#yes shes fearful of her powers but HANS IS A STRANGER. SOMEONE ANNA JUST MET.

[gyubby99]

What bothers me is that I have never seen a single Demiromantic/demisexual Elsa headcanons. Where are they!!! 😭😭😭

[punkpoemprose]

December 15th- A Convenient Arrangement Part 7

Universe: Canonverse Arranged Marriage AU Rating:T Length: 4309 Words A/N: Anna gets to let it all out. This is the Anna and Elsa conflict that I wish they could have included in the movies, because as wonderful and kind and forgiving as Anna is, everyone has a breaking point. I thought this was going to be 10 chapters. It’s looking closer to 13-15 I think, but we’ll see how much I can squeeze in going forward. I have 4 days to write 10 more fics, and I work two of them... and I have a zine yo put together...we’ll see how this goes!

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6]

She’d woken in his arms when sunlight flooded through the cabin’s front windows, warming her face and informing her that it was time rise once again. She’d kept her eyes closed despite it, pretending that she was still asleep. She just wanted to listen to his breathing and the beating of his heart for a little longer. She just wanted to be close and know that his holding her so tight was purposeful because she knew that he was awake and was trying to not wake her.

I’m not a good person.

The thought was not self-deprecating so much as it was chiding as she laid in bed with him for another half hour at least, feeling the rise and fall of his chest beneath her and trying not to flush when his hands would move across her back or tuck away a stray hair. It felt strange, but wonderful to be cared for.

She knew that she shouldn’t have pretended to be asleep, but she could never remember waking up and feeling quite so safe as she did in his arms. Moments of tenderness like that was not something she was used to and so she’d allowed herself to indulge in it, and he hadn’t commented even though she suspected that he knew after a short time that she was awake.

They’d had a light breakfast, and he’d helped her redress herself in the soft morning light. She thought that she may remember the deft way he’d adjusted her corset lacing for the rest of her life. He’d asked her if she’d needed help, and while she didn’t really, she’d consented because it was easier with help, and because she was curious about whether he could manage it with only her spoken instructions. She’d felt warm when he’d expertly tugged and tied, explaining sheepishly that he was used to ropework and that he hoped he hadn’t hurt her.

She knew now, after their night alone, that he’d never hurt her. At least not on purpose.

He’d never hurt her the way Hans had.

The quiet morning had continued on the wagon ride back to Arendelle. They hadn’t spoken of anything of consequence since the night before, occasionally breaking the silence with a comment about their surroundings or the weather, but otherwise enjoying the easy silence that no longer felt uncomfortable between them. They would have plenty of time to talk, but they both had seemed to enjoy the lack of questions and heavy conversations for a while.

The calm had ended after they reentered the castle gates, at least for her. She wasn’t certain about how things went for him because they’d been separated too quickly for her tastes.

He’d gone to care for Sven, not entrusting the sweet reindeer with a groom was something that Anna understood now. Sven was as much his family as the trolls were, as she hoped she was. Kristoff felt a duty to care for the creature himself.

Anna, however, had been quickly corralled into her sister’s office, where the day quickly became anything but quiet.

“What were you thinking?” Elsa said, her voice high and the anxiety not at all hidden.

Anna thought that the temperature in the room was maybe ten degrees lower than it was in the hallway just outside the closed door. Her chest felt tight at the realization, and her headache from the night before, when her memories had been returned to her seemed to resurge slightly, a dull hum of discomfort behind her eyes. She clenched her jaw and tried to focus on something else, the wall, the window, anything but her angry sister.

“I left you a note,” she said after a moment’s thought, “I was thinking I was spending some time with my husband.”

Elsa wasn’t calmed by this though. She shook her head and scoffed, giving Anna a look of annoyance, or maybe disappointment that burned through her, like she was being given a forcible internal frost burn from the coolness, even as she tried to look away from it.

“Did you not learn anything from Hans?”

Her hands balled into fists at her side. It wasn’t a question. It was an attack. This wasn’t a meeting, it was an interrogation.

And Anna wasn’t going to back down from it.

“Have you learned anything about what happens when you try to control my life?”

It was a snipe, but she wasn’t about to let Elsa judge her, Queen or not, for trying to get to know the husband that she had forced her into marrying. Elsa had all the power in deciding how they were to handle the fallout after everything with Hans, and instead of trying to find another way to calm the populace, she’d consented to a royal wedding. She’d asked Anna if she was comfortable with it as an afterthought, after the wheels were already in motion, and while she’d seemingly felt bad about the whole thing, it still wasn’t lost on Anna that her sister had once told her that she couldn’t marry someone she just met, and then all but forced her to do the very same.

“Or do you get to blindly pass judgement because you have a crown now?”

Anna saw the ice forming on the windowpanes behind her sister’s desk. The summer scene of gardens and green grass behind her suddenly covered with thick ice marring the sightline. Anna had been looking out to the stables out of the corner of her eye, taking comfort in knowing that Kristoff wasn’t far off. It probably wasn’t a good sign that she felt more comfortable with him than her own sister already. Really though, despite being a stranger, he was giving her a chance to know him. Elsa hadn’t afforded her the same chance, making her all the more the stranger.

“This isn’t about me,” Elsa hissed, “This is about your reckless behavior. You should have taken a guard with you. He could have…”

He could have killed you.

She might have entertained the thought before the trip. In fact, she had, but as reckless as it may have seemed to others to trust him, she knew that she had nothing to fear from him. He’d never meant her harm of any kind, not from the very start.

