Winter's Echo
Chapter Thirty-Four – The Strings of Fate
"Elsa, are you sure about this?" came Anna's uncertain voice in the dimly lit hall as they approached the doors of the throne room. Elsa turned to regard to her younger sister, the cape of her favorite blue ice gown swishing quietly behind her as she did. Hard blue eyes instantly softened when she saw her loved one bravely trying to hide the nervous shaking of her hands. Twin chips of ice flicked to the honey gold of the broad man standing protectively behind her – eyes that held hers only briefly before dropping subserviently. Elsa had not spoken a kind word to her soon to be brother-in-law since Honeymaren's death. She had not spoken an unkind word to him, but had simply dismissed him and Mattias from her presence each time they made an attempt to approach her. While she kept her emotions carefully neutral, her tone made it clear that their dismissal was not an invitation, but an order to be obeyed. It was a fine line to walk between old habits of 'conceal, don't feel' and the novel, painful feeling of shattered trust. She knew she couldn't avoid the situation forever but, in all honesty, she wasn't entirely sure what would happen if she allowed someone to pull on that particular thread.
Elsa sighed inaudibly through her nose as she regarded the mountain man. Kristoff had done what he thought was right and, in essence, had saved the lives of her and her beloved sister. Her late lover had given Kristoff a heavy burden, which the honorable ice harvester had silently shouldered and endured the consequences of. It was not Kristoff's fault that Elsa did not want this life without Honeymaren. In the end, he was the man she always knew him to be - dependable, brave, true, and loyal to a fault. It was why she fought so fiercely for his relationship to Anna - she understood what it was to stand for what was right...and to have to stand alone from the shadows to do it. She sighed once more before her gaze dropped back to Anna's, a look of gentle reassurance in her crystalline pools as she grasped her sister's trembling hands in her own, lifting them up and squeezing gently. "Anna," she began softly. "I understand if you don't want to go in there with him. You've suffered a great deal at his hands and I would never ask you to face him if that is not what you wish. If you feel this is something you want to see through to the end, there are dozens of our most trusted guards in that room right now and we couldn't be safer. But," she continued with the hint of a smile, running her thumbs across the redhead's fingers. "You also have two people right here next to you that love you more than anything. Neither Kristoff nor I would ever, ever let anything bad happen to you. If he so much as looks at you the wrong way, I will turn him into an ice block and Kristoff will beat him into a billion ice cubes. Isn't that right, Kristoff?" she asked with a small smirk, glancing up once more to meet the honey pools that now gazed at her with disbelief and a sparkle of hope. Large hands came to rest on both of Anna's shoulders, looking down to meet Anna's questioning gaze with a reassuring grin. "Damn right," he agreed.
Anna gave a watery chuckle and nodded before taking a deep breath to steel herself for what might lay beyond the doors in front of them. Elsa leaned forward to embrace her sister protectively, one hand cradling her head against her shoulder as she placed a firm kiss to fiery locks. She looked up at Kristoff again, her eyes serious and imploring. "Stay close to her, Kristoff," she ordered quietly, waiting for his nod of acknowledgment before she pulled away, gently tapping Anna under her chin. "You are a proud Queen of Arendelle, sister," she said with a small grin of defiance. "and Anna of Arendelle shows fear to no one. Right?" Anna nodded, punching her open palm with her fist. "I'm ready. I was born ready," she said, bouncing slightly on her feet. Elsa nodded before turning and gesturing for the guards to open the doors. Truth be told, she wasn't any more eager to see the man had had nearly killed her twice now, either.
The elder monarch walked through the double doors with graceful, measured steps in what Anna called 'full-on queen mode', said redhead following her example close behind her. Kristoff flanked Anna's side while Mattias strode to Elsa's as they entered, both men wearing grim, intimidating expressions. Elsa's eyes alighted on the two figures that stood alone in the center of the grand room and she slowed her steps just slightly to study them closer. One was dressed in the tattered and stained remains of what looked to once be an expensive suit, something surely only a member of the court could dream of owning. A burlap sack hid his identity from view and his arms were bound to his sides by a thick chain that snaked around his torso multiple times. Holding the end of that chain was the gloved hand of the second man, the bounty hunter. He was dressed in airy, loose-fitting clothes that made it impossible to determine his build. He wore only black, from the thick leather boots on his feet to the swathe of fabric covering his head and face that left only a small expanse of sun-kissed skin and his eyes exposed; the color of his eyes stood out in stark contrast against the shadowy figure.
His eyes...
