Chapter Three
Elsa stepped out of her bathroom, naked as the day she was born. She savored the cool air against her bare skin. The bath had refreshed her and her head was clear for the first time since Anna had suggested they have sex. The desire to ravage her sister until neither of them could walk was still there, but it was a slow smoldering heat rather than the raging inferno it had been earlier.
She walked into her closet to choose an outfit for the dinner. Normally, she wouldn't put more than a cursory thought into her attire for such a meeting, but teasing Anna in the gardens had been too much fun. They were both on edge, and she didn't want to pass up an opportunity to raise the tension just a touch more. Nothing too scandalous, she thought. Just enough to push her buttons. She perused the racks of clothes until a glint caught her eye. She pulled out a thin black dress with silvery lace along the top.
When did I get this? She wondered. Shrugging, she brought it out of the closet and worked to put it on. The dress was smaller than she had initially thought, and the fabric caught on her butt when she tried to pull it up over her hips. She pulled on it a couple more times, frowning. "Come on," she grumbled. A few more solid tugs got the dress over her hips, and she easily slid it up the rest of the way. The zipper would have to wait until someone else could help her with it, but she went to see how she looked in the mirror.
"Oh, wow," she breathed when she saw herself. She could tell that the dress was snug, but that feeling didn't do justice to just how form-fitting it was. The fabric hugged her every curve as if it had been painted on. I can see what Anna meant, she thought, twisting to get a better view her backside. The outline of her panties was faintly visible through the fabric. It wasn't something that someone would see unless they were looking for it. But the point of this dress is to get Anna to look.she dug her fingers up under the skirt and slowly pulled her panties off, tossing them on the bed.
Elsa ran her hands up over her stomach. The dress was tight enough that there wasn't even the barest hint of a wrinkle or fold. She poked a finger into the soft curve of her abdomen. You could probably see my abs… if I had any.
But the most eye-catching feature was definitely the chest. The neckline was very conservative, ending all the way up at her neck. However, a large swath of silvery lace spanned the distance from her neck down to where the black fabric stopped roughly halfway down the slope of her breasts. It was a good deal lower than anything she had worn to an official diplomatic meeting in the past. And while the lace "covered" her, it wasn't exactly difficult to see through. Elsa chewed her lip, unsure if the dress might be just a bit too much. Anna already took risks with their relationship, and she didn't want to push her too far.
She leaned in to examine the lace more closely. No bra, either. Her mind flashed back to the garden, to teasing Anna about not wearing a bra under her own dress. She hemmed and hawed for a few moments, then nodded to herself.
All's fair in love and war.
Elsa left her room and made her way down to the dining room, pausing only briefly to ask a passing handmaiden to do up the zipper on her dress. Servants ducked out of her way as she passed as usual, but they stared after her once they felt she wasn't paying attention. Under normal circumstances, being the recipient of such attention would have made her anxious, perhaps even worried that something was wrong. But this time it was different. Whether they thought it was a welcome change or beneath her office as Queen, she knew that they watched her because she looked good.
Kai was waiting for her outside of the dining room as she approached. "Your Majesty," he said. He faltered for a moment when he turned to face her, but recovered and bowed. "Lady Valsdottir arrived early, so she and the Princess were seated a few minutes ago."
"That's quite alright," Elsa replied, waving away any potential apology. "I would have been down here quite some time ago, but…" She paused. Her dress had already caused quite a bit of hushed whispering, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to admit that she'd had chosen it specifically for that purpose. "I sat down to rest my eyes a moment and dozed off," she finished, smiling apologetically.
Kai gave a hearty laugh. "It happens to the best of us," he said, "even your father on occasion." He opened the door to the dining room and called out, "Her Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle." Chairs scraped against the stone floor as the women inside stood. Elsa walked into the room, and she smiled to herself when Anna's jaw fell open.
"Good evening, Lady Valsdottir," she said as she approached her seat. "My apologies for keeping you waiting. I trust that my sister has been keeping you company." She pulled her chair out and sat down, but the other women stood frozen in place. "Is something the matter?" she asked.
The Governess recovered first, clearing her throat and taking her seat. "Forgive me, Your Majesty," she said. "I've heard stories of your beauty, but I confess myself woefully unprepared to experience it in person."
Elsa chuckled into a hand. "Truly, you flatter me, my Lady," she said. She glanced over at Anna, who finally flopped down into her seat. She turned back to the Governess. "But to the matter at hand. Your letter mentioned some concerns with the wildlife around Trondheim. What exactly is going on?"
