A/N: Ok so... This is my favorite of the two endings because it is more about what this trilogy is about; Elsa and Nico's friendship.
In this 23k word chapter, I draw heavily off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, I make references to Imitation Game in a conversation, and I probably draw off of other things as well too. I quote several lines about love, and always say what they are from. So yeah... If I forget to mention that I draw off of something, it's probably because it is currently a quarter past midnight rn. Also, all the outfits are on polyvore.
CONTENT NOTE: SEXUAL ASSAULT, GRAPHIC TORTURE AND VIOLENCE, DEPRESSION, also, sex is talked about, but I don't at all go into detail. I keep things pretty PG-13 in that respect, I think.
Elsa's ice palace was gorgeous. She'd made it with lots of rooms and décor in every room. The walls were mainly opaque as to give privacy to everyone in the castle. This was especially because she had decided that she was going to marry Nico. She didn't much like the thought that she was marrying her brother, but it would be a platonic marriage. They would go their separate ways; doing their own things, but remain companions. Partners in crime. Perhaps this would even be for the best. Elsa had heard somewhere that arranged marriages usually went well if the parties were friends. Luckily, intimacy of the sexual nature wasn't required. But they would truly be best friends forever. Elsa knew that they would not fall in love, as they were both gay. But that was alright. It would be a platonic marriage, and they'd have relationships with other people to satisfy the need that the other could not quench for them. Elsa and Nico wouldn't even share a bed. They'd have separate rooms.
Frankly, the best part about the marriage was the knowledge that Elsa didn't have to worry about her rock being hurt or killed. He would never fall ill with cancer and pass away, and he would never be killed by monsters. As long as they were remembered by people, they would live. This wouldn't be too big of an issue, for Elsa had already become a modern legend, and Nico would be too. With everything that had happened in years past, a lot of their friends were modern legends too. Because of this, Elsa and Nico would be remembered.
Calypso had no idea of the choice Elsa had been given. The goddess felt guilty to no end about keeping it from her girlfriend that they could never marry and be immortal together, but she needed to be able to be with Calypso seemingly without the deadline. Though, Arendelle was Elsa's safe place to be able to be free of everything. It was her escape. This was ironic, considering that Camp Half-Blood had been the sanctuary that she'd dreamed of when she was thirteen. Though at Arendelle, she was not openly acknowledged as a goddess, it was no secret that the mysterious Lady Elle, who always wore the same attire and visited the pubs, and helped out poor Princess Anna, was the lost Princess Elsa, and was more than human. Her presence commanded instant respect from everyone except Anna. Anna was Elsa's soft spot. She would do anything to protect and take care of Anna. People sensed that, and so their Lady Elle was both loved and feared by the Arendellians.
The time Elsa spent away from her regular world was important and therapeutic. It was after a visit to Anna that she had the revelation that she would choose Nico to be her eternal companion.
This spark was ignited by Anna. The girl had commented that friends and lovers come and go, but sisters are forever. The strawberry blonde went on to comment on the fact that nobody could ever hope to replace Elsa, as the two had experiences that could not be replicated by anyone, and if Elsa ever left permanently, Anna would be unable to fill the void left by her older sister. Nobody could ever have the same experiences that they did together.
Elsa began to think about how her and Nico's friendship was so unique, and everything they'd gone though could not be replicated by anyone. Though she hated to think this, her and Calypso's relationship was just like most romantic relationships. Everyone likes to believe that their love is special, but the truth is, all stories are similar. But Elsa and Nico's story was so different from any other story that Elsa soon knew that she could not live without Nico. She needed him. Nico meant so much to her.
After all of the times Elsa had been haunted by dreams and flashbacks, Nico had been right there to comfort her. She wasn't generally an independent person; she needed a loved one to be there with and for her.
But Elsa knew that she could not tell anyone her choice yet. Nico's heart was still frozen. It would be wrong to take away his ability to love. It was November. Four months since Elsa had told Nico to continue on as if she did not have to make the choice. He often checked up on her to see if things were going ok with the choice. She'd merely give him a sad smile and tell him to go be with his boyfriend. Elsa suspected that it wouldn't take too long for Percy to finally love Nico back enough. Her brother had learned how to halt his feelings so that they did not grow. Elsa had learned how to cry at night so that Calypso would not know. Elsa would just pretend to sleep until she knew Calypso was deeply asleep, which took about an hour after the caramel haired girl had stopped moving around. Then, Elsa would have about ten minutes to cry, and then would have to wait forty-five minutes to make sure her girlfriend did not wake up before crying some more. Elsa had learned the sleep cycle pretty well for this.
During these times, she thought about how she'd tell Calypso that she chose Nico. Elsa knew that she'd end up crying. There was no shame in crying. Crying did not mean weakness. Emotions did not mean weakness. Love did not mean weakness. It was Elsa's emotions that made her so terrifying to the gods that they had to curb her somehow. That somehow was forcing her to pick only one of her loved ones to take with her into immortality.
When Percy finally thawed Nico's heart, this was when Nico explained that he also had a frozen heart. From what Elsa could tell, the thawing of Nico's heart had taken place when they'd said their 'I love you's. It was on Valentine's Day, as cheesy as it sounded. It pained Elsa to know that she now had to figure out how to tell Nico that she had chosen them, causing them to have to tell their significant others; possible even breaking up with them. Nico was smarter than to propose to Percy, and Percy definitely wouldn't propose until the two had been together for a long time. The two had only been together for seven months. Elsa would be the reason that their relationship could never truly go anywhere. For this, she hated herself and the gods, but she knew that Percy would eventually come around and understand… Hopefully. Calypso would probably be devastated, especially after what she said about only being good for Elsa's love, but now she'd get a chance to discover herself in other ways. Calypso could become her own person. She could bloom like a rose.
Elsa treasured every moment with Calypso; giving her all of her love and attention into their time together. She imagined telling her over and over again, trying different ways in her head. She knew that Calypso would have a rough time dealing with it, but Elsa would not just tell her, but leave a piece of her heart with Calypso. She'd leave a letter telling her soulmate everything she wanted Calypso to know. She began to draft the things out, writing paragraphs and figuring out how she'd say everything.
This led her to remember that she had to tell Nico her decision. She now had to think of the best way to tell Nico first. She couldn't bear to look at him until she knew that it was time for her to stop everything. It was almost March, and Elsa had only four months to straighten everything out. She eventually realized that there was no right time; she just had to do this. So, the next time she caught Nico alone, she took his hand, and asked to see him alone, and brought him back up to the mountain.
"What's up, Elsa?" Nico asked, confused. Elsa wouldn't even look him straight in the face. Her back was to him.
"I've made my choice." She informed him. Elsa knew that she would essentially be pulling the rug that was everything he'd built up and finally established. Nico was nineteen, and he was very much in love with Percy. Their relationship was doing pretty well. They were like a cat and dog together. Nico was like the cat, and Percy was like the dog. (Though Percy wasn't really a golden retriever. Elsa wasn't very familiar with different types of dogs, but she supposed he might be like a hellhound—they look and seem dangerous, and they might even attack you, but if they liked you, they were real sweethearts.) (Elsa figured that she and Nico were like a pair of cats together, but she digressed.) Percy and Nico were in love, and Elsa hated the fact that she would be so greedy as to want Nico to be by her side forever. She'd be spitting up a happy couple. Yanking a warm and fuzzy rug out from under her brother, and leaving him on cold and hard linoleum, just because Elsa had chosen her brother over her girlfriend.
"I understand." Nico replied calmly. "Elsa, you're my sister and my best friend. I just want you to be happy. I wish you and Calypso a happy marriage." The blonde furrowed her brow in confusion, but snuck a glance at her brother. There was a look of pure relief on his face. Elsa's gut dropped. She felt as though she could melt into a puddle from all of her guilt.
"Nico… That's not why I asked to speak with you." She sighed. "I… I was talking to Anna." Elsa turned around only to see Nico's face. He looked defeated. She wanted to cry. Oh, how she wanted to weep and apologize and tell him that she was sorry. But she couldn't. Elsa had no right to cry right then. This was Nico's life. Not hers. This was his future that she was taking away, not her own. Of course, she was changing her own future, but she had absolutely no right to cry about this. She swallowed her feelings, and continued. "… And I realized that the bond between siblings who truly love each other is… Well… It's so strong. And we have a past that would be impossible to recreate with anyone. Our bond is unique. And though I love Calypso… So much… With all my heart…" Elsa swallowed the lump in her throat and allowed a second to regain her composure. "Nico, I choose you to be my companion for eternity. But I can completely understand why you may refuse such a thing. It's … Well, I want you to have a choice. I didn't. I've never gotten a real chance to live in the real world… but Nico… I'm sorry it has to be such a difficult, but anything you choose, I will support. It is your right to have a choice." She fought back tears, smiling sadly. "I… I'll leave you alone, Nico." With that, Elsa disappeared. She reappeared in her new castle, needing to be alone.
She looked around her newly acquired residence, and sighed. She slowly trudged around the cold and empty rooms. She didn't want be alone there. Sure, Elsa had chosen an isolated location, but frankly, she didn't want to be alone there for eternity. She couldn't handle it. She needed warmth in her sea of ice. Someone to be her sun. Elsa looked around what would one day be her throne room and again sighed.
Nico was having a difficult time processing this dilemma. On one hand, he could have a normal life with a guy. They could get married, start a family, and grow old together. However, that would mean that he would rarely see Elsa, as most immortals had to stick with other immortals, or keep away of mortals. That choice would allow him to figure out what he wanted to do with his life, though it would be difficult to fake everything enough to the point where he could actually get a job in the real world. He'd have to live in New Rome. It didn't sound too bad, as he and Elsa had lived there sometimes. But as nice as New Rome did seem, Nico wanted a normal life most, and New Rome would not allow that. He just wanted a quiet, normal life if he was to remain mortal.
However, if he was immortal, he wouldn't have to worry about anything ever again. He wouldn't have to constantly worry about things happening to his husband and/or children. He wouldn't have to worry about taxes, bills, and just money in general. But Nico wouldn't get to marry a man and start a family. It would just be him and Elsa in her ice castle, or them at Olympus. He didn't even know what he'd become the god of. Perhaps darkness and shadows, and together they'd the cold and the dark. Ha. Elsa, the queen of the absence of warmth that she feared, and Nico, the king of the absence of light that he feared. Ha.
His frustration made him punch a wall in his cabin, then brace himself against it, and rest his forehead against the cool obsidian. His eyes stung with tears, and Nico began to cry. He loved Elsa more than anyone, but oh god… His heart was finally thawed and he was with Percy. Now he was told that he had four months to make the choice that Elsa had been forced to make. But he had to choose between two different worlds. Nico couldn't stand enduring this alone. So he stumbled into the Poseidon cabin, and he and Percy did the deed. As they laid in bed post-coitally, Nico explained his choice to Percy, feeling that it was only fair if he told his boyfriend.
"Oh god." Percy sighed. "Look Nico, I'm not going to tell you what to do, alright? This is your choice." Nico groaned in frustration.
"That's what everybody is saying, but the thing is… It's a hard decision. Life as an immortal would be safe… Predictable. I'd be with my best friend forever, and she'd have me. But with the mortal world… Well. I don't know if I could ever be successful. It's a terrifying prospect, to be honest." Nico sighed.
"But that's what makes it life." Percy pointed out. "Without that, life wouldn't be interesting. Anyway, I've had enough from the godly world. I just want to rest. Hell, if it weren't for you and the rest of my friends, I wouldn't even come back here. I'd just be back in Manhattan, living like a normal guy."
"Maybe that's how you feel, but I just… I want stability. I want to be safe and happy and well off in my life." Nico explained calmly.
"I think you have your answer right there." Percy pointed out. "Look, if you go through with marrying Elsa and becoming a god, I'm fine with you either breaking up with me, or us having a little fling. But I want a normal life, and I want to marry someone and start a family with them."
Nico remained silent, realizing that Percy, Reyna, and Hazel were really the only real reasons he wanted to remain mortal. But Elsa had friends too. She had no choice though. But she was right about their friendship and history being unique. He could never replicate a friendship like theirs. He figured that marrying his best friend would mean more than just marrying a romantic partner. Plenty of people married someone they were in love with, but then divorced later. This marriage would be them loving each other in their own ways. They'd have their own little realms, but they'd still have each other's company. They'd help each other in their immortal lives, because they loved and cared for each other. Nico realized that this type of marriage didn't sound so bad. For sure, it sounded better than most of the marriages between the gods. It was then that he decided that Elsa was the path he'd choose. Forever.
