Chapter 15 - Holiday Spirit

It was Christmas Eve in the city of Newbury and the city was full of holiday cheer. There were children running in the streets, playing in the snow, parents making last minute trips to the store to buy presents for those same children and everyone else just having a jolly good time.

In one of the bigger shopping malls in the city, Anna and her friend Kristina were doing a bit of last minute shopping before the holidays kicked in. As they strode through the busting floors of the centre, Kristina carrying most of the shopping, Anna was looking through her list.

"Okay, so we got something for my family, you got something for your friends on the hockey team, we got the food for the Christmas dinner with Elsa," Anna said, going through the list on her phone. "Is there anything else we need?"

"Not since you asked me the last five times," Kristina remarked. "Feisty pants, relax. This Christmas is going to be fine."

"I know but..." Anna sighed. "I'm just a little anxious right now. I really don't wanna screw this up. This is my first Christmas with Elsa, and I want it to be special."

"It will be," Kristina promised. "Because she'll be with her amazing friend, who hopefully won't be dying of a panic attack because she isn't going to worry about it."

Nodding, Anna knew she had to relax. She wasn't under much pressure to make this special for Elsa. She knew love was the strongest gift she could ever give her beautiful, royal girlfriend. And yet, Anna had a feeling in her gut that something was going to go wrong.

Just then, she and Kristina turned a corner, and Anna noticed a large jewellery store on their left. She beamed as she knew this was just the place she needed to go.

"Kristi! In here!" She shouted, pointing to the store.

Kristina rolled her eyes. "What now?"

Anna smirked. "I'm going to buy Elsa a present from here. She loves ice and diamonds and stuff and I know just the perfect thing to get her."

Following her best friend into the store, Kristina looked around at the very expensive jewellery on display. Even with the high salary her membership of the hockey team provided her, she knew she wasn't going to be able to afford any of this.

Crouching down, the strawberry blonde then admired a large case of various accessories. Necklaces, pendants, bracelets, all adorned with the most beautiful and finely cut gemstones she had ever seen. But she wasn't looking for anything like that.

Oh no, Anna had something much more different in mind for her present to Elsa. After combing the cabinet for a few seconds, she finally found what she was looking for. Resting on a glass shelf was a set of sparkling diamond rings.

"Found it!" Anna chirped, calling to Kristina.

Rushing to her friend's side, Kristina knelt beside Anna, jaw dropping widely. "Anna... is this... are you?" She gasped. "Oh my gosh."

Nodding, Anna confirmed her friend's suspicions. "I know the perfect thing to give Elsa, Kristina. I'm going to give her one of these rings and ask her to marry me."

Within seconds, Kristina hugged Anna, crying in her arms. "Anna... Oh gosh, I'm so happy for you! " She hugged Anna tightly.

"Um, big sis," Anna croaked. "You're squishing me..."

Kristina realised her mistake and pulled away almost immediately. "Oh, whoops, sorry." She rubbed the back of her head. "My bad. I don't know my own strength these days." She then gave Anna a warm smile. "So when are you gonna ask her?"

"At the celebration tomorrow," Anna replied. "Elsa wants me to be there as her Christmas date for her kingdom. Once she's made all her speeches, that's when I'll ask her. It'll be super romantic." She then sighed dreamily, thinking of the magical moment.

There would be Elsa, face bright red with love and surprise and happy tears streaming down her cheeks. There would be the ring, sparkling in the light and hopefully being slid onto Elsa's finger, and then there would be Anna, smiling up at Elsa and saying the magic words.

It would have been such a beautiful and perfect scene. Anna felt lost in her dream, falling backwards, only for Kristina to catch her in her arms.

"Woah there, feisty pants!" She remarked. "Maybe you should wait till your in bed for any romantic dreams."

Anna laughed. "Yeah good point big sis. Come on, let's pay for this ring and get out of here. I'm kinda starving for burgers."

"You know what, me too," Kristina agreed.

Sometime later, the two friends were at a burger joint nearby, getting a hearty Christmas meal before they headed home. As Kristina chowed down on a very large burger, Anna gazed at the ring she had bought.

It was made of gold, with a simple diamond etched into the surface. It was a beautiful piece, worth every penny that Anna had paid. She could only imagine how good it would look on Elsa's finger.

As Anna ogled her ring, Kristina raised an eyebrow. "Hey, might wanna put it away. I'd rather not have people think you're proposing to me."

"No one is that stupid," Anna remarked, before someone on another table shouted congratulations to her. She sighed. "I stand corrected." She then slid the ring into her pocket.

