Author Notes: This story contains themes that may make some readers uncomfortable. If femslash or the thought of two consenting adults engaging in a relationship that is considered taboo in the real world offends you, then this story is not for you. I welcome reviews and critiques, but the world already has enough hate, so please keep your flames to yourself. There are many other wonderful stories on this site, and I won't be offended if you choose one of them instead. Standard Disclaimer: I don't make claims on any Disney trademarks/copyrights and mean no infringement on them or anybody else.
Also: Given how long it's been since the last chapter release, I'd like to note that so far, only a few hours have passed in Arendelle since the first chapter. Certain things should make more sense if you keep that in mind.
Chapter 4.
You know I love you, Kristoff. I'm just not in love with you.
"No, too cliché."
I wish I could say it was the greatest moment of my life, but—
"Oh, wow, so completely not right."
It wasn't what I expected, but let's see what happens from here.
"That takes wishy-washy to a new level. Ugh! How am I going to do this?" Anna was halfway down the main stairs, trying to think of some way to handle Kristoff and the kiss. Elsa was on her mind when she left the royal wing, but her thoughts soon turned to what would be the hardest thing she'd ever done.
If only Elsa could help her…. Elsa, unfortunately, was the least helpful person to turn to. Her experience with love is well below the 'absolute zero' line. "She loves me, I guess," Anna muttered, "even if she's refusing to speak to me right now. There's no way she understands being in love, though. She won't get near enough to anyone to fall in love, much less have a boyfriend."
Elsa having a boyfriend was a somewhat unsettling thought. Not that she didn't want her sister to fall in love. Far from it; but something inside her rebelled at the idea of not being the only person in Elsa's heart. That's just selfish; even if she is being cold now, I know she loves me as much as a sister can. What more could I want?
A fleeting image crossed her mind; Elsa kissing her the way Kristoff did. She could almost feel the softness of her sister's lips pressing against hers as his had. If it were Elsa, I wouldn't have wanted her to stop. If—
"Wait, what? If it were Elsa…? What in Freya's name am I thinking?" Anna trembled. "Not with Elsa—I couldn't do that with her!" It occurred to her she was thinking out loud about kissing her sister in a very inappropriate way, so she stopped and drew in a deep breath.
It's not only impossible, it's … Elsa can't be my lover, she's my sister! Wait, why am I even thinking about it like that? I would never … Elsa would never…. She shook her head and forced her thoughts back to Kristoff. Elsa was her sister; Kristoff was her … what exactly is he? Is he my boyfriend? Not any more, I guess. What mattered was his gender. No matter how deep the love between her and Elsa grew it wasn't the same sort of love she should have for him—and never would be. They were both women. They were sisters.
"Then why do I keep comparing them?" She began walking again, trying to push the insane idea out of her head-and being Elsa's lover was about as insane as it got. "I may be a little nuts, but I'm not that crazy!" Getting so worked up over a simple kiss; yeesh, Anna, maybe you are crazy. Ok, so he isn't the one; how did I get from him to Elsa?
It still baffled her why Kristoff's kiss wasn't the most incredible, breath-taking thing she'd ever experienced. There was a lot of diplomatic catching up to do now that Arendelle had a proper monarch again, and catching up involved formal parties, so she'd had plenty of opportunities to see what else there was in the world of potential suitors.
None of them came close to interesting her like Kristoff did. He was warm, and open, and willing to help her when she stumbled, physically or verbally—and there was plenty of both—and bashful and introspective and…. "Gaaaaah! He's the perfect man! What is wrong with me?"
Anna puffed out her cheeks and tried to regain her composure before she smacked herself on the forehead or did something else embarrassing. There was still time to figure out what to say; she wouldn't see Kristoff until tomorrow. Hopefully, by then she'd find something that wouldn't hurt him too badly.
"Your Highness, excuse me." A footman came trotting up to her before she'd reached the bottom of the stairs. "Master Kristoff has arrived and wishes to speak with you if it's convenient."
You have got to be kidding me. "I … uh…." I'm not ready for this. If she talked to him, all she would do is fall all over herself trying to avoid saying the wrong thing, and Kristoff was better at reading her than she liked. It was one of his attractive features since she so often had trouble saying what she meant without babbling. That perceptiveness might work against her if she met with him now.
She would also likely end up late for dinner, which she did not want to happen. After getting downstairs early, to end up disappointing Elsa yet again would be depressing. If she didn't see him, however, he'd mope around looking stricken tomorrow until she wanted to hide in her room, and then have to explain that to him—and likely Elsa as well. What can he possibly want at this hour? "Did you tell him I'm due for dinner in a few minutes?"