He wasn’t a man of manners or class or breeding. He was a simple ice harvester, and he’d helped her stand strong at their wedding, he’d not forced himself on her on their wedding night, he’d given her so much of himself, and he’d been nothing but gentle with her.

It wasn’t a long play. It was a kindness. It was something like love.

She thinks he could have killed me.

It was laughable, but she wasn’t laughing. She was raging inside, her heart pounding, and her head aching from the tension in her jaw.

“You could have!” Anna shouted in return, “And I should thank you by the way for your restraint, given that I just recently found out that you apparently almost killed me once before too. Why didn’t you tell me before Elsa? Was it just one more thing you didn’t think I could handle?”

Elsa’s brow furrowed, the fire was still in her eyes, but it was mixed with confusion.

“I take it a troll visited you last night to let you know where I was. Well, I had a lovely time with them, and apparently, I knew about you and the ice and everything until I was five and mother and father had them take the memories from me. I understand why, but what I don’t understand is why you never told me. You knew Elsa, and you never told me about it, or about what you could do. The person who put me in the most danger here is you!”

The room continued to cool, the ice on the windows grew thicker and Anna could see from the angry set of her sister’s jaw that she had struck a nerve.

“So yes, I took a chance to leave and spend some time with my husband. Last I checked I’m not a prisoner, and neither is Kristoff so we decided to leave, you know, enjoy life outside of these walls for a little bit given I haven’t been outside them in thirteen years. Maybe if you were that concerned about him I don’t know, potentially wanting to kill me, you wouldn’t have let the council force a wedding.”

“That’s enough!”

Anna saw the flakes in the air. She knew her sister was at her breaking point, but she couldn’t help but keep pushing. Elsa had gone straight for her most vulnerable point as soon as she’d entered her office, and Anna wasn’t going to take it without dishing it back out.

“Is it?”

She stomped across the wooden floor that was quickly accumulating ice and snow from her sister’s inability to hold on, getting into her face. It was probably a bad idea, but she couldn’t help it. She’d rather get it all out now than keep holding it in. She wasn’t going to spend the next thirteen years of her life knocking on her sister’s door begging for her attention, she was going to take it whether Elsa liked it or not.

“Because I don’t think it is. I don’t think this is enough, because I’ve got news for you. You’re talking to me like I’m a child, and I’m not. I know because I spent every day of my childhood watching days and months and years pass alone, wanting nothing more than someone to spend the time with. I might have made a mistake, but right now the score isn’t anywhere near even Elsa, and I’m not going to take this from you. Kristoff isn’t Hans and if you compare them one more time so help me…”

It happened in a flash, the room went from icy cold, snowy, crusted with ice, to bright white, and then, back to normal.

Elsa fell apart, crumbling as she started crying, in front of Anna.

I’m a horrible sister.

No. This was necessary.

It hurts to hurt someone you love.

She shouldn’t have pushed so hard, was her first thought. Then, shortly after, as she lowered herself to the floor and wrapped her arms around her crying sister, the ice Queen of Arendelle that she’d reduced to tears, she realized that it needed to happen. Even if it hurt them both, she needed to let it out. If she hadn’t it would have eaten her alive.

“It’s okay,” she said, letting her sister cry into her shoulder for the second time in as many weeks.

“I’m not angry anymore, I just needed to get it out,” she said, holding her tight as Elsa started to shake in her arms, hyperventilating as she cried.

“I’ve been so mad for so long, and it took getting my memories back to figure out why… Elsa I know that it wasn’t your choice when we were kids, but I’ve been alone almost my whole life and Kristoff…”

“I’m so sorry.”

It was a wet, nervous sound when she spoke, filling the space as Anna searched for the words to describe exactly how she felt about her husband. It surprised Anna to hear her sister apologize, assuming that she’d want her to leave as soon as she found a voice to tell her to get out. It was what she’d come to expect of Elsa, even when she was being contrite, that she never wanted Anna to stay with her for very long.

“I knew you were lonely. I knew you needed me, but I was too afraid of myself to let you in. If I’d just talked to you more… if we’d just left the castle, maybe you would have never…”

“I know,” she said, stopping her before she could bring up the situation with Hans, “Just… I need you to start trusting me. You haven’t even talked to me since the wedding. You’ve never even had a conversation with Kristoff. You can’t just assume the worst of him.”

She was doing the best she could to keep her voice low, soft, and reassuring. Despite the frustration she had and still felt toward the crying woman in her arms, she also loved her sister dearly. She was all the family she had.

Except now you have Kristoff too.

She wished that her sister could have seen the way he’d held her when she was fighting through her headache, or the way that he took her hand and gave her signals and avenues to express her discomfort or fear. She wished that she could see the way he sometimes looked at her like she was something precious. Maybe then she’d have been less worried. Maybe then she’d understand.

“I didn’t want to,” Elsa sniffled, “At least I didn’t mean to think that about him right away. But I didn’t know when you were coming back and there were no guards with you, and then there was a troll in my office. Anna I didn’t know what to think.”

It took her almost a full minute to get the whole thing out, the sniffling and choked up tone of her voice making it difficult for her to speak and be understood.

“Think that I learned my lesson and that I’m safe with my husband. I wouldn’t have left alone with him if I didn’t trust him. It’s not like before, I’m not blind.”

“But he’s a stranger.”

“Not to me. We’ve been together for a short time, but he’s no stranger to me. He’s a…”

He’s a man I’m falling in love with.

“He’s becoming a dear friend. I think you’d like him Elsa. He’s got a good heart.”