Finishing her burger, Kristina giggled. "So... Does this mean I'm your maid of honour? I mean I don't know if you'll be getting married here or wherever Elsa lives, but it would mean a great deal to me."

"Kristina, you're my best friend," Anna reminded her. "Of course you're gonna be there on my big day. I mean, I'd be a terrible friend if I didn't invite you to my wedding."

"Fair point, because someone has to be there to make sure you don't get cold feet," she replied. "You sure you wanna do this? I mean, getting married is a pretty big deal."

She was right. Marriage was a big commitment, not one to be taken lightly. Anna knew that she would be asking Elsa to spend the rest of her life with her. Would a marriage even work out between two people from different timelines?

So many questions, but Anna doesn't care about the answers. She just wanted to make Elsa, the woman she loved, the woman of her dreams, happy. And this ring would be key to that happiness.

"To tell you the truth, Big sis," Anna then stated. "I've never been surer of anything in my whole life. This is what I want."

Kristina smiled. "Just making sure."

xXx

Meanwhile, in Arendelle, Elsa was making some final holiday preparations of her own. Namely, she was in a meeting with Kristoff and Kai, her two closest confidants about the upcoming celebrations she had arranged for the following day.

Being a perfectionist at heart, Elsa wanted to make double sure that everything she had arranged for would go smoothly, something Kristoff and Kai had assured her over a dozen times within the last five minutes. But Elsa wouldn't stop until everything was perfect.

Kristoff was facepalming on one side of the desk in Elsa's study as Elsa repeated one of the many questions she had been asking that evening. "Your Majesty, for the hundredth time, the yule bell is already in place for tomorrow, I made sure of that myself."

"It has to be there, Kristoff," Elsa insisted. She then sighed and rubbed her temples. It shouldn't have been this stressful and yet this whole conversation was. "I don't want a single part of tomorrow's celebrations to go awry."

"If I may put in, your majesty," Kai spoke up. "You have already doubly made sure of everything you have organised. Everything is as it should be. The only thing we should worry about now is... the arrival of your lover."

Anna. The thought of her made Elsa feel at ease. Oh, it was agony to wait for the morning to come. She had planned a very special surprise for her in the morning, but she was forced to wait. She sighed. She was only delaying the inevitable.

"Perhaps her majesty would like to retire to bed early?" Kristoff suggested. "I mean, it's getting a bit late and I'm sure you'd prefer to not have dark circles under your eyes tomorrow."

Elsa sighed. "Very well. I suppose sleep would do me good. Goodnight gentlemen." She then stood up, bowing as she bid her two advisors farewell and left the room.

She retreated to her bedchamber and closed the door behind her, leaning back against it. She let out a long sigh of exhaustion. She didn't want to admit it, but all of her anxieties surrounding this celebration had made her tired beyond belief. The only thing that she wanted to do at this moment in time was to put on her nightgown and curl up in bed-preferably with her beloved Anna in her arms.

As she changed out of her clothes, Elsa took a moment to admire her body. She wished she had taken care of herself a little more the past few days. She was starting to feel out of shape, but she knew once the stress of the celebration was behind her, she would be back to a more normal routine.

Slipping into her nightgown, Elsa collapsed onto her bed, letting her platinum hair out of its braid. God, she had been through a long day. Most of her bones and muscles were aching from the stress and pain she had put them through.

Still, tomorrow was Christmas day, a day that would be worth it after a good night's rest. Elsa closed her eyes and lay her head on the pillow, placing a hand beneath her pillow.

Curling up, Elsa cuddled a small cuddly penguin in her arms, pretending it was Anna, small and little, being cared for her in bed.

But little did Elsa know, that she was about to get a surprise visitor.

The clocktower in Arendelle's town square read a few minutes past midnight when Anna poked her head into Elsa's room. When she saw that her lover was asleep, a smile spread across her face.

She crept into the room as stealthily as she was able, laying down on the bed next to Elsa.

As the bed shifted to accommodate Anna, Elsa slowly began to stir. "Mmh...who...?"

Anna gently kissed the queen's forehead. "Merry Christmas, Elsa."

Elsa blushed in her sleep. "Oh... Anna, it's you." She smiled with her eyes closed as Anna got under the covers and spooned her. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep," Anna told her. "And... I figured you could use some company." She then held Elsa close in her arms, a sense of intimate warmth surrounding them. She kissed Elsa's cheek, letting her head rest against the back of the queen's neck.