Sure, platonic marriage wasn't common, but it seemed right for Nico and Elsa. They really weren't the types to truly let lovers get in the way of them. Even when Elsa spent all of her time with Calypso, Elsa and Nico's bond was still strong. Both knew that the other had their back.
This was not the easiest choice—Nico figured he'd have thoughts of regret throughout his life—but it was the right choice for him and Elsa.
Elsa walked around St. Johns as though she was lost. She was dressed like she usually was, but nobody took any notice of her. One of the perks of being a goddess. She could manipulate the mist. Right now, she didn't want to be seen by anyone. She wanted to know what it was like to be alone. She wanted to punish herself for being so greedy. She wanted Nico to give up his happiness with Percy, and the prospect of a normal life just so that she could have her best friend with her for eternity. Elsa felt terrible and ashamed. She didn't feel like she deserved to be looked upon with any sort of smile. She should just be alone.
But then she felt something in her heart. Like someone she loved needed her or was calling out to her. Elsa was still getting used to the divine ability to be able to feel when someone was calling for her. For a brief moment, she'd wondered if it was like what a mother felt when her child called for her.
She considered ignoring this feeling, but then she looked into it, seeing that it was Nico. With that, her consciousness went to him.
"Nico, are you alright?" Elsa asked softly, not reaching out to touch him. She wasn't sure if he would want her to do so.
"I've been calling out to you for like five minutes." He remarked dryly. "I feel stupid for just standing in my cabin saying your name in different ways a million times. People have walked by, and heard me, and kind of looked at the cabin strangely."
"I'm sorry." She murmured. "I was in St. John's. I needed to be alone. Look, Nico… I'm so sorry that I just dropped such a dilemma upon you. I had no right to force such a horrible decision onto you. But… I do have to ask you. You are the one I love most." Elsa bowed her head, letting out a sigh.
"Elsa, I chose to go be with you as a god for eternity." Nico said softly. The goddess looked up; shocked. Her ice blue eyes were wide with surprise. Nico's eyes began to fill with tears. "I mean, I love Percy. I love him so much. But I can never truly have the life I want to have in this world. There'll be complications with important documents missing."
"But you'll be married to me." Elsa reminded him. She looked as if she feared that he'd take this away from her, so she didn't truly believe him. "We won't have children. It'll just be us in my ice castle. Us in love with other people, because we'll never truly feel that way about each other." She forced down her tears. "We're… We're gay." She'd had time to get used to this idea. She still had no right to cry.
"Well, we never were like other people." Nico reminded her, tearing up. "We love each other with philia. We'll need each other's company, always. We need each other. We understand each other better than anyone else ever could. We'll care for each other, and be companions." Nico let out a small sob. "Elsa… You're the one I love the most; I swear…" He let out a larger sob, and a tear fell out of his eye. "I just… I love him. And… It's just hard to know… That I would give him up, after all this time. And I can't help but wonder… If I truly love him as much as I think or say I do. But I know that I have to choose you Elsa… It's… It's us." Nico collapsed to his knees, crying. Elsa knelt down in front of him, encircling him with her arms, allowing him to cry on him. She said nothing, for she was the one who caused this. She caused him to have to pick. Therefore, she made her best friend cry.
"I'm so sorry." Elsa whispered almost inaudibly. She'd pushed her emotions down so far that she was able to not cry. This time, she'd be the one there for him when he cried. (Though she had been—many times. After nightmares, and when he worried about Percy never loving him… But this time, Elsa also had a reason to cry, but she wouldn't. Elsa wouldn't.)
"It's not your fault. You know the gods are terrified of you and what you can do." He reminded both of them through his tears. The siblings just sat there for a while, Nico crying as he accepted what he would have to give up in order to be by Elsa's side for eternity. It only seemed right, after everything they'd gone through.
"I know. And I wish that we could just… be happy. Forever. Without having to worry about anything ever again." With that, the two fell silent, feeling each other's embrace and wishing away the dark cloud that seemed to follow them.
Elsa had bought Calypso a ring. A ring in exchange for a ring. This ring would replace Calypso's engagement ring, and Elsa would no longer wear her Claddagh. Though that would only happen once she told Calypso. The ring she'd bought was silver, with a sideways teardrop shaped opal with diamond set into the round part of the shape. The band was engraved inside with "I am with you still in each new dawn." This was the message Elsa wanted Calypso to carry away, along with her lover knowing that she would love her forever.
So she met Calypso on the beach, as the sun was setting. Elsa would do her best not to cry, but she would probably fail in her attempt. Calypso just looked so beautiful standing there… It was such a crime to break up with someone she loved so…
"Baby… Calypso… Love of my life." Elsa murmured, taking her girlfriend's hand, and looking at the ring. She closed her eyes in guilt.
"What is it, my darling?" Calypso asked, leaning over to kiss Elsa. The goddess leaned away, and the caramel haired girl stopped dead. "What's wrong, my love?" She whispered, furrowing her eyebrow in extreme concern.
"I love you so much, Calypso. You know that. You have to." Elsa carefully moved a lock of hair out of her soulmate's eyes. She gazed into the dark brown depths and slowly leaned in, creating the perfect kiss. She gently kissed Calypso, gradually deepening it. This kiss had to be perfect. It was the last one. The last kiss.
"I love you to, Elsa."
"Sweetheart… I… I have to tell you something." Elsa confessed. "After I became a goddess, Aphrodite told me that I could only bring one person into immortality with me. She gave me the choice between you and Nico." With that, Calypso's face fell and her eyes filled with tears. She knew that Elsa had chosen Nico. It was obvious. "And… Even though you're my soulmate." Elsa let out a large sob. "And I love you so much… I chose him. Calypso, I didn't just do this for myself and for Nico. We both have regrets about making this choice. We're both giving up people we love desperately… I want you to find out who you are without my love. I feel that I must step back and let you do that. I'm sorry, but I know that this is something that I must do. I have to, Calypso." Elsa let go of her girlfriend and let out a sob. "I love you so much. I love you with everything inside of me, and I hate myself for this."
"Of course." Calypso whispered. "Of course you'd choose Nico." There was no malice in her voice. Just defeat. "You love him the most. He's your brother." Her lips trembled as tears rushed out of her eyes. "I just… I understand why… I just… I don't know where to go or what to do. I don't know who I am without. You make me feel important. You make feel like I'm somebody, when in reality, the world has moved on without me… I'm not going to beg you to choose me. After everything you and Nico went through, you have to stay together. It's not right for me to get in between that." Calypso sobbed loudly once, turning way from Elsa to wipe her eyes. "Baby, please don't leave me." She begged through loud and wet sobs. "I need you. I'm not asking you to choose me or even marry me. I just need you. I need your love. I need you, Elsa." The two girls were crying and sobbing with a foot of distance in between them. "Elsa, darling… I don't care if you're a goddess and married to your brother… I just want to be your lover still. I just want to be able to kiss you… Touch you… Love you." Calypso sank to her knees, hiding her weeping face in her hands. She was crying too hard to get any words out now.
Elsa did not know what to do. She just stood there, crying; unable to speak. She wanted to tell Calypso that of course she still wanted her as her lover, and that she'd feared that Calypso would want to break up with Elsa for choosing Nico. Frankly, Elsa would never blame anyone for wanting to do so.
"I do too." She managed in between sobs. "I… I want… To still be able… To call you my lover. I love you so much… How could I not?" Elsa went down to her knees to pull Calypso into an embrace. To try to calm her girlfriend down, she kissed her. Soon, they were lost in the kisses, and their fears were soothed by the other's love and affection. "Baby, give me your ring."
"What?" Calypso gasped, looking wounded at this.
"I… I have a different one for you." Elsa explained. "We can't be engaged anymore. Not when Nico and I formally announce to the gods that he and I will marry." Calypso nodded in acceptance, holding her hand out to her girlfriend for her to take the beautiful ring. Elsa ruefully did so, but placed the other ring on Calypso's middle finger, then kissed her lover's hand. "I love you so much." Elsa whispered to her. Calypso smiled, and kissed Elsa. Once the two came up for air, Elsa removed her own Claddagh ring. A sad tug arose in her gut. Even though she would not have Calypso forever, she would at least have Calypso for the rest of the other girl's life. After that…. Elsa did not know what she'd do. But she didn't want to think about that. So she didn't.
"Percy." Nico was sitting by the lake with his boyfriend.
"Yeah, Nico?" Percy asked, sitting up.
"You know that I chose Elsa, right?" His voice trembled. He was finally happy with Percy after years of yearning and wishing. Now, Nico had to give all of that away because Elsa was the one he loved the most. Not Percy, though he came in a very close second. Gods, how he loved Percy. The son of Poseidon's love was like being too happy to ever want to fall asleep next to him, and to never want to miss a single second of their time together because he loved him so much. "I love you so much, Percy… But I have to be with my sister."
"I understand." Percy assured him. "I can't blame you, to be honest."
"I know you want a normal life." Nico reminded him. "So… If you want to break up… That's okay… But please… One last time… Please. After that… We can be done. I promise. But I just… I want to be able to savor it because I still love you." Percy's hand found his. Nico's black depths found Percy's sea green orbs.
"I understand." With that, the two rushed to Percy's cabin, and every caress was stamped into Nico's memory. Every kiss was longer than usual so that the boys could revel in them.
When it was over, Nico got dressed and left. It was over… Forever.
He almost wished that they could've had a huge argument that would have made them slit up. Then he would have left with anger, not love.
Elsa was planning on showing Nico the castle that they would one day both live in, in hopes that it would cheer him up at least a little bit. She hadn't seen him since before he broke it up with Percy.
She headed over to his cabin, and knocked twice before opening the door. She stepped inside, and looked around. Her eyes rested on her brother. He was lying on his bed, his eyes closed. His clothes looked disheveled.
"Nico." She said softly. "Are you awake?"
"Yeah." He muttered, sitting up and opening his eyes. "I broke it off with Percy, and we did it one last time." Nico sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just hard because I still love him, and I'm now stuck thinking about what could have been." Elsa sat down next to her brother, and hugged him.
"It's going to be alright." She promised. "You'll find someone else." Nico hugged back burying his face into her shoulder.
"I don't have a soulmate the way you do." He muttered.
"That doesn't mean you can't find love though." Elsa reminded her brother. "Few people are so fortunate as Calypso and I to find their soulmate, but that doesn't mean you can't find someone that you love with all of your heart. Nico, you are a great person. You will find someone." She kissed his forehead. He smiled, despite the longing in his eyes. "Come on, you have to see the castle. I mean, you can't live there until we're married, because that's scandalous," Both of them chuckled. "But it's going to be our home. Perhaps we'll knit together as we watch the ocean from matching ice rocking chairs, and enjoy the sea breeze." She nudged him, then took her brother's hand. Nico stood up.
"Wait, I need shoes and a jacket." He remembered. Elsa laughed, and let him get some boots and a leather jacket on.
"Come on, Nico." She reached for his hand. Nico took it; standing, and then they were on the cliff over the sea. Behind them was the ice castle.
"Wow." Nico whispered, squeezing Elsa's hand. "This is even better than the one you did when you were thirteen, and that one was pretty impressive."
"Thanks." Elsa replied, grinning. "Come on, I have to show you inside." Nico smiled at his sister as she gave him a tour; showing their separate bedrooms. Upstairs was all for them and only for them. The throne room was downstairs, along with a massive entry room. It was more like a normal house upstairs. They had their own rooms, but they had a kitchen and living room. They had other rooms for whatever they might need them for.
Nico was happy about marrying his best friend and becoming gods with her, but he was slightly envious of the fact that she had her lover. Calypso would remain with Elsa. But then he remembered just how happy Calypso made his sister. He was fine alone, but Elsa… She was a slave to her heart and her love. She needed a romantic partner more than he did—in fact, he didn't even need one, but Elsa did. So he decided to just focus on marrying her, and acquiring godhood. He would be alright.
"I can't believe I'm wearing your engagement ring." Elsa wrinkled her nose at the ring on her fourth finger. She made an ugly face at it.
"I cannot believe I just gave that to you." Nico groaned. "If it makes you feel better, remember that ring you gave me a really long time ago?"
"Yeah…" Elsa raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm wearing it as an engagement ring because I feel like we should be on equal footing." Nico informed her.
"Thanks." She gave him a tight smile. The ring he'd just given her appeared in a box underneath his pillow the previous night. It was a silver snowflake ring, with black obsidian as a large center stone. Around it, on the rest of the snowflake, there were twelve little diamonds in all. "I just can't believe that I'm actually going to marry you." She let out a huff of disbelief.