***

When Kristoff had finished removing Sven’s tack, he’d brushed the reindeer. The he’d fed him, sat with him for a short time, and mostly waited for Anna to return. After what felt like an hour, he forced himself up from the hay bale he’d seated himself on and left Sven’s quiet company for the castle. He’d hoped that Anna would have returned after speaking to her sister, but he supposed that even though she’d told him they didn’t have any duties as a couple for the week, she might very well be too busy to spend time with him now that they were back at the castle.

He’d done his best to keep his head high despite feeling foolish walking through the halls. He’d pretended that he wasn’t lost and snuck Anna’s map from his pocket surreptitiously, running his fingers over it to find his way back to his room.

On his way he’d even managed to ask a maid if she would be able to have a lunch sent up to his room. It felt like something that he shouldn’t have asked, feeling no more royal or entitled as he had before leaving, but also wanting not to return to the kitchens himself. There had been something about being in the space that had made him feel even more like he hadn’t belonged.

Maybe it was because you were beneath even the potato peeler last week

He was in his room now, changing his shirt into one of the clean ones he’d grabbed from his cabin, along with most of the rest of his belongings that fit into one small bag. He heard the knock, and shouted that it was open, knowing it was probably his lunch, but hoping that it was Anna.

“Sir, my apologies, but I believe I encouraged you to get to know Anna better this week,” Kai said as he entered the room, shutting the door behind him, “Not kidnap her to the mountains leaving nothing but a note behind. The Queen was in hysterics… which I should inform you, you do have dinner with her tonight.”

“Dinner with the Queen?”

“As arranged with your wife I believe. She’ll also be in attendance I believe.”

He cursed under his breath, catching a both amused and disapproving look from Kai as he did so. He thought that the heavyset old butler might get along well with his father. He often made the same face.

“I should inform you that you shouldn’t curse in response when invited to dinner with a Queen, but I suppose you already know that. I’ve been in the service of the young Queen for many years, and I believe she trusts me, so I hope it is not a breach of that trust when I say that last I saw her she was not particularly pleased with you.”

“Of course not,” he said, feeling underdressed in the comfortable shirt.

Feeling underdressed next to the butler probably isn’t a good sign for me.

“Don’t mistake me sir,” he added, “I think that it has everything to do with her worries for her sister. If you assuage those I think that she would be perfectly happy to meet your acquaintance.”

Kristoff huffed. He did feel bad for taking Anna away from the castle. He knew that his Uncle had spoken with the Queen, but if he’d thought a bit more about the way he and Anna had gone away beforehand, he probably would have been able to avoid this whole situation. He didn’t want people to have to worry about Anna when he was with her. Least of all her sister.

Her sister who could have me executed if she wants.

“How would I manage that?”

Kai set a tray he’d been carrying atop a table in the middle of the room. Kristoff couldn’t help but think that the man might be doing more for him than he was strictly tasked with insofar as his level of interest in his getting into the Queen’s good graces. He told himself that it was probably because he wanted to see Anna happy and safe given the many years he spent looking after the sisters.

He was happy to have someone to help him regardless. He didn’t think he would be capable of navigating the rules and manners required to not blunder through the rest of his life in the castle without it.

“Well to start,” he replied, “We’ll need to find you something proper to wear to dinner. You have a tailors appointment tomorrow morning, but we’ll have to make do until we sort that out.”

Kristoff couldn’t help but feel like he should be insulted, or at least a bit peeved over the man’s words, but he couldn’t manage it. All he could think of was holding Anna while she was pretending to be asleep that morning and doing anything to see her smile. Doing anything to make her sister believe that he’d meant no harm in taking her to the mountains so that he’d not be under scrutiny every time he spent time alone with his wife.

***

Anna had taken it upon herself to arrange the whole thing. She felt a little bad about the amount of time that it was taking to set her schedule for the week and speak with the kitchen staff about what she wanted for the dinner she was arranging in hopes that her sister would be comforted by meeting her husband in a more significant way than watching their wedding. At least she hoped that the meeting would allow the two to come to some sort of understanding.

I only have two people. If they could just get along that would be ideal.

With all the running she’d been doing she hadn’t had a chance to return to Kristoff. She’d heard that Kai had brought lunch to his room, and after that she assumed that they were busy. Kai was her sister’s most trusted advisor, even though his official position was castle steward, Elsa trusted him with aiding her in crucial decisions beyond its walls. That Kristoff had his council just went to show that there was hope, and that at least someone else was invested in making things work.

She spent the rest of the afternoon deciding what to wear and receiving and writing thank you letters for wedding gifts that had been pouring in from merchants and allied nations. Most of whom had already been in town for Elsa’s coronation and who had not had the time to select a well thought out gift after the rush of events the small country had experienced.

She’d waited until just shortly before the dinner was to start to walk through the halls and to the dining room, finding neither Kristoff nor her sister on the way.

“My apologies your majesty. I hope you understand I’ve never needed to inform anyone of my travel plans in the past, and it was not my intentions to worry anyone by taking Princess Anna into the mountains with me. In the future should we decide to go anywhere together I’ll ensure that you are informed directly.”

Anna recognized the voice of the man standing in the hall outside the dining room. The man addressing the queen, but so neatly dressed she barely recognized him as her husband. He looked much like he had on their wedding day. Clean shaven with his hair slicked back. The clothes he wore were simple, but they’d been pressed and someone had taken the time to tie a cravat around his neck.

Kai no doubt.

That man has been wearing cravats for years, in style or not.

They hadn’t noticed her coming down the hall, or at least she didn’t think that they had given that neither made any sign of noticing her approach.

“You must understand,” Elsa said back, seeming in much better shape than she had been hours earlier, “With everything that happened with Hans I worry about her. I’m sure you’re a good man, but you can’t fault me for being cautious.”