Elsa's breath hitched in her chest when her eyes met the sharp gaze of the bounty hunter – she had never seen such eyes. They were so blue that they were almost violet, like the last touch of sunset at the edge of the world. There was an intensity and intelligence in them that instantly intrigued the winter spirit, drawing her to the stranger. Suddenly, the bounty hunter's eyes became incredibly tight for a moment, as though in pain and she blinked. It looked like his eyes had just lightened for a split second. Even more intrigued by what, logically, could have been a trick of the light, she itched to see his face, wondering if he kept it hidden as protection from the elements or for the secrecy of his profession. Mindful of all of the other, less enchanting, eyes in the room, Elsa nonchalantly broke his gaze and gracefully ascended the dais, sitting upon the throne of their father with Mattias standing guard at her right as Anna sat next to her in their mother's, Kristoff on her left. She settled into the high-backed chair with a calm and effortless authority, crossing one leg over the other at the knee with her arms resting flat on the armrests, her cape swirling to the side with practiced poise. Elsa watched the two figures quietly for a moment, openly studying them before her clear, commanding voice rang through the air.
"What is your name?"
Eyes the color of twilight simply stared at the queen. Elsa stared back for a brief moment before realizing she had asked a question that the man before her would not answer. Never once did her posture falter, even so much as to lean forward expectantly. No, she would not be bested in this arena. This is where Elsa thrived; just like her ice - calm, cool, rigid and unyielding in her mastery of politics. Anonymity was not an uncommon practice amongst mercenaries and bounty hunters, so she swallowed her annoyance before speaking again.
"You requested this audience with me, bounty hunter. Here, I sit. What have you brought us?"
The masked figure's eyes turned to Anna, a glimmer of hesitation briefly flickering in their depths before returning to stunning chips of ice. "I have heard tales of how this man had wronged the freshly crowned Queen and Princess of Arendelle," came his smooth, mezzo voice, his tone muffled by the cloth around his face. "Are you sure it is wise for her to be here?" Elsa raised an eyebrow at this impetuous figure before full lips curled into an annoyed, impatient half-smile, the pointer finger of one hand tapping slowly on the armrest of the throne. Her gaze dropped momentarily to her icy high heel, her voice hard as she spoke. "I suppose I could answer your question," she began quietly. "I could tell you that Queen Anna is not only here by her own desire, but is one of the bravest and most confident women in all the realm." A small, derisive chuckle escaped her. "I could tell to you that this is currently one of the most heavily guarded rooms in all of the kingdom." Her gaze flicked up sharply to the twilight eyes of the bounty hunter that widened slightly at the icy venom that he saw there. "I could even tell you that you are in the presence of the most dangerous person that has ever walked the earth, but..." Elsa trailed off for a moment to lean forward in her seat, propping her elbow on her knee and delicately holding her chin, looking for all the world like a white tiger about to pounce on a mouse it was playing with. "But I don't want to answer you," she resumed in a voice that was eerie in its deadly quiet. "Because when you question either my sister or myself, what you are really questioning is whether or not we know what we are doing. That we are nothing but incompetent, foolish young women. Now," she began again, leaning back into her throne once more. "If you think us fools, please, say so now. You requested this audience, bounty hunter, and my patience for the games of men who think they can snap their fingers and have all they desire has run thin. Tell us what it is you want."
To his credit, the bounty hunter did not flinch from the winter spirit's words, though he nodded in clear acquiescence and respect before he put his free hand on the chained figure's shoulder, his booted foot kicking the back of his leg and roughly forcing the prisoner to his knees, ignoring the angry grunt from his charge. He released his shoulder to grasp the burlap sack and tugged it off, tossing it to the ground in front of him and revealing a bruised and bleeding Hans with a thick black gag tied tightly around his head. There was a wild look in his emerald eyes - eyes that narrowed in hatred as they alighted on the royals seated on the dais in front of him. Anna tensed slightly in her seat, fingers gripping the edge of the armrests tightly, but Elsa's eyes held the disgraced prince's hateful gaze unflinchingly. The bounty hunter then drew a white-handled dagger from his belt, the quiet tinkling of shifting metal echoing against the marble walls as every soldier in the room tensed and reached for their swords. His hand stilled, twilight eyes flicking back to the dais for a moment before he slipped the tip of the blade beneath the cloth, waiting for Elsa's permission. The queen held one pale hand in the air to indicate the guard to hold before nodding ever so slightly.
"I present to Your Majesties the ex-prince Hans of the Southern Isles," the bounty hunter's muffled voice rang out as he sliced through the cloth, Hans spitting it out the moment the knife was away from his face and glaring up at the bounty hunter with fire in his eyes. "Fuck you, you piece of sh-" A powerful fist connected with the prince's jaw faster than anyone in the room could follow, sending Hans to the floor with a groan of pain. "You will watch how you speak in the presence of your betters, exiled prince," the bounty hunter snarled, his eyes narrowed dangerously at his prisoner. Hans struggled back to his knees, a difficult task with his arms chained to his side, but remained silent, content to glare his hatred at everyone in the room. Elsa eyed the redheaded prince for a moment before her arctic gaze flicked back to the mysterious man. "The bounty for this man is forty-thousand speciedalers or ten-thousand kroner, whatever your preference," she said in a carefully neutral tone. "The choice is yours."