"Yes, Your Highness. He insisted it would take only a moment of your time."
"I'll see him." I'll use dinner as an excuse to get him out of here. She followed the uniformed boy to one of the front parlors trying to put on a calm front. Kristoff stood in the middle of the room, twisting his hat in his hands nervously. He is cute. Maybe I overreacted ... yeah, imagining Elsa like that is definitely overreacting. It's not like he tried to do anything else. Maybe it was just too soon.
Kristoff looked up and broke into a huge smile. "Hey, Anna! I know it's a little late, but I really wanted to see you."
"Hi, Kristoff," Anna replied with all the warmth she could muster. Her emotions swirled around in confusion; she liked him, but she'd been so sure it wasn't love. She wanted him near her and wanted to push him far away. She couldn't have both, but the choice was agonizing. "You don't have Olaf in tow?"
"Nah, he'd babble about random things and make talking harder." He chuckled before winking at her. "I left him to keep Sven out of trouble. You've got a couple of new fillies at the stables, you know."
Anna drew in a breath; not bringing Olaf only reinforced the suspicion Kristoff wanted to discuss what had happened earlier. The snowman had adopted him and was usually not far away; the lack of his presence was telling. Discomfort cast shadows over the idea that her reaction to his kiss was a mistake.
And he's going to start talking about it now. Wonderful. "So, what did you need? I only have a couple of minutes before I have to go to dinner."
He started toward her and she backed up. There was no mistake; she didn't want him to hug her. The thought he might try to kiss her again was terrifying. Why? He's a still a friend. It's only a simple hug, Anna. Don't hurt his feelings. Of course, I'm going to hurt his feelings at some point, but….
Her legs bumped into a chair and she realized she was against the wall. This is crazy. Everything's fine, this is fine. If he hugs me, it means nothing. I'm overreacting. Even if she wasn't in love with him, it made no sense to react so strongly to something so simple. It confused her and embarrassed her, but she didn't want him to touch her.
The blond man didn't hug her, but stopped much closer to her than she liked. "About this afternoon…." He blushed deep red.
"Oh, that." Anna heard the weakness in her voice and coughed. "That isn't something I'd really like to discuss right now. I mean, we're in the castle and it's dinnertime and Elsa could come looking for me at any minute. Not that seeing Elsa would be a bad thing since you'd be able to thank her in person for the sleigh and such, but I don't think it would be a good idea to let her overhear what happened."
Wincing at how her words kept tumbling over each other and the way she was waving her arms around like a maniac, she smiled apologetically. "I mean, I'd rather keep it between us. For now." She needed to tell him her true feelings, but with no idea how to approach it, and Elsa likely to appear at any moment, she didn't want to discuss it now. "Well, it was unexpected, and I'm not sure how to—"
"Anna." Kristoff interrupted her with the look he got when he was a little frustrated with her, though he was still blushing. "It isn't about that."
Anna composed herself. "Ah. Sorry, I assumed…."
He rolled his eyes. "You do that a lot." When she turned red, he quickly added, "But it's cute. When you start like that, it usually means you're embarrassed, so you must've really liked it, huh? I'm glad because I did too. You know, I've never—"
"So what did you want to discuss?" Anna rushed to cut him off before he could say the word. She'd guessed it was his first kiss too, from the way he fumbled through it, but she didn't want to hear about the experience with the door open and Elsa certain to be coming downstairs soon if she hadn't already.
To be honest, she didn't want to hear about it at all, but she would have to sooner or later. She also knew the subject was what he was blushing about and he'd obviously changed his mind about mentioning it when she reacted like she did.
I'm so sorry, Kristoff. You don't deserve this. I don't understand it, but I can't stop it. She didn't know how to correct his mistake about her feelings, either, and that added to her confusion.
"Oh, right! See, the new sleigh is really nice, so I'm heading up to the valley tomorrow to show my family."
Anna gave him a weak smile. "That sounds nice, Kristoff. I'm sure they'll love it." She looked away, trying to come up with some excuse to get out of what she knew was coming.
"I was hoping you'd come with me," the blond said with a shy smile. "It'll be nice to spend time together; we can talk about whatever you want."
"Oh, wow." Anna tried to sound surprised. "I, uh, I'd love to go with you but I think I'm really busy with … stuff." She desperately searched for a polite way to say no. It wasn't so much about being with him as worry she'd end up blurting out the wrong thing somewhere along the line. Spending an entire day with Kristoff sounded uncomfortable; spending an entire day with Kristoff crying sounded like a disaster. "Doing that Princess thing and all. You know how it is."
