Chapter 6 - A Queen's Home Is Her Castle
Anna Penrose was lying on her bed one evening, browsing through social media on her phone. Her work shift had ended early that day, so Anna had been given much of the day off, but Anna could get bored very easily. Looking through memes on her phone wasn't her idea of a good evening.
As she looked through the weird vines and posts by her friends on Tumblr and Facebook, Anna was constantly reminded of Elsa. The Queen had started coming around to her time more frequently now, ever since their dinner together a few days earlier.
They had started to grow closer with each passing day, now to the point where they could consider the other a close friend, sharing secrets with one another. Anna hadn't felt this comfortable with anyone, let alone a girl since she had first met Kristina as a child.
She could tell she had feelings for the queen that were more than just a close friendship, but Anna knew she needed to put those aside. Besides, Elsa was a queen, royalty, and she lived 200 years in the past as well, so any chance of romance was a big no-no.
Turning over on her bed, Anna looked out the bedroom door and saw the familiar white entrance to Elsa's time, morning sun creeping out, creating an unusual contrast with the darkness of Anna's house.
The redhead hadn't been back to Elsa's time much since her little ordeal with breaking most of Elsa's prized possessions. Elsa hadn't scolded her afterwards, but Anna had started to feel guilty. Besides, she had read enough science fiction novels to know that changing the past could be dangerous for the future.
But, Anna didn't have anything better to do. Her options were either be bored looking at memes that were slowly starting to make her cringe, or go and have an amazing time travel adventure in Elsa's castle, hopefully without any accidents. Obviously, Anna chose the latter.
She pulled herself off the bed and went to her wardrobe, taking out the green and brown dress she had borrowed from Elsa's time. The Queen had let her keep it, considering how the clothes from Anna's time would likely cause a stir amongst Elsa's staff.
Slipping into her dress comfortably, Anna made her way to the white door, turning the knob and heading into Elsa's room.
Finding herself being greeted with the midday sun, Anna sighed, stretching her arms. It was as if she didn't need to sleep at all, although the time difference was starting to get to her a little bit.
The room was empty, meaning Anna had to go and find Elsa. It probably wouldn't be too much of a bother. After all, it wasn't like Elsa was hard to find in her own castle anyway.
Anna skipped over to the door to Elsa's room, opening and walking out into the hallway and starting to make her way around the castle. She knew she'd find Elsa eventually. As Anna headed along the red-carpeted corridor, she noticed the maids and servants looking at her, giving her rather pleasant expressions.
It was a little relieving to see, since Anna hadn't exactly been on her best behaviour the first time she was here. Clearly, Elsa had given her staff some advice on how to handle her.
Without the need to be sneaking around, Anna could find herself appreciating the building and the era a little more. The patterns on the walls and the construction of the castle very much interested her, Anna taking a few moments every once in a while to admire a column or a wall or some other decoration that interested her.
However, as Anna was browsing through the various objects and decor of the castle, she was suddenly approached by one of the servants.
He was a man in his fifties with grey receding hair and glasses, wearing a fine suit. Judging from his age and the way he held himself, he was clearly of a high position amongst the castle staff.
"Good morning, Miss Penrose," he greeted her, bowing in respect.
Anna raised an eyebrow. "You know me?"
"Her Majesty has mentioned you to me a few times," the man replied. "I am Kai, Royal Steward to Queen Elsa. I assume you have come looking for the queen?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I came to say hi. Do you know where she is?"
"I'm afraid her majesty is currently attending one of her weekly council meetings," Kai explained. "They tend to drag on a bit, so Elsa instructed me to escort you to her study, so she can meet you there once she is finished."
This made Anna's heart deflate a little. She had expected to be having fun with Elsa from the moment she saw her, but Elsa's status as a monarch had higher priorities it seemed.
"Oh I see," she accepted. Not wanting to be a downer, she put on a smile and grinned. "Lead the way, Alfred!"
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
Shit, Anna thought, realising her Batman reference hadn't gone down well. "Oh Um... never mind," she remarked, blushing a little. "Just lead the way, please."
The old butler chuckled and gestured for Anna to follow him. The two of them headed to one of the upper floors of the castle, to a room not far from the gallery Anna had found herself in the other day (and knocked over a suit of armour). When Anna stepped into the room, she saw a familiar couch and fireplace, recognising the room immediately.
