HI, I'M ELSA
Anna was not believing a single word! She was like a force of nature, and nothing would change her mind.
Elsa was not amused either, but her reaction to the Scream Incident, as it was now called, was mostly focused on Anna.
She wasn't particularly overjoyed with the liberties that Prince Johan took on her, or more precisely on her inner thigh, but she was after all playing the siren. Anna knew this of course, but the scene at last nights dinner table where the makings of myth and legend.
Anna was not feeling the best this morning because of several reasons.
First, she had a hangover from eating too much ice cream and drinking too much wine with Rapunzel, who was absent because she was in even worse shape.
Secondly, her anger with Johan and her subsequent outburst after dinner demonstrated that she still had a lot to learn when it came to dealing with her peers. Especially since she agreed to let Johan court Elsa. Though in her own defence, it did look like Elsa was at a loss at what to do herself!
Lastly, her brief but bitter encounter with her sister, immediately after she rendered Prince Johan unconscious, was painful to bear. She felt broken when Elsa calmly but coldly told her that she should find another bed to sleep in tonight.
"I'll say it again Anna: I'm sorry! I'm so very sorry that I did that to Elsa!" Prince Johan was almost in tears. All he had to do was bend his tall frame down to his knees and you would consider him a conquered fallen enemy to Anna's might!
"That's Princess Anna and Queen Elsa!" she demanded.
"Princess Anna!" Johan quickly responded. "I was a fool to presume to touch Queen Elsa. I...I ...just felt I was running out of time! And your sister is so beautiful! That's not to say you aren't beautiful too. And scary! I mean very... beautiful!" her tried to flatter her.
Anna's arms were still crossed as she surveyed the object of her anger. Prince Johan was still a very handsome man, though right now his hair was plastered all over his head and soaked with nervous fear. Her frown seemed to cause great distress for the Prince. He also seemed genuinely regretful of his impulsive actions, which considering his station as a member of the ruling house, were repugnant.
For his part, Johan felt lucky that Queen Elsa did not hold him completely at fault for the actions of his busy hands and fingers under the table last night. He was getting desperate. The next day would bring dozens of new suitors. He also did not expect to fall under the spell Elsa cast. What could some isolated royal wench, however powerful, affect his cosmopolitan upbringing? Oh, she was pleasing to the eyes and senses, but his experience with the sycophants at his father's court predetermined his expectations of her.
"I was so wrong about Elsa... and Anna too!" he considered under both their glares. "They are definitely not the backward, country bumpkins that father made them out to be."
"Okay Anna? It seems that Prince Johan is prepared to make amends. Don't you think that you should too?" Elsa was prepared to forget the whole embarrassing event, but Johan seemed to flinch at Elsa's use of his title again.
"Okay fine!" Anna said stubbornly. "I'm sorry that I bashed your head with my chair."
Johan actually looked up and smiled gratefully if not miserably.
"Hmmm, okay, so he's not all bad." Anna reflected. "Men can be such animals, especially when they see Elsa decked out in her ice dress, letting it all hang out. I suppose if I were a man, I would jump her too!" a hidden smile was forming."Actually I have!"
"Well then, if we can all now act like adults, then perhaps we can continue forward and start the day properly?" Elsa asked.
They all nodded, wanting to put this whole event behind them, though Anna was certain that Johan would behave himself and not act like "Prince Touchy-Feely" again.
As Anna was about to leave, Elsa put her arm out and barred her from exiting. Anna had her head down after the reprimand and was following everyone out, so it caused her to be a little surprised. She looked up just as Elsa closed the double door of her private study and calmly studied her sister.
"Another lecture?" Anna thought as Elsa started forming a small smirk. "Look Elsa, I'm sorry for what I..."
Elsa crashed her lips to Anna's as she pushed her body forcibly against the door and held both of her arms up, pinning her against the solid oak.
Startled by her sister's passionate kiss, Anna briefly let out a soft squeak, but quickly closed her eyes and allowed Elsa to take control of their encounter.
Her sister's breathing was heavy as if she was holding in her passion after a long time. Elsa's tongue was desperately searching in Anna's mouth and she felt herself responding back hungrily since she missed her company last night.
Finally, after the need for air grew too strong, both sister's parted lips, a thin strand of saliva bridged their exposed tongues.
Anna was too shocked to verbally express anything, but the look of curiosity was evident. She tilted her head slightly as if to ask a question.
Instead of answering immediately, Elsa fingered a loose lock of red-blonde hair behind Anna's ear and warmly smiled at her sister while looking directly eye to eye. She remained silent a little longer as she studied the confused expression Anna was giving her. Finally, she said softly, "Thank You for being my knight in shining armour!".
Anna blushed happily back.
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The day of the festival had finally arrived! Much of what happened during the Coronation was being repeated again. The Mayor was in his element greeting guests as they arrived in exactly the same spot as he was last time on the docks. The stores and shops were displaying their wares in a market-like format. Booths of all kinds opened in the grand square of town starting at the far end of the bridge connecting to the castle courtyard.