He gave her a strange look and Anna’s heart started to pound. She hadn’t spoken with him about Hans. Being in the mountains for the whole debacle, she’d suspected he hadn’t known all the details, and for now she wanted it kept that way. Her feet felt frozen below her though, as Kristoff responded in confusion.

“I’m not really sure I know the details,” he said quietly, “I’m sure if I did I would have thought twice about taking her away from the castle alone. No one has told me much of it, even if it was the reason for our wedding.”

Elsa shook her head, looking anxious, but then recovered.

She took a deep breath and Anna wanted to run down the hall, to speak up, to tell her that it was something that she and Kristoff would discuss later, when she was ready.

“Hans…He tried to kill us both.”

***

He noticed her after her sister spoke. She looked white as a ghost at the end of the hall, and he understood why. Her sister hadn’t exactly been vague when it came to telling him why she’d been worried about him taking her into the mountains.

Hans. The foreign prince. He’d tried to kill his wife and her sister.

He’d thought that maybe the real reason for the wedding had just been that Elsa had lost control of her powers and that to build confidence in her ability to rule a royal wedding was planned to comfort the masses. He supposed now that it was just part of it, that the real reason was more complex, and that it all came down to the man that Anna had known before him.

He wasn’t sure of how to react. All he knew was that Anna’s eyes were on him and that she looked upset. Crossing the hall to her was instinct, as was giving her his hand, offering it to her open and outstretched.

She walked forward instead, into his chest, and into his arms as he wrapped them around her. She had every right to be upset, as did her sister he supposed as he felt even greater regret for taking Anna away without warning. So he did what he thought was best, what Anna was showing him was best. He held her close.

Elsa cleared her throat after a moment.

“I think…”

Kristoff turned his head, not releasing Anna to look at her sister. She was staring at them, her cheeks flushed and an almost smile on her lips.

I think she might understand now.

“I think dinner is ready. I’ll just go ahead… Anna… Kristoff, whenever you’re ready. I think we have a lot to discuss.”

When the dining room door closed behind her, leaving them alone in the hall, he turned his full attention back to Anna, holding her tight, leaning his head down low, and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“It’s alright,” he said, because that was all he could think to say. “It’s all going to be alright.”

“Who made you wear a cravat?” she asked, quiet with her face against his chest.

“Kai.”

She made a soft sound, almost like a laugh but not quite.

“I thought maybe. Can I take it off for you? You look uncomfortable.”

He nodded, and she stepped back a bit out of his arms, giving him room to duck down for her.

Her small fingers slid along the collar of his shirt, loosening the knots of the offending cloth and then, unexpectedly, running her fingers through his hair, mussing it a bit before pulling the cravat away and allowing him to stand back up again at his full height.

“There,” she whispered, taking his hand with the cloth between their palms, “You look like you again.”

The color had returned to her face and he smiled at her. She liked him as he was, and that was a comfort.

Now to convince her sister.

[helsaguy]

Maybe this counts as a request, I love your new drawing. The message in your art is always sweet and loving. Drawing happy/cute Helsa. And I like Elsa with her hair down and all, but I would like to see Helsa is some Arandelle-ish attires (btw, I love the Green coat you drew for Hans before). Elsa may not need to be Queen, but she deserves to return to her homeland...or do you agree she shold stay in the EF instead of Arendelle? Request turned to ask in the end, sorry ^^u LOVE your art! Chao

Thank you for the message of support and appreciation.

I'm feeling like breaking down this nice message. So if I may:

Some melancholic, sad, even brutal ideas have popped up in my head when thinking about things to draw. But I rather work on the happy stuff for these two. They went through so much in life and the fans of this ship, the ship itself, and Hans get so much unnecessary and undeserving cr*p that I definitely want to put a stop to all that (even if for a little while) with my happy Helsa fan art. That’s one of my goals and reasons to draw what I draw.

When you say you want Helsa in some Arandelle-ish attires I have some questions. I can draw something like that for Hans. I still have to draw my concept or reference sheets for Hans’ outfits in Frozen 2 and two or three of those are Arendelle style (if you want to count sleepwear. Also glad you love the green coat. That would be Hans’ travel outfit and yes; it’s one of the Arendelle style outfits) But what do you want for Elsa? I always have trouble with her hair down and ice dresses. I don’t know if it looks like I pull it off well or not in my pictures but it’s not the easiest for me to draw her magic clothes lol If I were to draw Elsa for this request, do you want me to draw Elsa with her hair in a braid, a ponytail, down? And what kind of clothes do you want me to draw for her? Normal clothes or ice? What am I getting myself into? I have zero knowledge in fashion XD I can’t believe I’m actually willing to take a request! Long ago I said I wouldn’t take those anymore lol But I guess this is because your request sounds very reasonable to me.

I do think Elsa doesn’t belong in the EF. I don’t care the excuses some make about the tribe being Elsa’s mother’s people or whatever. They are still strangers. I have relatives from Spain and that doesn’t mean I’d be ok with moving over there with a bunch of people I don’t know and to a place I’m not familiar with. I have a life and family where I am. And so does Elsa in Arendelle.