"I don't want your money, Your Majesty."
Elsa blinked in surprise, her mask of stoic and authoritative calm cracking for the first time for just a moment before she quickly schooled her features back to indifference. "Hence the audience," she said with an understanding nod before leaning back in the throne. "And what is it you seek as reward, nameless stranger?"
"It is not reward I seek, Your Majesty. It is a trade I require. You have another royal 'guest' in your dungeons. This one is yours when you release him to me." Elsa's eyes narrowed dangerously at the muffled words of the bounty hunter, her whole body tensing. All eyes flashed nervously to the Queen of Ice and Snow, guards that held no love or trust for the man suddenly feeling pity for him. "The prisoner you speak of has committed atrocious crimes against the realm, my sister, and myself and will be executed two days hence." Twilight eyes stared back into Elsa's icy gaze with unblinking determination. "No, he won't," he said simply. Elsa leaned forward slowly in her throne, deadly still. "Is that a threat?" The bounty hunter held his nerve and his unwavering gaze. "No, Your Majesty. I would never threaten you and yours," he replied calmly. He waited only half a heartbeat before continuing. "It is a promise. Ulrik will not die by your hand, but mine." Elsa uncrossed her legs and stood in one graceful motion, ignoring her sister calling her name in surprise as she descended the few steps of the dais, an icy blade forming in her hand as she strode aggressively up to the bounty hunter. She held her free hand up in a sharp motion to halt the guards closing in around them from all sides as she stalked toward the uncommonly calm bounty hunter, coming to a stop mere feet from the nameless man and the man she hated with every fiber of her being.
"Allow me to make something perfectly clear to you, you self-assured bastard. These men were responsible for the death of my wife. Neither Hans nor Ulrik are going to leave the gates of this castle alive, nor will you if you do not choose your next words very carefully. Do you understand?" Twilight eyes continued to stare piercingly into the queen's, almost searching in their gaze. Elsa refused to acknowledge that the racing beat of her heart was not entirely from the adrenaline-fueled tension in the room. There was something so familiar about the figure before her, but she was absolutely sure she would have remembered eyes such as his.
"I couldn't agree more, Your Majesty," he said quietly.
In a single, swift movement, the bounty hunter brought his blade to Hans's throat and sliced it cleanly with a cool indifference, twilight eyes never leaving the now shocked pools of blue. Elsa watched in stunned silence as equally surprised emerald eyes stared up at her in disbelief. The dying prince made a disturbing gurgling sound before falling to his side on the marble floor, Anna's surprised scream echoing in the large room.
"I am known as Revontuli – the firefox," the bounty hunter's muffled voice spoke again, drawing Elsa's wide-eyed gaze to his. "I have been sent here by a woman in a cavern of ice. She had a mouth like yours," he said in a quieter, almost tender tone, twilight eyes drifting down to her lips before meeting her eyes once more. "She brought me life and gave me power. In return, she bid me seek out your enemies and rid you of them." His eyes flicked to the side as the guards in the room cautiously approached the tense situation, swords at the ready. "Our destinies are entwined for the time being, Queen of Ice and Snow. Ulrik will die by my hand. It is inevitable." Elsa's eyes widened further as she stared speechlessly at him, his eyes flicking quickly down to the queen's feet. The monarch followed his gaze to see the rapidly growing pool of Hans's blood creeping toward her ice-heel clad feet. With a small gasp, Elsa took a large step backward before swiftly looking back to his executioner, realizing too late she had done just as he wanted.
He needed room to work.
The stranger quickly slipped his dagger back into the sheath at his belt before tugging off one of his gloves. From his bare hand, a blaze of deep purple and pink was born and, with a gesture so similar to Elsa's, he encircled them both with a wall of flame. The crackling of the blaze nearly drowned out the panicked shouts of the soldiers and Anna alike as they tried to find a way through the wall of flames to her. Fear instantly gripped Elsa's heart, not for the flames that surrounded her but for the funeral blaze extinguished long ago that destroyed her life. "Your Majesty," the man called to her, his eyes that seemed to flash the color of his flames piercing even through the heat-rippled air. "Ulrik is my only enemy in this castle. You have nothing to fear from me."
