Winter's Echo
Chapter Nine - The Other Side
Elsa grinned broadly as she watched Honeymaren crane her neck upward to look at the castle, Nokk and Gale helping to treat the new visitor to a closer view of the harbor than a standard current would allow. The castle's massive shadow loomed over the ship as it passed and Elsa reached out to grab the end of Honeymaren's pelted shirt to prevent the woman from falling backward trying to see the top. "Don't worry, Maren, you'll have plenty of chances to see the castle and everything else," she said with a bright smile. She was absolutely thrilled at how excited the Northuldran was about seeing her home and was beaming with pride. This was going to be a great visit, the queen decided.
The impressive ship easily floated up to the dock, icy ropes coming to life and snaking around the moorings on the docks. A simple, icy walkway formed in the short distance between the ship and the dock as Elsa took a grinning Honeymaren's arm. "Ready?" Elsa asked her companion with twinkling eyes. Honeymaren placed her hand over the one laying on her arm and give it a quick squeeze in answer before the two women walked arm in arm down the gangway and officially onto Arendellian soil. Honeymaren made a point to curb her broad grin into a more controlled, serene smile as she saw what looked to be hundreds of people awaiting their arrival at the docks. 'I guess a giant icy ship is a good indicator the Snow Queen is arriving,' she thought with amusement, now fighting a bit harder to keep her smile from growing.
"Her Majesty, Queen Anna of Arendelle!" came a loud, clear voice from the other end of the dock next to an ornate carriage pulled by two large, powerful looking black horses. Both beasts had several pretty purple crocus flowers braided into their long, flowing manes and tails. Honeymaren smiled to herself as she thought how beautiful Elsa must have looked standing next to regal looking creatures like that on her own ceremonial duties. Cheers erupted from the crowd gathered and the door to the carriage swung open, pulling Honeymaren from her musings as none other than Anna emerged, her own grin of excitement plain on her face. The redhead exited the carriage gracefully and made her way swiftly down the dock toward the two women. Elsa released Honeymaren's arm and held her arms out to her sister, the Northuldran stepping aside to give them some personal space. Anna immediately enveloped Elsa in a giant hug, which the wintery spirit happily returned.
"Happy Solstice, Elsa," she said warmly as she pulled back, before immediately turning to Honeymaren with a grin. "Honeymaren," she said in greeting. Honeymaren placed a hand over her heart and gave a small bow. "Your Majesty," she returned the greeting, a small grin on her face. Anna placed her hands on her hips in mock annoyance, narrowing her eyes at the woman. Honeymaren simply chuckled and held her arms out for a hug as well. Her chuckle turned into a full laugh when Anna grinned and flung herself into the offered embrace, squeezing tightly. "I'm so excited you're here!" Honeymaren couldn't help but match the redhead's bright grin as she pulled away. "So am I. I've missed your presence, Anna. I'm more than excited to see your beautiful home."
Elsa watched the pair with an adoring smile, a warm feeling of contentment passing over her. She couldn't help but feel that Arendelle felt more like home in that moment than it ever had as she watched her sister and Honeymaren reconnect. "Come on," Anna said as she took a hand of both Elsa and Honeymaren. "You two must be tired from your trip. Let's head back to the castle and the two of you can relax for a few hours." Anna then placed the hands she had captured atop one another, flashing Elsa a quick wink before releasing them and turning to walk back to the carriage. Elsa blushed as she was left with her hand holding Honeymaren's and froze slightly. Honeymaren gave a small, understanding smile and moved her arm so the blonde woman's hand now rested more properly in the crook of her elbow instead, Elsa shooting her a bashful, but grateful smile. The pair followed the matchmaking queen to the carriage where Anna was already seated inside. Honeymaren stepped to the side and offered Elsa her hand to help her in, which she accepted with a smile. "How charming," Anna said dreamily, quiet enough that only her sister could hear. Elsa shot her a look as she sat down, but was unable to reply as Honeymaren also entered the carriage.