Kristoff's face fell, and he frowned. "I really wanted you to go, so we could, y'know, talk about things."
"Things?" Anna bit her lip. "What kinds of things?" They always talked while riding; she couldn't imagine—or, rather, didn't want to imagine—what he found important enough to make a statement about.
"Just about … stuff." The blond glanced at the fireplace and sighed. "Is it what happened?"
Anna blinked several times. "Is what, what happened? Oh. You mean this afternoon. Well, that…."
Biting his lip, Kristoff returned his gaze to her. "It is, isn't it?" His face looked so mournful that Anna almost couldn't answer.
Does he realize I didn't like it? "It was just unexpected. I really don't want to talk about it right now. I know we should, but this isn't the place." And I have no idea where to start.
There was a silence, and then Kristoff rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. "Yeah, Elsa probably wouldn't like knowing I kissed you." When Anna glared at him, he chuckled again. "Yeah, yeah. We won't talk about it right now. You're worried about tomorrow 'cause you think you'll be a distraction when I'm driving, huh? Since we're official and all."
Nope, not a clue. "Well, I would prefer you pay attention to the road," she replied. "I know Sven can handle things on his own most of the time, but it's still a little nerve-wracking when you let go of the reins completely." Why am I even talking about this? Just say no and be done with it, Anna. "I'm really sorry, Kristoff, but I—Wait, what? What did you mean by official?"
"Well, we aren't only doing the stuff friends do anymore, right? So, you're officially my girlfriend. No reason to be nervous though. I won't get distracted, even if you sit that close. Promise." Kristoff took leaned forward and drew in a deep breath. "You smell really good!"
"It's a new perfume from Farson," Anna replied instinctively. "Elsa's smells better." A lot better. Gah! Why am I thinking about her at a time like this? She does smell good though.
Kristoff laughed. "I doubt she'd let me sniff her."
"No, I don't think she would." Anna tried not to laugh as well. The thought of Kristoff getting near enough to Elsa to sniff her was very amusing, due to the complete impossibility of it happening. For a moment, her mood lightened. He's such a goof; maybe I should give him another chance.
Then the reality of what would happen if he tried it sank in. He'd likely get a face full of ice and send Elsa storming off in a fury. There were only two people she'd let that close to her, and Kristoff was definitely not one of them. Being a goof isn't a good thing all the time, I guess.
Lately, it seemed Elsa didn't consider her one of them either, and that brought her back to reality. For a moment, she was tempted to agree to Kristoff's request simply to get away from her sister for a while. Elsa's mood wasn't enough to override her unease at the thought of Kristoff trying to be romantic with her, though.
It certainly wasn't enough to risk being trapped together for several hours should she let her feelings slip by accident and crush him completely. The realization he was looking at their relationship in a more romantic light only complicated things. What am I going to do? She sighed heavily.
Kristoff seemed strangely oblivious to her discomfort, however. "Will you wear it tomorrow?"
"Kristoff, I said I was probably busy tomorrow." Anna pursed her lips; Kristoff could be dense, and she usually found it cute, but right now she wasn't prepared to deal with this level of thick-headedness. It was as if he was intentionally ignoring signals he would normally react to.
Looking at the ceiling, she searched desperately for some way to get out of the ride.
Elsa descended the stairs and called to the footman she saw down the hall. He was new, and his face showed his discomfort at being hailed. She'd grown accustomed to that type of expression, one of uncertainty and usually a hint of fear. It no longer bothered her; she had given Arendelle a good reason to be afraid of her. It would take time to earn their trust.
The boy bowed. "Your Majesty. How may I be of service?" His voice trembled a bit, and Elsa remembered he was younger than he appeared and as likely cowed by her crown as her magic.
"I don't suppose you know if Princess Anna has made an appearance?" She wasn't certain why she always asked if her sister had come downstairs on time. She never had, but Elsa asked anyway.
"Oh, yes, Your Majesty. I saw her about fifteen minutes ago."
Elsa blinked several times. "She's here. Downstairs. Early." She wasn't certain what else to say; she was so shocked that words failed her.
"Yes, Ma'am. She's in the left front parlor speaking with Master Kristoff." The boy gestured as if Elsa might get lost on the way.
"Oh, that's why she was early." Elsa narrowed her eyes and looked down the corridor toward the front of the castle. She'll do it for Kristoff, of course. She sighed. At least with him around she might appear at meals before dessert. That's something positive if she marries him.
