196
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.
The morning rays shone through the castle windows, slightly blinding the mess hall occupants as they ate. Anna sipped her tea quietly.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.
"Did you know that the average dog is as smart as a three-year-old human?" Olaf inquired, looking around the table innocently.
"No, I did not," Anna replied. She drew her mug close to her face. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. Her eyebrow twitched in irritation. "Marie, you okay over there?" she asked as Marie continued to tap her writing utensil on the table in front of her.
The woman jumped slightly when spoken to. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," she said a little too quickly. Her appearance, although neat and tidy, was gaunt and pale. She gave the queen a reassuring smile. "I'm just having trouble with Monday's lesson plan."
"Ooh, can I help?" Anna moved near Marie and studied the paper in front of them. Olaf joined. She scrunched up her face when nothing but a blank slate met her eyes.
Olaf nodded his head. "I, too, struggle to find the perfect way to teach our future's bright adults," he said. Marie let out a forced laugh.
The wooden doors opened slightly. Elsa slipped through, greeting the guards with a small bow. "Good morning."
Marie shot to her feet. She fiddled with the quill in her left hand. "M-morning," she stuttered.
Anna and Olaf exchanged glances. "Right," Anna muttered. She stood up straight. "Good morning, Elsa. I heard Daniel's allergies were acting up again. Did you talk to him?"
Elsa clasped her hands in front of her. Marie sat down and stared out the window, rubbing the side of her neck. Elsa shook her head when she caught herself watching. "Y-yes, I spoke to him," Elsa said. She looked at Marie for a second. "Everything is fine now." Marie's eyes flitted to her in acknowledgment before tearing away again. As the morning passed, Dominic joined the small group for some leisurely reading. While Anna looked over some new documents, Elsa let her eyes wander. Dominic relaxed in a plush chair with a book in his hand, Olaf not far away. She shifted in her chair as her blue eyes made their way to Marie. Her brown hair was pulled back into a low bun and parted on the left. She wore the same outfit Elsa had made her the day after her arrival. It was almost painful to look at her. Nothing but the feeling of Marie's skin burned on the ice mage's own skin. Elsa gripped the book in her hands tightly.
Dominic let out a cough. Marie's eyes immediately shot to him and narrowed. Elsa turned a page but continued observing. Ever since Dominic had escorted Marie after her shift, the distain between the two had grown bigger. Dominic often asked about Marie and Ian while he and Elsa spent time together strolling through the castle grounds. Elsa kept her responses as simplistic as she could. Olaf let out a giggle as he read.
"She's mine." Elsa inwardly chastised herself. Why had she said that? Her eyes flickered to Marie once again. The woman was rubbing her neck again. The blonde let herself stare longer than she should have, because Marie moved her gaze up from her school papers to the royal. Elsa quickly and sheepishly pretended to read, her heart pounding. I shouldn't have said what I did, Elsa thought to herself. But…She moved her eyes to Marie. I can't stop thinking about it. She nearly flinched when she saw that Marie was staring openly at Elsa's exposed neck. As soon as they made eye contact, Marie turned a deep red and looked away. Elsa felt as though she was going to freeze the book in her hands.
"Marie, since you're so tall, can you get me the red book on the top shelf in the fifth aisle?" Olaf suddenly asked. He happily waved a newly finished book in his stick hands.
Anna sighed heavily. "Olaf, those are young adult books," she groaned.
"I need a break, anyway," Marie said assuredly. She pushed herself up from the chair. Elsa forced herself to stare at the wooden table below her. The brunette made her way to the library, which was just in the other room. A few minutes passed before Elsa felt her chair being lightly kicked. Her sister micro motioned with her head towards the library door, her eyes failing to hide a mischievous glint. Elsa turned red.
"What's taking her so long?" Olaf piped up.
