Here's part two for you! :)
Reaching the castle had taken Anna a lot longer than she'd initially expected (and would have liked), and the princess unfortunately thought that her politely dismissal of the inquiring servants and cleaners who offered her help left and right was in fact adding more stress to the situation than alleviating it.
It was with a sigh of relief that she eventually made it to Elsa's bedroom door, and stopped in front if it to take a deep breath before entering, repeating the mantra of it'll be fine, there's nothing to worry about as her sister's dead weight started to make her shoulder ache, but no way was Anna about to let someone else look after her. Elsa was her sister and she was the one who would be keeping an eye over her for the next few days (and if a small part of her secretly enjoyed the prospect of just helping her sister get better, she certainly wasn't aware of it right at that moment).
Climbing up the palace's twisted staircase wasn't an easy task, especially when Anna found herself stopping several times to catch her breath and ease the Elsa's weight off her shoulder for a moment, but at long last, the two sisters eventually managed to make it to the elder's bedroom, the blonde leaning against the frame slightly before pushing herself in.
"Can you just sit on the bed for a moment?" Anna asked quietly as she set about to find as many cushions as possible in order to make Elsa comfortable. "I'll fetch an extra blanket from Gera and I'll be right back, okay?"
Elsa nodded sluggishly as she hobbled over to what suddenly looked to be a very comfortable cot, and once Anna was sure she wouldn't risk tripping or encountering some form of unwanted accident, she closed the door, heading towards the maids' quarters, where she knew the kindly old woman was most likely to be at this hour.
Elsa, on the other hand, let her head fall back as if it weighed a ton, and the fluffy pillow that caught her fall was the most amazing feeling she'd felt all day. Burying herself a little deeper in it, if she tried hard enough, the blooming headache she could feel beginning to pound at the back of her skull remained at an uncomfortable throb at the moment, and hopefully, it would last until Anna came back. Her sister had gone to fetch something to help, and Elsa would rather not fall asleep before she came back –or at least not succumb to the exhaustion she felt tugging at her bones before she got to say thank you.
The bedcovers were warm, and she pulled them a little higher, just beneath her chin, to make sure none of the heat would escape without her making the most of it first. Although it did little to soothe her aching head and tired body, it was a little comfort Elsa was grateful for, as it was not often she would let herself indulge in such a triviality, especially not in the middle of the day.
Alone now, for a few minutes at least, the bedroom felt eerily silent, the sound of her panting breath the only distinguishable thing the blonde could make out, and with the curtains pulled over, the encompassing darkness and nothingness that quickly surrounded her felt like relief washing through her veins.
Aye, Elsa would admit the past few months had been somewhat straining on her, with the need to restore Arendelle, show herself as a strong and inspiring leader, look to built relationships with neighboring kingdoms to ensure trade and activity and offer a living to the citizens. It had been a constant worry that had always been lurking at the back of her mind despite their contented smiles whenever they crossed her path and the general aura of happiness surrounding the castle, something that no matter how many kind words they would offer her, Elsa had never felt like she'd been doing enough for them.
And now it would seem like it had backfired on her, for if Anna had her way (and Elsa fully intended on letting her sister take control from here, she was too tired to put up much of a protest), she knew she was about to be confined to bed for at least a week, and that was only if she was lucky, for Anna could be a mother hen when she wanted to. It had been slightly endearing at first, how her sister had become so over-protective and constantly seeking out to see to her well-being, and Elsa knew that Anna only meant well, but her offers for assistance and support could at times get a little smothering, with the blonde wondering if there truly was nothing vaguely more important that she could see too. Regardless, whether it was time spent fussing about her or time they shared with songs or pieces of cake, Elsa wouldn't for the life of her wish that things were any different between them. She and Anna had spent far too long separated that any chance they got now, they did their best to make up for the time they had missed lost and create as many lovely memories to share together as possible. After all, wasn't that what family was for?
Well, Elsa thought wryly, those memories might not be beginning just yet, as the bedcovers Anna had set were indeed quite heavy and a little too much for her to lift right now. Instead, she buried herself deeper in them, once more relishing the warmth as she felt her shoulders sag slightly, the earlier tension of the day she'd been carrying around with her slowly ebbing away, and while she still felt ill, cold and tired, the sudden realization that whatever worry she'd been carrying around with her as she'd been attending to the royal duties was now gone was a wonderful one indeed. It was like a massive load had been lifted off her chest making it easier to breathe and the air around her drain itself from whatever tension it had been harboring and weighing down on her.