There were times she doubted Anna would show up for dinner at all if sweets weren't being served. It confused her, knowing how much the redhead could eat, that she would be late for anything involving food. Yet she always was, and if it took Kristoff to ensure she'd arrive on time, Elsa would take it as a point in his favor.
The idea of Anna marrying made her want to freeze something, but it would happen sooner or later regardless of her feelings. Perhaps not to Kristoff, but married all the same. As I must marry. There had already been letters to the Council testing out her readiness to consider one country's Prince or another's Duke, and it made her ill knowing eventually she would have to accept one of the suitors as a spouse.
For a moment she wished Anna was a man, wasn't her sister-was someone she could love openly and without fear. That they could take vows and wake beside each other for the rest of their lives. It was only a moment though. She wouldn't have her sister be anyone but who she was; Anna-wild, adventurous, mischievous, beautiful Anna. Her feelings were reprehensible, but she would rather bear them than change the woman her sister had become.
"She was already downstairs when I found her, Your Majesty. She wasn't certain she would speak with him because she didn't wish to be late to dinner."
Elsa stared at him, still shocked that Anna had shown up early for something. The thought she might have even meant to do it seemed more unbelievable. So it wasn't because Kristoff asked for her? Her heart fluttered. She was grasping at straws if she tried to believe she was the reason for the redhead's promptness, however. Then why?
After a few seconds the boy paled, apparently worried he had somehow raised the Queen's ire, and she gave him a slight smile. "Thank you, Fredric." She still had trouble recalling the names of everyone on the staff, but when Anna pointed him out as important to her she'd made sure to remember his.
"Of course, Your Majesty." He beamed as if the Queen had given him a title. "If I may be of any further assistance, I would be honored…."
"Not at the moment. Your sister is well, I hope?" She tried to duplicate Anna's easy way of speaking to the staff. When the boy's eyes widened, she worried she'd only frightened him again.
"She—she's quite well, Ma'am. Thank you for asking," he stammered. "I-If you have no further need of me…?" When Elsa shook her head, he bowed and scurried off down the hall, glancing over his shoulder a few times and though she might be preparing to hurl a block of ice at him.
Well, that didn't go as I'd hoped. She sighed; terrifying the staff was not on her list of ways to become more comfortable interacting with people. The boy now vanishing around a corner was the brother of Anna's best friend and if she couldn't avoid scaring him, she was in trouble. After making a mental note to ask Anna what she'd done wrong, she drew in a breath and strode toward the front parlor. She was still several paces away from the open door when she heard her sister's voice.
"It's not that I'm sure I have anything, but maybe you should ride up alone this time. You know how they get when I come with you." It was clear Anna was frustrated. The discussion must have been going on for a while.
"That's the problem? I told you to just go with it until they get tired."
"They've tried to marry us six times already! Exactly how long does it last?" Anna sounded like she was getting irritated.
Elsa twitched. Marry them? The trolls couldn't do that … it wouldn't be binding … it's … it's…. She blinked several times to stop the tears. I'm not ready for that. I can't lose her now. Not now.
"What's wrong with that?" Kristoff replied in a baffled voice.
"He's not serious," she murmured. "He can't be serious. They're playing around."
Anna's growl was loud enough to reach the hall. "Where do I start? Look, Kristoff; I'd love to ride up with you, but you know what will happen when they find out I'm the one who gave it to you."
An equally loud chuckle drifted into the hall. "Come on, it's only talk. Besides, last time you told them it had to be in a church, and that really threw them."
Is she serious enough to mention the chapel? No. This isn't … this can't…. Elsa stopped and tried to still the sudden trembling that threatened to overwhelm her. It didn't sound like a joke anymore. It sounded like making plans. The temperature was dropping and she struggled to pull it back inside. If Anna wanted to get married, she had to stuff her own love as far down as she could. Conceal, don't feel.
She managed a short laugh. "I wonder what Father would think if he knew what I was saying that about." He'd murder me if Mother didn't get to me first. Swallowing hard, she forced her thoughts to settle. She's not yours. It was a mantra she recited almost as often as the one she'd learned as a child. Let her go.
"Arrrrgh! You are so difficult sometimes! I told you I was probably busy, anyway."
"If it's nothing official, then what's more important than spending time with your boyfriend?" His tone was one Elsa recognized; he used it when he wanted Anna to do something she wasn't interested in. That situation rarely arose, so it made Elsa all the more concerned to hear it.
Now Anna sounded stumped. "I guess there's not much, but still … couldn't we do it another day?"
I don't know what's going on, but I'm putting a stop to it. She may be faced with losing her sister to the ice cutter too soon, but Anna clearly didn't want it to happen tomorrow. Addressing that was all she could focus on at the moment without cold and snow giving her away.