"I'll go!" Elsa said too quickly. She cleared her throat and pushed her chair in softly. "She probably got turned around. Be right back." She could not help but glance at her sister, who was nodding in agreement but desperately trying not to smile. Elsa felt her eyebrow twitch but left the room graciously. Heaviness hit her as soon as she walked through the doorway. An expanse of tall shelves loomed before her, and she breathed in the familiar scent of old leather and dust. She quietly made her way down the main aisle, her nervous gaze scanning for Marie. As she rounded the corner to the fifth row, Elsa halted. Marie was sitting down on the stone floor, what appeared to be cords coming out of her ears and down to a small device in her hands. A calm feeling encompassed Elsa at the sight of her. Marie was relaxed and content, her eyes closed and her chest slowly rising. A warm feeling spread throughout Elsa, and she smiled fondly at her. Marie frustrated her, challenged her, and enticed her more than anyone had before, and those feelings had only grown with each passing day.
Marie pulled the cords from her ears and held them out in the direction Elsa stood. Elsa clasped her hands together in embarrassment. A heightened sense of anxious excitement flooded her entire body, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and sat next to Marie on the floor. Marie put the earbuds in Elsa's ears and lifted the device in her hand. Elsa watched as it lit up at her touch and she scrolled through a list. Suddenly, Elsa's head was overcome with sound. Marie nudged her reassuringly, and Elsa let herself relax. A chorus serenaded her, their harmonies twisting and pulling away from each other magically. It filled her with a sense of wonder and calmness. Their shoulders touched. As Vuelie continued, the two found themselves leaning on each other ever so slightly. Elsa closed her eyes, trying to calm her beating heart. The song finished and Marie pulled the earbuds out, wrapping the cord around her device and placing it in her pocket. Elsa stood quickly, brushing herself off. They avoided eye contact, the tension between them seemingly perching on the dusty books.
"Thank you for letting me listen," Elsa said quietly.
Marie nodded. "There isn't much battery left, but I can show you some more later." She froze. "I-if that's what you want," she stammered.
Elsa smiled warmly. "It is," she replied softly. She turned and spotted the red book Olaf wanted. A strained grunt escaped the former queen as her fingers barely touched the leather binding. Soundlessly, Marie reached up and touched the side of the book. Elsa sucked in a breath. Their hands briefly touched before Marie pulled the book down. She was only three inches taller than Elsa. It was enough to reach the novel, but not enough for Marie to have to reach over Elsa's body. She offered the book to Elsa but did not back away.
"Here," Marie whispered. "Need any more?"
Elsa leaned against the shelf, her hands gripping the bottom of one of the rows. "The blue one next to it is the last in the series." Her head rested on the books behind her. "You should grab it for him for later."
"Okay." The book was smaller and pushed farther back on the shelf. Marie set her left hand on the row next to Elsa's side for support and reached up. Her collar bone nearly grazed across Elsa's lips. Marie's long legs pressed onto Elsa's as she reached upward. Elsa gripped the shelf even harder, ice beginning to emit from her fingers. Marie's scent filled Elsa, and her body heat wafted onto Elsa's own burning skin. It was torture and they both knew it. As Marie lowered herself, book in hand, she breathed down Elsa's neck. It was reminiscent of the night before, but in case Elsa did not realize that, every millisecond Marie spent shattering Elsa's state of being was convincing her.
"Elsa? Marie? There's been-" Anna rounded the corner in a rush. She stopped. "…an attack." All three of their faces turned beet red. It took Marie and Elsa a moment to realize the gravity of her words, but as soon as they did, they simultaneously bolted for the door. Right away, Elsa noticed several guards running from one wing to another in a state of panic she recognized from years of leading those same men into dangerous situations. Anna stayed close to her as they ran through the castle doors, but Elsa did not mind. She could protect herself; she had proven time and time again that she could. Marie pulled ahead of Anna and ran alongside Elsa, the two instinctively readying themselves.
"Your Majesties!" A young soldier ran up to them and leaned down to catch her breath. "It's taken ahold of a person this time!" she panted.
"Tell us where they are," Anna commanded.