And if that’s the excuse some want to use, guess what? Anna should go live there as well then. It’s her mother too. And much like I’ve said before, if they wanted to have the sisters separated (which sucks for this franchise) and have one live in the forest, Anna made the most sense since she’s the one that wanted to meet strangers, get out, has a committed partner that also has lived outdoors, and is a reindeer fanatic much like the Northuldra XD Anna and Kristoff would fit right in instead of Elsa lol And don’t get me wrong, Anna can make a good Queen? Maybe. But I don’t see being married to Queen Anna as the best life for Kristoff. I feel like in order to stay with her Kristoff would put himself through anything, even royal life. Which it doesn't sound like a bad thing per se. But Anna is not the only one that matters in the relationship, or does she? I guess Anna and Elsa’s mother did the same when she married their father. But it looks like she had no other options and I don’t care about those two anyway. However, is that really a good thing for Kristoff? He can’t spend more than an hour in formal clothes and I presume things will be demanded from him now that he is the Queen’s fiance and has literally nothing to offer to a kingdom. Disney really didn't think this sequel and all their nonsense through...

I think is clear no one in this movie is doing things they want to do but things they have to or were told or taught by someone else to do. Anna becomes Queen because Elsa said so and in consequence Kristoff is bound to a life style that might not agree with his characteristics. There’s no evidence that this is what neither Anna nor Kristoff want, they just roll with it because the movie says so. This is your life now so deal with it. Elsa was born to be Queen and her father thrust her with nothing but bad advice and is one of the catalysts for Elsa’s disorders. We don’t know if she ever had problems with being Queen. Her problems came from not controlling her powers because of the fear of hurting others. Nothing of which has to do with her not being happy in Aredelle or not being comfortable with her role as Queen. That’s the life she knew all her life. Some may want a different life after some time if they’re not happy with it, but if that were the case for every royal in the world, then there wouldn’t be Queen of England or Kings and Queens of Spain, and other countries that still live under monarchies. The people who made Frozen have zero respect for the role of a monarch. If Elsa wants to take some time off (which she deserves) she can count with advisors and even her sister. Anna as Princess should hold some responsibility as well and help her sister. But the title of Queen isn’t something that sisters should be throwing onto each other as if playing a game of hot potato. The reign over a country or community is something serious, is important, and those behind these movies are taking it as a joke or nothing but a babysitter job. And on top of all this Elsa now has to deal with being a “fifth spirit” (whatever that entails) because her DEAD mother basically says so...

If Elsa wants to visit the Northuldra to get acquaintance with her mother’s birth culture, that’s cool. Also is fine to some extend if she wants to spend some time over there to atone for the crimes committed by her grandfather. But Anna should go through that stuff as well. It’s her freaking family and legacy too, damn it. And this is something I believe the entire fandom is taking for granted or ignoring altogether. But leaving her life in Arendelle to go live in the forest? Yeah, that’s not the answer to anything.

Now going back to my fan art. I only depict Helsa in the "wild and free" life style because that’s what Frozen 2 gave me to work with. And this is also my way to cope with this forsaken sequel. But I have alternate universes of my own invention to allow myself the exploration of several different outcomes. Some include:

Creating Good Childhood Memories AU. Hans met Elsa and Anna as kids. In this one Elsa and Anna’s parents aren’t a$$holes and everyone in the royal family of Arendelle welcomes Hans with open arms. The boy lives an awful life in the Southern Isles but deals with it a little better because now he is friends with the Arendelle Princesses; he goes to visit and spend time with them often. In their early teens Elsa and Hans develop a crush on each other (Anna roots for them but won’t help doing some occasional teasing embarrassing the awkward pair) that evolves into their late teen years with Hans asking the Arendelle King and Queen for their blessing to court Elsa.

Aunt Elsa and Uncle Hans AU. In this one Frozen 2 doesn’t happen. Elsa keeps being Queen (and is happy that way), Hans is her consort and they live happily balancing the duty of governing over Arendelle and spoiling Anna and Kristoff’s kids (courtesy of frozenmusings) The kids spoil them as much in return since they love them as a second set of parents as well.

Into the Unknown AU. One I haven’t put much thought into and is my excuse for playing more with a fantasy theme. I came up with it a couple of days ago. Elsa and Hans stay for some time with the Northuldra little by little getting comfortable with an outdoors life style and they get deeply in touch with nature; Elsa’s specialize in the elemental spirits while Hans thrives with animal life and living from the earth. In this AU they leave the tribe to establish their “home base” in Ahtohallan. They have evolved into something different and kind of leave the mundane life behind. Maybe they are true mythic figures. 

God bless imagination!!

Back to your request. I am considering taking it. So please leave me a message with the answer to the questions I asked above^^ And thank you for such inspiring message. The proof is all the writing I did XD

[hogwarts-is-frozen]

Fanfic Update - I Wanna Know What Love Is

Summary: Elsa had long ago made peace with the fact she would never find love. The idea of allowing someone to be that intimate with her had been so frightening for so long that she written off the whole thing completely. That is, until a stranger from a distance land throws her entire world upside down. M for swearing and smut in later chapters. F/F and Kristanna

Word Count: 8,221

Rating: M

Chapter 2 - ‘Formalities’ is up and I hope you enjoy :)

"That. Was. Awesome!" Anna exclaimed punching a fist into the air. "Do you think I could get her to teach me how to do that? Whenever I ask Kristoff to teach me to fight he just laughs at me, and the guards are all too afraid you'd freeze them or sack them if they help me."

Elsa, wasn't listening to her sister, she could only look on in stunned silence as she watched the foreign woman snap at the guards before stomping past without even a backwards glace. For some reason the Queen couldn't tear her gaze away as the woman approached a very expensive looking carriage. This proved the woman came from some form of wealth, a little surprising considering what Elsa had just witnessed.

The woman wrenched open the door with such ferocity, Elsa feared she might pull it off the hinges. The driver didn't even have time to get down off his seat before the strange woman and her companion had jumped inside, slamming the door, and barking something at the driver Elsa couldn't distinguish.