Elsa closed the door to her room and leaned against it. She had to bite her lip to keep from giggling like a schoolgirl. The dinner had gone perfectly, even better than she had dared to hope. Well, mostly, she thought, her mood dampening slightly. The Governess, or Alaya as Elsa had learned after having to say 'Valsdottir' one too many times, had requested to meet with her to discuss a rash of wolf attacks in her village. Apparently the cold snap of the 'Eternal Winter' had killed large swathes of vegetation, which had caused many of the small animals to die off. As a result, the local wolves were desperate and venturing as far as the borders of the town in search of food. Elsa had agreed to send a small contingent of soldiers to help patrol the area and protect the people, along with a generous amount of hardened leather bracers and steel daggers to protect and arm the people against the vicious animals.
However, after the rather somber start to the meal, things had picked up nicely. Alaya was extremely pleasant to talk to. After some time, and a few glasses of wine, it felt as though the Alaya was talking to her as Elsa, rather than the Queen. It was difficult to tell, and it may have just been the wine, but there were a few times that Elsa could have sworn Alaya was flirting with her. Probably just my imagination, she thought. Or the wine. Still, I'll have to find an excuse to invite her back. She wiggled out of her dress. And to wear this again. She carefully draped the dress over the back of a chair and reflected on what a success it had been.
Anna had been unable to keep her eyes off of her. Every time that Elsa had glanced over, her sister's gaze had been glued to one part of her body or another, most often her butt. It had made things a bit awkward when she or Alaya addressed her, but it was nothing that she or Elsa couldn't cover up. The entire meal had been a welcome respite from the daily rigors of ruling, and it was something that she looked forward to doing again in the future.
But there was something that Elsa was anticipating much more eagerly. She walked over to the window, heedless of her nakedness. The sun had sunk below the horizon, but the last part rays of light still lit the sky. Soon those would be gone as well, and then…
Anna.
Elsa bit her lip. She was simultaneously excited and nervous, so much so that she couldn't bear to stand still. She paced around her room, searching for something to occupy her attention and keep her from glancing out the window every few seconds. She caught sight of herself in the mirror and paused. Should I be wearing something? she wondered. On the one hand, it seemed silly to on clothes now when she and Anna would be ripping them off of one another soon. But on the other, actually getting to undress each other added to the anticipation and excitement.
Elsa looked around for something she could get dressed in before her sister arrived. She eyed the dress from dinner first. A bit too challenging to get on and off, she thought. She headed over to her closet, but nothing inside really said 'sexy.' After a few moments of alternating panic and thought, inspiration struck. Elsa summoned her magic, then waved a hand to recreate the robe that she had made by accident earlier in the day. She moved back in front of the mirror to see how it looked.
Good, she thought, but maybe… She used her magic to make a few alterations; she lengthened it a bit so that it actually covered her groin and made the whole thing slightly more opaque. Better. She smiled to herself, then sat facing the door to wait for Anna to arrive. Five minutes passed with no sign of her sister. Then ten minutes. Then fifteen.
By the time twenty minutes had passed, Elsa was pacing the room in a panic, leaving small footprints of frost with every step. "Where is she?" she wondered aloud. Different scenarios whirled through her mind, each more horrifying than the last. What if she changed her mind about sex? Or even worse, about us? Deep down, she knew it was absurd, but every minute that passed without Anna walking through her door only served to let those fears take root deeper and deeper. She was debating sending someone to find the redhead, even if it would defeat the entire purpose of their plan. She was so wrapped up in her own mind that she didn't notice the door whisper open.
Anna slipped into the room, casting one last look outside before sliding the door shut. "Sorry I'm late," she said, "I just— Els?"
Elsa finally stopped pacing and finally noticed her sister's arrival. "Anna!" she cried, running over and pulling the redhead into a tight hug. "Where have you been?"
"Sorry," Anna replied. "I tried coming over three times, but your guards are really good." She pulled back from the embrace and smiled apologetically. "I had to wait for night shift to come by and take over, then I snuck by while he and the day guard were talking." She brought a hand up and cupped the blonde's face. "But what's wrong? You looked really upset when I came in."
"I… It's nothing," Elsa said, leaning into her sister's hand. Anna gave her a look that said she didn't buy her dismissal. "I just… got worried when you didn't show up. I thought that maybe you had changed your mind about this… about us."
"Oh, Elsa," Anna murmured. She pulled the blonde back into the embrace, rubbing circles on her back. "How could you possibly think that? I've spent most of my life wanting to be closer to you. Do you really think that I would change my mind now?"