"Reyna's not going to let me live this down, to be honest." Nico rolled his eyes. "She's been teasing me ever since I told her that you and I were going to get married, even after I explained the whole situation."
"Did you threaten to boot her off of the guest list?" Elsa asked.
"Yes. A bunch of times. But then she reminded me that I would then have to find another best woman." Instead of Nico having a best man, Reyna was filling the female version of that position. Elsa had obviously chosen Calypso to be her maid of honor. They'd agreed on having Hazel be their flower girl, and Piper as their ring bearer. Annabeth, Aphrodite, and Hestia were going to be other bridesmaids. Nico had chosen Percy, Frank, and Jason to be his groomsmen. Everybody knew that there would be slight difficulty with the Greek and Roman aspects of the gods, but the gods promised that they would try to keep it under control, as long as everyone present thought of them as their Greek versions.
"Calypso's been giving me grief, and making me pay." Elsa smirked in such a way that suggested that she didn't mind whatever Calypso was making her do.
"Ugh. I can't believe we are getting married at the wedding of the century." Nico rubbed his face.
"Let's just hope we don't have any golden apple nonsense." Elsa muttered.
"At least our in-laws don't hate each other." Nico offered.
"Our mothers are dead, my father is dead, and yours is the god of the underworld." Elsa listed off. "You know, that does make things a lot easier." She grinned. The two of them were lounging around their apartment in New Rome, planning the wedding. The theme was going to be black and white, simply because it looked better than light blue and black. "Also, we're both gay, and cheating is expected, so we don't have to worry about that ending our marriage." Nico laughed.
"It's a relief that we aren't expected to consummate our marriage." He remarked. Both of them shuddered.
"We'll have to dance together though." She pointed out. "What song are we choosing? It's the only song that everybody has to listen to. The rest, everybody hears what they want."
"How about 'Thank You For Being A Friend' by Andrew Gold." Nico suggested.
"Sounds good." Elsa gave that a nod. "Also can we dance to 'I'll Be There For You' by The Rembrandts?"
"Ok." Nico agreed. "Are you writing your vows?"
"Yeah." She replied. "You?"
"Trying, but failing." He sighed.
"I almost had to add in shitty literature quotes because I couldn't think of what else to say." Elsa shrugged. "If that makes you feel any better."
"It does." Nico smiled. Then he looked to the task at hand, frowning. "Ok… Now… Seating arrangements… The real horror."
As the wedding approached, Elsa and Nico got closer to each other and closer to their friends. They made more and more jokes to mask the awkwardness of the fact that they were going to marry each other, rather than respective lovers. So many people had mistaken them for a couple before, and to that, they replied that they were siblings, but now they were going to get married. Yes, it was a platonic wedding, but still…
Once the big day finally arrived, they were both in disbelief that this was actually happening. Elsa's birthday had passed, and so they were both nineteen. They chose to marry on the anniversary on the day that they'd reunited. That one August day, after Elsa had been held prisoner, given immortality, and promised godhood, that Elsa had finally come back to him after everything that had happened.
The two had had their separate bachelor and bachelorette parties. Well, sort of. Elsa went out on a date with Calypso, and gave her a letter she'd written. The goddess made her girlfriend promise not to read it until after Elsa and Nico had been married, and the ceremony and reception were over, and Elsa and Nico had gone to their ice castle. The letter was written on beautiful thick paper, and written in fountain pen ink. The envelope was sealed, and the envelope was addressed to her with merely Calypso's name on it in cursive. Then they went about their date like two young people in deep, passionate love; like there was nothing else in their life that would tear them apart.
But Elsa was being made up and dressed by her bridesmaids and some nymphs. They were getting irritated with her because she kept stealing kisses from Calypso, and ruining her makeup.
Her dress was black and white taffeta. The bodice was black, with a gold embroidered flower motif on the front. Just above that was white with a tiny little ruffle. The skirt of the dress was white, but there were the black embroidered flower motifs, and the wide black hem. It was a beautiful dress, and was paired with a black veil with a lace hem, and black fabric roses over the comb. Her shoes were black pumps with lots of rhinestones arranged into a design. She'd put on a necklace with a small sliver angel wing and a small light blue stone. Her earrings had diamonds for two tiers, and black pearls at the bottom. Elsa's hair had been put into an intricate bun with tiny little braids in the mix. Instead of her usual crown, she wore a silver tiara with a silver pearl as the main stone, and then more silver and black pearls. Her bouquet was cascading, with white roses and midnight blue orchids.
Elsa's makeup was kept natural, except for black eyeliner. Her lipstick kept needing to be reapplied, due to her kissing Calypso. The bridesmaids wore short white cocktail dresses with half of them covered with a black lace overlay.
Soon, Aphrodite chased Calypso off of Elsa so that they could actually finish getting Elsa ready. The caramel haired girl shared a glance with her lover. A smile with the love that should have been at such a wedding—the wedding of the century.
Right as the guests were filing in, and the bridesmaids were going to check to make sure everything was ready, Calypso snuck in to embrace her lover. The two shared stolen kisses.
"Remember to read the letter after all of this is over." Elsa whispered.
"I will." Calypso promised.
"Thank you." One more kiss was exchanged before Calypso left the room so that they wouldn't be caught kissing again.
Aphrodite had warned Elsa not to be so obvious with Calypso. None of the gods were actually married to their soulmate. Elsa would be no different, but she would have Calypso. Because she was so controlled by her emotions, Elsa needed someone who truly loved her by her side for eternity, be it platonic or romantic love. But the rest of the gods would be jealous of Elsa having Calypso, no matter what. To be honest, that reminded Elsa of the poem Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe. But she didn't care what the gods thought. For a fact, she knew that they were afraid of her. So she would do as she liked.
Elsa felt a bit silly walking down the aisle. She walked alone, for the only person she would ever agree to let walk her down the aisle was the one who she was marrying. She did not let anyone put a veil over her face. She was not becoming anyone's property. She just thought that it would look good as a contrast with her hair. It was a pretty veil, after all. Anyway, Elsa felt silly because she was marrying her brother. Not Calypso, who, incidentally, was walking in front of her. But the wedding was not just about marrying her best friend/having a platonic wedding; it was about him becoming her partner in crime forever. Them being by each other's side forever. Them truly becoming best friends forever.
Nico stood at their makeshift altar. He looked kind of awkward, which made Elsa smirk. He was wearing an all-black suit, but a white tie. Reyna was standing next to him in a black dress. When Elsa arrived at the front of the aisle, as she handed her flowers to Hazel, she shared a small smile with Calypso. Then she turned to what was at hand. The music faded out of some pretty instrumental song as Elsa and Nico took each other's right wrist. Hera, who was performing the ceremony, began to wind pearly silver ribbon around their joined hands. She left two free ends towards the center of the cocoon that dangled down. Elsa and Nico knew to stand completely still, as an artist nature spirit would be painting them.
Hera began the ceremony. Elsa and Nico's eyes met. The ice blue and black. They shared smiles that looked a bit like grimaces. This would take a while. They'd requested that Hera keep things less about romantic love. In fact, they asked her to keep the husband-wife and romantic stuff out of their ceremony.
Elsa went first to say her written vows, as she was a goddess, and therefore was given the honor of speaking first. She had memorized them, as she was a goddess.
"Nico, I met you when I was only twelve. I was terrified of myself and what I could do. And then I met someone who was strange like me." Elsa kept eye contact with her brother. "As fate would have it, we had the most important friendship in the world at the time. Because despite me almost dying, you giving me your mother's ring, and declaring me to be a part of your family saved my life. Even though she cursed our hearts into being frozen, I knew that I'd be okay because I had you." Elsa swallowed. "I had nightmares of losing my best friend. And then my nightmares came true. I was taken away from you, and my mother took away your memories of me. That was the thing that hurt me most. When I was battling my mother, I knew that I had to get back to you, because you were the one who loved me the most. You're my brother. And then I found out about my destiny. I was in awe of it, and so were you. At the backs of our minds, we knew that one day, we'd be separated. Even though we fell in love and thawed our hearts… I knew that I had to spend immortality with you." Elsa's eyes filled with tears. "After all… You're my best friend, Nico. We went through almost everything together. And we had each other's backs whenever possible. I love you, Nico. You know that. I couldn't believe it when you actually agreed to be by my side for eternity. You would choose me over having a normal life." The tears had spilled over her cheeks. "Even after everything—even finding love… You'd rather be my best friend forever. It means so much that you chose this. I love you Nico. You're my best friend, and my brother." Elsa was crying. Nico allowed her a moment before going on with his vows.
"Elsa… I lost my sister when I was young. But then I met you. I couldn't believe how much I could relate to you. I thought that nobody could ever understand me. But you did. We understand each other better than anyone else. We care about each other. I know that this won't be a normal marriage, but we're best friends. We'll be partners in crime for eternity. I know what love means to you; especially romantic love. It's important to you. So I could hardly believe it when you said that you wanted me to be your companion for eternity. I knew that I couldn't not spend eternity with you, now that I knew that you wanted me to be by your side forever. We need each other, Elsa. You became my sister when I needed it most, and I became your friend when you needed it most. Then I became your brother. I wouldn't give that up for the world. I'm you're rock, and you're the only person I can actually tell everything to. We both have other friends, but we've been through everything together. I'm honored to marry you, Elsa. I'm so honored to be your best friend forever. I love you, Elsa. You're my best friend and my sister." Nico began to cry too. They smiled at each other.
"Nico Di Angelo, do you take Elsa to be your companion for all of eternity, through everything and anything that may happen?" Hera asked.
"I do." He promised.
"Elsa, do you take Nico to be your companion for all of eternity, through everything and anything that may happen?" Hera asked. The newest goddess glanced over her shoulder at her lover—now more like paramour. Calypso smiled softly, though a bit sadly, and nodded. Elsa smiled tearfully, and turned back to look Nico square in the eyes.
"I do." She vowed.
"I now pronounce you bound as allies and companions." Hera announced, tying the ends of the ribbon together into a bow. "Elsa?" She was asking Elsa to seal Nico's godhood with a kiss. Elsa wasn't going to play into their hands. She was going to do this her way. She leaned up to kiss him on the forehead. Nico stood stock still for a moment; black energy filling him. He had just become the god of shadows and outcasts. Though the two weren't directly related, he was considered a god of the Underworld.
Elsa and Nico smiled at each other, and hugged for a long moment. The rings were an afterthought. The rings meant little to the gods, but they were a tradition that they felt should be added in, after the two were already married. Elsa's was white gold, with eight little light blue sapphires, spaced out from each other. Everyone stood up cheering for the best friends who had just been married together.
After the ceremony, Elsa went straight to her dressing room to change into her reception dress. She stumbled into the room crying, realizing exactly what she'd just done. She'd just married Nico. Her brother. Not Calypso. Nico.
She took a deep breath or five, and soon stopped crying. Elsa'd just needed to get that off of her chest. She closed her eyes, and remembered why she chose Nico. He'd been there from the beginning. He was the reason she even came close to meeting Calypso, and also why she'd been able to claim her fate as a goddess. He'd been the first person like her that she'd ever met—someone born with strange powers that scared other people. He was the first person that wasn't afraid of her.
With those thoughts, Elsa knew that she really had made the right choice.
She looked over her gown—it deviated from the central theme of the wedding, but it was beautiful, and she loved it. Most of the sleeveless dress was a beautiful powder blue tulle. Except for the ivory lace from the waist up that covered the part of the dress that looked strapless, it completely violated the black and white theme. There were blue buttons on the lace part, up the back. There was a light train at the back. The shoes she chose were silver and white lace heels. They had silver butterflies on the front, and the edges had silver trim. The heel area was all silver with rhinestones. Instead of Elsa's real crown, she has a circle crown with many little diamonds, but an opal as the central gemstone. It would rest upon a fresh bun, with a braid going around her head like a wreath. This bun would be messier and looser than the fist, but Elsa liked this one better. Her earrings and necklace belonged to a set, where they were all a silver snowflake with a white pearl in the middle.
Calypso walked in as Elsa was shedding her wedding clothes, and beginning to don her reception attire.
"Hey, baby." The caramel haired girl nearly whispered. "You ok?
"Calypso… Please... Don't." The goddess pleaded, her voice raspy.