"I know this place," she spoke. "This is where I first saw Elsa."
Kai nodded. "Indeed. You gave the queen quite a scare that day."
"I know... I'm sorry," Anna apologised. She still felt bad about having given Elsa a panic attack from their first meeting. Even after getting closer to Elsa, Anna would still become a little down about it.
Soon, Kai had left Anna in peace and the young woman was lying on the couch, awaiting the arrival of Elsa. As she lay there, staring up at the ceiling, Anna realised she was back at square one, being just as bored as she had been back in her time.
But she knew that Elsa would probably arrive soon, so to pass the time, Anna decided to listen to some music. She reached into a small pocket she had found on her blouse, pulling out her phone and headphones. She knew that she'd be the only one in the room and if Elsa arrived, she would probably be understanding. She'd been teaching her a lot about the modern world after all.
Putting the earbuds into her ears, Anna scrolled on the screen of her phone, feeling amused at the lack of a wifi button in Elsa's time.
No shit Sherlock, the internet wasn't even a thing in this time, She remarked in her thoughts. Soon after selecting a song, Anna laid back and relaxed, letting herself be lost in the melodies of modern music.
Anna started to hum along to the song playing in her ears, a favourite of hers from recent times. She tried her best to keep the volume of herself and the music down. After all, the walls of the castle were likely very thin.
With every new track that started on her playlist, Anna could feel herself becoming more lost to the ways of the songs. She tapped her feet on the side of the couch, very much in sync with the music.
However, she was soon interrupted by a polite "Ahem."
Suddenly pressing pause on her phone's touchscreen, Anna pulled out the earbuds from her ears and her jaw dropped. Standing next to her was Elsa, the queen wearing one of the most beautiful gowns Anna had seen yet. It was a turquoise coloured dress with a black and gold lining, similar coloured gloves on her hands and a long purple cape flowing behind her. She was wearing her hair in a bun, much like how she did when Anna first met her and the crown was atop her head.
Anna blushed softly. "Oh... Hey Elsa."
"Hi," Elsa said sweetly, sitting down on the couch opposite from her. "A little bird told me you were waiting for me."
"Yeah, I was kinda bored," Anna excused, brushing her braid of strawberry hair behind her head. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you," Elsa admitted with a slight blush. "This is my favourite dress actually. It's the one I was crowned Queen in, my coronation gown if you will."
"It suits you," Anna complimented her friend. "In a very Royal sort of way."
Elsa then noticed the earbuds next to Anna, very intrigued by the small white balls that had just been inside of Anna's ears. "What are they?" She inquired.
"Oh, these?" Anna replied, picking up the earbuds. "These are my earphones. They're how we listen to music in my time."
"You listen to music with them?" Elsa wondered.
Anna nodded. "Yeah, wanna try."
Giggling, Elsa agreed. "I don't see why not."
Picking up the earbuds, Anna sat over on the couch with Elsa, feeling a little shy being so close to the Queen, especially when she dipped her head to allow Anna to put the earbuds in. Their faces were very close, practically kissing each other. The redhead then placed the earbuds into Elsa's ears, feeling her soft pale skin against her own hands.
She looked down at her phone and turned on a song she figured Elsa would like, a song called Defying Gravity from a Broadway musical she liked.
Immediately, Elsa looked a little uncomfortable, but as the song progressed she started to relax and unwind, stretching her arms in harmonious bliss.
"So... do you like it?" Anna inquired.
As if Elsa needed to say otherwise. She was enjoying listening to the music so close to her ears, the sound and her almost becoming one complete being. "Mmmm... oh yes, this is amazing."
When she took the earbuds out, Anna sat a little closer to Elsa, taking a moment to gaze into Elsa's beautiful blue eyes. They were like diamonds, stars sparkling in the night sky. When Anna looked into them, she could feel a cold, tingly feeling at the back of her neck.
Elsa looked away, blushing shyly. "So... I suppose you don't mind if I showed you around my castle, do you?"
"Oh! I would love a guided tour!" Anna replied, grinning brightly.
The two of them got up and walked out of the study together, almost holding each other's hands. Clearly, something was sparking between them, something that made their hearts flutter whenever they thought about it.