The sensation of floating even though she was snugly tugged up in the thick bedcovers was quite nice, if Elsa really were to admit the truth, and the mid panic she'd been plagues with earlier at the thought of missing out on her royal duties lessened slightly. Surely Anna was right, the people wouldn't condemn such a short reprieve, would they? No, Elsa had gotten closer to them since the Great Thaw, and had gradually learnt that trusting others and interacting with them, whether she had powers or not, was okay, and the initial fear she'd felt at the thought of ruling over people who would never truly know her had gradually ebbed away thanks to their unwavering support. And Anna's help, of course, Elsa had to admit that her sister was the main reason why the kingdom was doing so well for itself.
Honestly, she really owed Anna a lot –time, support, love, among other things, but the fact that her sister gave all of them to her so freely and that Elsa had yet to pay her back the full price of those made her feel slightly guilty as she awaited her return, knowing that if ever their roles were reversed, she would do absolutely everything in her power to make Anna feel as comfortable and loved as possible –and although still lovable, Anna could be quite a demanding patient when she set her mind to it, Elsa remembered recalled rather fondly from a few past experiences.
Her eyes felt heavy, the lids falling of their own accord, and her vision had nearly gone black when the tell-tale gentle creak of the bedroom door alerted her to the fact that Anna had come back, and tiredly turning her head towards her, she would have shaken it fondly had it not hurt so much to do so at the sight of her, awkwardly trying to manage a cozy blanket in her left hand while balancing what must have been a silver tray on her right one. Elsa felt a gentle dip in the bed, the telltale sign that her sister had opted to sit down and put the platter down, carefully balancing it all the same as the blonde managed to sniff in the distinct smell of rich chocolate.
Elsa gave her a fond smile and croaked out, "Ever the thoughtful one, aren't you? You really didn't have to do all this for me" And the promise of the sweet drink seemed to invigorate her slightly as she rose up a little using the bed frame and pillows for support.
"I thought you'd like it. And besides, I think the kitchens could do without a little less chocolate if they knew it was going to have a hand in your getting better, huh? But don't go telling the cook, okay?" Anna said gently as she handed over the steaming mug and one of the small biscuits she'd managed to nick from the kitchens without being seen. Unfortunately, given her condition, it didn't taste as nice as it would have had Elsa not been ill, but as soon as the familiar sweet warmth of the drink hit the back of her throat and then filled her stomach, she sighed in content. This was perfect.
Anna leaned over slightly, arm stretching towards the tray as she brought back two delicious-looking –chocolate- biscuits, and the mere thought of dipping one into her mug and enjoy the mix of melting confection and crumbly cracker had her mouth watering already. Of course, anticipation and imagination wasn't the same as the actual thing, and when Elsa brought it to her mouth, she was pleasantly surprised at how nice it tasted, given that, when sick, food often lost it's wonderful flavour on her.
"Oh, Anna, these are perfect, really perfect. Thank you." She sighed, once again settling into the cushion the other princesses' arm had become, "Thank you so much."
Anything for you, Elsa. Anna thought wryly as she rubbed her sister's shoulder in what she hoped would ease the tension she could feel beneath. If she could just get Elsa to relax, get her to indulge in the fact that she was overworked, exhausted and sick, maybe the blonde wouldn't be feeling so down at the thought of not being there for her kingdom. After all, in Anna's books, everyone was allowed to get sick once in a while, including monarchy. Besides, the younger sister, while not as versed as Elsa in politics and ruling, knew that she could step up to the task for a few days at least, and if ever she had trouble overseeing the kingdom by herself, there were always the ever-trustworthy advisors there to give her a hand. Nothing to worry about.
The warm feeling embracing her had Elsa snuggling into Anna's hug, not having realized before now how much she'd missed out on the closeness they had previously shared when she'd dived in head first into her royal duties and more or less sacrificed any of her free time with her sibling. It was nice, to feel safe and wanted, to not have to worry every minute as to whether what she'd just done was right or wrong, to not have to worry about whether the people of Arendelle would come to hold her in contempt or not for the choices she made as their queen, whether she would be able to face another day without the constant doubts plaguing her mind. Anna was a constant in all of this anxiety-inducing royal business.