Gritting her teeth to keep her jumbled emotions from showing, Elsa strode into the room. Anna was standing by one of the side chairs, leaning backward slightly as if she felt cornered. Kristoff was only a foot or so away, grinning and looking at her expectantly.
"I'm sorry for interrupting," she said in an icy voice, ready to intercede if the ice cutter was trying to corner her sister. She knew he would never do something so aggressive, but Anna's nervous expression put her on full guard in an instant. Why does she look so unhappy?
Startled to hear her sister's voice, Anna turned toward the door. "Elsa? Eep!" As she started to slide past Kristoff, he stepped forward and collided with her, sending her off balance. Stumbling, she caught her foot on a leg of the chair she had been leaning against and fell. Kristoff tried to catch her, which might have worked if he hadn't slipped on an unexpected patch of ice.
Reaching to catch Anna as well, Elsa instinctively created a large pile of snow between her sister and the floor. She'd never know if the ice was accidental or intentional, but the redhead had a much softer landing than the man beside her.
The end result was Anna face down in a snowdrift with Kristoff sprawled on his back by her and Elsa teetering on her tiptoes trying not to fall on both of them, wincing at the pain from where her head collided with his. Several chairs had fallen over and a painting hung crooked on the wall.
Elsa's heart pounded so hard she was certain the others could hear it. All she could think about was the last time she'd tried to soften her sister's fall with her powers. Before panic completely set it, Anna started laughing.
"Are … Are you ok?" Elsa regained her balance and leaned toward the redhead who had flipped over and was now tossing handfuls of snow into the air and giggling. "You too, Kristoff," she added a moment later when the blond man sat up rubbing his forehead. "I'm sorry I—"
"Oh, come on, Elsa!" Anna interrupted, sitting up. "This is the best save ever! Cold, but awesome."
Kristoff response came a little slower, and he appeared embarrassed to have fallen. "I'm fine as long as Anna's fine." He got up and reached out to help Anna, who seemed more interested in playing with the snow than his extended hand. "Anna," he finally said in an exasperated tone. "You're going to get wet."
After tossing a soft snowball at him, the redhead allowed him to help her to her feet. She brushed herself off and grinned. "That was fun. I'd like to do it on purpose sometime."
Once again, Elsa's heart pounded against her ribs. "That … That's probably not a good idea, Anna." She reminded herself that the redhead didn't remember what happened when they last played in the snow together. "It could be dangerous." With a flick of her fingers, she turned the snow back into vapor that quickly dissipated, leaving only a slight chill behind. "Are you certain you aren't hurt?"
"I'm fine, Elsa." Anna was confused by the expression on her sister's face. The blonde looked terrified, far in excess of what would be expected of a simple fall. Why do I feel like I should know the reason? "Really, I just tripped."
Elsa drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I'm still sorry for startling you." She was able to smile, feeling the tension fading from her body. If nothing else, Anna wasn't as close to Kristoff as before and looked much more comfortable for it. "I learned that you'd come down early and was looking for you." She glanced at Kristoff momentarily before returning her gaze to her sister. "I seem to have interrupted something important, though. Should I go?"
Surprisingly grateful for Elsa's appearance, Anna shook her head. "No, no, it's fine; we were only chatting." She looked away. "Sorry if I'm late." She wasn't sure how long she and Kristoff had been talking, but she was certain it was long enough to erase any chances of being alone with Elsa before dinner.
"Don't worry, you aren't late." Elsa turned her full attention on Kristoff. "I didn't by chance just hear you propose to my sister, did I?" She tried to sound more teasing than angry, and ended the question with as much of a smile as she could muster. She might be terrified of the answer, but she couldn't take those feelings out on him. Anna would never forgive her, and she had enough things that needed forgiving already.
"Wait, Elsa … that's not what-" Oh, crap, she heard us. Anna tried to head off an answer, but Kristoff started talking first.
"I'm sorry for head-butting you," he said nervously, apparently not hearing the question or Anna's response. "Um … you're looking very … queenish tonight, by the way." He ran his hand through his hair and looked slightly embarrassed.
"Queenish?" Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Could that be because I'm wearing a crown?" She couldn't resist pointing out the fact, and his confused expression amused her enough to giggle softly. He's sort of cute when he's embarrassed, I guess.
"Kristoff, don't-" Anna tried again to divert him from veering into dangerous territory
The blond man shifted and coughed. "I meant regal. You know, like a real queen."