Elsa burrowed her face into Anna's neck, shame burning in her cheeks. "I know," she groaned. "I should have known better, but…" She trailed off, then sighed. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Anna replied. After a moment, she pulled back. "Now, where on Earth did you get that?" She asked, motioning towards her sister's robe.
"I made it, actually," Elsa said. "Shocking as it may be to hear, nothing in my wardrobe qualifies as 'sexy,' so I had to improvise." She stepped back and did a little twirl. "What do you think?" The redhead's gaze moved up and down her body, and warmth flooded through her.
"It looks great," Anna said. "There's just one thing I would do to improve it." She stepped forward and slid her hands under the robe, sliding them along Elsa's shoulders so that it came open and fell to the ground. "I think it looks much better on the floor." She dove in, peppering Elsa's neck with kisses and nibbles. Her hands wandered over the vast expanses of exposed skin.
"This ha-hardly seems fair," Elsa said. "Now I'm naked but you still have all of your clothes on." She pawed at her sister's dress, but she couldn't undo the zippers while Anna was attacking her neck. A hand kneaded her breast, and she bit her lip to stifle a moan.
"Not fair, hmm?" Anna purred. "I seem to recall someone being distinctly not fair earlier today." She kissed her way up to her sister's ear and whispered, "Just consider this a little well deserved payback." She teased Elsa's nipple on the last word, and the blonde grabbed onto her dress.
"Anna," Elsa whimpered as the redhead dipped down to kiss and lick her breast. "Please…" She wasn't sure exactly what she was asking of her sister, but she knew that she wouldn't last much longer in their current situation. Her legs were trembling so much that she worried they would give out on her. She laced her fingers through Anna's hair, both trying to pull her closer and keep herself upright.
"Mmm… okay," Anna said. She worked her way back up, trailing a line of kisses along Elsa's neck and up to her mouth. They locked lips in a heated and passionate kiss, but Anna had to push the blonde away as her hands started to wander. "Hey, now," she chided playfully. "At least let me get undressed too," she said, turning around.
Elsa leapt forward to remove her sister's dress. She yanked the zipper down and pulled the dress along with it. As it pooled to the floor, she could only stare at her sister's naked form. Anna smirked over her shoulder, then sauntered over to the bed and climbed on. She laid back, resting on her elbows, and beckoned the blonde with a finger. Elsa stumbled over her own feet in her haste to reach the bed, but she was at a loss of what to do once she was there. She admired Anna's body, but couldn't decide where to explore first. Anna made the decision for her, pulling her into a kiss and guiding her hand to a breast. She moved down to kiss along her sister's neck. Anna's breathing was harsh and erratic, and it gave Elsa a strange sense of pride that she was the reason.
"Gods," Anna moaned. "Elsa, please." She gasped as the blonde nipped at her collarbone. "I've been thinking about you all day. I'm already so close. Just a little…" She writhed under Elsa's touch, her hips arching up off of the bed. Elsa moved her hand down, trailing fingernails over the redhead's stomach. She pushed lower and lower. Her hand glided over Anna's groin, but something was missing. She glanced down without interrupting her attack on her sister's chest. No hair? She filed it away to ask about later, then dipped her hand down between Anna's legs. Her sister was dripping wet, and one pass along her vaginal lips coated Elsa's fingers in her juices. Anna let out a shuddering moan and thrust her hips against the blonde's fingers.
Elsa dove in, sinking two fingers deep into her sister. Anna bit her hand to stifle herself while Elsa worked up a steady rhythm with her fingers. She pressed hard, and Anna let out a pained hiss. "Are you okay?" Elsa asked.
"Fine," Anna panted. "Nails. Careful." She whined piteously and pulled Elsa closer. "Please don't stop." Elsa took her cue and got back to work. She worked her fingers in and out while her mouth went back to focusing on the redhead's breasts. She used the heel of her hand to rub against Anna's clit when she pushed in. Anna's moans and sounds slowly faded while Elsa kept up her work, and soon she was silent except for quick, harsh breaths. Elsa ploughed ahead; she was worried that maybe she was doing something wrong, but the nails digging into her back suggested otherwise.
Anna fell silent, even holding in her erratic breathing. The very air in the room was charged, and Elsa knew that her sister was close to… whatever it was that happens. She pushed just a bit harder, grazing Anna's nipple with her teeth and pressing her palm firmly against her clit. Without warning, Anna let out a long moan and her entire body convulsed. Her legs clamped shut around Elsa's hand, and the blonde could feel her vaginal walls pulsing around her fingers. She tried to keep going, but as the shaking faded Anna pushed her hand away.