Before she could reply, a column of fire burst forth behind him, clearing his path of escape and closing off the ability of any to follow him. As suddenly as they had appeared, the flames died away, leaving no trace of scorch, smoke, or their creator in their wake. Elsa stood with shuddering breaths and wide eyes above Hans's body, gripping her icy blade tightly in her hand. She looked between him and the blade, shuddering at the resemblance of that day on the fjord years ago before her weapon vanished. Anna ran up to her and threw her arms around her sister, nearly sobbing in relief. The redhead was speaking, but Elsa didn't hear her, staring out of the open door of the throne room.
Elsa trembled slightly as she sat on her throne with her head in her hands amidst the agitated voices of the people gathered, their arguments echoing around the room. Anna had called an emergency council meeting, sending their soldiers with carriages to fetch the council members from their homes. Most of them were in little more than their nightdress and robes for the soldiers had not afforded the aristocrats the luxury to primp and preen, stressing the emergency of the situation without divulging any of the disturbing details. Now they stood at the scene of the night's excitement, arguing how to proceed.
"We must go after the scoundrel, Your Majesty! Surely you cannot deny the danger we are allowing while he roams free?!" exclaimed councilman Anders imploringly to Anna, the same war-wise man who had balked at the idea of Elsa alone in the enchanted forest facing the forces of Calabria. General Mattias shook his head from Anna's other side, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "I do not deny the danger, Councilman Anders, but if he fancies himself a fox then neither will I deny his cunning," he replied sharply. "He planned tonight's events down to the smallest detail. That man knew what he was doing; if we pull together any force with a chance of finding him, let alone capturing him, we would not have enough soldiers to further fortify the palace to guard the only thing he has indicated he wants!"
"With all due respect, General, I'll have you note that it was my voice in that council chamber begging that we not abandon Queen Elsa to her lonely guard," Anders said in a low voice, eyeing the shaking queen pointedly as she sat hunched on her throne, glassy blue eyes staring unseeing at the floor, oblivious to the commotion around her. "A situation that stole the life of her loving guardian and very nearly cost the Queen hers. Yet you still doubt the wisdom of my tactics?"
"That's enough," Anna cut in with a sharp hiss, her eyes also flicking over to the silent winter spirit. Her eyes softened as she made her way over to her sister, who had been mute since the bounty hunter's disappearance. "Elsa?" she questioned gently from the bottom of the dais, trying to catch the elder monarch's gaze. When Elsa didn't answer, Anna climbed the steps and knelt next to her, gently laying her hand above her knee. "Els?" she tried again, the affectionate nickname laced with worry as she waved a hand in front of haunted blue eyes locked on the ground in front of her. Anna frowned and shook Elsa's leg lightly, her voice a bit louder when her sister's trembling increased, her breathing becoming quick and uneven. "Elsa. Elsa, sweetheart, can you hear me? Elsa!" Panic began to seep into Anna's voice as she unsuccessfully tried to get Elsa's attention.
"Anna, what's wrong?"
Anna looked up worriedly as her fiancé appeared behind her, his brow furrowing the moment honey eyes landed on the trembling queen. "Kristoff, she won't answer me," Anna said quietly, wisely trying not to draw unwanted attention to her sister's vulnerable state. Kristoff nodded in understanding, kneeling down in front of the unresponsive blonde and studying her closely. Sharp, assessing eyes took in her distant expression and the dark circles under her eyes. He reached out and grasped both of Elsa's hands in his own, forcing her back to reality temporarily when she lost her head's support. Wide, haunted blue eyes met his briefly before her breathing began to come even faster, quickly nearing hyperventilation. Kristoff squeezed her hands, his large ones enveloping hers and spoke slowly and in a low, soothing voice. "Elsa, it's alright. Anna and I are going to take you to your room, okay?" Elsa nodded shakily and allowed Kristoff to gently help her to her feet, the blonde man keeping a grip on one of her hands while the other wound around her shoulders. "Anna," he said quietly. "Get the castle physician and have him meet us in her room. Tell him she's having a panic attack. We'll meet you there, okay?" Anna nodded, trusting his calm and confident demeanor implicitly. She cast one last worried glance at the pair before doing as her fiancé said, stopping only to pull Mattias aside and explain what was happening. With instructions to keep her updated on any progress made on a possible solution to their situation, she left the room as discreetly as she could, breaking out into a full sprint the moment she was alone.
As Kristoff led Elsa slowly down the hall, the active movement began to help the blonde queen pull out of herself. Her arctic gaze, though still hollow and bordered by deep, dark circles, was clearer now than it was moments before. Though Elsa pulled her hand back from Kristoff's grip in favor of defensively wrapping them around herself, the mountain man ignored her half-hearted attempts to shrug out of his strong grip around her shoulders. He knew from experience that deep pressure helped to soothe such episodes and keep them at bay. His heart broke for the woman he considered family, despite her recent lack of trust in him. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly as he noticed the blonde withdrawing in on herself again. Elsa shook her head once, her eyes trained on the carpet beneath their feet. Though he knew the queen wouldn't see him, he nodded in response. It was silent for only a few moments before he spoke again. "Was it the fire?" He nodded again when Elsa's eyes flicked to him briefly before focusing back on the carpet, knowing the lack of an answer was his answer.