"Up by the mill," the soldier pointed to a small manor on the mountainside. They started for the incline but were stopped when she held up her hands. "Wait! Before you go, you have to know something." The women grew still at the rising horror on the young woman's face. "It possessed a child this time."
A blast exploded from Marie. Elsa shielded her eyes and her sister as instant darkness spiraled into the air from all angles of her body. A familiar feeling of dread dripped over Elsa as Marie shot into the air, leaving nothing but a trail of darkness. "Wait!" Elsa shouted. She looked at her sister. "Get everyone a safe distance away!" She launched herself into the air and aimed her hands at the fjord. An ice slide cracked under her feet as she slid across the frozen surface. Her blue eyes followed Marie's trail, and she gasped. Marie had reached the top of hill, but she was on her hands and knees, panting heavily. Her shoulders shook in extreme effort, but her gaze was fixed firmly on a young teenage girl with red curly hair.
Elsa gasped. "Meghan!"
"Stay away!" A thunderous roar surrounded the girl as darkness shot out from her body. Some Arendellians let out screams of alarm, shielding each other as the coils of black snaked toward them. Elsa launched herself up on the hill and spun her arms over her head. With a heavy grunt, she conjured an ice storm around Meghan and Marie, blocking the darkness from spreading to the villagers. Elsa landed on her feet and planted them on the ground. The darkness hissed as it collided with the impenetrable ice wall. Marie pushed herself up to her feet and turned her body towards the stray beams.
"No!" Elsa shouted, nearly bolting to Marie. The darkness shot toward Marie without hesitation. The brunette let out a yell full of pain as it soaked into her body like water to a sponge.
Marie grabbed her chest and stumbled. "We have to distract it!" she yelled. The familiar feeling of dread came over Elsa once more, and her mind briefly flashed to a possessed Marie pointing a blade of pure darkness at her. Elsa grew silent but nodded. She drew in her arms, shrinking the ice storm to help contain the darkness.
Meghan was lifted off the ground while her hair whipped around crazily. She shouted and fell to the ground, gripping her head. "I-it hurts," she said shakily. Her eyes bore into the dirt beneath her. "It hurts so much."
Another burst of darkness shot from the girl. Marie directed it towards her own body and absorbed it. Elsa gasped, her chest heaving as Marie grunted and fell on one knee. "I know," Marie replied. "But you're not alone, okay?" Meghan screamed in pain as more beams of darkness erupted from her. Marie waved her arms in a similar fashion Elsa just had and piled the darkness into a tight ball in front of her. Every muscle in her body shook as she contained the wild energy. "Meghan, listen." Elsa's ice storm billowed only a foot behind them. Marie gritted her teeth. "It's going to hurt even more, but you have to do this." The dark orb swelled under Marie's grip, and she nearly fell backward into the ice storm.
"No!" the teen cried. "I don't want to hurt anyone!" She crouched into a ball. "I didn't want any of this to happen." She squeezed her head. "It's too much."
Realization struck the snow queen. She thought Marie's magic seemed off lately, but her suspicions were confirmed by their conversation. Marie continued to struggle under the power of darkness Meghan was emitting at a constant rate, but she was not emitting any of her own. She had exhausted herself by getting to the girl as quickly as she could despite knowing it would harm her. None of that mattered to Marie. Even when the darkness was slowly being seeped from her, Marie continued to fight. Elsa had watched her fall to her knees several times, only to push herself back up. "I know," Marie said. She steadied herself. "Which is why you have to put it all on me."
Elsa took a step forward. "Marie," she warned. Marie looked at her and gave her a small, knowing smile. The mage sucked in a breath and let out a sound that almost sounded like a chuckle. "Fine." Meghan looked at the two women, her eyes stained with tears. They both nodded reassuringly at the teen. She grew still for a moment. Elsa breathed in.