"S-sorry," Anna said between heaving breaths. "Just… really sensitive." She flopped back on the bed, laying an arm over her eyes. "Gods, I don't think I've ever cum that hard before."
"So… it was good?" Elsa asked. She had a hard time imagining that it was anything but judging by Anna's reactions, but a little thread of worry still niggled at her mind.
"Good?" Anna asked, her lips quirked up into a lopsided smile. She pulled the blonde into a long, slow kiss. When they broke apart, she nipped at Elsa's bottom lip and purred, "That was amazing." She pushed forward until they rolled over and she was hovering over Elsa. "But now, it's your turn," she said, dipping down to kiss along her neck.
Elsa squirmed under her sister's attention. She threaded her fingers through Anna's hair as she dipped lower to lavish her breasts. Anna grazed her nipple with her teeth before kissing it, and Elsa had to bite her lip to keep from being too loud. Yet as wonderful as it felt to have Anna pamper her with her lips and tongue, she wanted more. She was more aroused than she could remember ever being. Her dripping sex ached for her sister's touch, but Anna's hands continued to tease and caress her chest. Elsa wanted to let her sister take her time exploring, but she wasn't sure how much more she could take before she would break down and beg Anna to fuck her.
Elsa was surprised when Anna went even lower, winding kisses across her stomach. Her surprise morphed into alarm as her sister kept going, climbing down and settling between her legs. What is she- Elsa jumped as Anna kissed the inside of her thigh. She sat up on her elbows and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Umm… You?" Anna replied, smirking. Her smile faded and was replaced by confusion as the blonde just stared at her. "I mean, you got me off, so I was going to try and return the favor."
"With your… mouth?" Elsa asked.
"Yeah," Anna said, as if the idea were the most normal thing in the world.
Elsa hesitated. Letting Anna use her mouth down there seemed strange, but intriguing at the same time. Her arousal ultimately won out, and she agreed. "Okay," she said, laying back down. Anna went back to kissing her thighs, always near but never touching her vagina. Eventually, her sister stopped altogether. She was about to ask what was wrong when the redhead took a slow lick along the entire length of her slit. Elsa bit her hand to stifle a cry that would have been heard all throughout the castle.
Anna took that as her cue and dove in. She lapped at Elsa's vulva like a woman dying of thirst, occasionally plunging her tongue inside. She probed deep before coming back out to lick all around the blonde's labia and darting up to tease her clit. Elsa grabbed the sheet to keep from thrashing around too harshly, but Anna's attack on her sex threatened to completely overwhelm her. She felt fingers push into her while her sister's mouth moved up to focus on her clit. Just as she had that afternoon, Elsa felt like she was moving towards something, but Anna had her barreling towards it rather than slowly working there herself. Her entire body felt taut, like a great spring was twisting and coiling in her gut. It wound tighter and tighter, until she was sure that she was go to break. She grabbed her sister's head, grinding herself against Anna's face and tongue.
Without warning, the spring snapped. Waves of ecstasy pulsed through Elsa's body, and she loosed a guttural cry before grabbing a pillow to muffle herself. She twitched and spasmed as the waves spread from her core outward, slowly growing weaker with each pulse. Her sister kept going between her legs, but the feeling was too much for her to bear so soon after her release. She pushed Anna away, then flopped back on the bed, panting. The redhead crawled up the bed and nestled down against her side.
"Good?" Anna asked playfully. In response, Elsa pulled her into a sloppy kiss. She could taste herself on Anna's tongue. It was an unusual flavor, but not an unpleasant one.
"Incredible," Elsa said when they broke apart. She settled down on the bed, sleep washing over her after the last vestiges of her orgasm faded. The redhead's hands traced random lines over her stomach, and she let out a contented sigh.
"I love you, Els," Anna murmured, laying her head on the blonde's chest.
"I love you, too, Anna."
Down in the servant's quarters, Kai sat in one of a pair of overstuffed chair. He stared into the embers of what was once a roaring fire. The door behind him opened, and Gerda slipped into the room carrying a tray with two mugs of tea. She set the tray on the table between the chairs before settling into the empty one.
"So which one is it this time?" she asked.
"Elsa," Kai replied, tearing his gaze away from the fireplace. He noticed the mugs and took one, nodding his thanks to the headmistress. He took a sip before continuing. "She's been receiving a number of… rather personal letters from the various princes that have been visiting. For the most part, she's seemed… uninterested. But today…" he sighed and lapsed into silence, seeming to search for the right words.