"I used to have the same problem, you know. Reacting to fire, I mean," he said in a conversational tone, making a point to nonchalantly inspect the art and tapestries of the halls as they walked so the queen didn't feel pressured to speak. "My parents died in a fire," he said in a quieter voice. "I don't know if Anna ever told you that." He only briefly met the gaze now trained squarely on him, continuing on in a nonchalant tone, betraying none of the pain the seldom-told story caused him. He just had to keep Elsa focused on something distracting and his voice was all he had. "Our barn caught on fire – one of the reindeer or maybe a barn cat had somehow kicked over the lantern. I woke up from a dead sleep, the fire was so loud...this incredibly loud rumbling that made it feel like my whole body was vibrating. Have you ever swam underwater near a waterfall? That's kind of how it sounded. Ironic, huh? For water and fire to sound so similar. Anyway, I looked out of my window and saw my parents trying to get the reindeer out. I ran out to help, but just as I made it out there, the barn collapsed. I never saw them again. That's how I got Sven, though. He was only a couple of months old. He was too scared to even run like the other reindeer, he just laid there cowering in the bushes." Kristoff paused for a moment, trying to figure out what else to say – Anna was the rambler of the two of them. The mountain man didn't often find himself on this particular end of one-sided conversations. At least Sven gave him some input to go off of.
Suddenly, he felt Elsa press ever so slightly closer to him, almost snuggling into his side. He smiled a bit, tightening his arm around her before abandoning all hesitation and leaning over to plant a protective kiss to her head. "Don't worry, Elsa," he said gently as his thumb stroked over her shoulder reassuringly. "I know it doesn't feel like it now, but I promise it gets better." Elsa gave a slight nod, sniffling quietly. He knew she didn't believe him, but she was finally responding and that was more than he could ask for.
Anna caught up with them as they reached Elsa's bedroom door, having raced the entire way there with the physician in tow, the poor middle-aged gentleman panting from his efforts to keep up with the panicking young queen. He put his suitcase on the ground and braced his hands on his knees for a moment to catch his breath, glancing at the guiltily blushing redhead with barely restrained annoyance upon seeing the elder monarch was not, in fact, 'on death's door'. Kristoff opened the door for them when the man had recovered, standing outside the queen's bedroom as Anna took his place at Elsa's side and guided her to sit on the edge of the bed. Just as he turned to leave, a quiet voice stopped him.
"Kristoff...?"
The mountain man turned in surprise when it was Elsa that called his name, gazing at him imploringly. "Thank you," she said softly, tired blue eyes trying to convey in that one glance everything she wanted but was unable to say to him. 'I'm sorry. I love you. I trust you.' Kristoff smiled at her warmly, nodding his head in understanding. "Goodnight, Elsa. I hope you get some rest," he said gently before blowing Anna a kiss and closing the bedroom door behind him.
The doctor spent about ten minutes examining Elsa, his bushy white mustache twitching every so often as he tallied things in his mind. He paused only a few times to ask her or Anna a question as he took her vitals before concurring with Kristoff's earlier diagnosis. "Your Majesty, I'm going to make you a tonic to help you sleep. I'll brew enough to last a few nights. I guarantee that your obvious sleep deprivation is greatly conflating your mental distress. A few nights of good rest will do more for you than any medication I could prescribe." Elsa looked up at him from the bed uncertainly for a moment before asking in a hoarse, quiet voice. "Will...will it stop me from dreaming?" The doctor smiled softly in understanding, patting her shoulder gently. "A few have said they have wild, fantastical dreams, but most people report deep, dreamless sleep when they take a tonic, Your Majesty."
Anna sat on the bed as the kindly doctor moved to retrieve his briefcase, setting it on the desk with a 'thud' before opening it and rifling through its contents as he went about making the tonic. "You had me worried, Elsa," Anna said quietly as she laced her fingers with the blonde's, caressing the paler than normal skin with her thumbs. "How do you feel?" Elsa shrugged a bit, sighing tiredly. "I feel..." she trailed off, searching for the right words to describe her state. "I feel...unsettled. Like I'm missing or forgetting something. Something important. Something I know is happening, but I won't realize it until it's too late. Does that make sense?" Anna thought about it for a moment before a bashful smile came to her face. "Maybe. I used to get a feeling like that all the time before I would realize I forgot to do an assignment one of the tutors had given me," she admitted, her smile turning into a less-than-apologetic grin. Elsa rolled her eyes a bit, though the slight smile tugging at her lips told Anna there was no malice in the gesture. "Not that I can relate to that particular stress, I assume it is quite a similar feeling to that," she admitted, feeling a small bit of relief that she wasn't alone in her experience.
