Elsa Comes Out: Kjæreste

        Anna was getting married, and Elsa was the one to walk her down the aisle.

Oh she looked beautiful all in white with her hair cascading down her back. Elsa had even convinced her sister to wear a tiara. When she protested Elsa had told her that, if ever there was a time a princess should wear a crown it was her wedding day.

        Kristoff stood up at the altar dressed in a white and black suit with, strangely, a green cloak that looked almost as if it was made of leaves. When he smiled at Anna, Elsa could feel her tremble.

        As Elsa watched her sister say her vows and eventually kiss her new husband, Elsa couldn’t believe just how happy she was for her.

        It was such a wonderful dream; it was a pity the queen had to wake from it but wake from it she did. Elsa sighed to herself as she stretched out her arms, pulling the covers of the bed down as she spread out her toes. Elsa had heard of ‘Droit du seigneur’ even if she’d never heard of it ever actually happening, she smiled and wondered if there was such a thing as ‘Droit du dame’

        She turned over and felt the depressing softness of the sheets next to her. She let out a disheartened sigh.

        It had been almost a week since Anna had left and Elsa and Kristoff had shared a night together. In the time since she’d done her best to make time for him, but the moment she tried to get closer he would leave. At first she didn’t think much of it, but now? Elsa was nearly agonizing over it.

        She pulled herself from the bed as a knock came from the door.

        “Yes?”

        “Your Majesty, guests are beginning to arrive for the feast, Kai says you should be the one to greet them.” came the voice of a steward.

        “Oh yes, thank you.” Elsa had forgotten, tomorrow was the Winter Feast. The gates to the castle were always open, but this was the sort of ceremonial start of winter for Arendelle. The castle would be open to anyone that needed a warm bed or a hot meal in the coming winter. Elsa had a feeling it would be a harsh one this year.

        The queen smoothed out her hair, pulling her braid over her shoulder, and struggled into her dark blue and black dress, the one with the jacket. She stepped out of her bedchambers and met face to face with the accusing steward that had attempted to wake her.

        “Please make sure that at least some of the court is there. Especially the Ice Master.”

 

        Elsa did her best to sit up straight in the throne as another party was escorted into the audience chamber. A wizened man with a balled head and bushy muttonchops bowed his head, leaning heavily on a cane.

        “Thank you for coming, Gaerter. How is your village?” Gaerter was an old stone mason; he’d helped build the latest additions to the harbor, and was the chief of one of the furthest outlying villages.

        “We are doing well, you’re highness. Though, with the early winter this year we’ve lost far more in our fields.”

        Elsa considered this for a moment, “We’ll see what help we can offer,” she said at last.

        The man bowed again, and said this thank you’s. He’d be put into one of the castles many apartments. Hopefully a warm one, he did look older than when Elsa had last seen him. Elsa looked sideways at the few peoples collected for court. There behind Kai and the head steward was Kristoff he was clearly trying to hide. The fact that he was easily had a head and a half over both of them made the whole thing a little absurd.

        Another party came in and again, Elsa welcomed them, all the time sneaking glances at the man. He looked bored. At least she didn’t make him wear that outfit Anna had bought him. She smiled as the noble’s party was escorted away, she waved Kai over.

        “Is that the last of them?”

        “Yes, Queen Elsa.”

        “Oh thank goodness,” Elsa practically collapsed into the back of the throne, “We’re done for the day I think.”

        “Yes, my queen.”

        “Kai, I keep telling you, you can just call me Elsa.”

The man smiled, “Yes, my queen,” Elsa sighed as he stepped forward, announcing the end of the petitions.  Elsa stood up and walked out one of the side doors as those gathered bowed their heads. She waited outside the door, waiting for the rest of the court to follow. Well not all of them, just one.

        She’d waited for Kristoff like this several times like this before, walking with him, chatting with him. But the moment she’d bring up how she felt about him, he’d make an awkward excuse and have to leave. Well she wouldn’t let him this time.

        Kai and the others filed came out of the room, discussing something or other that Elsa wasn’t much interested in. Elsa smiled and returned any hello’s she received. Kai, Herro, Juliet, and Mark all walked past. No Kristoff. Elsa was just about to walk back into the audience chamber almost running into someone else.

        “Oh! Olaf?”

        “Hi Elsa!” the little snowman said cheerfully.

        “Er… hello,” Elsa said looking past the snowman, “What are you doing here Olaf?”

        “I heard you were going to be giving away free food.”

Elsa’s brows knitted together, “Olaf, you’re a snowman. You can’t eat anything.”

        Olaf looked up at the queen, all puppy dog eyes and confusing before h brightened up,”Oh yeah!” he started off down the hall.

        “Er. Olaf?” Elsa asked, “Was uhm. Was Kristoff coming?”

        “Oh no. He went outside.”