"Don't what? Love you?" Calypso asked, sounding wounded. "Care about you? Elsa…"
"The gods don't like the fact that I have you and Nico. That's why they made me choose between you two." Elsa reminded her. "I don't want them to hurt you because of that. Just… We can't be so obvious in front of them. Calypso… Love of my life… They fear me, but not enough to not try to take you away from me. Right now, we just have to lay low." She wished that she could have been saying this to her girlfriend with a hand on Calypso's cheek, and finish with a gentle kiss to the caramel haired girl's forehead, but between them lay five feet. Five wretched feet of nothing. A distance that could have, so easily, been closed, but Elsa knew that if they kissed or showed any real affection in there, it would show at the reception. So the distance stayed. It had to.
Elsa resumed getting ready as Calypso picked up her garment bag and left the room. The goddess found that she didn't care about how nice she looked. She just had to appear happy enough that the gods considered it a happy wedding, and then in the morning, Elsa could go to her paramour and kiss and hold her. Then, Zeus couldn't place any judgement, for she would remind him of Thalia's mother and the other women. He would hate that for sure, but she would get her message across; people who live in glass houses should not throw rocks. For if he tried to keep her from the girl she'd loved and been with since she was sixteen, while he had so many women that he betrayed Hera with… But for now, she would just show them what they wanted to see.
And she did, gliding out to the ballroom's floor's center, arm in arm with Nico. She smiled as though she had just married her soulmate, right as they began to play the song of their first dance. 'Thanks For Being A Friend'… As they danced together, the way everyone wanted them to, Elsa noticed that Nico's attire was all black. Black dress pants, back button up with white buttons, and a black leather jacket. She smirked. But as she danced with her brother, the reasons why she chose to marry him cycled through her mind once again, and then everything else began to melt away. Elsa found that she could finally breathe again. Once this was over, she would no longer have to jump through hoops in order to be happy.
At the wedding reception, Elsa danced with Nico, Calypso, Piper, Reyna, Hazel, Aphrodite, and Hades. The god of the Underworld was the only one who said anything that Elsa was not expecting.
"I know you and my son will never consummate your marriage, or kiss." He started out. It had been a surprise in and of itself that he had asked her to dance. "But I'm glad that it's you that he married." Elsa did not know how to respond to this. "I much prefer you to that Jackson boy. Unfortunately, if you had not asked him to marry you, Perseus Jackson would have been the only person that my son could have ever truly loved. Khione's curses tended to stick even after they were broken, you see. Neither of you will ever find someone that you will ever love as much as the people who thawed your hearts. Residue of the melted heart, and of them being your first loves."
"Why?" Elsa whispered. Hades looked at her gravely.
"When ice melts in its container, the resulting water, unfortunately, does not go anywhere unless there is somewhere for it to drain to." At that, the goddess nodded slowly. At the end of the dance, just before he left her, he said, "But Elsa… Thank you. For caring for my son."
"Just returning the favor." She murmured back.
Once the two arrived in the ice castle—their home—they both donned sweatpants and a sweatshirt, deciding to watch a movie whilst eating McDonalds. They chose one without any romance, because they didn't want to see any couples grace their TV screen that night—queer or straight.
Elsa eventually leaned against Nico, her head resting on his shoulder. He rested his own head against hers, and they stayed like that for a while. They didn't need words. They were alright, and they would be, as long as they stuck together. Nothing could get inside their little bubble of platonic and affectionate love. Neither of them really wanted to leave, because then the bubble would pop. They didn't want their innocent sibling love to leave them or the upstairs of the castle. It was theirs, and theirs alone, unlike their marriage. That belonged to the other gods; not just them.
The two did their best to not leave the room. Many hours went by, as they desperately watched things that deviated more and more against the 'no relationships or sex' rule of their bingeing. They summoned more McDonalds whenever they ran out. They found new TV shows to watch. They didn't leave that room or that couch for about a week. Once they stood up, it was thought of as that they finally had to let the real world in around them. So they tried not to. They wanted to stay there forever, where nobody and nothing could touch them. But they couldn't.
Elsa and Calypso were good little paramours, and laid low with their relationship. Elsa urged her lover to read the letter she'd been given daily. It helped with the fact that they had to not be so obvious about them still being together.
The letter read:
My dearest, most wonderful Calypso,
This letter is to remind you how much I love you, even at the times when it seems like I don't. I know I married Nico, but my heart will always be yours. You're my soulmate. My one true love. It's exactly that quote from Carmilla; "I have been in love with no one, and never shall, unless it should be with you." You are the only person I could ever love so much. I would do anything for you. You know that.
When I look at you, I see where my heart is. My eyes soften once they land upon you, for you are my weakness. When I see you look to me, your eyes grow surer, like I am the only thing you have ever been truly sure of in all of your long life. They hold secrets that only I know. Your lips, when against mine, make me smile so much that it's hard to keep kissing you. But I have to keep kissing you, because you make my spirits soar to the heavens, and I feel your happiness too, so I must satisfy you as well. For love is both generous and selfish. You must both give and take in love. I learned that from loving you, and keeping your love. Everything I know about love is from you. You… My first love, my true love, and my soulmate. It seems so right. You feel so right. Even if everyone were to tell me it was wrong, it would still seem right. You are my fairy tale. You are the beautiful princess I get to kiss in my happily ever after.
I'm so used to your love in real life and in my dreams and fantasies. It's always you. I remember when you told me that the only thing it felt like you were meant for was to be loved by me. That's why I knew I had to leave you. You have to find out who you are without me. But that day, you were reading City of Glass. In that book, in Jace's letter to Clary, he says, "As long as I can still dream, I will dream of you." Ever since we got together, you're always in my mind somehow, someplace. Shakespeare once said in Much Ado About Nothing, "I do love nothing in the world so well as you."
I could write every love quote in this letter. From literature, movies, shows, songs… All of them. And each one would somehow pertain to us. Perhaps this is what love truly is… Relating to everything, yet knowing that you are somehow special.
From the moment I first got a good look at you—when I was fifteen years old—I loved you. Even when it may have seemed that I did not, for I was doing other things—I did. I always have and always will love you. My love, you know I love you. I know that you know that. But I find myself needing to say it over and over again, for fear that you may think, even for a split second, that I do not love you. I can't let that happen. You have to know that you are loved, always and forever. I want the world to know that I love you. I want to be able to show you to every single person on this earth, and say, "This is the most wonderful person ever. It takes a mere second to fall in love with her. Her love is the best thing that could ever happen to you. But don't love her. She's mine. She's my soulmate and my everything. I love her past the stars, and into the infinite universe. Nobody could ever top how much I love her." You see? I want to shout it from the rooftops, but I need you to blossom and become the amazing woman that I know you are. I want you to soar and fly, Calypso. I will always be there to catch you when you fall, then help you back up into the heavens again.
I love every single thing about you. I love your warmth, for it shelters me from the cold that I'm so used to. I love your laugh, for it makes me want to laugh too. I love your voice, for it is the sound of your spoken thoughts, feelings, desires… I love to hear what you have to say. As aforementioned, I love every single thing about you, down to the smallest detail. And I always will.
Every part of me is yours. I am yours. Forever, even millennia later, I will still be yours. Even if I am with someone else, I will be yours.
When I'm with you, I feel normal. I no longer feel like I'm special in the way that my destiny says I am, or made me. In these times, I am special because you love me when it's just us alone together. You love me for who I am. When you love me, I feel safe from my fate and my responsibilities.
I can breathe when I'm with you. Every wall or piece of armor I put up for the world… That comes down when I'm with you.
"No matter what has happened. No matter what you've done. No matter what you will do. I will always love you. I swear it." –Defiance by C.J. Redwine
Yours forever,
And with all the love in my heart,
Elsa
Calypso kept this letter with her at all times. She didn't always read all of it. She sometimes just read a single paragraph, or outro. Nobody had ever said these types of things to her. Never.
But while Elsa and Calypso were off on their little liaison, Nico remained busy with his new godhood. He did not have any romantic endeavors, but rather was married to his job in a way. He and Elsa didn't really need to fake any sort of relationship unless other gods were around. Elsa had explained that few demigods came their way very often. They didn't get many visitors each month, to be honest. So Elsa manly spent her time on her throne other places. She loved creating winter for the northern hemisphere again. However, she also spent a lot of time with Calypso. So Nico spent most of his time in the Underworld. He had become Hades' lieutenant, pushing aside Thanatos. The other god did not feel any sort of grudge towards Nico for this; understanding that Nico was Hades' son, and of course would be favored. However, this job of sorts caused Nico to be away a lot. He and Elsa were growing apart. They were off doing completely different things. It went unsaid that they both, over time, resented the fact that they were married.
Nevertheless, they still had each other's backs when needed. But it wasn't always easy to communicate with the other. They did love each other; they just had a river flowing between them. One that continuously got deeper and deeper, the more time went by where they did so little communicating. They were more like roommates. And they didn't even talk as some might. Neither of them really saw such a huge problem, but then again, they were wrapped up in other things.
"Let's have a wedding." Elsa suggested to her lover as they laid in bed together in Calypso's apartment. It wasn't on the best side of Manhattan, but it was near her job as a bartender.
"Just a wedding? No getting married?" Calypso mused.
"I can't get married again." The goddess pointed out with a grimace.
"I know, I'm just teasing." The caramel haired girl nudged her lover with her head.
"But really… Do you want to exchange vows and rings? I really want to see what you look like in a wedding dress." Elsa asked timidly.
"… Alright." Calypso decided after a small pause.
"Really?" The blonde felt a smile creep onto her lips.
"No."
"What?! You just said yes!" Elsa felt dismayed at this.
"I'm kidding. Of course I want to have a wedding with you." Calypso emphasized this point by kissing Elsa. "But if anyone else asked, I'd tell them no."
"I'm glad I'm your exception." Elsa murmured.
"You always have been." The caramel haired girl pointed out. "You're the only person I ever truly wanted to love, of my own free will."
"And you're my one and only soulmate." The two fell into a heated lip lock once again, delving further into the little bubble that was all their own.
It wasn't quite yet dawn when Elsa met Calypso in the Shakespeare garden in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The two had run away to California together for a week. They'd gone on a road trip together. They'd done it to be slightly rebellious and to celebrate young love. They wanted to be able to look back on this with nostalgia. So they were going to go all out. Elsa needed to show the gods that they didn't own her. She'd continue her affair with Calypso, until the caramel haired girl died. She figured that they'd leave her alone since she and Nico had grown so far apart recently.
The two had gotten separate hotel rooms overnight, and then booked the honeymoon suite for the rest of the week.
Elsa's dress appeared strapless, but actually had a high neck of transparent net fabric. However, it was sleeveless, and had sequins all over it, even on the parts where it looked like there was no fabric, along with large patches of floral lace. The dress had a large tulle skirt, with panels of the floral lace at even intervals. At the waistline, there was an ivory ribbon sash that tied into a bow at the back, and the ribbon went down three quarters of the way to the ground. On the front of that sash was an extremely fancy diamond shaped decoration composed of many large, clear jewels. The back had only one. Elsa's heels were white with sequins all over them. Her jewelry was a simple set of earrings and a necklace, all a silver figure eight with tiny diamonds along the bottom of the eight, and a blue jewel in the bottom hole. Elsa's makeup was very natural, but she had two separate eyeliners working as one. Black along her eyelid, making the classic cat-eye, and a pearly color directly on top of it, going down where the black went up. Her hair was pulled back from two braids along the side of her head, pinned up intricately in the back, where they coiled together. Elsa had no veil, but she had a tiara of little blue leaf crystals, along with a few pearls. Her bouquet was light blue and white assorted flowers.
Calypso's dress may have been a little more simplistic on its own; merely a plain white strapless dress, with a flap of fabric at the top that doubled over, but there was a silver and white floral lace cape-like thing that went all the way to the ground. Calypso's shoes were simple white patent leather with decorated floral cut out edges. Her jewelry was large and flashy. Her necklace was more like a collar piece of gems. Her earrings matched, but were not very heavy. Calypso also did not have a veil. Her hair was pulled back from her face, and teased up a little bit, with tiny little flowers laced in them. She had a wild-ish winter themed flower crown in her hair. It was mainly silvery-white. But her large, cascading flower bouquet was full of life and color. The flowers were mainly warm hues, unlike the rest of theme of the wedding.
The two of theme pretended like there was nothing else but each other, like they always did when they were alone together. It was cold, despite being spring in California, but they hugged the moment they met at the end of the pavement in the Shakespeare Garden. It was a beautiful area; often used for weddings. Now it was used for their unofficial one. The flowers were blooming, and everything was beautiful. Especially Calypso.
The women faced each other, large smiles on their faces.
"Hello, Calypso." Elsa murmured breathlessly, for her lover's beauty took the air from her lungs. Gods, she loved this woman with every fiber of her being.