Holding Anna's hands, Elsa felt peace at last. Anna's presence always soothed her, as did the warmth of her exceptionally beautiful body. Anna radiated love and happiness, literally, a love that thawed Elsa's stressed heart in more ways that one.

Rolling over and opening her eyes, Elsa kissed Anna's lips. "I have a surprise for you tomorrow."

"What a coincidence," Anna replied. "So do I."

Elsa sighed contentedly. "You don't know how happy I am to see you. Today has been very stressful for me."

Anna gently stroked the queen's platinum blonde locks. "Don't worry, sweetie. I'm here now."

Sighing, Elsa held Anna's hands closer to her own. "Can you promise me one thing, my love?"

"What's that?"

"Be with me... always."

Snuggling Elsa tightly, Anna smiled. "Don't worry, my darling Elsa. I'll never leave your side. You are my true love." And with that, they fell asleep together, on the night of winter's eve.

xXx

Christmas morning soon arrived in Arendelle, with bright sunshine raining down on the land with a blanket of snow covering the entire city. It was a beautiful festive sight to behold, a white Christmas indeed.

As Anna's eyes opened and she sat up in Elsa's bed, the young redhead caught the last few moments of snowfall dripping down from the heavens. Her eyes were in awe as she rushed to the window, gazing out at the landscape.

The snow wasn't too thick, so Anna didn't have to worry about getting stuck, but the more she stared out at the white expanse, the more she thought about going outside and building a snowman.

Alas, she had more pressing matters to attend to that day, proposing to Elsa being one of them. Gosh, she was struggling to hold herself back. She could just ask her right now, a beautiful present first thing in the morning.

It would have been romantic and Elsa would have appreciated the gesture, but a feeling in Anna's heart knew that was not the right choice. If she was going to propose to the queen, she was going to go all out.

Looking back out of the windows, Anna continued to gaze at the snowy land that was Arendelle. However, moments later, the peaceful scene was broken by the sound of Elsa stirring from her slumber.

"Mmmm... Is... Is it morning?" Elsa sighed, as she weakly sat up. She then saw Anna in the room with her, gasping in surprise. "Oh, Anna," she said with a blush on her cheeks. "I... I didn't think you were here."

Anna turned around, looking at Elsa and giggling softly. "Well, good morning to you too, Queenie," she replied before kissing Elsa's lips. "Yeah, I'm here, I was in bed with you last night remember?"

"I-I thought I was dreaming," Elsa admitted. "But I'm very pleased that I wasn't." She then cupped Anna's cheeks for a sweet, loving kiss. She sighed, stroking Anna's hair as they kissed.

Sitting on the bed, Anna kissed back, letting the hot and cold touches of their lips meet once more. As they parted, Elsa smiled, before she brushed a long lock of platinum hair from her fringe.

"Merry Christmas, my darling," Elsa spoke, touching foreheads with Anna. She interlocked fingers with Anna, the two of them sitting on their knees on the bed.

Anna ran her warm fingers along the side of Elsa's heart-shaped face, smiling. Why had time and space blessed her with such a beautiful girlfriend? A beautiful girlfriend who would hopefully in a few hours become her fiancée.

After having breakfast in bed courtesy of the castle kitchen, Elsa and Anna knew it was time for them to start getting ready for the big holiday celebration that Elsa had planned for her kingdom.

While Anna was doing her hair, Elsa changed into her festive dress. It was a furry, slender, comfortable dress reminiscent of her current casual wear, although the cape on this one was much longer and there was a furry collar around her neck, as well as some mistletoe in her hair.

Once she was dressed, Anna stepped out of the bathroom, having just put her hair up in a bun. "Wow, nice dress, Elsa," Anna complimented her. "You look like a really furry teddy bear."

Elsa laughed. "I admit, it is a little cutesy, but I suppose that's what you love about me."

Strolling over to Elsa in nothing but her underwear, Anna smirked and gave Elsa a kiss. "Well, it's one of the things I love about you anyway." She smiled. "So should I go and put on my peasant dress?"

"Don't bother, my love," Elsa responded. "I have already chosen something for you to wear."

Curiously, Anna followed Elsa across the bedroom towards the wardrobe. If the queen was referring to Anna's winter dress, that had been torn up in the wolf attack, but then Elsa could have repaired it.

Once they had arrived at the wardrobe, Elsa revealed her surprise. Opening the wardrobe doors, Elsa showed Anna beautiful blue winter dress, with a jacket, mittens and rosemaling detail on the skirt and bodice. It looked very similar to Anna's old winter dress.

