xXxXx
The private gardens of Arendelle Castle was easily the most open, peaceful place on the grounds. Through surrounded on all sides by either high, stone walls or the towering structure of the castle itself, the sky seemed remarkably clear and wide amongst the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze. Well-kept, stone pathways wound through the area under the sunlight and would take one to the flower garden, the fruit grove, the vegetable garden, the small, willow-lined pond or the ever-green hedge-maze that stood almost as tall as the walls themselves.
Elsa was currently walking from the pond to the flower garden, and idly enjoyed the faint chill that was starting to snap at the air as August slowly wore on. The week was coming to a close as well, and with Sunday just around the corner, she was treated to the additional modicum of peace that came when almost everyone took a day to just relax. Right now, it was a bare two hours after lunch, and since her schedule was surprisingly clear for the remainder of the day, she was content to spend some time recharging in the warm, late-summer sun.
It was nice to have gotten to a point where she could do this, without fearing that she'd encase the whole thing in ice if a squirrel startled her.
"G'day, Majesty."
Turning at the greeting, Elsa smiled to see the head gardener standing a few feet away; a graying, tanned and weathered man that stood a full head and then some taller than her, and was clad in worn, dirt- and grass-stained breeches and a likewise tunic, with his wide-brimmed, dusty hat currently held in his soil-browned hands in front of him.
"Mister Fornes," she answered, and inclined her head. "The grounds are lovely, as always." She surveyed the surrounding flowerbeds as she spoke, and didn't have to even try to embellish. The beds dotted a wide expanse of vibrant, green grass, and were neatly arranged; the taller flowers and shrubs stood against the encircling, stone walls, with the smaller, narrower varieties meticulously planted to ensure that everything got as much sunlight as possible. It was an explosion of color that varied heavily in some beds, while others had been coordinated to hold reds and yellows, greens and whites or blues and purples respectively. "I think the gardening staff has earned an additional bonus this year."
The man flushed with pride, and stood a little taller. "My thanks, Majesty," he replied with a low bow. "Though we're only following the directions of her highness the princess, as you know."
"Of course." Elsa maintained her smile, though she admittedly knew nothing of the sort until this moment. "Still, a good job should be rewarded," she noted, and surreptitiously gave the garden another glance. Now that she knew what to look for, she could indeed see Anna's unmistakable hand in the seemingly random explosions of cheerful color; particularly in the center-most bed that got sunlight from all sides, where two hydrangea bushes - christmas green and dark blue respectively - were growing so closely that they may as well have been one.
"Far be it from me or mine to dispute such, Majesty," the head gardener offered amiably, and Elsa gave him another smile before proceeding down the path and out of sight.
How had she not known, she wondered as the low hum of people working dimmed behind her, and allowed her brows to furrow in a faint, pensive frown. She was well aware that Anna sat far from idle during the day; even more so now that they actually slept in the same bed and for that reason had gotten more time to talk over the past few days. Anna had a habit of listing her chores for the day several times out loud once she got up, and for that reason, Elsa was now keenly aware of exactly how many responsibilities her younger sister was actually carrying. The grounds or its caretakers, however, had not been on the list just yet.
She reached the thick, ancient oak that sat in solitary splendor in one corner of the gardens, and lowered herself onto the weathered, wide swing that hung from one of its sturdy branches. One foot settled under her as she leaned a shoulder against the thick rope that held the swing aloft, and with the other, she pushed herself to a gentle, slow rocking as she closed her eyes and inhaled the sweet, summer air.
It wasn't something she'd ever done before; relaxing like this in the middle of the day. Usually, she was exhausted by the time her duties were finished, and it was all she could do to finish dinner or maybe a cup of tea before she collapsed on her bed and dropped into unconsciousness. But over the past days, Elsa had woken up feeling more rested than she ever had, and found that as a result, her meetings went by faster, the documents were easier to read, and she was all-around in a far, far better mood throughout the entire day. All from something as simple as sleeping in Anna's arms.
She hadn't had a single nightmare since her sister had decreed that they should be roommates, but she supposed that was to be expected. It was hard to dream of someone's death when the heartbeat of the someone in question was pounding steadily beneath your own ear the entire night, and you were immersed in the warm, familiar scent of leafy forests and cool water that more than anything kept the darkness at bay. Anna, as well, had seemed more cheerful as of late - even for her - and Elsa was selfish enough to hope that it was for much the same reasons.