"So, Honeymaren," Anna began as the carriage started to move. "What are you most excited to see in Arendelle?" Honeymaren smiled warmly at the redhead. "It's royal sisters having a good time together," she answered easily. Elsa rolled her eyes in mock exasperation, though Anna could tell the words touched her sister's heart just as much as her own. "Her eyes nearly popped out of her head looking at the castle as we arrived. I think she would love your nook and cranny castle tour, Anna." 'And that will give me time to find the perfect gift for her,' she thought to herself. Anna grinned and clasped her hands together. "I would love to show you around, Honeymaren. When the two of you feel ready, we will go to the festival. The nook and cranny tour is best at night," she finished with an excited smile.
Honeymaren blinked, her eyes flicking back and forth between the siblings before settling on Elsa. "She...she's not going to murder me and hide my body somewhere no one will find it, is she?" she asked in a faux nervous tone. Elsa raised a challenging eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips as she shrugged. "Who knows? You'd better behave yourself, noaide." Honeymaren grinned back at her, crossing her arms comfortably over her chest. "You wound me, Snowflake. You're taking all the fun out of this trip for me," she retorted playfully. Elsa made a show of turning her nose up at her, turning her head away with a sly smile - a smile which immediately fell from her face when she spied the huge grin on Anna's. Elsa blushed and cleared her throat, suddenly very aware of her posture and pointedly looking out the window and away from both of the other passengers. Honeymaren winked at Anna playfully, not at all ashamed of her behavior. Anna tried to stifle her laugh as the carriage pulled up to the castle.
The footman held the door open for the three women as they exited the carriage, Honeymaren once again offering her hand to Elsa as the blonde exited. Elsa naturally took the offered hand, but bashfully dropped it the moment Anna began to turn to address them. Anna raised an eyebrow at her sister before giving Honeymaren a sly smile. The new queen stepped forward and looped her arm through the Northuldran's, giving Elsa a pointed, challenging look when the blonde's jaw dropped slightly. "Come on, Honeymaren. Let me show you where your room is," she said sweetly as she led her into the castle.
Elsa blinked for a moment before once more taking on her practiced air of grace and dignity, determined not to let Anna win that little exchange. She and Honeymaren were just friends, nothing more. If her sister thought she would get a jealous rise out of her, then she had another thing coming. Well...at least if she was trying to get a visible rise out of her. If Elsa knew how to do anything, it was conceal undesired emotions. 'I am the master of the political arena,' she thought to herself in an inner pep-talk. 'An unreadable enigma, an unshakable force to be reckoned with. I am mysterious, steadfast, wily-'
Honeymaren turned and smiled at her brightly as she got her first view of the castle, excited brown eyes reminding the queen of a child on Christmas morning.
'Gods help me, I am falling in love with her...'
The change in Elsa's face did not go unnoticed by her redheaded sister, though Anna chose not to draw attention to it in any way. Clearly her sister was struggling to sort out her feelings and, though the redhead loved to tease Elsa, she would never do something to make her genuinely uncomfortable or, the Gods forbid, give her reason to retreat into herself. Instead, Anna smiled and turned back to Honeymaren, gesturing for the tan woman to follow. "This way," she said and led the way up a grand, curving staircase. Honeymaren marveled at the thick, lush red carpeting on the stairs, feeling her feet sink noiselessly into each step. Anna purposely slowed her gait to give Honeymaren time to take everything in as they walked, which the Northuldran woman was incredibly grateful for. "This place is amazing," she breathed, occasionally running her fingers delicately over some of the filigree of the door frames or tables that lined the halls, in awe of their ornate detail. "The craftsmanship is astounding."
Elsa smiled at Honeymaren, who was like a child in a candy shop as she paused to get a better look at the lattice of a portrait frame. "Honeymaren is quite the wood craftsman herself, Anna. If she's not doing some kind of chore or finding a way to cause mischief for me, she's whittling the most beautiful and intricate figurines." Honeymaren laughed lightly, jogging to catch back up with the royal siblings. "Nowhere near this quality, though. I only have my whale-bone dagger to work with. This type of work would take a plethora of tools, not to mention years of dedicated passion. That does remind me, though," she mumbled as she began to rifle through her small bag as they walked. She made a small triumphant noise as she found what she was looking for and pulled out a rectangular object wrapped in a small, tan hide, offering it to Anna. "For you, Your Majesty."