"Hello Elsa." Her paramour replied. "You look so beautiful."
"As do you, my darling." Their smiles could have lit up the entire world. "I was only fifteen when I first saw you, and fell in love with you. I subtly chased you for three months. I really was friends with you, but I was deeply in love with you. You were my soulmate, and it had been love at first sight. It's-It's hard to say anything I haven't said before, because I tried to express my love for you in every way possible." Elsa paused, getting emotional, tears coming to her eyes. "But even if it hadn't been love at first sight, I probably still would have confessed having feelings for you on my sixteenth birthday. How could I not have fallen for you? You are not just beautiful on the outside—you are breathtakingly pristine on the inside as well. You love art—that was the first thing we bonded over. You love books—we'd discuss them together. And we'd go for walks on the beach. You said that the beach reminded you of home, but walking next to me was comforting, because the cold that I emit reminded you that you weren't home. You know… My first words to you were 'do you like it'. I think that we could have had a more interesting love story, had my words to you been different, or a more romantic one, also had they been different. But I'm not that concerned with the love story we could've had. I only care about the fact that you love me, and I love you. Always have, and I always will. I want my soul to be forever tied with yours, and my heart to be forever linked to yours. This is why I stand here with you, just before dawn, expressing my love to you."
"I recall that my first words to you were 'very much' in response to your first words to me." Calypso commented dryly, an amused grin playing on her lips. "But to be honest… I didn't fall in love with you until about six months after we met. I knew you had feelings for me, but you left after I rejected you. But I'd hear people talk about you and how amazing you were. You—You were my best friend. And I cared about you, even after your confession. I—I thought about what I was missing out on… and I slowly fell for my best friend, the more I thought about you. When you came back, I was not disappointed by reality. I love you, Elsa. You know how big and important that is, because I fell in love with you of my own free will. You are the first person that I have fallen for, because I wanted to. Not because I was forced to because I was trapped on that island. This… This is something real. The first completely authentic thing I've ever had. You know that I feel that I am nothing without you, and you chose to marry Nico because of that, despite being very much in love with me. But… You want to let me fly on my own. That is love. Love is selfish and selfless at the same time. You will be my forever and always, Elsa. For the rest of my life, I will love only you, for I could never go back to what other people have. You're my soulmate, for goodness' sake. You're my everything. Oh gods… I love you so much Elsa." The two fell into a passionate kiss, only coming up for air and for Calypso to put a silver band on Elsa's finger. It was carved with a Claddagh, pointing towards the blonde. "'You are mine, and you shall be mine. You and I are one forever.'" Calypso quoted in a whisper right before they kissed again and again and again.
Three years later…
Elsa was visiting the Underworld by Nico's side. Her connections to everyone and everything alive were very severed. However, Hades was one of the better gods to talk to. He and Elsa were similar. Their emotions—when they ran high—made them dangerous. They were both deities who terrified the others. Zeus just didn't have the fire of emotion that Hades had, and Poseidon was far too relaxed. For this reason, this was why Elsa enjoyed visiting the Underworld with Nico, despite not knowing if Calypso and Anna were alright at all times. It made her very nervous at first, but each time she went, she relaxed a bit more. It had been over four years since Elsa and Nico had formed their union, and so Elsa had come to enjoy the underworld visits.
However, this time, she felt kind of uneasy the whole time, feeling like there was something that she was missing. Like she'd forgotten something. She excused herself and left. Once Elsa returned to her castle, she felt the most crippling pull in her chest, and heart wrenching scream in her mind. It was Calypso.
Elsa struggled to gain her composure enough to teleport herself to her lover, taking far too long to do so, in her opinion. She was in New York, next to an alley. Elsa slowly walked down the alleyway, and heard telltale grunts of a man, and whimpers of Calypso.
"Baby?" She called out, running further down the alley, and then screamed. Next to a dumpster, a man was on top of her Calypso... Assaulting her… His hand choking her. Calypso was limp. Elsa yanked the man off of her lover by the hair, throwing him against the wall behind her. He let out a scream in pain. "Calypso." Elsa knelt over her girlfriend, gently and carefully taking Calypso into her arms, and covering her girlfriend with her own cloak. "Sweetheart… I'm right here, darling. Baby, you can wake up now." She crooned, gently kissing her girlfriend's forehead. Calypso's chest was almost not even moving. Elsa gently tried to feel a pulse in Calypso's wrist. The beat was so slow… And getting slower… Soon… It stopped. The goddess put her head to her lovers chest, listening for a heartbeat. There was none. She cried out, beginning to cry. "Baby, please. Calypso, come back to me." She whispered, begging. "Darling, please. You're not dead, honey." She said the latter sentence as she saw that Calypso's throat had been crushed, and there were bruises all over her half-dressed body. "Calypso…" She whimpered. "Come back to me. I said I'd catch you when you fall, and I've got you now. It's alright." She whispered. Calypso's beautiful eyes did not open. Her pristine, but bruised features were still and cold. Elsa cradled Calypso in her arm, pulling her lover's face to her chest, as she began to sob, realizing that Calypso was not going to wake up. "NO!" She screamed, tears watering the ground, and washing away the blood on the concrete. Elsa willed herself back to her castle, placing Calypso on her own bed, the blood staining her sheets. The sheets of the bed they shared and made love in. The one that Calypso would never again share with her. Elsa carefully arranged her lover as if she were merely sleeping, and kissed her forehead before going back to that alley. She had to avenge her lover.
The man had stood up, and covered himself. He looked to be in pain from being thrown against a wall. Elsa marched right up to him, grabbing his throat.
"Run." She whispered, livid. Her voice was like acid venom.
"What?" He looked confused, but not scared. That would be rectified soon enough.
"I said; run." She snarled, tears pouring down her cheeks.
"Why?" He sneered. Of course he'd act like that. He was a horrible rapist. And prison was too good for him. He took the light out of Calypso's eyes. He took her arms from around Elsa. He took her words from Elsa's ears. He took Elsa's love away.
"I'm going to hunt you down. I'm going to torture you until you feel what she felt multiplied by one hundred times, and then you're going to feel what I felt. And then comes the real pain of your slow, drawn out death." Elsa hissed, hot tears of anger unable to freeze right away due her anger. Frost was forming on his neck. Ice was forming on the ground beneath her feet. "But I won't be satisfied if I find you too quickly, and if you're not afraid enough. So run… And I will haunt you until terror floods through your veins every second of every day when you think it's me. Every blonde woman will send you running. Every bit of ice or snow will make you shake, and check every corner of every room, and you will still fear that I am near. And if you dare lay a hand on another woman… Or hurt one… I swear I will kill you so slowly that you will be begging for the mercy of death. So run. Or else I will be further from avenging her death, so your torture will last longer." Elsa's arm shook as she dropped him. In a flash, she disappeared.
She was back in her throne room. Well, hers and Nico's. But that didn't matter. It was going to become the last room that man would ever see. He would feel true agony in there. He would die in there.
Elsa paced, and then then caught sight of her reflection. She looked so pale… Her clothing had changed without her knowledge. Her dress was strapless and navy blue. The bodice had gold patterns on it. Plants, like Calypso had loved. The skirt had tiny gold dots all over it. Like stars… Like Calypso had also loved. A layer of the tulle trailed behind her, but was covered by her black velvet cloak. Her shoes were black mesh stiletto ankle boots. Her hair was in a simple French braid now. The only ring she wore was the wedding band that Calypso had given her… The silver carved Claddagh band, the heart pointed towards herself. Elsa still belonged to Calypso. She always would. But now she would avenge the one person who deserved to be there. Around her neck were two necklaces. One was a black tattoo choker with little diamond studs evenly spaced on it. The second was a little chord with a tiny diamond heart. Though black eyeshadow and mascara had found its way onto her eyelids, the scariest thing about Elsa was not her makeup or clothing. It was the look in her eyes that she was livid and would go to the end of the earth to seek the vengeance that she aimed to serve.
She'd shut the door of her bedroom, unable to look into the room. She just couldn't.
The angry goddess teleported herself to wherever Calypso's killer was. He was waiting for a subway. She grabbed his shoulder.
"Hello." She snarled. "I guess you didn't take me seriously enough. Run. It's not that hard. I will haunt your nightmares. For you see, you hurt the soulmate of a goddess." She let go of his shoulder to grab his throat, squeezed it briefly, and shoved him back. "Filth." She spat.
Elsa tormented him for the better part of ten days, avoiding Nico the whole time, as he might try to stop her, or try to help the guy. They did not go into each other's rooms without permission, so he would not discover Calypso's body. The castle was keeping it cool and safe. Elsa did not go into her room though. She couldn't face her dead lover. So she did all she could to ensure that Calypso would be avenged.
The man who had raped and killed Calypso was named Damien Malum. Elsa watched him, and began to use her powers as a goddess like she previously had not. She was the cold wind that brushed against the back of his neck. She was the ice on his doorstep. She was the numb feeling in his fingers that just would not go away. She was his nightmares that left him tossing and turning; but unable to wake from the night terrors. She became everything he feared. He never ate or drank anything cold now. He didn't even look at women. Not because he felt guilty. But because he was afraid of Elsa. If he saw a patch of ice, he'd go sprinting the other way. If he saw a blonde braid, he'd hide.
Elsa grew intoxicated in his fear before she decided that she was ready to finish him off.
One night, she slipped into his apartment as he was trying to fall asleep. He slept with the lights on. Elsa frosted the plug in the outlet, causing the lamp to fail. Now Damien was stuck in the dark. Elsa gently blew the door open. The hinges creaked and whined as the door drifted open enough for Elsa to slip into the room, and into the corner. Damien let out a sick whimper in fear. Elsa had trained the little doggie well…
"Well, well, well, Damien…" She chuckled. "I promised you, didn't I? Time for your torture." Before he could scream, she grabbed his throat and brought him back to her throne room. She created chains of ice, and had him hanging from the ceiling limply. His angles were shackled together, and then the shackles were chained to the floor to keep him from kicking her. "Do you know what love feels like, Damien?" She asked, creating a knife of ice.
"Of course I do." He said, breathless from fear. "I love my mother—" Elsa scoffed, interrupting him.
"Do you? Do you really?" She snorted. "Let me tell you something. You don't know what love feels like. Love… Love is what Calypso and I shared every moment of every day, from when we got together. Even though she's dead, I love her. I love her so much that it hurts. Her being dead is like a dagger to my heart, Damien. My grief will not be lessened by your torture or death; but my thirst for vengeance will be. Honestly, my grief will last until I, myself die." She shook her head, looking at the knife.
"I'm sorry." He pleaded.
"Why did you do it?" Elsa snarled. "Why did you hurt her?"
"I… I…" Damien was at a loss for words. The goddess scoffed, and placed a hand to his head and tapped into his memories. She saw how he would see Calypso every day. Sometimes even with Elsa. She could feel Damien's lust. She saw him ask her out in a bar. She saw Calypso shake her head, showing her ring. The ring Elsa had given her. She felt his anger, and then she saw him grab her; take her into the alleyway…
Elsa yanked her hand away from him. She couldn't bear to see how this disgusting man had tried to take away the thing that Calypso gave to her, and only her. Sure, maybe in the past, Calypso had been involved with people intimately, but ever since they met, Elsa had been Calypso's only one.
"I can't believe you." Elsa shook her head at him. "You see, I am an abuse survivor… My mother and my uncles… For ten months they would abuse me in all sorts of ways. I told myself that I would always protect Calypso from that. I promised her that I'd catch her when she fell. But I was too late to protect my lover from you. I could not catch her in time. You took away her free will, and her life. Now, I will never hear her say 'I love you' again. I will never look into her eyes and know that she loves me. Calypso… Was the only person I've ever loved. She used to read quotes from books to me, as we lay in our bed at night. One quote that I'd tell her, because she couldn't say it to me, was from Carmilla… 'I have been in love with no one, and never shall, unless it should be with you.' I wrote her a love letter when I had to go to Canada. I poured my love for her into that letter. That was one of the things I said to her. Damien… You will never learn what that quote means. You don't deserve to have someone love you. But I just felt that I should share my feelings with you." She was pacing back and forth in front of him. She placed a hand over his heart and concentrated on her love, rage, and grief. He let out a cry, and began to sob; tears streaking down his cheeks.
"I'm sorry. Please let me go." He begged, crying. "I'm so sorry that I hurt her, ok? I was stupid, and I'll do anything to make it up to you. I belong in prison. Just please!"