Oddly, she'd noticed a minute change in what she felt for her sister over the past, short while. She was now able to see that though she loved Anna dearly, that love had been heavily colored by a strong desire for her. Oh, the desire was still there, but it was changing now; deepening along with the emotion that Anna unknowingly evoked in her, and becoming more of a side-dish rather than the main course, as every moment she spent with the younger woman steadily increased the affection she felt. Somewhere, she recognized that although she'd been in love for a long time, there was apparently further still to fall.
In a way, it was a purer love now; one that was more worthy of Anna, and even if it wasn't returned, the thought made her smile.
"Boo."
The word was soft and accompanied by a gentle brush of warm breath over her ear, and Elsa noted with a chuckle that her distinct lack of surprise was met with a pout as she cracked one eye open and glanced over her shoulder. "Better luck next time," she told her sister, and waited for Anna to circle the swing and drop to a seat beside her. "Done for the day?"
"According to Kai, yes." Anna shifted enough in her seat to set the swing to halfway twirling, and finally ended up leaning back against the rope as she tucked both her feet under her and let her skirt-covered knees bracket Elsa's thigh and hip. "Actually, both of us are completely free tomorrow, so I wanted to check with you if you had any plans of your own, or if I could make some for both of us."
"Hm?" She sent her a searching look as she accepted the bright, cheerfully red apple that Anna held out to her, but was met with nothing more than wide, innocent teal eyes, follow by a loud, juicy crunch as her sister bit into the other fruit. "Dare I ask for what?" she questioned, and took a smaller, more dignified bite of her own apple.
"Problffh," Anna nodded. "Bfh ym bhre n lopff!"
"Clear as mud, sister dear."
"Gopfh." The younger woman sent her a sheepish look, and spent a few seconds chewing. "Sorry. I said 'probably, but you dare a lot'," she clarified, and Elsa had to pull herself back to the moment when the tip of a pink tongue swiped at a drop of juice on equally pink lips. "And you can ask, but..." Anna's mouth twisted faintly, and the ends of her braids brushed over the queen's arm as her head tilted from side to side. "... I'd kinda like to keep it to myself until I'm sure it can be done."
"If you wish," she agreed, and set the swing to moving gently again with one, heeled foot. "As long as I get enough to warning to prepare. You know I love spending time with you."
"Heh." Anna's face was a study in happy triumph as she wiggled in her seat, and Elsa smiled to see it. "I kinda figured, but thanks for confirming it."
"Anytime." They gazed at each other, and then just sat in comfortable silence; swinging slowly back and forth, and ingesting their respective apples in the peaceful, flower-scented garden.
It was, Elsa decided with a halfway wistful, little smile, almost romantic.
xXxXx
The next day dawned bright and clear, and Elsa once again found herself waking naturally as the first beams of sunlight started crawling across the ceiling; lazily aware of a steady, slow heartbeat under her ear that made her smile. Whatever it was that Anna had planned for the day had kept her busy for hours after dinner, and she only vaguely remembered the feeling of familiar arms slipping around her and pulling her close sometime after she'd fallen asleep herself.
They were starting to become somewhat uxorious with each other, she mused, and then proved her own point by placing a gentle kiss to the base of Anna's throat before she realized what she was doing. Her sister, however, was thankfully still asleep and none the wiser.
Elsa herself had started making a habit of having Anna's bath prepared and personally brushing her hair in the morning, while her sister ensured that the two of them went to sleep at a reasonable hour, and made certain that little bits of fruit, or cake, or chocolate arrived in the queen's office while she worked. In the evenings, they'd sit together on the couch in front of the fire while having tea and talking, and more often than not, that little wind-down session included physical intimacy as well, with Anna's head leaning on her shoulder, or the princess settling back so Elsa could lay her head in her sister's lap.
It was sweet and warm and had lasted a week at most, but it was already becoming one of the cornerstones of her life.
And it was dangerous, Elsa admitted privately as she watched her own thumb stroke gentle lines over the soft fabric that covered Anna's lower ribs, and felt the secure hold that circled her own shoulders as her sister slept. She was potentially setting the board for a world of hurt by allowing herself to become used to this, platonic as it was, because at some point, someone would take note of what she'd known for a long time, and Anna would fall in love. There was, of course, also the risk of others noticing the fact that the two of them were hovering on the border of being too close for sisters, but that had never been a particular concern of hers.