Anna smiled and took the proffered gift and unfolded the hide. Her hand flew to her mouth to cover a small gasp, her eyes instantly welling with tears. Elsa blinked at the extreme reaction, moving to her sister's side to see what Honeymaren had given her. In her hand, Anna held a light colored, rectangular piece of wood about a quarter inch thick. On its surface was a masterpiece Elsa had no idea the Northuldran was capable of creating. The spitting image of herself and her sister staring at each other lovingly, their hands clasped in greeting in front of them was burned into the wood in incredibly intricate detail, from wavy strands of wind-blown hair to a happy sparkle in their eyes. "It's a picture frame," Elsa whispered breathlessly, looking at Anna in disbelief. Anna turned it over to find a small, adjustable notch on the back so it would stand upright along with a message in a delicate, flowing font.
'To the Queen who built a bridge where lesser men built a wall.'
Tears fell freely from teal and blue eyes alike as the siblings read the artfully drawn message. Honeymaren gave a small, controlled smile, overjoyed at the sister's reaction but wanting to respect the emotional moment it created. "When I saw you two reunited that day in the forest, I had never seen an image so powerful and beautiful. The two of you have fought so hard to be with each other and your bond had grown so strong that death itself would not keep you apart," Honeymaren said quietly, her hands clasped behind her back. "Sometimes, we all need a reminder of what we fight for when we don't have it right in front of us." Anna handed the beautiful piece of art to her sister before she threw her arms around the Northuldran and squeezed her tight. "I don't even know how to begin to thank you, Honeymaren. It's absolutely amazing," she said through her tears.
Honeymaren chuckled, replying playfully, "This is a good start," as she returned the enthusiastic embrace that reminded her a bit of Elsa's in a sad way. Both women gave hugs that were warm and genuine, but always seemed to have a hint of goodbye, treating each one as though it could be their last. It made sense in Elsa's case, as the normally reserved queen had only recently begun to be more naturally affectionate, but Honeymaren hadn't thought to consider that a simple lack of opportunity for affection may have affected the younger sibling as well. Honeymaren glanced at Elsa then, who was lovingly running her fingers across the wood burned image, looking up to meet Honeymaren's gaze over her sister's shoulder. She mouthed a silent 'thank you' to the Northuldran, watery eyes shining with gratitude at the thoughtful surprise gift for her beloved sister.
Anna finally pulled back from the hug, wiping her tears in as dignified manner as she could, a small laugh of happiness escaping her. "I love it, Honeymaren. It's stunning. Elsa, you were just mentioning how good she was, I didn't realize she was this good!" Elsa smiled proudly, handing the gift back to her sister. "I wasn't aware myself, though I am no longer surprised by this woman's random talents. I'm fairly certain there isn't a task to be done which she has yet to master in some way, but I will be sure to let you know if I find one," she said playfully. A rare blush filled Honeymaren's cheeks at the praise from her secret love, the Northuldran smiling sheepishly before clearing her throat and trying to regain a bit of dignity. Anna chuckled and looped her arm through Honeymaren's once more, leading the way down the hall a few more yards before pausing. She seemed to be contemplating something before she made a left down the next hall and stopped at the first door there. Elsa blinked and narrowed her eyes in suspicion at her sister.