Elsa took the lead, showing Anna down the halls of her castle and bringing them to the first stop on their journey, a large room in the heart of the castle, decorated with various paintings and other decorations, with the centrepiece being a large throne at the end of the room.
"This my throne room," Elsa stated, proudly introducing the room. "I hold court here every morning, allowing my citizens to speak to me about whatever problems they might have."
"I know what it is," Anna replied. "I did learn all about this stuff at school. I assume you also knight people in this room as well."
Elsa nodded. "I have made a few people knights in my reign, usually people who have done good, charitable deeds for the kingdom."
"Not any actual knights?" Anna wondered.
The Queen shook her head, walking over to the throne and taking a seat upon it. "No, I detest war and violence. No one should be rewarded for being a brutal murderer of innocent people. A lot of the time in war, it's those who aren't on the front lines that suffer the most."
"If only we had someone like you in my era," Anna admitted.
The next place Elsa showed Anna was the courtyard of the castle, where the stables and a small statue of the queen resided. Anna felt a little in awe as she stood on the cobbled pavement of the yard, such things being a rarity in her time.
After that, Elsa showed Anna various other rooms, before they finally arrived at a large indoor chapel on the left side of the castle, an ornate and grand looking chamber, a place that Anna wished she could spend the rest of her life being amazed by.
Elsa stood at her side, smiling as they looked down the aisle. "This was the place I was crowned queen not so long ago. Every coronation, royal wedding and other such service has taken place here. It's truly a place where one can find themselves in touch with God."
"I figured you'd be a bit religious," Anna admitted.
"You aren't a woman of God, Anna?" Elsa wondered.
"Well... not really. Religion isn't that big of a deal in my time," she told her. "Sure, you get the odd Christian nutjob, but honestly, no one really gives much of a shit what you believe in."
"I see," Elsa accepted. "Well... I suppose god helped me discover myself in a way." She then looked to the side, seeing a large painting of a man in a red and grey suit, wearing a crown similar in shape to Elsa's own. The Queen then walked up to the painting, stroking it.
Approaching Elsa, Anna could see the corners of Elsa's mouth turn down, the queen becoming a little sad. Anna knew it might have been a little personal, but she was curious.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, hoping not to disturb Elsa.
The Queen shook her head. "No... this is a painting of my father. He ruled Arendelle for so many years... he was really the closest family I ever had."
"What about your mother?" Anna inquired.
Elsa shed a tear. "She... she died when I was a girl. I was only eight years old. She contracted this horrible disease. My father got the best doctors all over the world... but they couldn't do a thing to save her."
Hugging Elsa in comfort, Anna sighed, holding her friend closely. She knew this pain must have run deep within Elsa's being, and she wanted to help her, to bring her some light in this dark time.
"My father raised me as best as he could, teaching me all he knew about being a monarch. He figured I wouldn't become Queen until long after he passed but... well, that didn't happen obviously..." Elsa then looked down. "He died at sea a few years ago, his ship was caught in a storm. I cried and cried for so many hours in this chapel after the funeral, begging God to somehow bring him and my mother back. But... I guess that's not how it works."
"I believe there's a saying for something like this," Anna admitted. "The Lord works in mysterious ways."
A smile crept back onto Elsa's face. "Perhaps it's God's work that you are able to visit my era. Perhaps some divine being blessed us with the ability to see each other."
"Okay, that's a bit deep, Elsa," Anna remarked. "Come on, let's go have some chocolate. I'm kinda dying for a midnight snack."
Elsa giggled, before nodding. "Yes... I suppose we should lighten the mood." Suddenly, Elsa's hand touched Anna's, the Queen's gloved fingers touching Anna's flesh.
Blushing, Anna laughed nervously. "Oh..."
The blonde pulled her hand back. "Oh, I'm sorry."
"No," Anna said, reaching out with her hand and holding Elsa's own with firm, soft fingers. "I like this."
Gazing into Anna's eyes, Elsa smiled. "Me too."
xXx
Author's note: More fluffy cuteness for Elsa and Anna! I'm gonna be posting TWO chapters tonight since you're all so lovely and sweet :3 If you loved how gay this chapter was... well the next one is going to be even gayer ;)
See you then!