Anna's eyes widened when she saw the outfit, reaching over and touching the smooth, silky fabric. She was astounded by how beautiful the dress was. "You... you made me a new dress?" She paused for a moment. "Wait is this the surprise you wanted to give me?"

"Oh no, no, no," Elsa insisted. "This is just a little bonus present from me, Anna. After all, you deserve to look festive this day."

Taking the dress from its hanger, Elsa held it against Anna's body, checking to make sure it would fit her beloved little redhead. Thankfully, Anna's insistence on chocolate had thankfully led to her not putting on much weight over the holiday season.

Once Anna was in her new dress and Elsa had placed a lovely crown of mistletoe in her hair, they were nearly ready to head down to greet the people. Before they left, Elsa walked Anna through the hallways of the castle.

Anna couldn't help ogling at the cakes and other such delicacies Elsa had laid out in the ballroom and the main hall, licking her lips. She had trouble holding herself back, especially when she saw the large chocolate cake that was the centrepiece of it all.

Elsa chuckled, sifting out a little icing sugar onto the cake. "You like this cake?" Elsa wondered. "I... I made it myself actually."

"You did?!" Anna exclaimed. "Wow... I never figured you for a pastry chef, Elsa. I guess bringing all those pasties over to dinner has really inspired you."

Smiling, Elsa licked a little of the chocolate off her finger. "Mmm... still fresh," she stated. "Would you like to have a slice?"

"Me?" Anna expressed, holding a hand to her chest. "Isn't this for all the guests to the party?"

"One slice won't hurt," Elsa stated. She picked up a knife and sliced off a small section from the upper part of the cake, placing it on a plate and handing it to Anna. "Now be careful while eating this, Anna. I'd rather you didn't get chocolate stains over your new dress."

"I'll be careful!" Anna replied. She then took the plate into her hands and looked down the exquisite looking brown slice of cake upon it. It was a perfect slice of cake if she had ever seen one. As she picked it up, Anna prepared for the sensation of perfect taste to fill her cheeks.

Biting down and chewing softly, Anna was sent to utter heaven. The sugary texture of the cake sent shivers through her mouth. A low, sensual moan escaped her throat as she swallowed.

Wanting more, Anna practically devoured the rest of the slice in one fell swoop, leaving only a few crumbs left on the plate. Wiping her face with a napkin, she smiled at Elsa.

Surprised, Elsa giggled. "Well, I see you certainly took a liking to that," she stated. "Oh, it seems you missed a spot." She then leaned down and kissed Anna's lips, feeling the taste of chocolate.

Anna sighed, letting Elsa kiss her passionately. Once they parted, she felt Elsa holding her in a warm embrace. Maybe this would have been a good moment to ask the queen a certain question?"

"Elsa..." Anna spoke. "There's something I have to ask you."

"What is it?" Elsa responded, but before either of them could continue the conversation they were interrupted, by Elsa's steward, Kai, calling to them.

"Your majesty, the kingdom is gathering in the courtyard," Kai informed Elsa. "They are awaiting yours and lady Anna's presence."

Sighing, Elsa nodded. "Very well, Kai." She looked at Anna with a look of regret. "I'm sorry Anna, but your question will have to wait."

Damn it, Anna swore in her thoughts. "It's alright," she replied, putting on a smile and holding Elsa's hand. "Come in, let's go and meet the people."

Walking to the doors of the castle, Elsa and Anna held hands tightly. Behind those doors would be the people of Arendelle, eagerly waiting for their queen and her true love to arrive.

Elsa was a little nervous. She had never prepared a celebration as big as this before, but she had never had Anna with her for such an occasion before. Taking that first big step, Anna and Elsa walked through the doors and out into the courtyard.

They were met with a truly magnificent sight indeed. The entire kingdom of Arendelle, every citizen, noble, shopkeep, ice harvester, everyone was there and cheering for the happy couple walking hand in hand.

Anna was in complete shock of how many people were here for her and Elsa. There must have been thousands, nay, millions of people from all over the kingdom. She was in awe, but Elsa was much more surprised than her.

The Queen looked as if she would practically burst into tears she was so moved. Thankfully Anna had snuck some handkerchiefs into her pocket, as well as a certain ring she was going to pop to Elsa at some point.

Finally, the two of them came to a stop at the end of the long purple carpet, Elsa and Anna both waving to their populace. Once the cheering had subsided, Elsa stepped forward, ready to make her holiday speech.