"Her, too?" Gerda asked, grabbing her own mug of tea. "I figured you were worrying about the Princess." She furrowed her brow when Kai looked at her questioningly. "Don't pretend like you haven't noticed," she chided. "Anna has been practically skipping through the castle for the last month or so." She stopped herself when Kai chuckled and fixed him with a look. "You know what I mean," she replied to kai's unspoken rebuttal. "She's practically glowing. Radiant in a way she hasn't ever been before."
Kai finally nodded. "Yes, I've noticed it, too. To be frank, I simply took it as her being glad that she and Elsa were reunited, but Anna does seem to have fallen for someone." He glanced over. "Now the question becomes who this mystery man is. Or perhaps, who these mystery men are?"
"Well, whoever he is, he's got Anna well and truly smitten," Gerda said. "I found her down in the kitchens yesterday daydreaming away. When I snapped her out of it, she started asking about how she, or rather a hypothetical girl—" She smiled and rolled her eyes. "—would know when to make her relationship more physical."
"Is that so?" Kai asked. "Just this afternoon, I… stumbled upon Elsa having issues trying to… pleasure herself."
"Oh," Gerda said. She stared down into her mug for a few moments. It struck her as odd that both women would be delving into aspects of physical intimacy so close to one another, almost too much to be coincidental. "You don't think that…" she started before falling silent. The idea running through her mind was outlandish, but it was the most logical explanation. "You don't think that they're experimenting… with each other, do you?"
Kai stared at the headmistress for a moment, then looked back to the smoldering embers. After a time, he said, "I don't think so. Even as children, Anna would always run after her older sister and try to do what she was doing. If I had to guess, I would say that Elsa told the Princess about her mysterious suitor and now she's simply trying to find her own." He took a pull from his mug, then asked, "You don't suppose it's that Kristoff fellow, do you?"
"I doubt it," Gerda replied. "They spent some time together after the whole… winter debacle, but he had to be gone for his ice harvesting too often. They still visit when he's in the city, but that's about it nowadays." She smiled over the rim of her mug. "Though, I suppose it shouldn't be too hard to find out."
"And how do you plan to do that?" Kai asked. "I believe that spying on the Queen or Princess is an offense punishable by hanging."
"It wouldn't be spying," Gerda countered. "We're their most trusted advisors, after all. We'd just be… trying to keep a bit closer eye on them. See if they slip off somewhere without letting anyone know." She waved off a raised eyebrow from Kai. "We don't have to follow them or know who they're meeting with, just know that they left."
"Well, I suppose that it couldn't hurt." Kai said. "But if we get caught, I'm telling Her Majesty that it was your idea."
Elsa heard quick steps creeping up behind her while she walked down the hall toward her study. She knew it was Anna, but she pretended not to notice until she got closer. She waited until her sister was right behind her before saying, "Hello, Anna."
"Aww…" Anna moaned. She draped her arms around Elsa's stomach and rested her chin on the blonde's shoulder. "I thought I had you that time. How do you always do that?"
"I just listen for the sound of a clumsy reindeer and assume that it's you trying to be sneaky," Elsa replied. She looked around to make sure that they were alone, then leaned into her sister's embrace. Even after the months of them being together, she still found solace in something as basic as Anna's arms around her. The redhead turned and started kissing her neck, holding her in place when she tried to pull away. "Anna," she chided playfully. She glanced up and down the hallway, allowing herself the briefest moment to enjoy the attention. Then she leaned away and whispered, "not here."
"Why not?" Anna asked. "What's life without a little risk?" She grinned as she nuzzled and kissed the crook of her sister's neck. "Besides, there's no one around."
"We still need to be careful. Especially since—"
Anna released her sister let out a resigned sigh. "Again, Els?" she asked, exasperation laced through her voice. "We've been over this. You're being paranoid. No one is—" A soft hand pressed against her mouth cut her off. The Queen took her by the hand and pulled her into a room off of the hallway. It was dark and dusty, but the furnishings suggested that it had once been used as a sitting room.
Elsa closed the door, then erected a jagged pane of ice in front of it; a trick to help seal in sound that she had picked up after learning just how loud Anna could be in bed. Once it was in place, she turned back to her sister. "I am not being paranoid," she said firmly.
"Really?" Anna asked. "Because you just pulled us out of an empty hallway to come in here and talk about how you think our own servants are spying on you."