And the fact that Anna's opinion of her had never wavered ever since she'd taken up the throne, even now, when she could not attend her duties, had Elsa feel a little relieved. Maybe it was okay, after all, to let the mask of the strong Queen of Arendelle crumble with her –just her- and simply be Elsa, her big sister who sometimes also needed a shoulder to lean on. If anything, Anna seemed willing to offer her the help she needed, if the arm she was offering her to rest o was anything to go by.
"Thank you." She mumbled quietly as she blew over the content of her mug. "Thank you Anna, for being there for me." Words would never be able to fully express what her support meant to her, and far was it for Elsa to try and find them in her half-delirious state, but once this nasty flu business was over with and she was back up on her feet again, she damn well intended to repay Anna the favor, even if she could only do so by making sure her sister had at least a safe chocolate reserve for a full year.
Slowly, she sipped the content of the warm cup, hugging her hand tightly around the container as she let the heat ease itself into her fingers –she definitely wasn't all that cold anymore, but was loathe to say it out loud just yet, rather of a mind to make this shared moment with Anna last a little longer.
The heat pooling in her belly gradually started to weigh a little however, and wile Elsa would have liked to eventually drain it's content, she thought it wished to set it down and come back to it later rather than risk getting more ill than she was already. Instead, she settled it down on the tray before lying back once again, hands instinctively seeking out the front of Anna's shirt like a small child would seek out it's others in time of need, and he soothing anchor her sister was was enough for the last tendrils of concealed worry to dissolve into thin air, the younger princesses' calm and gentle voice chasing them away.
Anna had been about to start her next cookie when she felt it, the telltale sign of a sudden weight settling on her shoulder, and the fond smile that spread across her face as she turned around slightly came almost of it's own accord as she saw how relaxed Elsa's features had finally became. It was about time her sister allow herself a small reprieve from her duties instead of worrying herself sick over it, and this time, Anna was determined not to leave the blonde alone in her few hours of peace. She knew the other princess would probably not be aware of it (but a little part of her hoped she somehow would, all the same), but like she would do when they had been children, after setting her own drained cup back on the tray, Anna scooted in a little closer, pulling Elsa's blanket back sand slightly stretching so it might be able to hold the two of them within it.
It was nice, how her sister's features seemed to snuff out any lines of worry Anna might have previously seen there and in their place, there was a round youthful face with a little flush and the Queen mantel finally shattered completely now that Elsa no longer had any control over it –not that losing control was anything to fear, and Anna was glad that her sister was (slowly) coming to share her opinion too- and instead an exhausted older sister was all Anna could see, a sister who was finally getting a chance to catch up on some much needed sleep.
And Anna would be damned if she was letting her do it alone.
Reaching down, she took hold of the soft blanket and as gently as she could, she brought it back up to their necks, making sure that no pesky drafts of air might sneak in while Elsa slept. The familiarity and closeness they now shared as, all of a sudden, something Anna was not quite ready to let go yet, and the thought of leaning her head back on the pillow for a few minutes (only a few, nobody would say anything, right?) won out over heading back to whatever duties she might have left unattended to.
Thing was, the blanket was indeed very comfortable, as was the soft bed that dipped slightly beneath her weight, and as she looked at her sister's peaceful expression, Anna felt her eyes beginning to drift shut by themselves (since when was she so tired?), and the idea of resting for a minute didn't seem so bad after all.
"Sleep well Elsa." She suddenly had the urge to whisper, even if the blonde could not hear her anymore for long had she departed into the sweet embrace of Sleep, before giving her forehead a light kiss, like what their Mother used to do for them when they had been but mere children. And while she might not have realized it then and there, Anna was quickly following her, as eventually, her own exhaustion won out and her eyes drifted shut. Her arms, however, never left her sister, where they had comfortingly wrapped themselves around her, a subconscious familiarity that made their sleep all the more pleasant,
For a few hours at least, the crown duties could wait. Right now Anna was too engrossed in the warmth and comfort of her sister's arms to worry about such trivialities, and as the snuggled pair drifted off together, whatever cold that might have previously been in the room soon found itself snuffed out, the shared embrace they subconsciously found themselves intertwined with keeping them safe and sound as they blissfully nodded off.