        “Ah, thank you!” Elsa hurried out back into the audience chamber.

        “I’ll never understand why they keep calling Sven, Kristoff” Olaf said shaking his head. Maybe he’d go look at the paintings.

 

        The garden’s had been dusted with snow, a sprinkling of white over the perennial greens. Kristoff was heading towards the castle gates when Elsa pushed open the doors to the little sanctuary of nature.

        “Kristoff!”

He turned to find her red faced from running. “Elsa?”

She smiled “I’m hah. I’m glad I caught you.”

Kristoff started to turn away, “Elsa, I really don’t have-“

        “W-wait, I wanted to talk”

He continued walking through the garden shoulders tense and squared. Elsa hurried over to him and grabbed his arm, “Kristoff, Why are you avoiding me?” when he didn’t answer she pressed on, “Every time I-I try to get close to you, you run away.”

        He whirled around, “Because I…” he began, stopping when he saw her face. He sighed and looked down, “It’s… Elsa. I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”       

        “What do you mean?”

When he didn’t answer Elsa realized something. Since Anna left, every time they were alone she’d tell him how she felt. She wasn’t entirely sure why she kept saying it; it was just a wonderful feeling to finally be able to say it. But in all that time he’d never said the words back to her.

        “Kristoff… don’t you…“

        “…I don’t know,” they shared a long look before he pulled away.

Elsa watched him clump through the thin snow, a little voice in her head screaming for her to not let him go. She could stop him, she thought. Order him to come back. He’d do it, she waged. She could order him to kiss her, or tell her he loved her. She could scream from the guards to grab him.

        She watched him walk through the portcullis of the gate.

 

        Elsa pulled open the wardrobe and stared at the clothing inside. She’d been a bit scatterbrained from yesterday. She pulled out an outfit and absentmindedly looked it over. Kristoff didn’t love her. Of course. Yes. He loved Anna, that’s right. She’d just… forgotten.

        The queen set aside the clothing before looking back through the wardrobe. Maybe something lighter would be better? It might not do to be bundled up, telling people they were welcome to stay in the castle to keep warm. Maybe she was just being selfish, she’d always felt like she was turning her back to her sister whenever she thought about her feelings, it must have felt just as badly for him. It just, it seemed like for the first time in forever she’d finally just been free. The only other time she could feel like that was with Anna.

        Elsa sighed and shook her head. Maybe the ice dress? She hadn’t had that on in some time. It might be the perfect thing for welcoming people to the cast-oh!

        Elsa didn’t remember this dress, she’d never ordered it from anyone, and it certainly wasn’t one of Anna’s. She pulled it out and a little note fell out. She picked it up and read the short note. Oh Auntie, she even signed with a heart. Elsa could already imagine what she’d look like in the dress, and how everyone else would look at her too.

        Elsa realized she should have felt bad about the whole idea. If she was to tell herself the truth it was because of Kristoff’s love for Anna that she realized how she felt about the man.  It was manipulative. It was wrong. Elsa smiled, it just might be perfect.

 

        Did he really have to wear this?

Kristoff tugged at the formal doublet. The damn thing was too tight, if he lifted his arm it felt like the dam thing would rip right off him. He didn’t like the blue and purple the stripes made him feel foolish. Give him grey and he was as happy as a reindeer with a carrot. And the pants? Don’t even get him started on the pants.

        The dining hall was filled with people and food. Sconces filled with flame, a warm glow filling the stone and wooden room. Like the ball months before the dining hall was filled with just the peoples of Arendelle. The lesser nobility of Arendelle dressed in bright oranges and yellows mingled with village chiefs wearing much the same as Kristoff was now, all of them looked uncomfortable and Kristoff felt a rare pang of sympathy for his fellow man. The heads of Arendelle’s largest lumber and fishery companies flaunted their finery as best they could, gold rings and necklaces; these people have more jewelry on them than Kristoff had ever seen on Elsa or Anna. In a place like England these people might be considered common rabble but here they were the cream of the crop.

        He’d rather be neck deep in snow.

Why was he even here? Elsa couldn’t have been happy with him. God she looked like she was about to cry when he’d left the garden. Things were easier when it was just him and Anna, before she’d had him try and bring Elsa out of the castle. Maybe if Anna wasn’t-

        The conversations around him stopped and Kristoff finally noticed all necks had craned and turned to the large entrance doors. Elsa was making her entrance.

She looked gorgeous. A white corseted top encircled her torso a sheer white slid from the corset to her throat in a halter neck line, thin filigree like stitching in black ribbed the garment, black flowers and ivy over a snowy field. The gown flowed down into a white skirt that dripped off her hips, hips that swayed from side to side with each step. Elsa could teach a snake to sashay. A thick black hem with gold lacing running through it trailed the skirts movement.