And just like that, she was gone. It had all happened so fast Elsa didn't know what to think. She had never seen someone move with such confidence before, let alone a female. This woman had taken down two fully-grown men, and with surprising ease. Elsa had needed the help of her exceptionally powerful magic and (although she loathed to admit it) Prince Hans, to do the same.

Just who was this mystery woman?

xxx

Nia hissed in pain and swore as she did her best to tighten the laces of her corset, but the swelling in her hand was making it very difficult to curl her fingers properly. Conan whined anxiously from his place at in front of the hearth at the sound of her discomfort.

It had been a full day since her encounter with those two brutes back at the public house and the stinging in her right hand had only gotten worse. Despite this however, Nia was in fairly good spirits. She had found a reasonably nice inn just on the outskirts of Arendelle. A family owned establishment, run by a mountain of a man with his wife and three children. Nia could have afforded to stay at one of the finer inns, but this was closest one to the trails that lead into the wilds and the only one that allowed Conan to sleep in her room.

By the time she had finally gotten dressed and arranged her wild curls, Nia was practically jumping out of her skin to get to the mountains and begin her research. However, there were a few formalities she would have to deal with first.

Grabbing her peacoat for the early morning chill and her notebook, Nia made her way to the main hall of the inn.

"Yoo hoo!" called a man standing behind the counter, giving Nia a little wave of his giant hand. "You need some breakfast, ja?"

Nia smiled at the owner, who still wore a brightly coloured sweater and knitted hat despite it being rather warm inside, and waved back.

"Thank you, Oaken, but I really should get going. I have a lot to do today and –"

His wife suddenly appeared with a plate of honey rolls and bacon. "Nonsense, dear. Eat. You're much too thin as it is," she said, tossing a large strip of bacon down to Conan, who snapped it eagerly out of the air.

Nia laughed. "Helga, you sound like my mother," she said picking up one of the mouth-watering rolls, taking a generous bite out of one and stuffing two more into the hidden pockets of her jacket.

"Then an intelligent woman she must be," Helga replied with a wink. "So what is it that has you hurrying about like the Devil himself is clawing at your heels?" she asked, picking up a nearby glass and cleaning it with the apron she wore around her slim waist.

"I'm planning on traveling into the northern foothills tomorrow to see if the rumors I've heard regarding your herds of reindeer are true and I need to find myself a sure-footed horse to get me there," Nia said around a mouthful of bacon. "But before I do any of that, I need to get permission from your Queen."

Xxx

Elsa had to physically restrain from rolling her eyes at the two men bickering in front of her. She had been holding one of her bi-weekly Court sessions, and had been trapped attending to petitioners vying for her attention on one thing or another all morning. Currently, Elsa was listening to a simple dispute over wages between a farmer and his farmhand and they had been going on for almost an hour now. The farmhand claimed that he was not being sufficiently paid for the amount of work he was doing while the farmer argued they had long ago come to an agreement regarding payment. The farmer pointed out that the only reason the younger man wanted to be paid more was because he'd learned that one of his brothers had been earning more than he had, but the farmer could not afford an increase in wages.

Though the young Queen did her best to keep her attention focused on the petitioners, she couldn't help but let her mind wander the longer they went around and around in their argument. This day, she found her thoughts drifting back to the strange woman from the day before. Elsa couldn't say why, but the odd woman had been never been far from the Queen's mind since her return to the castle. Everything about her had been… curious. From the way she'd handled the two men who had assaulted her, to her accent, to the clothing she wore.

Who was she? Where had she come from? And most curious of all, what was her business in Arendelle?

So many questions and no answers, it was enough to make her head spin. Elsa had asked Kai if he knew of any visiting nobility, but he had assured her that none he knew of had docked in Arendelle recently. Only a few merchant vessels and one or two smaller ships.

The young Queen snapped to attention when she realized the two men had finally stopped talking and were now looking expectantly up at her. She hoped they had not noticed her brief mental lapse.

"I have heard enough," Elsa said, schooling her features into a mask of smooth neutrality, as her late father had taught her. She turned her attention to the farmer, "Do you have a written copy of your agreement regarding wages?"

The older man shook his head slowly. "No, Majesty. T'was a simple spoken agreement."

Elsa nodded. "Then there is no proof of what wages were agreed upon."

The young man grinned in triumph… but she was not finished.

"However, there are many young men looking for work and would be only too happy to accept the amount you are able to afford should this man decide he need the increase." She now turned to the farmhand who was no longer looking so victorious. "You must both come to an agreement over what is fair and have a written contract signed by the both of you as well as one other witness." When the younger man looked as though he were about to argue she held up her hand to silence him. "If you feel that you will not be able to come to a suitable agreement then come back and see me. We are always looking for more able-bodied men to help with the ice exports. Keep in mind that it is not easy work, but you would be well compensated."

In the end, the two men left looking appeased for now, if not overly thrilled about her decision.

She sighed and leaned back heavily on her throne, rubbing at her tired eyes while trying not to smudge her carefully applied eye makeup. After regaining her composure, she signaled Kai to retrieve the next (and hopefully last) petitioner. She had not at all expected what happened next.

"Ma'am! Ma'am, I am sorry, but I cannot allow that animal inside the castle! It will have to stay outside. Ma'am!" Came the sound of Kai's voice, followed by a set of purposeful footsteps.

"I have been waiting all bloody morning! And Conan stays with me. Always," another voice said firmly. "Oh, quit your fretting, man, he is better trained than most of the noble brats I've met."