Elsa winced. When it was put like that, it certainly did sound paranoid. "I know that it sounds ridiculous, but they are," she said. She started pacing around the room, nervous energy that had been building for days finally given release. "Ever since we started sleeping together, they've… I don't know. Maybe 'spying' is too harsh, but it feels like they've been watching us much more closely than before. Haven't you noticed?"
"No," Anna replied. "But even if they are watching us, isn't that part of their job?"
Elsa deliberated silently for a moment. "Okay. Maybe I am being a little paranoid," she said. "But it feels different now. They're not just watching to see if I need anything. It's… deeper than that, especially with Kai." She sat down on a long empty couch, sending up a small cloud of dust. "He's always had a knack for being there exactly when I need him, but he's been almost clingy recently. It seems like he's there every time I turn around, but most of the time he's disappearing around a corner, like he didn't want me to notice him."
"Okay, let's assume that you're right for a moment," Anna said. She sat down next to her sister, who had buried her face in her hands. "Why would they be doing that? What would be the point?"
Elsa looked up, the worry in her face replaced with fear. "What if… they know?" she asked. "What if we weren't as careful as we thought and they've found out about us?"
"I doubt it," Anna replied. "Do you really think that something like that would stay hidden for more than five minutes? If we got caught, I doubt we would have time to get our clothes back on before half of the city knew about it." Her sister didn't seem convinced, but an idea struck her. "You know what you need? A break."
Elsa thought about it for a moment. "A break, hmm?" she asked. "Just how do you propose that we do that?"
"We don't," Anna said. "You do. You can take a day to… do something fun. Oh! You could take a trip out to Trondheim and visit Alaya. I'll take care of the kingdom for a day while you're gone, and it will let you clear your head."
"I don't know," Elsa said. "It sounds nice, but—"
"No 'buts!'" Anna said, cutting the blonde off. "I'll have Kai send a messenger this afternoon, we'll pack some essentials tonight, and you can leave in the morning. You can head out there and be back by nightfall."
"Assuming I still have a kingdom to come back to by then," Elsa said playfully. She smiled for a moment, but it faded and she sighed. "I suppose it couldn't hurt, though. You sure that you'll be okay here?"
"Absolutely," Anna replied. "How much could go wrong in one day?"
The next morning, Anna saw her sister off to Trondheim before setting to work. She had meant every word she'd said about Elsa needing a break from the rigors and stresses of ruling, but she'd had an ulterior motive as well. She would execute her responsibilities faithfully, but she wanted to experience things from her sister's perspective. Once she had, she was sure that she would know how to convince Elsa that all of her worries were just in her head.
Anna kept herself on schedule to start. She held Open Court in Elsa's place, though she spent more time than she wanted to admit lost in her own thoughts while someone was petitioning the Crown. Luckily, Kai was on hand to discreetly summarize what she had missed. I don't know why Elsa's worried about him, Anna thought while waiting for another self-aggrandizing noble to approach the throne. He's a godsend.
Once Court was done, she had a meeting with the Royal Council. Anna took the opportunity to shake things up. She left the throne room, but went the opposite way of the Council chamber. Kai watched her go, but made no move to follow her. She took a long, meandering route to the meeting, arriving a few minutes late. The Council had already begun the meeting in her absence, but they happily filled her in on what little she had missed. The councillors mainly deliberated amongst themselves, only seeking out Anna's opinion on occasion. She didn't mind, however, because she was only vaguely aware of most of the issues that they were discussing. After a time, Kai entered the room. He seemed confused or at a loss for a moment, but perked up in surprise when he saw Anna. The redhead took note while she pretended to listen to… whoever was talking now.
Anna suffered through the rest of the meeting, her eyes occasionally flitting to Kai. He seemed almost a statue, giving nothing away in his expression or bearing. She thought that she caught him watching her, but it was always too quick for her to be sure. As the meeting came to a close, the door opened and Anna heard Gerda's voice from the other side. She couldn't hear what was said, but Kai spoke to her only for a moment before the door closed again. Chairs scraped across the floor as members of the Council stood up, pulling the redhead from her thoughts. She stood up as well and made her way out of the room. There was nothing on her schedule until after lunch, so she wanted to take some time to mix things up. She stopped by her room to grab a cloak, then made her way to the front doors of the castle. The massive doors were in sight when Gerda came up from behind her.