"People of Arendelle," she began. "Thank you so much for coming on this blessed day. I know this year has been very prosperous for our kingdom and the wide lands of which we encompass. For that I am grateful and now that we are at the end of this long year, let us celebrate the holiday season, with our traditions, our gifts," she then looked at Anna and smiled. "And the ones we love."

Anna couldn't help blushing shyly as a small chorus of "awwws" followed Elsa's sentence. It touched her.

Turning back to the people. "Now, I believe my royal ice master has something to pass down to me."

"Indeed I do!" Kristoff called down to her. Anna and Elsa looked up to see their friend standing on the castle roof, next to a very large steel bell. He then picked up a large rope and tossed it down, the end of the rope hanging next to Elsa and Anna.

Taking the rope in her hand, Elsa gestured for Anna to do the same. As their hands met on the rope, Anns couldn't help smiling at how happy she was.

"Let the holidays..." She said. "Begin!"

In unison, the two lovers tugged the giant rope, ringing the giant bell. As the sound of the rang through the city, Anna and Elsa shared a passionate kiss in front of everyone, displaying their love.

After they pulled apart Elsa looked over at her kingdom, smiling with Anna in her arms. "Merry Christmas to you all!"

At that moment, all across the kingdom, more bells started to toll, ringing in the holiday cheer. The gathered crowds all cheered and applauded, with several starting to make their way into the castle for the Christmas celebrations to continue.

As they watched the citizens enter, Elsa took Anna's hand, smiling at her. "Come on, Anna. It's time for your surprise."

"Oooh!" Anna chirped, holding Elsa's hand back. "Finally, I've been waiting for this ever since last night." She grinned. Perhaps after Elsa showed her this surprise, she would finally have a chance to give Elsa a surprise of her own.

Within moments, Anna and Elsa snuck off through the crowd, heading to somewhere much more private and intimate. Something magical was about to happen, and Elsa preferred that she and Anna were not disturbed.

xXx

After leading Anna through the castle corridors for some time, Elsa finally brought Anna into the gardens, where thankfully and fortunately, they were indeed alone. The perfect moment for the Queen to surprise her lover.

Anna looked around for a few seconds, a little unsure of what exactly Elsa was planning. "So... Where is this surprise of yours?" She asked curiously.

"It's... here," Elsa replied, assuring Anna's worries. She was role-playing the scene in her head, wanting to make sure it all went perfectly. Was she having second thoughts? Maybe, but she didn't care.

Turning to face Anna, the queen took a deep breath. "Okay... I'm going to do something that might be a little crazy to you."

Stroking Elsa's cheek, Anna smiled. "Relax Queenie, you know me. Crazy is my middle name. It's okay. Whatever you're going to do, I believe in you to do it."

Confidence swelled up in Elsa. She knew she could do this now. She was going to finally complete the sacred tradition that had begun with her talking to Anna's parents. It had all now led up to this moment.

Elsa got down on one knee, reaching into the bodice of her dress and pulling out a small gold ring with a diamond set into it from between her breasts. She held it up, looking into Anna's eyes. "Anna Penrose," she said, her voice filled with pure adoration, "will you do me the great honour of...becoming my bride?"

Anna's jaw dropped. "Wait-WHAT?!" she exclaimed in shock. "You're asking me?! That's not fair! I was gonna ask you!"

The Queen giggled at the pleasant surprise. "You still can. In fact, I encourage you, please do."

Anna produced her own ring-the diamond ring she had bought the other night with Kristina-and knelt down. "Elsa, will you marry me?"

"Well, that depends," Elsa replied. "If you agree to marry me, then I'll agree to marry you."

Tears then welled up in Anna's eyes as she threw her arms around Elsa. She cried as she clung to Elsa tightly. This surprise had been one she hadn't expected, but one she completely knew the answer to.

"Yes," she responded. "I agree to marry you, Queen Elsa of Arendelle. I will gladly be your bride."

"Then in response, I agree to marry you, Anna Penrose," Elsa responded, threading her fingers through Anna's hair. "Would like to seal our engagement with a kiss?"

"I thought you would never ask," Anna agreed, her face beaming. She then let Elsa slide her ring onto her finger and the gave Elsa her own ring. Once the rings were given, Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa and gave her a passionate loving kiss, the two of them falling into the soft snow.

xXx

Author's note: Ah the double proposal trope, never gets old! And yeah I did rip off OFA completely xD. Hope you enjoy this cute chapter! And thanks to everyone who's been commenting and reviewing. You're amazing.