A boom! rocketed through the air. Meghan released all the darkness within her at the orb in Marie's grasp. As soon as it hit the orb, Elsa threw her arms down and met the dark energy with the rage of her storm, causing an explosion all around them. The timing had to be perfect, otherwise it would kill them all. As the icy fog settled around them, Elsa coughed and pushed herself up to her feet. The townspeople wheezed and murmured amongst themselves, but no one was harmed. She bolted forward, her heart lurching in her chest. The other people had been on the other side of her storm the entire time and were unable to see what had happened within. She came to a halt when she saw two bodies kneeling on the ice-stricken grass. Meghan was unconscious in Marie's arms. Elsa knelt quietly, her hand hovering over Marie's shoulder. Marie's eyes were wide with complete horror, and as they flitted over to Elsa, the royal immediately embraced both of them tightly. Tears welled behind her eyes. Marie shook underneath her grasp, her own grip on Meghan not lessening.
The warmth of another body pressed against Elsa, and the scent of her sister surrounded her. Anna hugged them tightly. As the situation settled, a few people offered to carry Meghan to the castle for medical attention. Marie began to follow, her hand slipping slowly out of Elsa's. Elsa watched her depart, her hand drifting up to her chest as it swelled with emotion. Anna watched and leaned forward to catch her sister's attention. Elsa swallowed a lump in her throat. "I can't keep doing this, Anna," she whispered shakily.
Anna stood beside her. "Doing what?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
Elsa faced her but tore her gaze to the ground. "I can't keep pretending. The way I feel…" She pressed her hand into her upper chest and looked at Anna. "I can't keep betraying that."
Anna took in a deep breath. "You know the risk," she said carefully.
Elsa nodded. "I'm willing to take it."
Tears formed in Anna's eyes. "Finally." Elsa grunted when her sibling embraced her and sniffled dramatically in her ear. She blushed but hugged her back. "If you two don't figure this out, I'm going to be so mad!" Anna exclaimed. Elsa laughed. They pulled apart, Anna holding her sister's hands. She squeezed them and smiled. "Go get her."
Marie stared down at the helmet in her hands and sighed heavily. Meghan was currently sleeping in the castle infirmary, uninjured but exhausted. What am I going to say to Anna and Elsa? She thought to herself. She put the helmet on over her dark blonde wig and walked out of the stables, the sun blinding her momentarily. I thought it was only a phase. I didn't expect it to get this bad. Her magic had almost faded entirely, slowly sapping her strength as she silently fought to hide it. As soon as she heard Meghan had been possessed, it felt as though the darkness had pulled Marie to her, even though pure anger had surged through her at the news. She shielded her eyes. I'm just glad she's okay.
As Marie walked along the castle walls, a figure moving out from the cover of an entryway caught her eye. She knew who it was before she even saw them, a familiar sickening sensation momentarily taking over her. Dominic stepped out and leaned against a stone pillar and smiled. Marie kept walking. "If you let your emotions get the best of you, you'll fail to fool anyone," Dominic called. Marie halted, her fists clenching. He scoffed. "That girl reminds you of yourself, doesn't she? Do you think that's why the darkness chose her?"
Marie faced the man and crossed her arms, tilting her head curiously as she observed him. "You seem rather disheveled today," she stated, noting his uncombed brown hair, darkened eyes and drooping shoulders. "You might want to rest alongside Daniel."
Dominic approached her, stopping when he was only an inch away from her face. "Does Elsa know you pretend to have a cock?"
She looked at him. "How unoriginal. Couldn't think of anything better?"
Pure anger washed over his face, but he suddenly pulled away. Marie turned around to see Anna standing in the hallway. The queen stood up straight from leaning against the wall and walked forward. "Elsa is waiting for you in the gardens," she said to Marie. She dipped her head and began walking past Anna. As Marie passed her, Anna caught her forearm gently. "Don't keep her waiting any longer," she whispered. A jolt of shock flashed through Marie and she looked at Anna. The ginger gazed at her with a small smile and nodded.
Marie pulled away and bowed. Her eyes became heavy, and she swallowed to fight off the onslaught of tears that started to build up. "Thank you, Your Majesty," she said professionally, yet genuinely. Anna nodded once, the same small smile still on her face.