"No. Prison is too good for you." Elsa hissed, placing the knife at the inside of his forearms, dragging it across his flesh. "You deserve every little thing I dish out to you." Damien cried out in pain. "Do you know what it feels like to be assaulted like that, Damien? Well… Let both Calypso and I share that." Elsa placed a hand on his forehead, concentrating on every single time she'd been so much as looked at that way by the Boreads, and Damien's assault of Calypso. Damien began sobbing harder. "See how women feel when you do this to them?"
"I promise, I will never do that to any woman ever again, but please…" He pleaded.
"Damn right you will never do that to any person ever again." Elsa agreed coolly. "You won't, because you won't make it out of this castle alive." This shut him up. "You know… Even though we weren't married the way we wanted to be, Calypso and I had our own little wedding. This was because we loved each other just that much, but I am married to my best friend, who is a brother-figure to me. I thought I couldn't live without him. But imagine how much I regret my decision to not marry my soulmate, huh? We were supposed to be together until she was old. We went to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco together, in wedding attire, and exchanged rings and vows. We kissed at dawn. We promised ourselves to only each other. I promised her that I'd always catch her when she fell..." Elsa smiled wistfully for a moment, then her smile turned sadistic. "But because of you, I couldn't catch her, and so she fell until she hit the ground hard. Now Damien, do you feel guilty?"
"Yes." He whimpered. "Please, I'm so sorry. I'll do anything. Please… Have mercy."
"No." Was Elsa's cold reply. "You took my soulmate away from me, now suffer the consequences. You see, she was the light of my life, and I was the only one who ever made her feel like she was wonderful. You ripped her away from me, before she could truly find out just how wonderful she truly was. You deserve every ounce of guilt you feel. And even if you don't feel any guilt at all, well then—it doesn't matter either way. I will torture you. I'm just warming you up emotionally, to see if I can make things more terrible for you." She grinned darkly, and then sliced her knife through Damien's shirt. "For your torture, you won't be needing this." She informed him, letting the fabric fall to the floor. Elsa traced Damien's skin with the knife. He shook from the pain. Elsa merely laughed. "You haven't felt anything." Elsa created a rod in her hand—one of very strong ice. She pulled it back and hit his ribs with the rod. Damien yelped. Elsa hit him again and again in the same spot over again until she heard a crack. "Ooh, your ribs cracked!" She commented gleefully.
Damien winced, biting his lip to hold back his cries. Elsa then rammed it into his gut. He tried to double over, but could not. She did so again and again. Then she hit the top of his head. He stood there, seemingly trying to recover. Elsa had only let up to form little icicles no longer than her fingertips, but wide. They were sharp, though not sharp enough. They were rough with frost all over them. This was what made them perfect. She grinned, picking one up from the pile in her other hand, and carefully inserted it into the underside of his upper arm. Damien screamed in pain. It went in alright, just not easily, and it was painful when it did go in. Elsa walked around Damien, finding places to put the little icicles. There was blood on the floor, but not much. These little pins—for lack of a better thing to call them—were for pain. They would not kill Damien, due to where they were placed, but they would cause pain.
"There are twelve of those in you, right now." Elsa informed him, slowly walking in a circle around him. "How does it feel to have something in you that you did not consent to be put in you? Of course… You wouldn't know how victims truly feel. They feel degraded, violated, disrespected… In general, they just feel awful." Elsa stepped towards him, and placed a finger around his neck. An ice collar formed. It was enough to restrict his breathing to the point where it was extremely uncomfortable, and he had a lot of trouble breathing. Elsa, meanwhile, disappeared for a split second. Damien let the tears flow, as well as his blood, trying not to sob too hard, as his breathing was restricted. But she reappeared with a belt, having broken the rule of not going into Nico's room without permission. She doubled it, and snapped it.
"Please, no." He begged breathlessly. "Please don't hurt me anymore."
"I bet that's what Calypso wanted to say." She snarled before thrashing him seven times—the number of years she and Calypso had been together. She'd wanted that number to be over fifty at the very least. But it would never be that high. "Seven years… We were together for almost seven years. You see… I wanted to watch her grow old, and still love her even as she was an old woman… And be there as she left the world, when she was ready… But that will never happen. Let's see… Eighty lashes should do the trick—the number of years minimum that Calypso should have lived." Elsa hit him over and over again, her rage fueling her. "Whoops, I lost count…. Better start again." She snarled.
"Thank you." He breathed, when she finally let up. The ground was a puddle of blood and tears. Elsa carefully avoided getting into it. She'd freeze it when it grew too large.
"Let's make this a little tighter." Elsa touched his neck, and another collar formed; a smaller one. Damien was struggling to breathe now. She held up a hand, and all of the pins left Damien's body, and dropped to the ground. They were covered in blood. "Let's make you feel what my heart feels like now." She placed a hand on his back, and over his skin formed a thin layer of ice. This ice was the coldest ice Elsa had ever formed. It was so cold that it burned any mortal's bare flesh. Elsa kept Damien trapped for sixty seconds. Then she hit him on the head with an ice rod, shattering the ice of both. "You must feel numb now." She mocked. "Let me give you some more feeling." Elsa created a short icicle, and stabbed him in the stomach. It was a shallow stab, so that it would not hit his internal organs. Elsa did not want to kill him… Yet. He had not felt enough pain yet. He was sobbing though.
She stabbed him again and again, relentlessly. She stabbed his legs through his jeans. The puddle of blood an ice was becoming an issue. So, Elsa froze it, and stepped onto it. She grinned at Damien, then pressed the icicle into his cheek
"You'll lose blood slowly, so blood loss won't kill you soon enough." She assured him. A long but thin icicle—as sharp as an ice pick—formed in her hand. She carefully aimed and pushed the icicle though Damien, so that it stuck out from the other side. He screamed in agony. She'd been careful not to hit his vital organs. That would come later. She made as many icicles as she dared, until he was like her own personal icicle dart board. She grinned darkly at him, then stepped forward with a small ice knife, and carefully traced a line on his neck—not deep enough to slit his throat, but enough for him to wonder if death was really so bad.
"Please…" He struggled to say, as he could barely breathe. "Kill me. I deserve to die."
"You do, just not yet." Elsa assured him. It was then that Nico burst into the room. Elsa whirled around, her mouth open to explain. There was blood all over the floor. She was dressed darkly.
"Elsa, what happened?" Nico asked calmly. She swallowed, but her mouth was dry.
"He raped and killed Calypso." Elsa said darkly, a flash of pure rage in her ice cold blue eyes.
"Can I talk to him briefly? I just want to say something." Nico pleaded. "You can stay right here." Elsa gave a nod to that. "What's his name?"
"Damien." Said man secretly hoped that somehow… Nico would save him.
"Look… Damien… What ever gave you the idea that it was ok to rape anyone?" The black haired man asked rhetorically. "I don't care why you did it, or how. But you killed my sister's soulmate via rape. And you know… I think that you deserve everything she gives you." With that, Nico left. Then, Elsa grinned.
Elsa stood, watching the rest of the life drain out of Damien. She'd killed him by shoving ice harpoons into his vital organs and watched as he cried as he bled out, and everything stopped.
The goddess was still angry. Her lover was dead. Dead. And she hadn't even gotten to say goodbye. She needed someone else to blame. She thought to why she had been unable to get to Calypso in time. Hades… They had been visiting him. Because…. Nico had insisted that they go visit the underworld together.
She straightened up. Nico. She had to kill Nico. He was the next person responsible for Calypso's death. Because she was his sister, she'd tell him of his crime, and then quickly take him out. It would be quick and not full of torture. She strode out of the castle, where Nico stood, watching the sea. He did that when he was thinking about Percy, and what could have been, even with any other guy.
Elsa stalked up to him and socked him right in the face, then blasted him with a snowdrift. A small storm formed over them, snow swirling around in what was the beginning of a small blizzard.
"Elsa? What?" Nico asked, confused.
"Calypso's dead because of you." She snarled, standing over him. "You will pay for her life with your own."
"You already killed Damien." Nico reminded her. "He's the one who killed her. Elsa… It's okay now. You have your vengeance."
"Yes, but you are the reason I could not get to her in time. You brought me to the underworld." She hissed. Nico freed himself from the snow. "Because of you, I can never feel her love again, and she will never feel mine again." Elsa was on a rampage, and Nico realized this. Elsa took a swipe at him, but he stepped back. She kept blasting her powers, but Nico shielded himself with a black field of energy. When she tried to physically harm him, Nico merely dodged her attempts.
"Elsa, I know you're in pain." He said. "I can't even imagine how much it hurts." Nico really couldn't. Even when he had to let Percy go, in order to be with his sister, it didn't measure up to what she had to be feeling.
"No, you can't. So you have to pay with your life." She shrieked. A tear slipped down Elsa's cheek. "I was supposed to watch over her and love her until she was an old lady and passed away. But now she's dead. She was only twenty-four." Elsa roared. "You killed her!"
"You'd do anything to bring her back. You'd do anything to get your revenge." Nico remarked calmly, despite defending himself from Elsa's attempts to harm him. "You know, that's what I love about you. I remember the second time we saw each other… I comforted you when you lost control of your powers, and helped you get a hand on things." He paused, smiling, and dodging as she tried to grab at him. "That was part of the beginning. We said we'd always love each other when we got married. Not the type of love people expected, but our love. Our sibling love."
"Shut up!" Elsa yelled. "The only one I love is Calypso. The only one who loved me was Calypso." Elsa had convinced herself that her romantic love for Calypso was the only kind of love in her heart. She was so distraught over Calypso's death that she forgot who she usually went to for comfort in all things.
"Remember how you had nightmares after Khione kept you captive? I was always there. Each time that happened, I wanted you to remember that I loved you unconditionally, and would be there for you. To this day, I love you unconditionally. And I will always love you unconditionally." Nico wanted to get it into her head that he loved Elsa no matter what. So he repeated that to her. Trying to penetrate the walls of hatred and anger that she'd put up.
"Nobody loves me." Elsa said darkly. For her, losing Calypso was devastating to the point where she tried to block love from her heart. She was lying to herself, of course. She was a slave to her love and passion. Every single she did or said was because of the void in her heart. Elsa wanted desperately to escape it and its pain, but she only ended up being ruled by it. That was where the hatred and anger came from… Grief that was worse than a dull, rusty dagger dipped into acid and poison, stabbed right in her heart.
"I do." Nico stated simply. "I love you."
"No you don't. I don't love you. We don't love each other, and we never have!" She howled. Her attacks were losing their strength, though the swirling blizzard grew worse, though they could still hear and see each other.
"Elsa… I'm the one person—above all other people—that you can't live without." He reminded her of her choice. "Elsa, I love you no matter what."
"You don't." She whimpered, standing still, no longer using her powers. "Love doesn't exist in my world." A tear slipped down her cheek. She didn't want to feel the grief that was a giant hole in her heart. So Elsa chose not to feel love. But the walls she'd built around her heart were wearing thin, though the storm grew thicker.
"Yes it does. And it's eating you alive from grief. Elsa… I love you. Ever since we were thirteen years old… I've loved you. You are my sister. Ten years. It's been ten years that we've loved each other."
"Stop." She whispered. Nico slowly approached her. He was cautious, conscious of the fact that she might attack him again. He didn't want her to feel guilty for hurting him later on.
"I love you, Elsa." He repeated. "And nothing can make me not love you. Even if you kill me, I'll still love you. Even if you torture me, I'll still love you. Unconditionally. That's what it means."
"Shut up." Tears streamed down Elsa's face. Her body began to shake. The blizzard was so thick that Nico could have cut through it with a knife.
"I love you, Elsa."
"No you don't!" She screamed, beating her fists against his chest as he pulled her into his arms, trying to get away from what she actually wanted and needed most. The storm howled, so dark, thick, and cold…
"I love you." He whispered, as he pulled Elsa into a hug, sheltering her from the world. "I love, you, Elsa. I love you." She began to sob into his chest, having lost the strength to fight back. The walls around her heart crumbled, and she felt the flood of devastating emotions from the whole that she had been trying not to feel, and suddenly, the blizzard froze, and everything was deathly quiet, except for Elsa's weeping.
"She's dead." She sobbed. "Calypso's dead." The storm above them just disappeared, and they were blinded by the sun… The godforsaken sun that shone even though Calypso was dead…
"I know." Nico soothed, carefully lowering the two of them down to their knees. "I know she's gone. But I've got you. It's going to be ok." Elsa could only sob in response. "I love you, Elsa."