Out in the harbour, dozens of ships were anchored since the piers could only manage a small tithe of them. There were many more ships and guests than attended Elsa's coronation last month. With the distinct absence of the ships from Weselton and the Southern Isles.
HMS Tremendous along with Hindostan and Dromedary were tethered together in staggered line-abreast formation at the end of the pier. Queen Victoria of Great Britain was pregnant and unable to attend but sent the Duke of Edinburgh as her vassal and her ships were accorded the honoured berths at the end of the pier. Alongside was the recently re-christened Arendellian Frigate flagship HMAS Snow Queen. Her sister ships, the re-christened sloops Norweigian Wood and Elsanna were anchored off Lockout Point since there was precious space left at the pier.
The British ships were only fourth-rated ships of-the-line with fifty guns on two decks, with the exception of Tremendous which was a third-rater and armed with seventy-four canons. The ships of the small British squadron were by no means the most powerful ones in the harbour, but together, the squadron sent a reminder to the other nations that Britain still ruled the sea-lanes. The French ship-of-the-line Suffren was newer and more powerful with over ninety guns. As was the Spanish Santa Ana with 112 guns on three decks, but both ships were alone. The Battle of Trafalgar still on the minds of many seamen who chose to stand with Napoleon.
As if to challenge that notion, USS Constitution and Eagle were just clearing the harbour gates entrance and aligning themselves with the other anchored vessels. Though not officially a squadron, the seamen and sailors on board the other vessels perceived them together as such. The two ships from that upstart nation overseas were the smallest ships-of-the-line, but they represented a new fledging power rising in the New World.
Senator Tallmadge had never been to Europe and was awed by the sheer overhanging cliffs that circled the harbour and fjords. It was breathtaking and beautiful. A stark comparison to the combined navies gathered in the harbour.
He opened his pocket watch. Half-past twelve, his eyes lingering at a small portrait of a young, beautiful girl who was smiling on the opposing half along with him and his wife. Sighing, he snapped the watch closed and gazed at the nearing town, "It would have been your twentieth birthday today." he thought of his daughter. Her lovely face smiling back with her long blonde ponytail behind her.
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Far busier than last time, Kai was at the main foyer room acting like a concierge. Unlike last time when Arendelle hosted a gala event, this time the purpose was far more reaching regarding the long-term future of the monarchy. The festival was of indeterminate duration and at the Queen's pleasure.
The front hall passage leading to the foyer was redecorated under supervision of Kristoff. On the left side were large portraits of Queen Elsa at various stages of her life starting when she was only one year old. The paintings progressed at regular intervals until the largest one at the end of the hall depicted her Coronation. The portrait was similar to her father's portrait of him holding Arendelle's Royal Orb and Staff of Ruling.
The other side of the hallway were similar pictures of Anna, also at various stages in her life. The last and largest painting depicted Anna as she was at the Coronation. Her hair up in a bun with her twin ponytails wrapped around her head. Kristoff fondly remembered that look since it was the first time he saw her at Wandering Oaken's Trading Post.
Most of the guests viewing the portraits failed to notice the change in Elsa's demeanour captured in the paintings as they walked down the hallway. The shift was subtle, but under scrutiny, one could tell that the presence captured of her in the images showed increasing apprehension associated with fear. A far different sequence of events were reflected in Anna's portraits. Though her life was lonely as well, the paintings always seemed to capture her brighter side.
One painting however remained under wraps and was on the same wall of the main entrance. People walking in would have to turn around and look up at the wall towards the vaulted ceiling of the foyer to view the covered painting. The art was commissioned shortly after The Thaw by Anna and was covered in anticipation of the festival.
"What a fine portrait of the Queen!" A fez capped noble from the Ottoman Empire observed. Sultan Abdülmecid the First had recently succeeded his father last year and was busy making alliances with France and Great Britain. Eager to be included with the dealings of European powers, he quickly accepted Elsa's offer. However, he was looking for his fourth wife at the time and sent a viceroy to propose to her in his stead.
Others were also slowly walking down the corridor admiring the portraits of Anna too, as she would someday be available as a bride with the substantial dowry that would be provided. But most were extolling the fine virtues of the Queen, her beauty and naturally her powers.
A well-built and well dressed, clean shaven man stood at the front of the Foyer watching the many foreign dignitaries admire the paintings. "This makes me so ill!" Kristoff thought as he was attired in a fine suit complete with tails, a fake grin almost seared to his face. "How nobility can admire a person not for what they are but what they represent? Money, prestige and power are all they're thinking about when they look at Elsa's and Anna's pictures!"
Anna made certain that his clothes set him apart from the servants so that no guests would treat him as such. His role was simply to greet the guests and provide answers to their questions if the need arose.
"Welcome to Castle Arendelle!"
"Please see Kai the House Master, he can arrange to show you to your rooms."
"Dinner will be at seven."
"The WC? Down the second hall, third door on your left."
Kristoff did his best to rise to the occasion, though he felt inadequate from his lack of French or Latin.