Before Anna could say anything further, the doctor came back with a small bowl in his hand. "Here you are, Your Majesty. Drink this," he ordered gently, touching the bowl to her lips and tilting it back slowly as she drank. "I only have enough of the ingredients with me for one night, but I will have a few more nights' worth sent to you by tomorrow afternoon," he said apologetically as he pulled the empty bowl away, Elsa's fingers going to her lips – it tasted awful. He turned to wipe the residue from the bowl with a handkerchief before placing all of the ingredients back in his briefcase and snapping it shut. "If there is nothing else you require of me, Your Majesties, I will be going now," he said with a smile. He nodded dutifully when they thanked him before letting himself out and closing the door quietly behind him.
When Elsa made no move to lie down, opting instead to stare at the moon over the balcony, Anna simply pressed against her comfortingly and gazed out of the window with her. Never one to endure silence for too long, Anna did that Anna did best – talked. She spoke of random things as they flitted through her mind. She wondered if Olaf was right that turtles breathed through their butts and how one would go about discovering such an absurd fact. For that matter, how was it possible for a wombat to poop squares? Since they had proven beyond a doubt that water has memory, she wondered if saltwater had a better memory than freshwater. Which was Nokk made of? Maybe he would know. Or maybe he wouldn't, depending on the answer to her other question.
After a few minutes of Anna's nonsensical but oddly soothing rambling, Elsa began to feel a bit strange and swayed slightly where she sat. "Anna..." she said uncertainly, putting her hand to her head. "It's alright, Els, it's just the tonic kicking in. Come on, let's get you into bed," she said reassuringly as she walked across the room to retrieve a nightgown for her. Anna helped steady Elsa on her feet as the increasingly groggy woman changed before bidding her lie down, tucking the blankets snugly around her. She knelt at her sister's bedside and gently brushed her fingers through white-gold bangs, hazy blue eyes struggling to focus. "Don't try to fight it, Els. You heard the doctor, you need to sleep," she chided gently as she continued her soothing ministrations. Her brow furrowed in concern when a single tear escaping the exhausted woman caught the moonlight as it pooled in the corner of increasingly glassy eyes that shone with fear and uncertainty. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" Anna asked imploringly, using the sleeve of her dress to gently dry the tears that began to fall. "I'm scared...every time I close my eyes, I dream of that day. Every night, over and over," she whispered, looking imploringly at Anna, her gaze begging her sister to make it all go away. "Anna, I don't know if I can take it anymore..." Elsa admitted, biting her lip in an effort to prevent the sobs she felt bubbling in her chest.
"Shhhh, shh, shh, it's going to be alright, Elsa, I'm going to take care of you. I'm not going to leave your side tonight, okay? I'll be right here with you when you wake up, I promise. Does that sound good?" Elsa sniffled quietly and nodded, squeezing her eyes tightly against the tears that never seemed to stop. Anna pressed her forehead gently to the winter spirit's, laying her arm above Elsa's head on the pillow and curling it protectively around her. Her fingers ran soothingly through silky locks of molten white-gold, her other hand dutifully wiping away the slowing tears. Anna began to sing a soft lullaby that had always reminded her of Elsa – a tale of the last unicorn on earth; wise and worn and beautiful, and the last time man ever saw her, sparkling under the moonlight on the night before magic left the earth. Though Elsa was fast asleep only a moment or two in, Anna continued to sing softly to her and thread her fingers lovingly through the wintery spirit's hair, hoping against hope she could help chase away the dreams that plagued her beloved sister.
Nearly a half-hour later, Anna found herself struggling to stay awake and stifled a large yawn as she stood to retrieve a borrowed nightgown from her sister. She changed quickly, not bothering to move behind the dressing screen in the empty room and climbed into bed next to her sister. She draped one arm over Elsa's waist and snuggled up to her from behind, placing a soft kiss on her shoulder before closing her eyes. "Goodnight, Els," she whispered gently before settling in for sleep.
Neither woman was aware they had not been alone all night.
Once the black-clad figure was satisfied that the redhead's comical snoring was genuine evidence of deep sleep, they moved silently from the blind spot on the balcony, hidden from view by one of the thick curtains there. Ever so gently, Revontuli opened the tall balcony door and slipped into the room undetected as a cloud moved to block the moonlight. Twilight eyes nearly glowed in the darkness that enveloped the room, studying it carefully – any minor detail might be important. The firefox walked noiselessly about the room, keeping one eye trained on the sleeping women at all times as gloved fingers carefully sifted through the queen's things, trying to garner any helpful information. The bounty hunter began to quietly rifle through some of the papers on the desk when a quiet moan sounded from the bed. Twilight eyes snapped to the bed, ready to disappear in a moment's notice before softening as they fell upon the source of the sound.