A million thoughts ran through Elsa's mind. She sat on a stone bench in the middle of the castle gardens, absentmindedly fiddling with her hands in her lap. Her light blue dress draped over the green grass lazily, yet her entire body was tense. Soft footsteps padded behind her, and she quickly picked up Marie's pattern. She sat on the other side and faced the other direction, leaning down and resting her forearms against her knees. Elsa smoothed her dress. "Twenty," she said quietly.
Marie took in a deep breath. "Twenty-four," she replied, not moving her lips. A few moments of silence dragged on between them. Marie looked over at Elsa before moving her eyes back to the ground. "Do you think they can hear us?" she asked quietly.
Elsa relaxed slightly but kept her distance. "No," she whispered. Her chest throbbed. It had been this way for a while now, but the feeling had grown even more intense the past few days. It burned within Elsa, consumed her thoughts, overrode her feelings until she silently forced herself to think about something else. Marie was no different. Anna's words echoed around her head, paralyzing her every limb. Elsa gazed at her. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Marie hung her head. "I didn't want to worry you," she mumbled. When Elsa scoffed, Marie groaned in frustration. "I know. You don't have to say it. That's the real reason…"
Elsa reached out and touched the armor on Marie's arm. "What do you mean?" she asked. She flinched when Marie immediately stood and turned her back to her. The royal withdrew her hand shakily but waited for the other woman's response.
Marie clenched her fists. Elsa's touch had sent an array of emotions through her. They both could hear the distant shuffling of the two-dozen staff that watched behind various corners and pillars. She gritted her teeth. She had to make a choice. Her pride shook her very core within her, but something else had beaten its grip: longing. Marie longed to be close to Elsa. She longed to tell her things no one else knew. She longed to feel Elsa on her skin, even if for a second. She longed for things she had never longed for before, and in different ways than in her youth. Marie's lips twitched with the urge of a million thoughts. Elsa's eyes washed over her; Marie did not need to look to feel her gaze upon her.
Marie said, "I'm afraid." Elsa heard the effort it took to speak those words and remained silent to let her finish. "I'm afraid of losing control again. I'm afraid that I won't be able to fight alongside you anymore, to finish what I was meant to do. I'm afraid that if I lose my powers, I'll be sent back and forget everything like my grandpa did." Marie lifted her shaky hands and stared down at them. "I'm afraid of forgetting everyone and everything from here. I finally feel like I'm worth something, and I don't want to lose any of that. I'm afraid of losing my job, my friendships…you." Elsa froze. "I'm afraid of how you make me feel. I'm afraid of feeling so safe with someone, of feeling so wanted and desired. But…I'm most afraid of how much I want it." Marie began moving her head to look at Elsa but changed her mind halfway through. "It scared me how much I liked it when you touched me, how much I wanted it to never end." A few tears had streamed down Marie's face, and Elsa shook as much as Marie's voice when she spoke. "How much I want to be with you…scares me."
Elsa covered her mouth, her eyes wide and streaming with tears. Marie moved slightly, but as soon as she did, Elsa shot out a hand and stood. "Wait!" She grasped Marie's hand desperately and took in a deep breath. "Marie, wait!" Marie looked at her in shock. A few murmurs bounced around them, but Elsa did not care. "I don't care where you come from." Marie froze as Elsa took a step towards her, her blue eyes piercing into her. "I don't care if you have dark powers or magic." She grabbed Marie's other hand and smiled shyly. "It doesn't matter who you are. I just want you."
A shaky exhale escaped Marie. She peered at the balcony behind Elsa and shook her head. "You just had to, didn't you?" she asked softly. Elsa let out a laugh and grinned. Marie released her hands, only to bring them up to her own chin. She tugged at the strap that held the helmet on her head, but quickly grew embarrassed. "I can't get it off," she grumbled. Elsa ignited a finger with ice and froze the strap, shattering it to pieces. They both ripped it off and Elsa threw it to the side, the metal clanking on the grass below. Their hands immediately found each other's faces, wiping away each other's tears. Elsa's fingers glided under the wig and into Marie's mousy brown hair. They ignored the gasps from the staff and gazed at each other. Elsa smoothed Marie's hair, eventually moving her fingers to the back of her head and pulling her forward.