Nico held his sobbing sister on the cliff over the ocean for a long time, gently rubbing circles into her back. Elsa did not let up on her tears. She let out screams of grief. She wept well into the night. Nico was not impatient. He knew what was hurting Elsa, so he needed to let her cry it out the first time. He kept a few fingers on her forehead, sharing memories of their platonic love through their telepathic link. Elsa's hair felt out the braid, the dark makeup washed away, and she clutched the cloak around herself as if she were trying to warm the cold void inside her heart. The physical violence had ended. But now Elsa would have to deal with what she'd done to a mortal as well as her devastating grief for Calypso. She needed Nico most of all now. Without him, she probably wouldn't have remained alive to even become a goddess. She probably would have just ended everything already.
But now, on top of everything in her past that Elsa had been forced to deal with, there was this; the loss of her soulmate—the one person Elsa had loved romantically… The girl that every love song reminded her of. The girl whose lips felt like love in and of themselves. The girl whose arms made Elsa feel normal and safe. The girl who looked at Elsa like she was the most beautiful and wonderful person in the world. The girl whose presence made Elsa feel loved and safe. The only girl who had ever loved her, and the only girl Elsa ever thought she'd love. She was gone forever.
Elsa had also tortured and killed the mortal responsible for Calypso's death. Although that was justified—just like the deaths of Khione and the Boreads—it would be something Elsa would feel guilty for. She was just too human in her heart (though she was more of a slave to her emotions and passions than the average person) to not feel that. Elsa may have been tougher than titanium or diamonds, but her heart was her weakness and her strength at the time. It could either make her extremely dangerous, or render her completely defenseless. If Nico hadn't managed to talk Elsa out of her fit of rage and vengeance, if she'd hurt him, she'd have snapped out of it, and instantly begun sobbing, once she'd seen what she'd done. But now, she just wept because Calypso was dead. Calypso… died.
Though her tears did not stop coming, her sobs did. The tears had slowed, but slid down her cheeks at regular intervals. Nico figured that this was as good as Elsa would get in the area of having cried it out to the point where he could take her inside to let her rest. In his bedroom, of course. He'd have to remove Calypso's body, as well as Damien's, though he'd treat them very differently.
Meanwhile, he scooped Elsa up and carried her into his bedroom, and gave her flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. After a second thought, he realized that Calypso had made Elsa feel warm, which she found that she liked, and added a black pullover sweatshirt and some warm socks. He left her alone to go IM someone for help. Since he couldn't really think of anyone who would really be that much help with two dead bodies, and who might actually be able to help with Elsa, Nico chose Thalia. She was technically immortal, so he didn't have to worry about her suddenly dying nearly as much as he did about their other friends. What Elsa needed right then was to have people she could count on—and not some god or goddess that didn't feel or understand grief too well, but someone who Elsa knew. The goddess was technically twenty-three, but she chose to revert back to physically sixteen, because that's how old she was when she and Calypso got together. Elsa had been physically aging with Calypso, so that in some way, they could grow old together.
Nico sighed, leaning against an ice wall, closing his eyes. He needed to be strong for his sister as he always was. She was there for him when he gave up Percy. (Frankly, the two would have broken up eventually anyway because they just weren't as compatible as his childhood feelings lead him to believe. Digression.) She comforted him when nightmares came back to haunt him. She let him hold her when he had nightmares about losing her. She would promise him that she was his sister and would always find her way back to him, for she needed her brother. Nico needed her as well. That was why he would take care of her in her time of need.
When Thalia arrived, the two took care of Calypso's body; giving her a beautiful final resting place that she would have loved.
Then they had to deal with Damien. They just buried him in the desert somewhere where nobody would find him; not knowing what else to do.
A bigger task at hand was Elsa. She'd be a wreck even after everything had been cleaned up. Calypso was her soulmate. Her true love. She was the one who had been roughly yanked from Elsa. They had been so in love… Nico knew that Elsa would probably regret choosing him, but he'd do his best to help her and love her through it.
Unfortunately, things did not go as he had hoped that they may. Elsa's weeping period was over all too soon, and then there was that stage of grief where it just felt like a hole in her heart. She withdrew into herself; knowing that people wanted her to be okay. So she pretended to be. The awful truth was… She wasn't alright. And she wasn't sure that she would ever be.
Elsa sat upon her throne, gazing off into space. She did that a lot now. She didn't rest anymore. Her bed was pretty much abandoned now. She had nothing to live for anymore. Perhaps the occasional demigod coming to her for help, and when Nico would break the trance she felt like she was in, and do something to try to comfort her. But that was it. Her days were long and empty. She rarely used her powers anymore. She hadn't, since she'd realized what she'd done to Damien. She wasn't living; she was existing. Taking up space. That was it.
She was grieving, and feeling guilt over being overly cruel when torturing Damien. The latter didn't occupy her mind nearly as much as the former did. Elsa did not go to Calypso's grave. She couldn't bring herself to do so. It was easy to go back to the wildflowers and the woods of the Canary Islands… But Elsa felt too weak to do anything, especially emotionally. Visiting her dead lover would require a lot of emotional strength.
She could feel nothing. Elsa wanted to feel something. The pain of her lover's death would be welcome. And the thirst for revenge… But both had passed. Now Elsa just felt empty. She didn't even cry anymore. She felt like she was an empty shell of what used to be beautiful and happy person. That girl had died with Calypso.
This all changed one day when internally, she could hear Thalia screaming. Elsa gasped in pain. She could feel again! She could feel pain!
After taking it in for a moment, she went to her friend's side, and found that the Hunter was holding her little brother's head in her lap. It became evident that Jason had lost a battle. Elsa, for a second, could not breathe. Jason was dead… he too was dead.
It had been nine months since Calypso had died… Nine months since Elsa had last felt love. Nine months since she'd been kissed. Nine months since she'd been intimate with someone.
Thalia looked up at the goddess, seeing the distant look of yearning in her eyes, and grabbed her hand, using Elsa to help pull herself up.
"Please," The Hunter begged. "I need to feel." Tears rushed down the raven haired girl's cheeks. "Elsa, please… Help me feel." Then, the two were kissing. Elsa had gone back to around sixteen or seventeen years old, because that was back when Elsa was loved, with no complications. Just her and Calypso in love. She wanted that feeling back.
Elsa and Thalia kissed roughly and messily, hands roaming each other, searching for feeling. Something. Suddenly, they were back in Elsa's room, on her bed. And they slept together. This wasn't soft, slow, and sweet. This was primal, animalistic, and full of need. They had a common goal; to feel again, for they could not. They couldn't feel through their grief.
While the goddess laid in her bed post-coitus in a fetal position; her covers up to her chin, Thalia got dressed. Once the Hunter was ready, Elsa sent her back to Artemis, and then stretched her limbs under her bed covers. She had felt something when she was doing it with Thalia. She'd finally felt something.
These loveless fucks occurred often to the point where Elsa finally just gave Thalia a ring to press the gemstone of if she wanted or needed Elsa. It was a simple but thin gold band set with a little moonstone. Each woman had one.
Both came to welcome the encounters, and even looked forward to them. Elsa dressed sexier. Her dress was an ivory/peachy color with a dark blue sash and basically little dark blue branches that went from the bust down to the knees. The dress was a sleeveless mermaid style, so this worked. Below the knees, it was just tulle. Elsa kept a black lace cloak about her, and navy blue sequins heels. The only jewelry she wore now was the ring that matched Thalia's, and a pair of sapphire and moonstone chandelier style earrings. Elsa didn't want to remember that she was married to Nico. With all of her emotions, it was difficult for her to cope with that as well. She felt nothing except when she was sleeping with Thalia. Then she felt a rush, and a high of endorphins.
Just because there was no love behind them did not mean that they were emotionless. They were both grateful for their intimacy, but in reality, they were nothing more than friends with benefits. They were the only ones who felt their respective grief as a hole cut out of her heart. They did care about each other, but after each time was over, Thalia would quickly get dressed, and Elsa would send her back to Artemis, and she'd lay in bed for a while.
Technically, Thalia was not breaking her oath. Her oath said nothing about not sleeping with women.
Both women knew that they would never fall in love. They were just too different for that. Sure, Elsa'd had a crush on Thalia when she was thirteen, but that was just the first moment when Elsa realized that she was gay. She still found Thalia attractive, but they wouldn't really be compatible lovers; both women knew this, though eventually, Thalia began to stay a little longer, sharing affection with Elsa. In these moments, they couldn't feel their grief. That was what they were looking for. And in each other, they found solace that they couldn't find elsewhere.
Nico tried to take care of Elsa, but he had to spend time away from her, and couldn't reach her. The best he could hope for was her leaning into a hug. She didn't even cry anymore.
But one day, when she and Thalia lay in bed together for a moment, Elsa closed her eyes, imagining that it was Calypso next to her. With that, she realized exactly how much she missed her old lover, and began to cry. After months of no tears, Elsa finally cried again. Sure, she'd gotten over the original ache and stabbing pain of grief, but she cried from the emptiness she'd been forced to endure. Elsa then realized that it had been exactly a year since Calypso had died. She'd been sleeping with Thalia for three months.
Said person sat up in bed, and softly asked Elsa what was wrong. When the goddess did not respond, Thalia took Elsa into her arms, and let the girl cry onto her. Thalia knew that she would never replace Calypso, nor would she fully comfort Elsa. She just wished that she could do something. When the tears finally stopped, Elsa detached herself from her friend.
"I have to go." She muttered. "I'll send you off as soon as you're ready." The two women got out of bed. Elsa put on a robe and looked through her wardrobe. She had become someone new. She was no longer physically sixteen. She was physically eighteen. The moment she had stopped aging.
As soon as Thalia was dressed and ready to leave, Elsa sent her back to Artemis.
The goddess got ready to go someplace. She donned a 1950s style pale blue dress. It was strapless; silk around the bust with a floral print stitched on in thread of the same color. The bottom of the dress was tulle, almost reaching the ground. White heeled Mary Janes with little rhinestones adorned Elsa's feet. She wore her normal jewelry, but took off the moonstone ring; leaving it on her bedside table. Her wedding rings made an appearance again; finally. Her locket was around her neck as always; pictures of Anna and Calypso inside. (Elsa felt terrible for abandoning her sister again, but she'd find a way to explain things and make it up to her.) Her hair was in the side braid it was always in when she was a teenager; her crown atop her head. She put on a shimmering silver velvet cloak with silver inside. She put the hood up before going to the Canary Islands. To Calypso's grave.
Her dead lover's gravestone merely read her name, and for the date born, just had an infinity sign above the date she'd died. Beloved friend and soulmate, the gravestone read. Underneath that was a quote by William Shakespeare "The course of true love never did run smooth."
Elsa sank to her knees, resting a hand and her forehead against the cool marble. The beach was in front of her, and wildflowers grew in the field where Calypso was buried.
"Hello my darling." She whispered. "I'm sorry I haven't been by to visit you, my love. It's been a year since you died… A year since you died in my arms. I miss you so much." Elsa let out a sob. "Calypso, baby… Why the gods take you away from me? I loved you so much… You were the light and love of my life." She paused to choke out a few sobs; watering her lover's grave with tears. "Remember when you said that the only thing you had going for you were the moments when I'd look at you with love in my eyes, and you were important and wonderful? Well… I know how you feel, my love. I have little in this world without you. I try to live in the skies; as snow… But that cannot give me direction. That cannot make me feel alive. Only you can do that. Remember Carmilla? … You had the pages with your favorite quotes marked. My favorite was 'I have been in love with no one, and never shall, unless it should be with you.' It was my favorite because that's how I felt about you. And… You read that book, City of Glass. You showed me Jace's letter to Clary. The parts where he told her that he belonged to her, and that he'd break himself trying to make her happy, and that she could do anything she wanted with him, and that he would let her… Those reminded me of you. Because that's how I felt about you. And… The line, 'As long as I can still dream, I will dream of you.' … When I sleep, I see you. For the longest time, I did not sleep because of that. When you died, it left a hole in me. I will always love you the most. You are my soulmate. And for seven years… That was how long we were together…" She took a moment to cry. "Nico said he buried you with the love letter I wrote to you, and a lavender rose. He said that he made sure to put the rings on your fingers, and dress you in something beautiful… Calypso… 'You are mine, and you shall be mine. You and I are one forever.' That was from Carmilla, and it is something that would be completely accurate if you said it to me at any point since the moment we first met. I'm yours, and yours alone. You will always have my heart, but I know that I must move on, or else eternity will be my hell. You understand, right? I am nothing without love, but I'll miss you with every new dawn." Elsa kissed her dead lover's gravestone. "You'll be with me forever; inside my heart." She promised, standing. She left a bouquet of eleven thorn-less dark pink roses right above her soulmate's heart. Then two thorn-less roses—one blue and one black—on top of the gravestone.