Flynn was also recruited as Rapunzel was indisposed from the previous evening. He however was bedecked in attire that bestowed his noble rank as Baron Eugene Fitzherbert, Prince of Corona. He admitted to Kristoff one evening while drinking that all the medals on his tunic represented deeds of a less noble nature.
"This one is for participating in over one-hundred bar-fights." he said while pointing to a small sunburst encircled by a wreath. "This one is for drinking twelve pints of ale in ten minutes. But my favourite one is this one for sleeping with over...oh hi honey! I mean it was for steeping... steeping tea, yes that's it. I love tea." he was unable to continue since Rapunzel had arrived and appeared behind him, a frown on her face, even as Kristoff was giving him a signal to shut up with his hands.
Many of the nobles engaging him in idle conversation often left scratching their heads in puzzlement, unaware of his humble beginnings and later his infamous deeds.
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AUTHOR NOTES:
1) Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement fought by the Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies, during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815).
2) HMS Tremendous was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 30 October 1784 at Deptford. She was sold in 1897.
3) Suffren was a 90-gun Ship of the line of the French Navy named in honour of Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, lead ship of her class. She was scrapped in 1874.
4) Santa Ana was a 112-gun three-decker ship of the line of the Spanish Navy, built to plans by Romero Landa. She was the prototype and lead ship of the Santa Ana class, also known as los Meregildos.
5) HMS Hindostan (variously Hindustan) and HMS Dromedary were 50-gun two-deck fourth raters of the Royal Navy. Hindostan was originally the teak-built East Indiaman named Admiral Rainier that the Royal Navy brought into service in May 1804. Perhaps her best known voyage was her trip to Australia in 1809 when she and Dromedary brought Governor Lachlan Macquarie to replace Governor William Bligh after the Rum Rebellion.
6) Abdülmecid I (Ottoman Turkish: عبد المجيد اول 'Abdü'l-Mecīd-i evvel) (23/25 April 1823 – 25 June 1861) was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on 2 July 1839.
7) Around the year 1800, Thomas Wedgwood made the first known attempt to capture the image in a camera obscura by means of a light-sensitive substance. He used paper or white leather treated with silver nitrate.
"Boulevard du Temple", a daguerreotype made by Louis Daguerre in 1838, is generally accepted as the earliest photograph to include people.
SPOILER NOTE BELOW
I hope you readers found the names of the ships of Arendelle's Navy acceptable. I thought it might be names that Elsa and Anna would choose if they actually, seriously thought about it. A little bit of a spoiler, but there are more ship names of the Royal Arendellian Navy that need to be assigned, so I would really like your input!
I'm retired Navy (USN) so bear with me if I like to extoll the virtue of my branch of service.
The title of this Chapter pays tribute to a favourite author of mine who writes on another fan fiction site. His pen name is the name of this chapter.
/users/Hi_Im_Elsa/pseuds/Hi_Im_Elsa -at Archive of our own.
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Preview of Chapter 13
ANNA'S ICE DRESS
Anna was sitting herself in front of Elsa's vanity table as her handmaiden began addressing her hair. "Sure, but I better check up on Punzel beforehand and see if she needs some help. She looked like she was hit by a carriage this morning, but Flynn told me she was much better later on when he went to the pier to see his friends."
"Oh, did they arrive today?" this time frost did appear on the railing. Elsa quickly dismissed it with a wave of her hand.
"Yeah, on the O.S.S. VULTURE... or something like that?" Anna waved her hand in the air at her lack of recollection.
Elsa sat down nearby at another station and proceeded to scrutinize her face in the mirror as her handmaiden also attended preparing her hair. As the handmaiden removed Elsa's silk robe, Anna took a quick peek at her sister who apparently was nude underneath. Anna quickly realized earlier that Elsa's modesty seemed to waver between extreme or non-existent, depending on her mood or comfort level.
Sometimes, she wouldn't have ever considered being naked with Anna in a non-romantic setting. Other times she would almost seem immodest or perhaps indifferent since it was her handmaiden, who she knew all her life, or Anna, who she planned to spend the rest of her life.
Either way, Anna smiled quietly to herself as she took sideways glances and admired the perfect figure and pale white skin her sister was displaying. Trying not to to be obvious, Anna inadvertently cupped her smaller chest and compared herself to Elsa as she regarded her sister's larger breasts. "C'mon girls, you gotta catch up!" she urged her bosom. "Oh well, Elsa has a three year head start, I'm still a teenager after all."
"I see you peeking Anna, what are you up to?" Elsa smiled while also looking sideways at her sister, unable to turn her head since her hair was being brushed by her handmaiden, Sigrid.
"Nothing." Anna said craftily smiling. By now, Isolde had finished brushing Anna's hair and was plaiting the ponytails which she was going to wrap into a bun. "Are you going to wear another ice dress tonight?"
"Well you said no ice-dresses, but I assumed you meant for the ball, so the answer is: yes." Elsa answered, this time her handmaiden was creating the single strand Elsa preferred.
"Can you make me one?" she asked out of the blue. Both handmaidens heads popped up in surprise as they looked at each other at Anna's question.
Elsa blinked twice herself, then her eyes popped open too. "Wait, what?"