        Elsa’s already wider hips and larger bust were more than accentuated by the dress she wore. Kristoff swallowed hard. Elsa smiled at the people, nodding and thanking people who asked after her. One time she even bowed a little. Men stretched their necks to see.

        She eventually took her place at the head of the long table and standing there, addressed the whole room.

        “Thank you everyone,” she said, “winter has come early, and once again I will keep the castle doors open to anyone who needs succor in these times. Winter has come early, I know some of you here are chief’s of villages far flung from our seat here in the city. I know that some of you have had poor harvests, and that the early frosts have ruined what little you were able to gain. I assure you, our stores here are large and I will gladly send out shipments to help you with anything you may need.” A cheer went up from the crowed, “So please, sit and eat and drink.”

Loaves of bread, hollowed out into bowls, were brought out. Pots of soups, sausages, and fruits were brought out. More loaves of bread were ordered and for a night every person there ate like a king.

        Kristoff would keep glancing around the room, and to Elsa, seeing just how many people were able to actually take their eyes off her. A fair number of women kept on gawking at her, and men would occasionally look up, especially if the queen ever laughed. He didn’t like it, not that he should care. Elsa could ware whatever she wanted. Kristoff glanced over at her again.

        A dance hadn’t been scheduled, but that didn’t stop some of the more amorous of the guests. Eventually Elsa relented and a small band was brought in. In the eaves of the room people waltzed to the strums of guitars and the blares of horns. An old man with a bald head, Kristoff remembered him from the day before, one of the village chiefs, was just asking Elsa something. Probably to dance with him. Kristoff took a bite of his now empty bread bowl.

        The man next to him was saying something about crops, or raising sheep, something like that but Kristoff wasn’t listening. Elsa said something to the older man and stood up; he pulled her over to the side of the room and the two swayed together talking. Kristoff could do without the déjà vu and tavern that thought brought with it.

       

        ‘I’ll level with you, Christopher,’ the old King had said.

        ‘It’s Kristoff.’

        ‘Whatever, the point is sometimes these things happen. I fell for Blondie after like two days. Hell we never even got to dance before we kissed.’

        ‘How’d you know?’

        ‘Oh well, it was easy for me. Or complicated. She made me want to give up being a thief. Or steal her the whole world. It’s not an easy thing to describe. But it’s just one of those things. You’ll know it when you see it. Or feel it I guess.’

        ‘I know, that’s how I feel about Anna. She makes me feel like. Like when you first hear that crunch of the grass after the first frost. Or when you see a lake frozen over for the first time in the winter. It makes me want to stomp around or skate, like I’ve got all this energy that I have to burn off.’

        ‘Okay I don’t get you people and your winter stuff, but whatever. Yeah that’s it.’ He lowered his voice, ‘And the queen?’

        ‘I don’t know. It’s sort of the same, but, different. I just feel, I don’t know. Calm? Something like that. At ease.’

Like the man had done so many times before he clapped him on the shoulder, ‘Like I said, you’re in a mess. I’m sure you’ll see the light some day.’

 

        Yeah, real helpful Eugene. ‘How do you feel’ never seemed to help anyone. Kristoff finished his mug and slammed it onto the table harder than he’d meant to. Elsa had finished her little dance and, oh look, someone else was asking for one, he took her hand and placed his own at her waist.

        Kristoff turned to the man next to him, “Sorry, I uh, I just remembered something. What were you saying?”

        “I was saying it’s a good thing that the queen’s doing,” the man said. He was an older man, slightly balding with a great beard. He wore a simple brown coat and vest. Probably a village man that came as part of a leader’s party. Though he did have a heavy accent, from France if Kristoff had any kind of guess.

        “What the feast?”

        “No, sending out food. There’s not many that would do something like that.”

Kristoff thought about this. He didn’t know much about anyplace else in the world, other than the ice houses would ship off the ice he cut to various places when there was a surplus of it, but he figured people in power liked to keep it that way. Sharing probably wasn’t their biggest concern, “I suppose you’re right.”      

        “Oh I know I am,” the man said, “Have you ever been to France, young man?”

        “Oh no.” Kristoff said.

        “Dreadful place these days, all because of the monarchy really. The people revolted over it.”

        “And that fixed everything?”

        “Well, no,” he admitted, “I was thinking of writing a book about it.”

Kristoff wasn’t much of one for reading either, “I guess that would be good.”

        “You’re not that good of a listener are you mister…?”

        “Er.. Kristoff.”

        “I’m Victor. Victor Hu-”

        “Oh my goodness look!” the woman behind Victor exclaimed, “I think the queen’s finally seeing a suitor.”

        “What?”

        Kristoff spun around to spy a man kneeling before the queen, holding something small before her. Elsa stood open-mouthed at whatever he was trying to give her. It took Kristoff a moment to realize what was happening.