The Ice Queen was moaning softly in her sleep. Devastatingly beautiful features scrunched in anguish, her hand fisting the sheets it was covered by. Despite all logical thought, Revontuli couldn't help but be drawn to the suffering woman like a moth to a flame – had the firefox been in a less enchanted state, the comparison would have been entertaining. There was an inexplicable yet monumental feeling of familiarity to the blonde; the irrational surge of protectiveness the firefox now felt made it even more disturbing. Revontuli knelt next to the fitfully sleeping woman as the redhead had an hour before, twilight eyes watching the queen closely and subconsciously tugging off thin gloves to reveal lightly calloused, tan hands. Just as the dark figure reached out, itching to touch the monarch, said hand swiftly retreated to the firefox's temple as a sharp pain lanced through their head. The firefox shook their head slightly to clear it, another moan drawing their gaze back to the queen. She was increasingly restless, as though she were running or perhaps fighting in her dream. If their earlier interaction were any indication, the figure assumed with a smirk that it was likely the latter.
The hidden smirk fell from the bounty hunter's face, however, when the queen's moans became soft whimpers. Revontuli's hand slowly reached out to touch the queen once more, mere inches from her face when a quiet chirping on the firefox's shoulder made them jump, retracting their hand as though burned. Twilight eyes wide with surprise looked accusingly at their small companion, a tiny pink and purple lizard with a barely-there flame running along his back perched innocently on a dark shoulder. The eyes narrowed in annoyance as they pulled at the dark swathe of cloth that covered their face to reveal long, wispy tresses pinned tightly against their head and a distinctly feminine, heart-shaped face. A single finger pressed against full lips, glaring at the little lizard pointedly. Her companion only cocked his head and stared at her...before licking his eyeball.
Revontuli rolled her twilight eyes before a soft sob drew her attention to the queen once more. Without hesitation, she listened to the voice inside of her that screamed for her to reach out and touch the suffering woman, gently pressing her warm hand to the winter spirit's cool forehead. She was unable to resist the urge to thread her fingers through impossibly silky hair, watching in fascination as the nearly white blonde cascaded across the contrasting darkness of her skin. She was surprised when her heart fluttered as the woman instantly calmed beneath her touch. This woman was so beautiful it was somehow physically painful. Wait...no, it actually was painful.
The firefox pulled her hand away with an inaudible hiss of pain, cradling her head and rubbing her temples as the sharp pain came back with a vengeance, disappearing again after only a second; the same pain that had ghosted through her head when she had first laid eyes upon the enchanting queen. She looked at her companion in confusion for an explanation, unsurprised when innocent blinking was the only reply. Just as she reached out to resume her ministrations, she felt the ache begin again. She did this several more times, testing her theory before confirming that the pain was, in fact, somehow caused by the sleeping goddess. Another quiet sob saw the dark-haired woman set her jaw in determination before she reached out for a final time to comfort the blonde, clenching her jaw against the pain and discomfort in her head. Somehow, the pain in her own head was far preferable to the pain on the queen's face, the small, content smile that now tugged at full lips acting as a pain-killer for the dark woman.
She continued her comforting motions for a moment before her inexplicable craving to touch rose inside of her. The firefox began to grow bolder, feeding off of her instinctive protectiveness of the woman. Her fingers slowly, carefully traced the sleeping queen's jawline before cupping it softly, her thumb stroking the soft skin of her cheek in an almost loving caress. Elsa breathed in deeply, letting out a slow sigh of utter content. She could have stayed that way all night, as though the spirit of winter had put her under a spell. Her thumb slowly traced the queen's full, barely parted lips and the woman found herself leaning imperceptively closer, ignoring the increasing pain behind her eyes.
Then, it happened.
"Maren..."
In a soft, happy voice, the queen whispered a single word in her sleep and Revontuli shut her eyes tightly against the sudden agonizing pain in her head. As she did, the hand that had been tightly gripping the sheets in its fitful sleep had relaxed and moved out from beneath the blanket, seeking the source of the comforting touch. She grasped the firefox's hand in her own, pale fingers intertwining with hers in a familiar motion. When twilight eyes opened, the irises flared erratically from bright pinks, purples, and blues to soft chocolate, the colors expanding and contracting as they battled for dominance. They landed on the hand grasping hers, alighting on the intricate band on the queen's ring finger.
