regnant, I will strive to uphold the integrity that our Kingdom is founded upon and honour the memory of my predecessor. I hope you have enjoyed your stay here in Arendelle and we look forward to hosting esteemed members of society such as yourselves in the near future."
Applause erupted throughout the ballroom and there were cries of "Long live Queen Elsa!".
Elsa plastered on a polite smile, the tension in her body melting away as the guests began moving towards the large doors.
"Let's get out of here." Anna whispered.
"Thought you'd never ask." Elsa murmured back in relief.
xxx
Anna and Elsa stood on the balcony overlooking the courtyard, forced by Kai to do the obligatory sent off and greeting of citizens before they could exit the ballroom. Their cheeks ached from smiling continuously, arms protesting as they waved at the cheering citizens; yet they persisted. It was the least they could do considering most of the local folk had spent all day loitering about the castle courtyard hoping for a glimpse of their new Queen and Princess-consort.
Anna immediately felt bad for changing out of her wedding dress so quickly; the citizens must have been sorely disappointed at not getting a look at the newlyweds in their wedding attire. Anna thought she overheard one woman asking her husband if both Anna and Elsa had worn wedding dresses before her husband shushed her and glanced around surreptitiously in fear that someone might have heard his wife's comment. Anna had to fight back the urge to giggle, although the harmless remark did get her thinking.
"What would Elsa look like in a dress?" She wondered. "I bet she'd look absolutely stunning." Her mind wandered, imagining the blonde in a form fitting dress with a plunging neckline, displaying ample cleavage. The thought immediately caused blood to rush to her face and a dull throb began in the pit of her stomach.
"I'm fine." Anna mumbled when Elsa turned in concern. She might have squeezed the blonde's hand a little too hard while fantasizing.
Elsa merely quirked a quizzical eyebrow but did not question Anna's odd behaviour.
It was almost an hour before the gates were finally closed. The pair made their way through the ballroom, bidding goodnight to the handful of servants tidying up the large space. They walked hand in hand to the royal chambers, the short trek up several flights of stairs spent in nervous silence. Before long, they were standing just inside the threshold of their room, the door securely locked behind them.
Someone, most probably Gerda had thought it wise to draw the flimsy curtains, letting the pale moonlight filter through the sheer fabric to illuminate the room and create a romantic atmosphere. Two full goblets of wine stood on the dresser, the crimson liquid giving off a deliciously fruity scent; no doubt left by Gerda in case the newlyweds needed… something to take off the edge.
Anna's gaze landed on the large canopy bed, maroon silk with a translucent quality draped down on two sides, the fabric bunched up neatly around the posts by golden sashes, allowing the occupant or occupants in this case to climb on the cushy mattress.
Anna gulped audibly, as much as she knew she wanted this with Elsa, she couldn't help by feel a little self-conscious. Sensing her nervousness and probably feeling equally anxious if not more, Elsa spoke up.
"I could sleep on the floor." She offered gently, already moving towards the doors of a walk-in wardrobe in search of extra quilts.
"No!" Anna squeaked. "It's fine. It's not like we've never slept on the same bed before." It was true that they had spent nearly every night just sleeping together. But tonight was their wedding night, a night to most conventional couples that meant consummation.
"Alright." Elsa relented, swallowing back the lump in her throat; clearly thinking along the same lines. "Today has been draining. We should get some rest."
Anna grabbed Elsa around the wrist, pulling the blonde towards her. "I'm not tired." She whispered huskily.
Elsa's breath caught in her throat.
"The sky's awake and so am I." Tiptoeing, Anna pressed her lips against Elsa's, her hand tugging on the ribbon in Elsa's braid, freeing the luscious locks to cascade in a flow of molten platinum.
"Are you sure?" Elsa managed to murmur through the kiss.
"Yes. Kiss me, Elsa. I am yours."
A/N:
The next chapter contains smut. It's not critical to the story so for those of you who do not agree with explicit scenes, please skip it. You won't miss out on the plot.
(HAHAHHAHAHAHHA. Skip it. Yeah, RIGHT.)