        “Oh my,” the man named Victor said, “It looks like he’s proposing.”

        “What!?”

Kristoff watched in a somewhat confused state of horror as Elsa took whatever it was the man was offering her dazzling smile on display. She’d accepted. Kristoff backed away from the table, nearly knocking over the bench he and those around him sat on. The room was suddenly stifling. It seemed to him that he reached Elsa side without actually traveling through the space between them. He grumbled something to her. He didn’t even know what, some excuse probably. Something anything. The queen said something to him. He didn’t hear him through the buzz in his head, it seemed like an agreement. He pulled her away from the man and out of the dining hall.

“Kristoff, what are you doing?” Elsa asked, practically dragged through the halls. Kristoff gripped her arm tight enough that it almost hurt. He turned at the first door, yanking it open and pulling both of them inside, It was the royal gallery, paintings looked down on the couple as they clambered in “Kristoff what-“

        “Are you insane?”  

        “What?”    

        “You just met the man! Anna loves telling me the damn story of when she brought that Hans guy to meet you and now you’re doing this?”

        “Doing what? What are you talking about?”

        “You’re going to marry him!”

For several moments the room around them was silent, and then Elsa broke out laughing.

        “Oh God, you think.. hah. Oh no no no.” Elsa leaned back against the wall.

        “Why are you-”

        “He wasn’t proposing, Kristoff,” Elsa held up her hand, a ring was shining on her first finger, a silver band with a small set of gemstones in it in the shape of a snowflake, “It’s a gift. Maybe not something I would have chosen but well, I couldn’t say no, could I?”

        “He wasn’t a suitor?” Kristoff asked. He was feeling dumber by the moment, and the more ashamed of the scene he’d made the more he felt his cheeks flush.

        “Of course not. I should be furious at you even thinking it!” she said waving her hand at him. When he looked away she smiled, “But it’s sweet that you’re so concerned.”

        “Well… of course I would be. I mean-“

        “Though the man was rather handsome,” Elsa said with a devilish smile, “It might make a smart match.”

        “Elsa…”

        “I’m joking.”

Kristoff rubbed his neck, “Just uhh…” Elsa’s eye brow raised, “Maybe… don’t get married. Any time soon…” This wasn’t going at all as Kristoff had planned it. Well he’d planned to just be yelling at her, this wasn’t right. The buzzing in his head wouldn’t stop.

        Elsa blushed in spite of herself. Seeing how Kristoff reacted to what had happened, she felt ashamed. He didn’t deserve that.

        “I’m sorry about yesterday” they both said before stopping and chuckling at each other.

        “Kristoff, I. I shouldn’t have asked that of you. I know how you feel about Anna. I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that. If you want I’ll… I’ll stop…” she said, “I’ll stop trying to get you alone, I’ll stop making you come to these things I’ll… I’ll stop”

        She smiled again, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She didn’t want him to agree. As the silence between them dragged on she looked down.

        “You’ve… you’ve kind of got me alone now…” he said. Elsa looked up, eyes wobbling and smile shining. The room felt warmer to the man, “Uhm. C-could I-“

        “Yes!” she chirped before throwing her arms around him. Kristoff laughed as the force spun them around before their lips met in a soft kiss. As they pulled apart Elsa pressed herself close to him, simply enjoying the feeling of being in his arms again. She smiled as she saw Kristoff blush as he looked down at her, “I saw you, you know. Looking at me.”

        “Oh, ah. Sorry. It’s just, the dress…”

She didn’t think he could look redder. She stroked his cheek, “I wore it for you,” she lowered her voice. If she wasn’t wearing what she was, Kristoff would have believed she was being bashful. Elsa pushed herself closer to the man. The combination of the corset and their closeness turned the queen’s bust under the lace into two snow covered hills against his body, “I missed you Kristoff,”

        If Elsa was waiting for an answer she got it in the form of another kiss. Elsa felt she would melt in it, evaporate like she could with ice and snow. Kristoff pulled away from her and after looking in her eyes for a moment, almost as if asking for permission. Elsa smiled back

        He leaned forward and whispered a scant few words.

Elsa felt her heart beat faster as he kissed down from her ear to the nape of her neck. She tasted like freshly fallen snow, that quick sharp coolness that melts away so sweetly. Kristoff kissed down from her neck, down to the gossamer fabric that looped around her neck. Elsa cooed as he plunged further down her chest kissing at her skin through her clothes, his face nearly nuzzled between her breasts.  Elsa looked up at the paintings that surrounded them.

        People might be coming soon. People would be wondering where she went. They could come through the door any second now. She might be a queen but this was still something she should try to keep a secret. She smiled and giggled softly as she felt Kristoff’s hands slide along her back and pull her closer still. Oh, let them see, she thought. She didn’t care anymore.

        He’d finally said the words back.