Suddenly, the world fell away from the dark-haired woman, the very breath stolen from her lungs. Thousands of images of the beautiful queen flashed in her mind in an impossibly fast blur. Visions of Elsa laughing, dancing, crying, singing, brushing her hair, doing her makeup, smiling, playing with her powers, moaning a name, her name...'Maren'. She gasped in near agony as her skull felt like it was about to split, unable to stop herself from reflexively jerking her hand back as though burned. Her eyes widened when the queen opened her eyes, bleary and unseeing from sleep.
"Maren...?"
There was that word again. The word that started it all. But there was no time to think about it; she had to move, now. The queen began to blink rapidly, quickly reaching up to rub the sleep from her eyes. "Maren...?!" She quickly stood and sprinted out of the door to the side of the balcony, hurtling herself over the edge and climbing down the ivy as silently as possible, careful to avoid any guards. She heard the queen calling out that name over and over, wincing as she heard her sister's voice as well, woken from the commotion and trying to soothe the now hysterical woman. Finally, Revontuli reached the bottom of the ivy and made a beeline for a set of hedges below the castle wall, quickly retrieving a hidden rope tied to a pronged iron hook from one of the bushes. With practiced ease, she tossed the hook over the wall and tugged sharply to ensure it was set before scaling it effortlessly. She dropped down to the other side with a soft thud and retrieved the hook with a few well-placed snaps of the rope before disappearing into the woods.
Back in the castle, Anna was desperately trying to calm her panic-stricken sister as she paced about the room, her fingers buried tightly in her hair. "Anna, I swear to you on mother and father's life, she was HERE! I know she was here, I know it!" she cried, her eyes wild as they looked about the room. Anna carefully tried to reach for her as she begged her to see reason. "Elsa, honey, I'm so sorry but it was just a dream. It probably felt so real because of the tonic. Dr. Hjorn said it was a possibility that your dreams could get pretty crazy. Elsa..." Anna trailed off, biting her lip. "Elsa, you know she couldn't have been here," she tried gently, but the distraught blonde just shook her head vehemently. "Anna, you don't understand. I could smell her. I felt her. I was dreaming, I was having a nightmare, but then I felt her with me as solidly as you are with me now," she insisted, frantic blue eyes begging worried teal to understand. "Please, Anna, you have to believe me. Why would I lie?!" Anna shook her head, scrubbing her hands over her face in frightened frustration. Her sister, who had always been so calm and collected and put together was losing her grip on reality. "Els, I don't think you're lying, but you know she's-"
"WHY WON'T YOU BELIEVE ME?!" Elsa yelled angrily as tears streamed down her face, her hands held out in front of her in askance. "BECAUSE SHE'S DEAD, ELSA!" Anna shouted back suddenly, reaching out to grasp Elsa by the shoulders and shaking her slightly. "SHE'S GONE! HONEYMAREN IS GONE AND SHE'S NOT COMING BACK!" Elsa stared at Anna with wide, shocked eyes, equally shocked teal pools staring back in disbelief of what had just come out of her mouth. The blonde stumbled back as though she had been struck, moving away from Anna until her back hit the wall and slowly sliding to the floor. Curling in on herself, the broken queen wept, her arms wrapping around herself tightly.
"Elsa..." Anna breathed, her hands hovering near her sister in shock and unable to fathom what had just transpired. "Oh, Gods...Elsa, I-I'm so sorry..." she whimpered, falling to her knees in front of Elsa and reaching out to her. Her breath hitched in a sob when Elsa flinched away from her touch, something the blonde hadn't done in years. "Oh, Elsa..." Anna cried as she reached out and tightly embraced her sister, whispering endless apologies in her ear as she held her. After a long moment, Elsa released her defensive hold on herself and clung to her sister, the siblings crying together and holding each other for dear life. When the tears had subsided, they could only watch in dismay as the first rays of dawn's light sparkled on the slowly creeping frost that refused to thaw. So focused on the echo of the winter from years ago, neither sister thought anything of the wide-open balcony door as it swayed softly in the morning breeze or the unassuming swathe of cloth that lay next to the bed.
AN:
Wow...guys, I cannot even begin to tell you how blown away I was by all of the love you showed me after that last chapter. All I can say is thank you so much. This is my first full-length fic and I was so nervous about no one liking it that I nearly didn't bother (and wouldn't have without my wife's encouragement), but the massive and amazing show of support and love and encouragement I have received from all of you has lit a fire in me I didn't think I had. I'm so grateful to each and every one of you, especially those of you who take the time to drop reviews - they mean more to me than I can say.
I hope you all are enjoying the turn this story has taken! Again, I am now accepting requests for one-shots for a companion piece to Winter's Echo. Thanks again so much!
-Volchise