Elsa's amusement vanished instantly. "I am a real Queen," she replied in a voice as cold as the air atop the North Mountain, with no attempt to sound pleasant. She didn't think it was possible, but it seemed Kristoff had gotten dumber since the last time they spoke.
For Anna's sake, she was willing to be friendly, and she knew he didn't mean it as an insult, but she expected to be properly recognized as the ruler of Arendelle. Her sister's boyfriend wasn't exempt from that expectation and it wouldn't change even if they did get married.
"I think he meant you look really good," Anna interjected. Kristoff was digging a huge grave for himself and obviously didn't see it. With the mood Elsa was in lately, things might turn very unpleasant if she got seriously annoyed with him. If she's as jealous as Astrid thinks, she is not going to like me spending whole day with him, that's for sure. "And you do; you look very nice."
"Thank you, Anna." Elsa softened when she saw her sister's gaze move up her dress before the redhead smiled at her with a look that was a little more than approving. It was one of Anna's expressions that made her shiver; she could almost imagine that the thoughts behind it were more than filial admiration. I wish she were hesitating about marriage because of me. "You look beautiful as well. Of course, you always do."
A slight pink colored her cheeks before she turned back to the man her sister was ridiculously enthralled with, her relaxed expression taking more willpower to maintain. Be nice, be diplomatic, be calm. "So, did I hear correctly?"
Kristoff looked startled, and a little confused. "Hear correctly…?"
"Did you propose to my sister?" Elsa pursed her lips. He had definitely gotten dumber. What does she see in him? "It's an easy question." He isn't stalling because it's true, is he? She smiled again though it was harder than before.
It took several seconds longer before the light went on in the blond man's eyes, and he blushed a deep red that made him look almost comical. "What? No! No-no-no-no-no … that was … it's just my family … they're…."
"Different. Yes, I'm aware of that." Praise Freya. Elsa breathed a heavy sigh of relief. If she'd stopped to think rationally, she'd have known he wasn't serious. It was hard to think rationally when it came to Kristoff, however. He was a nice enough man, but she hated his place in her sister's life.
"Elsa, it's fine." Anna breathed a sigh of relief when Kristoff moved away and slipped past him to stand by her sister. It grew colder the closer she got, and she noticed Elsa's fists clenched by her side. Is she that mad about the queen thing? "He was only asking me to go with him to show off his sleigh."
As much as she was comforted by her sister's presence, she was also afraid that Elsa would learn about the earlier kiss, and that would blow up into her having to say she wasn't—
Elsa interrupted her thoughts. "As long as you're happy." She breathed in Anna's scent and let it waft over her like a spring breeze. The redhead did look beautiful, and her expression was grateful; Elsa's baser desires faded under the pleasure of knowing her sister approved of being protected. "You realize I will still have to approve your marriage, though."
As she said it, she realized that even if she were to approve of Anna marrying Kristoff, the Council would be highly unlikely to agree. A political marriage would almost certainly be forced on the Queen's likely successor, though Elsa would do anything she could to allow her sister to marry for love. If she can't be mine, I'd rather see her happy with a commoner than miserable with someone like that bastard Hans. Even if that commoner is a moron.
Anna looked at her in surprise. Does she actually think Kristoff proposed? Something was bothering her, that was for certain, and it had a great deal to do with the man standing in front of them looking uncomfortable. Up to that point, she'd assumed Elsa was simply having a hard time being as friendly as she usually was toward the blond. It made sense given her coldness of late, but now she realized Elsa was being very serious about the subject. Why would she be so against that? She may be jealous we spend time together, but she couldn't possibly want me to never marry.
She loved feeling protected by Elsa, but she didn't want that protectiveness turned on Kristoff—especially regarding matrimony, and especially right now. "Don't worry; nobody is marrying anybody. Kristoff's family is a little obsessed with love, that's all. Grand Pabbie always stops them before they really get going."
"Yeah, um, what she said. I mean, I like Anna a lot; she's cute and funny and.…" Kristoff stopped and drew in a few breaths. "I don't think either of us is ready for marriage, though."
"Good." Elsa turned to her sister, lips curling into a soft, loving smile. As afraid as she was of the moment when she really would have to give Anna away, she couldn't be angry with her for living a normal life. Marriage was something completely normal—and inevitable—and the sooner she accepted the fact the better. He's an idiot, but Anna loves him. Remember that, Elsa; Anna's in love with him, not you. "I'm not quite ready to let you go yet, you know."