Their lips were already damp when they met. They pressed into each other, the world around them fading. The sound of their lips separating filled their ears, but it barely sounded by how quickly they found each other again. Elsa opened her eyes to fondly gaze at Marie when they pulled away, her hot breath spreading over Marie's mouth. They stared at one another, their breath washing over the other as their hands held each other's faces tenderly. Their foreheads touched. Elsa pulled at the armor on Marie's chest as she rubbed her forehead against hers. Marie's fingertips grazed across Elsa's collarbone, to which the ice mage shivered. They breathed in each other's presence, wanting nothing more in that moment. Rushed footsteps echoed around them. Elsa grunted and eyed the balcony, instinctively feeling protective over the woman in her arms. Marie pressed the side of her face in Elsa's hair, her eyes glaring at the surrounding entryways.
"Ian's Marie! He was Marie the whole time!"
Marie gripped Elsa's hand and scowled, "Well, shit."
A chuckle hummed through Elsa. She set her face in the crook of Marie's neck. "That didn't take long," she remarked quietly.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
A chill ran down the women's spines. Dominic appeared out of the shadows and continued to clap slowly. "That was quite the show." He threw a sheathed sword at Marie's feet. "But I'm afraid it ends now."
Marie narrowed her eyes. Something about him was off. It was as though he radiated a dark energy, but one unlike any Marie and Elsa had come across, even during combat. Elsa placed a hand on Marie's forearm before taking a step forward. "Dominic, let me explain."
"YOU DON'T GET TO EXPLAIN!" he screamed, unsheathing his own sword and pointing it at her. "You thought you could make a fool out of me by tricking me into this little farce of yours?" He stepped forward. Elsa aimed her hand at him, her magic ready. "You made your choice. Now let's see if it was worth it."
Marie silently picked up the sword and unsheathed it. Elsa watched as she held the sheath in her left in a backhanded style and the sword in her right. The ice mage faltered. "What are you doing?" Elsa asked.
"I took an oath, even if it was pretend." A small smile spread across Marie's face as she glanced back at Elsa. "I don't intend to break it anytime-" It was a mistake to look away. Dominic lunged at Marie, somehow moving faster than any normal human could. She crossed her blades and shielded Elsa as his sword collided with hers. Beads of sweat dripped down her face as she struggled under his attack. Elsa raised her hand. "No!" Marie commanded. She pushed him off. "Let me." She parried his blows, her teeth gritting as she dodged his onslaught of attacks. How is he so fast? Marie thought to herself. Suddenly he twirled his sword and hit Marie's jaw with his hilt. His sword sliced the side of Marie's neck, her blood staining the blade red. She fell to the ground from the impact, her eyes wide. Ice immediately blasted from Elsa and shot Dominic, sending him flying into a pillar. His body hit the stone with a sickening thud before dropping to the ground.
Elsa knelt. "Are you okay?" she asked hurriedly. Marie blinked in response, her head still reeling. "Here." Elsa's fingertips glowed as she touched the cut, freezing it shut. "Maybe let me handle it next time." A ring of staff members had crowded around the scene. A few rushed forwards to aid the women.
"LOOK OUT!" shouted a maid on the side. A loud grunt came from Dominic as he hurled his sword straight for Elsa's chest. She shielded Marie and conjured an ice wall. A metallic clang echoed through the castle. Elsa opened her eyes slowly.
A familiar purple cape flapped in the wind. Dominic's sword was knocked out of the air and onto the ground. Complete silence filled the castle grounds as Anna flicked her blade to her side, her eyes burning with an intensity that Elsa had never seen before as she said, "That's enough."