"I beg your pardon! But –"

Kai wasn't able to finish his protest when the two – or rather three, including the canine – of them rounded the corner into the throne room.

Elsa stood, immediately recognizing the owner of the second voice as the woman from the market, although she looked a great deal different than she had the day previous. Today it seemed she had opted to wear something considered more appropriate to her gender. It was a very finely made violet dress hemmed in the same elaborate celtic knots that had been stitched into her earlier outfit. Around her hips sat a thin, silver chain that ran down the middle of her skirt that swayed slightly as she walked. And in the hollow of her slender throat sat a gold pendant that displayed two hands cradling a heart topped with a crown. It was then Elsa realized why this woman looked so familiar to her.

"Your, Majesty I -" Kai started but Elsa just shook her head before he could continue.

"It is alright, Kai," Elsa said, doing her best to reassure the manservant. "I'm sure her companion will be on his best behaviour. "Also, could you fetch Anna for me? I'm more than sure she has forgotten our appointment with the physician today. I'd check the stables first."

Kai hesitated for a few moments, eyeing Conan apprehensively. "Yes, Your Majesty," he said before nodding and striding towards the exit.

Nia took a moment to assess this mysterious Queen of Arendelle. She seemed so very different than the timid, anxious young woman Nia had met those many years ago. This woman carried herself in a way that displayed both her maturity and authority and yet there was still a fragility about her that piqued Nia's curiosity.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Nia said offering a small curtsey and tilt of her head, to which Elsa returned with a nod. "I do assure you that he does exactly as I tell him. Conan, down," she said to demonstrate, for as she gave the command the canine dropped down next to his mistress, looking up at her as if waiting for further instruction.

"Very impressive," Elsa said smiling her approval. "And I must say he really is quite remarkable. Do you mind me asking what kind he is, I've never seen any breed like him in Arendelle? I admit I don't know much about dogs. I was never very good with animals in any capacity really. I think they sensed my magic and so kept their distance."

"Animals are sensitive creatures, Majesty, they do not communicate through verbal speech like you and I, so they use body language and can easily read emotion. It is much more likely that they would sense fears or anxiety rather than magical abilities," Nia said with a reassuring smile. "I would be hard pressed to believe a wonderful gift such as yours would frighten an animal. And, to answer your question, Conan is an Irish wolfhound. A very common breed where I'm from, often used for hunting and to protect livestock. I raised him since he was a pup, runt of the litter if you can believe it."

The Queen blushed at Nia's compliment about her powers. "I must say I do find it rather difficult to imagine that there are bigger ones than him," Elsa chuckled.

Nia smiled. She decided she liked this Queen Elsa. She was easy to talk to and didn't seem prone to speaking down on those below her station, as so many royals often did. And Heavens, Nia had forgotten how lovely she was. She wore a magnificent soft blue gown that glittered in a way that Nia couldn't distinguish what fabric it was made from. No jewels hung about her neck or ears, she didn't need them, for her natural beauty far outshone any gems. The only decoration she sported was a delicate tiara, nestled neatly among her platinum blonde strands, which looked to be cut from glass and shaped like the top half of a snowflake.

But Nia was not there to gawk; she was there for a purpose.

"Forgive me, Majesty. I don't think I properly introduced myself. Or at least you probably don't remember when my father introduced us at your coronation."

Elsa grinned. "Countess Niamh of Castle Dunmore, if I recall correctly."

Nia blinked at the Queen in surprise. "You have quite the memory, Your Majesty."

The Queen shrugged. "I admit I didn't recognize you at first, but then I saw your necklace," she said gesturing to the chain handing around Nia's throat, "and I remembered asking you about it during our first meeting. The claddage, yes?"

"I'm impressed, Queen Elsa. You are correct on both accounts, or at least mostly correct. I simply go by 'LadyNiamh of Dunmore', now," she said. "I relinquished my claim to my father's lands some years ago."

Now it was Elsa's turn to be surprised. "Did you two have a falling out?"

Nia shook her head with a smile. "Hardly, Your Majesty, quite the opposite in fact. It was all done at my request when I became certain my brother was more than equal to the task. I knew the people would be more content with a male heir anyways. The Irish are much more… shall we say, 'traditional' compared to those here in Arendelle, plus it freed me to do what I truly loved."

Elsa felt herself hanging on to every word that fell from this stranger's lips. Drawn to her like an insect to a candle's flame. Nia was like something out of one of her stories – enigmatic and brash. She was so different from Elsa herself, who was so focused on duty and maintaining control at all times, which only served to make her all the more captivating.

"And what is it that you truly love?" Elsa asked, somewhat shyly, almost as if she hadn't meant to ask the question at all.

A contented smile painted Nia's expression and her gaze became unfocused. "To travel," she said, "and to learn all I can about the things that fascinate me most. Which, I suppose, brings me to the reason for my visit to your lovely kingdom."

But before Nia could explain herself further a loud gasp interrupted her.

"Ohmygosh! You! From the market!"

Thoroughly confused, Nia watched as a young woman with the reddest hair she had ever seen and so many freckles Nia could have sworn she was straight out of one of the storybooks her mother used to read her, skipped over to fidget excitedly beside the queen. Her appearance caused Conan to stand up and sniff her curiously - Nia couldn't help but notice the queen had gone very still at his sudden movement - and to Nia's amazement he stepped forward to push his head under the new girl's hand for a scratch.

"Well I'll be," Nia breathed.

"What?" The redheaded asked – who Nia now recognized as the Princess - happily falling to her knees and letting the canine give her sloppy kisses on the chin.

"He only behaves that way with me. And one other time…" Nia said, trailing off.