"Your Highness!" Gerda called. Her eyes flashed down to the cloak, but her gentle smile didn't waver. "I've been looking all over for you. We got another shipment of those German chocolates that you like so much. I thought that you might want to get a few before they get put away and you have to go searching for them."
Anna chewed her lip. She loved those chocolates almost as much as she loved Elsa, but she was a woman on a mission. "I would," she said, "but I'm… busy. I have to… do something important… for Elsa." She wrung her hands hidden under the cloak. "Could you put a few aside for me to come get later?"
"Oh don't you worry," Gerda replied. "I'll have some taken up to your room. Now, don't let me keep you any longer."
Anna turned, threw the cloak around herself, and headed out the door. Yet as she walked, something about Gerda nagged at her. Anna had never made her love of all things chocolate a secret, German or otherwise, but Gerda had never tracked her down to tell her about them. If anything, the older woman usually kept them hidden so that they could be a pleasant surprise later. The redhead glanced back, and a cold knot formed in her stomach when she saw Gerda watching her cross the courtyard from a window. Anna did her best to appear casual, but every step was a fight to keep from sprinting out of the gates. Once she was around the corner, she threw herself against the wall. She took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself, but her heart continued to thunder in her chest.
Get a hold of yourself, she chided herself. This is exactly what Elsa is doing. Though as she tried to downplay the situation, she had to admit that she could understand her sister's position now. Anna edged closer to the gateway and peered through a space between the wall and the open door. It took her a moment to find the window Gerda had been watching her from. When she finally did, dread gripped her. Kai had joined Gerda in the window while the latter motioned out towards the gate and shrugged. The former looked out across the courtyard, causing the Princess to duck back away from the gap.
Anna turned and ran. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she needed to get away from the castle. Her mind whirled and pulled in a dozen different directions while she reached the edge of the city and began weaving between people. She finally came to a stop in front of a small, shabby house near the industrial center of the city. It wasn't painted, giving it an abandoned, almost unfinished feel. Anna had repeatedly tried to get the owner to fix it up a bit, but he could never see the point for a place that he only stayed at a few nights a week. She just hoped that last night had been one of those nights. She knocked on the door, but no answer came.
"Kristoff?" she called out, knocking a second time. "It's me. Are you h—oh!" She was surprised when the door opened to reveal a slender woman with brown hair and eyes. "Um… hi?" Anna said. The woman stared at her for a moment before recognizing her and dropping into a hasty curtsey. Anna checked the house again to make sure she was at the right one, asking, "Is Kristoff here?"
As if he'd been summoned, Kristoff poked his head out from a side room. "Hey, Anna," he said. He came over to the door, smiling despite the obvious discomfort of his female companion. "I didn't know you were coming by today."
"It was kind of a spur of the moment decision," Anna replied. She glanced at the woman, who was awkwardly staring at the floor. "But if you're busy, I can go. I don't want to interrupt."
"Hmm?" Kristoff muttered, confusion flashing over his face. Recognition followed a moment later. "Oh, right, sorry." He motioned to the woman. "This is Brigida. Her father sells produce in the city and she just stopped by to drop off some carrots for Sven." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Thanks again for that. The big guy wouldn't shut up about it when I forgot to get some yesterday."
"It's no problem," Brigida replied, looking up at him. Her disquiet vanished, and she actually smiled warmly at him. "But I don't want to hear from him that you ate them all without sharing again." She turned back to the Princess and her comfort evaporated again. "Beg your pardon, Your Highness," she said before skirting around Anna and heading down the street towards the market.
Anna watched Brigida leave, noticing that she turned and glanced back at the house before turning a corner. "She likes you," she said bluntly. The ice cutter sputtered, seeming to choke on air. "Aww, you like her, too!" she teased.
Kristoff cleared his throat, scrambling to change the subject. "Did you need something?" he asked.
Anna's playful smile disappeared, and it was her turn to stare awkwardly at the floorboards. "Um, yeah," she said. "Can we talk?"
Kristoff stepped aside and motioned for her to come inside. "Alright, feistypants. Get in here and spit it out." He closed the door and followed the redhead into the living room, grabbing dirty clothes that had been strewn across the furniture. After he threw them into his bedroom, he sat down in a chair and watched the Princess pace by the wall. "So, what's up?"
"Kai and Gerda are watching me," Anna blurted out, not even breaking stride in her pacing.
Kristoff waited for a moment, assuming that some kind of follow up or explanation was coming, but none did. "So… they're... doing... their jobs?" he asked.