If it happened, denial would go a long way, and even if it had been true, both of them were worth a hefty amount of gold and could easily make a life elsewhere if they so chose. She was also quite sure that she could keep any hypothetical followers at bay; by force, if necessary, because she would die herself before she let anyone hurt Anna.
For now, Elsa decided as she tightened her hold on her sister and inhaled the scent of her skin, she was just going to enjoy the closeness granted to her, and hope it lasted as long as possible.
With that thought and the soothing warmth under the covers, she effortlessly slipped back off to sleep.
xXxXx
The sun was high enough in the sky to hit her skin directly when she woke again, and Elsa winced at its brightness; turning onto her side and away from the window. A lazily opened eye told her that Anna was nowhere to be seen, and she spent a few moments wondering at the sudden reversal of early bird versus slugabed before deciding that it was irrelevant. There was nothing on her schedule for today aside from Anna's as of yet secret plans, and...
"Elsa! The kingdom won't crumble if you take it easy every now and then - really."
"I have work to do!"
"Alright, then you can spend tonight relaxing, or washing this out."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Try me."
...there was always that, too. Cleaning half a jar of honey out of her hair had taken hours, and while Anna's help and occasional, half-choked laughter had been more than enough to make up for the task, she was in no hurry to repeat the experience. In any case, she reminded herself as she shifted to a cross-legged seat and ran her hands through her hair to settle it, Anna had been right. The kingdom thrived under her leadership - young as it was - even after she'd started delegating more tasks, and that alone was evidence enough that maybe she'd been working herself a little too hard previously. The fact that her additional free time was spent in her sister's company more often than not was hardly a deterrent, either.
"Hey!" Anna was re-entering the room; a touch abnormally dressed in black breeches, boots and a fitted, green, short-sleeved tunic. "You're up - yay!"
Elsa managed to smother a grin, but couldn't quite stop an eyebrow from rising as her - considering the hour - remarkably energetic sister closed the door. "Correct me if I'm wrong," she offered, and watched Anna literally skip over to the bed and give her an expectant look. "But were you not the one who not five days ago responded to a question about rising early with 'not in a month of Sundays'?"
Teal eyes narrowed, and a single finger came up to wag at her. "That was then," Anna informed her faux-haughtily. "This is now. No living in the past, My Queen."
"Of course not." Somehow, she managed to not laugh. "I take it from your attire that we're spending the day outside?"
"We're going for a ride," Anna confirmed with a grin, and then removed a small bag from her back. "But I need to change first. I was outside for five minutes, and it's gonna get way too hot for what I'm wearing," she explained. "I need something lighter."
"I'll probably be better off making something of my own, then," Elsa surmised, and tried not to hurry into the adjoining bath chamber when her sister unconcernedly started shedding her clothes. "I'll be right back."
xXxXx
Just under an hour later, the two of them were well outside the city gates. Anna was now wearing a much lighter set of clothes in pale brown and minty green, while Elsa had crafted herself a similar set of breeches alongside a long-sleeved tunic, and both of them had a light, fair cloak slung over their shoulders to provide some shade from the rays of the sun. They were riding, as Anna had said, along a winding forest road that was really only two wheel tracks in the grass, and the queen was quietly grateful for the lonely night hours she'd spent in the stables and the practice ring as a child, since those now left her almost as comfortable in the saddle as her sister seemed to be.
Anna was astride the calmly ambling Thor; a handsome fjord so pale he was almost white, with a black nose and a similar darkening of his legs from the knees down. Elsa, meanwhile, was riding Heimdahl; a stallion of the same breed and sturdy build, but whose coloring was a darker, almost golden yellow and held much fairer markings around his nose. The two horses had been waiting for them when they'd exited the castle, and she'd been given a set of saddle bags, along with explicit instructions to keep one of the bags frozen so their drinks would stay cool.
"Wow." Anna's voice drew her from renewing the layer of ice on the bag in question, and she caught the motion of her sister using one hand to flap her cloak in order to create a slight breeze. "It's not even halfway to noon and it's already scorching."
Elsa considered that, and privately recognized that her self-made attire was probably keeping her a good deal cooler than Anna's more regular clothing was her sister. Then she sniffed, and carefully kept her face neutral as she wiggled one finger.