The goddess stood; walking towards the ocean, feeling the sea breeze. She paused right in front of the waves; waiting. Soon, Poseidon rose from the waves, and made his way over to Elsa. He did not step out of the waves, nor did Elsa step into them.
"Hello, Elsa." The god said.
"Hello, Poseidon." Elsa's voice was soft. "Take care of her for me, alright? Protect her… Please…" Poseidon had fathered Elsa's half-brother (Eumolpus). He and Khione had known each other, so he felt that he should do something for the late goddess's daughter.
"No mere mortal shall find her." He promised. "And no immortal shall, if they have bad intentions. The elements shall not touch her or her grave." Elsa smiled a small smile of gratitude.
"Thank you." She whispered. Poseidon lifted his trident, and sent her back to the beach underneath the cliff where she resided in Canada. "I could have transported myself, but thank you, I suppose." She murmured. Elsa looked up at the hike ahead. There was a tiny trail that would lead her up the cliff, but it was well hidden. She never used it because she could just appear inside her castle, but she felt like she could use the air. She'd just decided that she needed to finally move on from Calypso (and no, Thalia did not count).
About two thirds of the way up the trail, which went back and forth, Elsa heard singing. Beautiful singing. She stopped and looked every which way to see where it was coming from. And then she saw the cave she had not previously seen. That was where the singing was coming from. Elsa made her way to the entrance of the cave.
"Hello?" She called out. The singing stopped. Elsa slowly walked into the cave. Eventually, she found a room full of precious jewels of all sizes—diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds—in piles and in the walls. Against the cave wall, there was a small shrine. Elsa wasn't quite sure who it was to, but there was a girl wearing a shawl, on her knees; bowing in front of it. "Hi." Elsa said. It became clear that the chanting girl wouldn't respond until she finished.
When the girl finished chanting the words in what sounded like Ancient Greek (though she spoke too quickly for Elsa to catch what she was saying), she stood and let her shawl down to just cover her shoulders and below; revealing black curls down to her hips. The girl turned. Her skin was pale, and reminded Elsa of pearls. The girl's eyes were a dark gold, and her lips were red. Elsa bit her lip.
"I heard you singing." Elsa said softly. "And I thought I'd find out where it was coming from. I'm Elsa, Goddess of Ice and Snow."
"I know." The girl murmured. She seemed kind of dreamy, and not quite grounded. Her dress was a beautiful rich brown, obviously satin, and Greek style. That was how Elsa knew it was okay to introduce herself as a goddess, as well as with the shrine and speaking Ancient Greek. "I am Claia. I am an oread." Oreads were mountain nymphs. Just as dryads were tree nymphs and naiads were water nymphs. Elsa knew that oreads often kept jewels and gems in cave. "The jewels for your crown and wedding band came from here." Claia informed her. "As did the jewels for your girlfriend's engagement ring, and yours. Only a couple of the jewels from the ring from the engagement ring from your brother are from here, though." Chills ran up Elsa's spine.
"They're very beautiful." Elsa murmured.
"I mine them myself." Claia smiled proudly. She pointed to a group of pickaxes that were leaned against the cave wall next to a bed. They were lined up in order of descending size. At first sight, they looked too heavy for Claia to lift, or possibly use. But Elsa knew that looks could be deceiving.
"I have to get back to my brother." Elsa said after a moment. The conversation would probably go nowhere, and she just wanted her alone time again. "It was nice to meet you, Claia."
"May we meet again." Claia whispered, just before Elsa left the cave.
Elsa began to go through the motions of her life, but she approached things differently. She tried to see Nico more, and began to visit Anna again. She was a gentler goddess now. Demigods were more likely to pray to her now, for she was more likely to answer their prayers, or send them a soothing dream when they were afraid.
Thalia did not come around nearly as much as she used to, and when she did, Elsa did not use her to feel again. This was silently communicated. They were intimate together, and their encounters were no longer animalistic and full of need.
Elsa felt like she was in a better place when she reencountered Claia. The girl was wearing a grey silk dress with a white shawl as she walked among the hills.
"Hello again." The goddess greeted the oread. Claia smiled gently at Elsa. Claia's hair was a different color now. It looked almost… Dark green? "Your hair…"
"My hair changes colors when I go outside." Claia explained. "Because I am the spirit of these mountains, my physical appearance reflects what they look like. When I am underground, my hair turns black. When I go outside, the color of the grass is the color of my hair. During a drought, I am blonde, or maybe even a sandy color. When the grass is healthy, my hair is green." The platinum blonde raised her eyebrows.
"That's interesting, but it makes sense." Elsa commented. Claia's hair was wild and messy, unlike when she had been underground; then it was neat.
"Have you explored the hills yet?" Claia asked. "I know you and your brother stand on the cliff. But you two never go too far from your castle. And I know you walk around St. John's. But you teleport there and back." Elsa figured Claia knew everything there was to know about the mountains. So she would probably know about the time Elsa tried to attack Nico, but ended up crying and sobbing…
"No. Are you offering to show me around?" Elsa inquired.
"That's what I do. I guide people around these hills." The girl shrugged. "They may not see me, but I am there… watching over them." Claia beckoned Elsa to follow her. The goddess did so, and then began walking next to the oread.
"I should have asked your permission before building my castle here." Elsa confessed. "But I didn't know you were here, to be honest."
"That's alright. That's the way I like it." The other girl shrugged, smiling. "I love these hills and this mountain when they are still and quiet except for the wind. Your castle only adds beauty. Demigods will seek help, but that's part of both of our jobs—helping people in our own ways." Claia liked to go barefoot apparently, Elsa noticed, and the way she treaded… It was like she had no pull to the earth.
"I didn't really start helping people until a month ago." Elsa confessed. "The year before that was very… rough for me."
"I know." Claia whispered, smiling sadly at the blonde. Said person looked to the ground and swallowed, while the other girl merely looked ahead like nothing had been said. "See those rocks up ahead? I like to sit on them sometimes and just watch the wind blow the grass, or watch the raindrops come down, or watch the snow flutter to the ground." Elsa looked up to see the mentioned rocks. They were simple and grey. The middle and highest one had an indent in the middle, like someone had sat on there many many times, and it had eroded to hold them. "Sit with me?" The green haired girl requested.
"Sure." Elsa replied. Claia encouraged her to share the highest point with her. The two sat in silence. Elsa's cloak blew out behind her. Claia's hair was blown back by the wind as well. Both seemed like they wanted to be free and explore the hills. The wind felt good on Elsa's face, and it felt cleansing to her soul. When it began to rain, she made no move to cover her dress or pull up her hood. Claia leaned back, opening her chest and face to the raindrops in welcome. It was clear that the oread was truly one with nature. It made Elsa smile.
She wasn't aware how long she and Claia sat with each other, but it was nice. Therapeutic. She felt her moonstone ring go cold, signaling that Thalia wanted her, but Elsa took off her ring; careful not to touch the gemstone, and put the ring in a hidden pocket of her cloak, enjoying the peace.
The next time Elsa saw Claia was when the goddess stood on the cliff, looking down at the ocean below, in deep thought. She glanced back at the ice castle just because, and saw the green haired girl. She smiled, gesturing for Claia to come stand with her. It had been two weeks since they'd last seen each other. They did not speak, but just stood next to each other. When Elsa glanced up towards Claia again, the girl was gone.
The goddess returned back to the ice castle. She had not yet told Nico about Claia. She would… eventually… But she just needed to have something that was hers alone. She suspected that Nico had seen Calypso in the Underworld, but was not telling her about it.
She and Thalia were still sleeping together. Elsa still chose to because it was comforting, and helped her to relax more. She could put all of the passion still left over from grief that would always follow her, and put it into their encounters.
Elsa found herself going out of her way to try to find Claia more often. She felt more connected to nature. Technically, she could be considered a nature goddess because she controlled ice and snow. Well, now she had much more control over it. She knew how to purge her emotions, and meditate.
She and Claia spent more time together, whether it was in the hills, on the beach, or in Claia's cave. It was in their silent time spent together that Elsa had a lot of revelations. Sometimes they talked to each other. Like Elsa confessed that she was worried that she was worried about her and Nico's marriage. Claia whispered that nobody had ever seen her nearly as many times as Elsa had, for the oread mined jewels, helped people who went astray in the mountain's hills, and roamed the hills. The mountain spirit confessed to being very lonely. But when she had spent time with Elsa over the past several months, she didn't feel nearly as lonely, despite them often being in silence. She went on to explain that she merely sent the jewels to Hephaestus by her chanting, and she received his orders for jewels in her dreams.
They hugged each other for a very long time, before offering solutions.
Claia suggested that Elsa spend more time with Nico and go to places and do things; just like they used to.
Elsa suggested that Claia come over to her castle anytime she liked, as the goddess already had an unspoken open invitation into Claia's cave.
Long story short, the two took each other's advice. Elsa and Nico went to art galleries, to restaurants, and pretty much anywhere they liked together. They got closer again, which was good, because godly divorces were not an option. Especially since Nico had to be married to Elsa in order to maintain his godhood.
Elsa introduced Nico to Claia, and the oread came around more often. The two women became closer and closer until one day, they were standing on the cliff, holding hands, and they kissed softly, and gently. It had been over two years since Calypso had died. Elsa and Nico were close again, and she and Thalia were still bedroom buddies.
Needless to say, Elsa was content.
Epilogue
Because Elsa didn't want to go to the place where she'd been when Calypso died, she resorted to polyamory when it came to love and romance. She mainly dated nature spirits, and some minor goddesses (mainly nature goddesses). When Thalia eventually died, a few centuries later, Elsa worked it out with Claia and a couple of her other lovers. Nico was her rock, as always. The two had gone back to the way they were before Elsa even met Calypso. (The dynamic.)
Nico had a couple flings, but he was generally pickier than Elsa was. He was monogamous, but was single more often than not.
Anna eventually passed away, like all mortals did. Elsa mourned her, but she had died a natural death with Elsa at her side, so the grief was easier to cope with.
All in all, Elsa was happy. Sure, her soulmate was dead, but that didn't mean that she couldn't be content with life.
On Elsa and Nico's 100th wedding anniversary, they had just spent it in their ice castle drinking wine, after making hilarious speeches about each other as they grew more and more intoxicated. (They only celebrated the big milestone anniversaries and birthdays as there would be so many.)
"Well, well, well." Elsa sighed, leaning back, placing her glass down on the coffee table in front of the couch they were sitting on. "The first century of being married has passed. They said that the first year would be the most difficult. But nope, it was the fourth and fifth years that were the most difficult. But then we got through that." Nico snorted.
"You can say that again." He nudged her. Elsa rolled her eyes, but took his hand. She looked at the framed picture of her, Nico, Percy, and Calypso that was on the bookshelf in that room. He followed her line of sight, and then squeezed her hand. They both missed the people they'd lost. The last person had been about twenty-five years previously. But they still had Thalia. She still came over to dinner every once in a while, and Elsa and Thalia still slept together. "We're doing alright though, for two married gay best friends."
"Yeah, you're right about that." Elsa smiled, reaching over him with her free arm to hug him. Nico hugged back. Elsa got an idea, and pulled away in order to stand up and switch on their pretty amazing sound system. On came the intro to the song 'I'll Be There For You' by the Rembrandts—the theme song to Friends, a TV show about friends. Currently the most important song to them that they'd danced to at their wedding. One hundred years later, they danced to it again. But unlike at their wedding, they danced separately, but together. They laughed together.
Sure, they were terrifying immortal gods, but when it was just them, it was like they were teenagers again. They loved each other forever with love that was not bound by something so weak or coincidental as blood—choice.
The siblings—despite their lack of a blood bond—love each other the most out of anyone, and stood by each other no matter what, for the rest of eternity—the Ghost King and the Snow Queen.
A/N: There is another ending to come. It's more Disney. But I like this one better. It's so purely GK,SQ. It gets dark, but it is ok in the end. It's about Nico and Elsa's relationship, and shows what happens when they grow apart.
Disclaimer: I had to make shit up about Oreads, because I couldn't find any info on them. But I found out about Claia online. The hair thing is made up by me. What Oreads do is part of Greek mythology, but Claia's personality is made up by me.
If things from this ending leave holes, that is probably because I could not work them into this plot, because it would have been far too long. But if you have questions, please PM me or ask me in a review, only if you are logged in. Because if you are reviewing as a guest, I cannot reply. (BTW, Thalia dies a few CENTURIES later. The last scene is ONE century after Nico and Elsa got married.)
Thank you, so much, for reading.