"No, well… kind of," Anna replied. "But it's more than that. It's-" She stopped and pressed a hand to her face. I owe Elsa such a big apology… She pushed past her stewing guilt and kept going. "They're not watching the Princess to make sure that I have everything I need to fulfill my duties. They're watching me, Anna, to see what I'm doing when I'm not performing my duties."
"Mm hmm," Kristoff hummed. "Do you have any idea why they would be watching you?" The redhead looked off to the side, wringing her hands. "Alright, so what is it?"
Anna opened her mouth, but she wasn't sure what to say. The truth was out of the question, but she also didn't trust herself to try and improvise a reason. "I… can't tell you," she said after a time.
The ice cutter raised an eyebrow, but didn't press the issue. "Have you talked to Elsa about it?" he asked.
"No," Anna replied. "She's got enough on her plate." She felt a twinge of regret about having to lie to Kristoff, but she couldn't risk him figuring anything out. If Kai or Gerda had cottoned onto something, anything, they had kept it to themselves. For now at least. Kristoff, for all of the kind and funny that he was, wasn't exactly as trustworthy. Not that she wanted anyone to know what she wanted to do to her sister.
Kristoff, rubbed a hand along his jaw, scratching along the stubble growing there. "Why haven't you talked to them about it?" he asked. "If you know why they're watching you, why not just go to them? Why come to me?"
"I…" Anna started to reply before trailing off. The longer she talked to Kristoff, the more she realized she had no idea what to say. She wanted to just tell him the truth just to get it off of her chest, but she knew that was impossible. "I can't tell you."
Kristoff treated her to a crooked grin. "Is there anything you can tell me?" he asked. "Or is that something you can't tell me either?" The Princess glared at him, but he just shrugged. "I don't know what you want from me, Anna. You're asking me for advice, but I you won't tell me anything except that you think Kai and Gerda are watching you." He leaned back in the chair and put his feet up on the edge of the table. "Seems to me that your only options are to either ignore it or talk to them."
Anna pursed her lips. Neither option was particularly desirable, and they weren't anything that she needed help to come up with. Then again, I didn't exactly give him a lot to work with. She sat down on the back of the couch. "Yeah," she murmured. "Sorry about that. I just… kind of panicked when I saw them watching me leave the castle, and you were the first person I thought to come talk to." She sucked in a deep breath, then blew it out in a huff. "Well, I should probably get back to the castle before they get worried. Sorry again about just showing up uninvited."
"It's all good," Kristoff said, waving off her apology. He stood up and opened the door for the redhead. "Just happy to help, I guess."
"Say hi to Sven for me," Anna said as she passed him. "And good luck with Brigida."
"There's nothing go on!" Kristoff shot back. Color crept up his neck while he fixed the Princess with an annoyed glare.
"Uh huh," Anna replied, smirking. He sputtered for a moment, then closed the door. She giggled to herself as she set off back towards the castle. Her buoyed mood started to dip again as she crossed the courtyard and made her way through the doors. She quickly made her way back to her room and slipped in, throwing her cloak on the bed. She sat down in front of her vanity, a finger tapping against her lips while she stewed in her thoughts.
The walk back from Kristoff's house had given her time to think, and her overactive mind had calmed down some. Yes, she had seen Gerda watching her and talking to Kai afterwards, but it had only been when she had been trying to be conspicuous and had left the castle without warning. Throughout the rest of the day, nothing unusual had happened. She had seen them around, but that was just part and parcel of living in the same place.
Anna laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. It's been that way for years, she thought as she kicked her feet. Then again, Elsa's new to the whole not-being-locked-away thing. I'm sure she'll get used to it. The bells out in the city tolled to signal the arrival of a new hour. Before the sound could even fade away, a knock sounded from her door. "Yes?" she called.
"Lunch is served in the eastern dining room, Your Highness," Kai said, his voice muffled by the thick oaken door.
"Thank you, Kai," Anna replied. She stretched out, savoring the comfort of her bed for a few more precious seconds. It was only noon, but she was ready to just retire for the day. "Being Queen is exhausting," she moaned. On one hand, she was glad that she had given Elsa a day to escape her responsibilities, but on the other, she was ready for her sister to return and take up the mantle of ruling again.
She hopped up from the bed and ran her hands through her hair. "Just a few more hours," she muttered. Her bangs flopped back down into her eyes and she blew them out of the way. With a quick once over to make sure that her dress hadn't gotten too wrinkled between her excursion to town and flopping onto her bed, she headed out to tackle the rest of the day. Her stomach growled as she closed the door behind her.
Well, lunch first. Then the rest of the day.