"YA-HOW!" Anna stood up ramrod-straight in her stirrups from sheer shock; looking for all the world as if she would have vaulted directly over the stallion's head if she'd been able. The sudden movement and shrill shriek startled her poor horse so badly that the otherwise well-trained Thor actually hopped forward several paces before coming to a full halt, and turning his head around to give his rider a very put-upon look.
Well, people did strange things when a line of ice suddenly shot up the length of their spines. Elsa, as not only a spectator but the cause, was currently utilizing every last one of her well-honed diplomatic skills to keep from bursting out laughing, and found herself suitably impressed that she'd yet to slide from her saddle and collapse on the ground in a cramping ball of hilarity.
Then Anna was turning her head oh-so-slowly, and she fought down the instinctive desire to make a hole in the air.
"You said it was hot," she offered, and shrugged one shoulder.
"That I did." Anna leaned forward to pat Thor's neck apologetically, but when she came back up, there was an elaborately decorated waterskin in her hand, and her horse was neatly sidestepping closer.
"Uh..." Elsa nudged her own steed further away, but knew she'd run out of road soon. "Anna... You don't want to do that."
"Oh," Anna tipped her head back, and then brought it forward with a grin as she unstopped the makeshift bottle. "But I do. Very much so."
She waited until Anna was as close as she could get without their knees actually touching and her hand was wrapped around the waterskin. Heimdahl was practically vibrating underneath her, though to all appearances, the golden horse seemed completely at ease.
Then Anna's fingers tightened, and in a single, split-second move, Elsa crafted a semi-circle of ice that redirected most of the water into her sister's face and squeezed her knees; sending her mount thundering down the dusty road with a grin and a wild flapping of her cloak.
"You-!" There was outraged sputtering behind her, but it only took a moment before a second set of pounding hoofbeats could be heard as the younger woman gave chase. "You're TOAST, Snow Queen!"
"That makes you the jam, Red!" she called back, and chanced a look over her shoulder to see Anna's expression change from playful indignation to astounded surprise to absolute delight in the blink of an eye. That's right. Elsa smiled when their eyes met, and trusted Heimdahl to guide himself. We can still play, you see that?
The chase became a race then, with each horse overtaking the other multiple times to the cheers and laughter of their riders, and presumably much to the annoyance of the forest's native residents as they barreled through it. There were no crowns or responsibilities or bloodlines here; just Elsa and Anna. There weren't even guards, though Anna had her bow and quiver on her back and a dagger strapped to her belt, while Elsa had politely but firmly reminded the guard captain that if anything were to happen, chances were that she could take care of it herself.
"Whoo..." Anna breathed as they slowed to first a canter, then a walk in deference to the tiring horses. "That was..." She trailed off, and gave a wide, appreciative grin. "That was something we should do again."
"Whenever time permits," Elsa agreed with a chuckle, and adjusted her grip on Heimdahl's reins. "Or whenever you decide to try to splash me again."
"You started it!"
"And we're entirely too old for that argument," she retorted with a smirk, and then sent a cool breeze towards Anna's face with the wave of a hand. "Better?"
"Hmm." Anna nodded and closed her eyes with a content smile; then nudged Thor closer. "When did you learn to ride?"
"I taught myself," Elsa told her, and held back a little as her sister turned down a much narrower path. "Or perhaps it's better to say that the horses taught me. I'd sneak out to the stables at night," she explained, and guided Heimdahl after the paler horse. "At first I just spent time there; brushing them, examining the saddles and bridles and so on. I only ever went as far as the practice ring, but I learned what signals they'd been trained to respond to bit by bit - mostly by trial and error."
Anna's head whipped around, and she was treated to the sight of wide, teal eyes under the shifting shadows of the trees above them. "You're telling me you've never been out of the city on horseback before?"
"No, never." She smiled at the shocked look, and set her hands on the saddlehorn. "Anna, it's fine. There's a lot of things I haven't done until very recently. I'm just..." A pause to take a breath, and she was aware of the color rising in her cheeks. "Well, I'm glad that a lot of my firsts have included you."
"First argument, first party, first living snowman, first hug, first cuddle..." Anna listed, and ducked her head under a low, leafy branch before sending another, warm look over her shoulder. She seemed to be blushing, as well. "I'm glad, too."
Elsa smiled, and let the warmth of those words fill her chest as the forest closed around them.
xXxXx