Anna hadn't seen that kind of smile in several weeks and an unexpected shiver of pleasure raised the hairs on her arms to hear the words. It sounded like the old Elsa, the one who had been missing for far too long. She glimpsed a strange expression cross Kristoff's face as he looked at the two of them, but it was gone before she could identify the feeling behind it. A strange silence fell; Anna felt warmth and pleasure from standing by her sister, now touching at the hip, while the air between the Queen and the blond man before them remained cold and tense.
She didn't understand why the simple touch of their hips sent such thrills of pleasure through her. She didn't know why the smell of Elsa's perfume lingered in her nose, or why she felt so utterly, completely safe. But she did, and she sensed Elsa was pleased too. Anna bumped her sister with her shoulder, smiling brightly when she turned.
Elsa was also feeling the pleasure that touching her sister brought though hers ran more deeply. She realized that she was touching Anna and not collapsing into a puddle of tears, and then it registered that Anna chose to move beside her despite being closer to Kristoff when she got up. It was a small victory, but she would take it.
There was the matter at hand, too. Regardless of what her sister said, she was certain that whatever was going on before she arrived Anna didn't want to happen. And even knowing that Kristoff was the last person to think might harm her, she couldn't help but suspect the redhead was hiding something important.
"I assume that you liked your gift, given your plans for tomorrow." Elsa tried to make her voice friendly, hoping to lighten the mood, but it clearly didn't reach the man before her.
Kristoff turned red as his eyes widened. "Oh! Yes! I'm sorry; I should have thanked you right away."
"You're welcome." She gave him a diplomatic smile.
Anna wondered at the way her sister's voice kept changing between pleasant and angry. She knew Elsa didn't find Kristoff as much fun to be around as she did, but she'd always been friendly toward him—if a little stiff. Right now it seemed she didn't like him at all. In fact, she sounded as if she thought he might be an enemy. Even being jealous didn't explain that. She doesn't know about the kiss, does she?
That Kristoff clearly didn't see Elsa was trying to tease him was even stranger. The Queen had teased him a great deal over the previous weeks, and he usually recognized it for what it was. In fact, Anna thought they were slowly growing fond of each other. Right now, however, Elsa's joking seemed forced, and he was missing that she was teasing at all.
"So, um, Anna. About tomorrow?" Kristoff held Elsa's gaze for a moment before looking away.
Anna opened her mouth and then closed it again. She was between a rock and a hard place and didn't know which way to go. If she said yes, she would have to watch her words carefully for the entire day so as not to destroy Kristoff's dreams. If she said no, he would sulk and Elsa would probably find out what happened.
Well, spending the day with him shouldn't be that uncomfortable; I'd get to see Grand Pabbie and the little ones, and maybe Grand Pabbie could give me some advice. How to ask for it without giving away the reason would be hard though. Still, it might help….
Kristoff's cough snapped her out of her thoughts.
"I wasn't sure whether I was free, so … I mean, I know there's nothing official tomorrow, but I'd wanted to check with Elsa before I said yes. So I was just going to ask you … you, Elsa, not you, Kristoff … well, I'm asking now, I guess. Is there?"
It took a moment for Elsa to decipher what the redhead was talking about. "If you're asking whether you can go with him or not, I don't have much of a say in the matter, Anna. You've never asked before, so—"
"Ah!" Anna interrupted her. "I've been kinda rude about that, I know. Um, so, I guess … I'm going?" She managed a smile. It was silly to be so worked up over spending a few hours with Kristoff; they were still friends-even if that's all it would be.
If Grand Pabbie wasn't able to help, then maybe somewhere along the ride she could find the right words herself. She wanted desperately to be gentle when she broke his heart but if she didn't … it needed saying soon anyway, even if she couldn't express herself without hurting him.
There was always the chance that she'd simply overreacted and things would be back to normal by morning, as well. It seemed a slim chance, but it wasn't impossible. She didn't know if she wanted it to be true, or not, and that confused her more than anything. She'd always been a yes or no kind of girl, and this wavering was unlike her. Elsa's jealousy, if Astrid's observation was, in fact, correct, only threw more uncertainty into the decision; she didn't understand why, but it did.
"Great!" Kristoff beamed, his usual self again. He stepped forward unexpectedly and grabbed Anna at the waist, pulling her into a hug.
Anna gasped and pushed against him to free herself. They'd never been overly formal with each other in Elsa's presence, but embracing was something they hadn't often let her see. They'd certainly not shared a tight bear hug like Kristoff was giving her now. She could feel her sister's gaze hot on her as she tried fruitlessly to get out of the tall man's embrace.