"I apologize, but we are still prepping your room. Elsa had mentioned the two of you shared one tent currently, so I assumed you wouldn't mind sharing a room for the afternoon," she said, turning to Honeymaren with innocent teal eyes. "Is that alright?" Honeymaren smiled and nodded, unaware of Elsa's intense gaze. "Of course, I am a mere guest, I will go where you tell me." Anna grinned at her, the grin turning slightly devilish as teal pools found twin chips of ice. "Excellent," she said, opening the door and leading the women in. Honeymaren whistled lowly as she spied the floor to ceiling windows with glass doors that led to a large balcony. As she walked over to get a closer look at the stunning view it provided, Elsa took the opportunity to grasp her sister by the elbow. "What do you think you're doing?" she whispered. "I know damn well there is a room ready for her! Whatever game you're playing, I'm not playing it with you!" Anna simply smiled at her innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Elsa," she whispered back before raising her voice to address Honeymaren. "You two should take a nap to recover from your long journey. I need a few hours to see to some things before we head into town." Anna smiled brightly at Honeymaren and thanked her again for her gift before turning and giving Elsa a secret wink and exiting the room, closing the door firmly behind her. Elsa was mildly surprised the conniving redhead didn't lock it, she thought darkly.
"What's wrong, Elsa." Honeymaren stated rather than asked nearly the moment the door was closed. Elsa whipped around to face the Northuldran, and shook her head, clasping her hands demurely in front of her. "Nothing," she lied, looking around the room. Honeymaren raised a skeptical eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest, cocking her hips to one side in displeasure. The noaide quite disliked being lied to, especially when it came to the wintery spirit's feelings. Elsa sighed and threw up her hands slightly in exasperation at having been caught in the small fib, wrapping her arms around herself in slight nervousness. "It's...this is my personal bedroom," she said quietly, suddenly feeling the full weight of the intimacy the space carried. Honeymaren blinked for a moment before her eyes went wider in understanding, immediately taking a few steps toward the door. "I completely understand, Elsa, I really don't even need a nap if you'd rather I-"
Elsa held up her hand to stop the Northuldran, laughing quietly at herself. The blonde queen really was a mess. First she was so nervous at the thought of being alone with the noaide in such an intimate setting, yet the moment she was offered another option her heart immediately protested the idea of the dark-haired woman being anywhere else. Anna knew her far too well, Elsa realized as she smiled reassuringly at Honeymaren. "Nonsense," she insisted. "We share a space a third of this size every day and night, of course I don't mind, as long as you don't," she said as she walked past her to the window, briefly laying her hand on Honeymaren's shoulder in a reassuring touch as she began to close the curtains. She said the last words quietly, suddenly hoping the Northuldran didn't mind sharing the room as it was bathed in semi-darkness.
Honeymaren eyed Elsa sharply, trying to find any hints of the discomfort she thought she had seen earlier. "Are you sure?" she asked, ready to detect any polite lies in the spirit's voice. Elsa smiled and sat on one side of the large bed, slipping off her icy kitten heels and patting the other side in invitation. "I promise, Maren. Come rest. I'm certain you will need it, Anna will surely keep you up all night." Honeymaren hesitated only a moment longer before acquiescing to the blonde's reassurances and walking to the other side of the bed. She tugged off her boots and experimentally poked at the bed, testing its surface before laying down upon it. "Holy shit," she said in disbelief as her head hit the pillow and she sighed in ecstasy at the softness of the bed. "Maren!" Elsa said with an admonishing laugh at the curse, unable to keep the surprised amusement from her voice.
"How do you ever leave one of these things?!" she said in a thick voice, turning over to bury her face in the feathery pillow and hugging it close to her. "I'm never leaving. Just bury me here. I've died well," she mumbled dramatically into the pillow, a deep and contented sigh escaping her. Elsa just chuckled at Honeymaren's antics, taking a few moments to braid her hair so as not to dishevel it too bad in sleep. She turned to bid her unusually quiet companion a good sleep only to find her beautiful features relaxed and unguarded. Elsa smiled adoringly at the noaide, reaching out to lovingly brush a few dark tresses from her face before pulling the duvet up from the foot of the bed and over both of them. "Goodnight, Maren," she whispered quietly, leaning over to place a feather light kiss on her brow before she laid next to her, the last image she saw before she drifted off to dreamland being a sleepy Northuldran smile.