Calm down, Anna. It's not so terrible, actually … unless Elsa figures out why he's so excited … oh, no. What if he kisses me? No, he wouldn't do that, but if Elsa sees him wanting to— "Kristoff, let me go," she finally managed, in more of a growl than she'd intended. "Please."
He did, stepping back and looking sheepish. "Sorry, I'm just excited."
"Should I send a chaperone?" Elsa asked, noticing the slightly tense air rising up around Anna, one that Kristoff apparently still didn't sense. It was intended half-jokingly, but the blond obviously didn't understand that. Is he acting like this because … do I need to send one? No, he wouldn't try forcing Anna to do anything. He's only being dense as usual.
Kristoff rubbed the back of his neck and blushed. "Oh. Um. Well, no, but … if you want to come along it'd be fine, too."
The temperature dropped a few degrees as Elsa tried not to glare at him, knowing he would misinterpret her renewed anger as directed at him. Keep it separate, Elsa. He had nothing to do with it.
Maybe if she teased him more obviously, he'd finally understand she was trying to be funny—and give her time to calm down. She smirked and chuckled lightly. "If you're in that much need of a third party, perhaps I should withdraw my permission for Anna to go with you." Again, the joke fell depressingly short. I give up.
"No, no, Elsa, don't worry," Anna interjected, confused that her sister was looking at Kristoff with near hatred. Did she really think he had so much of a chance of coming between them-was she that jealous? "It would be nice for you to meet Kristoff's family, though. They've asked about you several times."
"I have absolutely no—" Elsa cut herself off. After an uncomfortable moment, she finished. "I don't have time, unfortunately. Please do give my regards, Kristoff. I'm sure one of these days I'll make it up there."
She sounded stiff and formal, but it was the only way to keep from telling him exactly how much she hated his family, and especially their patriarch. He owes me thirteen years. He owes us our childhood back.
Kristoff drew his eyebrows together. "O-okay," he stammered. "Um, I really do appreciate everything you've done, Elsa. Anna and me … don't worry about that."
"I trust Anna," Elsa replied, trying to calm down before the storm building inside her escaped. It would be no simple flurry this time; it never was when she thought about the troll who had nearly ruined their lives. She drew in another breath. Anna liked him. Anna trusted him. For Anna, she would keep her feelings inside.
Anna bit her lip. She could tell how hard her sister had been trying to keep the conversation light, but now Elsa was unhappy … angry, even … and Anna couldn't fathom why. She'd always refused offers to ride to the valley, but never with such vehemence.
Her expression, as her blue eyes bored through Anna's own, suggested she didn't want Anna to go either. It also suggested that she was struggling not to say so, and for some reason deeper than Anna simply going for a ride with Kristoff. More than jealousy, but why?
"So, um, what time?" Anna wanted to diffuse the situation before Elsa got any unhappier.
Kristoff jumped, clearly nervous under the stern stare Elsa now directed at him. "About nine? I'll have you back by dark. I-if that's ok, Elsa. If there's something Anna needs to do in the afternoon, I can make sure—"
"Anna's schedule is clear," Elsa replied, forcing herself to relax. Unless Anna specifically stated she didn't want to go, it wasn't her place to put limits on the trip. If she were rude (forget rude, I've been downright insulting. I should be ashamed of myself) would only make Anna feel bad about going.
Her feelings about the trolls had no place in the conversation, either, so she did her best to let them dissipate the rest of the way and made one more attempt at humor. "I would prefer her home before dark, however. We don't want to lose another sleigh to a pack of wolves."
Anna choked back a laugh as Kristoff looked confused, and then embarrassed, finally glancing at her with a slightly helpless expression. "Don't worry, Elsa," she giggled. "There aren't any wolves on the road from Riverpoint, and we're unlikely to meet any from there to the valley."
Giggling behind her hand, mostly from the expression on Kristoff's face but also because Anna, at least, found the humor in the comment, Elsa nodded. He's stupid, but it's hard to dislike him when he looks so confused. "Very well. Still, by dark, please."
"Yes, Ma'am." Kristoff coughed.
Elsa wished he would properly recognize her rank more often, but accepted his doing it now with as graceful a nod as she could manage. "If that is settled, Anna and I will be late for dinner if we don't go now."
Kristoff nodded vigorously, flashed Anna a grin, and went for the door. After a final hearty wave, he disappeared, leaving the two women alone in a tense, uncomfortable silence that neither knew quite how to break.
Author's Footnotes: I apologize for such an extended break between chapters. Life happened, so my writing time was severely hampered. With luck (and school starting back) I'll be able to get through chapters on a much more regular (and shorter) schedule. Thanks so much to IceWraith for helping me with getting this chapter finished.