"When was the other time?" the Princess asked curiously.

"When my sister was… Forgive me, Your Grace, but you- you wouldn't happen to be… expecting, would you?"

Nia watched the surprise arc simultaneously through both women, confirming her suspicions. "I went to visit my sister and her husband when she became pregnant with her first child and it was like he turned into an entirely different dog. He followed her everywhere and was very protective. He even growled at my brother-in-law once," she said, chuckling at the memory.

The princess laughed, where as the queen still hadn't moved. "Such a clever boy, aren't you! Aren't you!" she cooed. "Oh Elsa would you relax, I can practically feel you worrying from here. He isn't going to eat me… although considering how big you are, you probably could. Right big guy?" the younger girl said winking in Nia's direction, forcing the woman to hold back a snort.

"That's not funny, Anna!" The queen scolded.

"It's a little funny. You just have no sense of humor," Anna teased, resulting in a small flush working its way up the Queen's neck.

Elsa tilted her chin up haughtily and folded her arms in a very undignified pout.

"You would never hurt me, would you, big guy? See, Elsa he's a big'ol softie," Anna said as Conan lay down in front of her and rolled on his back so that she could rub the soft underside of his belly. "You only attack big jerks in pubs who try and hurt your mama, don't you?"

Now it was Nia's turn to be surprised. "How - how do know about that?" she asked.

"Anna and I were in the market yesterday and happened to witness your… altercation," Elsa said, a little sheepishly. She still felt a little guilty for not allowing herself to intervene – despite the fact that Nia had been more than capable on her own.

Her shyness then turned into a small smirk. "I believe both my guards' prides are still smarting a little from your interaction."

Nia simply stood blinking at the two royals as the Queen's admission sunk in and she couldn't help the small flush of embarrassment that coloured her cheeks. Brawling with two men after an afternoon of drinking and cards was definitely not the kind of first impression she'd wanted to make. How was she going to gain the Queen's approval now?

She cleared her throat and bowed her head, trying to regain some semblance of composure. "I apologize, Your Majesty, Your Highness," Nia said. "That was… was unbecoming of me. I – I was…"

"It's alright, Lady Niamh." The Queen interrupted gently. "You were simply defending yourself. I only wish you had never been put in that situation in the first place, and I hope it had not tarnished your view of Arendelle's people."

The Irishwoman felt some of the tension in her shoulders ease. "Hardly, Your Majesty. It will take a little more than a couple of common thugs who can't handle losing to a woman at a simple game of cards to soil my opinion of your lovely kingdom." She smiled. "And please, call me Nia."

Elsa returned her smile while the Princess stood up and held out her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Nia!" Anna said brightly, before leaning in and lowering her voice. "But seriously, what you did to those guys was awesome! Could you teach me how to do that?"

Nia's laughter quickly turned into a hiss of pain as she took the Princess' hand. Conan jumped to his feet at the sound, eyeing her with concern.

"Oh my gosh! What is it? Are you okay? I'm so sorry!" Anna said.

"No, No," Nia said. "It's not your fault. It's just my hand, that's all."

The Princess made a pained expression before taking Nia's wrist before she could resist, and examined the appendage. It had turned a lovely assortment of colours and the knuckles had become so swollen that Nia could no longer make a fist. "Yikes. It's from punching that guy in the face, isn't it?"

"It's fine, really," Nia assured.

Elsa stepped forward a little hesitantly. "May I?" she asked.

Nia starred at the Queen's outstretched hand in confusion for a few moments before nodding in understanding.

As gently as she possibly could, Elsa took Irishwoman's hand and held it between her own.

The Queen's hands were soft and smooth – which made sense as everyone knew the monarch had worn gloves almost all her life – and it elicited a response in Nia that she had not been expecting. Gooseflesh raised all along her arms and her stomach did an impressive somersault at the contact.

For a few brief moments the two locked eyes and something passed between the two women that had Nia's mouth suddenly very dry.

She was pulled from her reverie however, when the young Queen suddenly looked away and a soft glow began to emit her palms. Nia watched in rapt fascination as a soothing cold wrapped around her hand and she couldn't stop the sigh of relief that slipped past her lips as the throbbing pain in her joints was reduced to a dull ache.

When the light died away and the warmth returned Nia examined her limb, holding it up to her face and curling each finger experimentally. The swelling had gone down considerably and the flesh felt cool to the touch, as if it had been bound in a healing balm.

"Wow," she breathed. "That's – you're incredible."

The Queen smiled bashfully and simply shrugged. "It's nothing."

"Nothing? It's amazing!"

Elsa merely tucked a loose strand of platinum blonde hair behind her ear, clearly becoming increasingly self-conscious under Nia's awed gaze.

The foreign girl didn't even realize she was staring until the Princess cleared her throat loudly, causing both women to look away from each other and shift awkwardly as Anna watched with a sly grin.

Elsa was the first to regain her composure as she stood more upright and folded her hands in front of her lap. "I apologize, Lady Nia. I'm sure you had actual reason for your visit today?"

"Yes, Queen Elsa. I would like to request your permission to travel the nearby foothills," Nia said.

"Oh?" Elsa asked lifting an eyebrow. "And what is it you will be doing?"

"I am hoping to observe one of your unique reindeer herds in their natural habitat," Nia explained. "Also, if you know of anyone who might be able to help me locate… whyyy are you looking at each other like that?" Nia asked as the Queen and the Princess turned to each other with knowing smiles.

"You are more than welcome to explore the surrounding Arendellian wilds to further your research. And in regards to whom I could offer as a guide, I think I know just the man for the job."

[punkpoemprose]

The Love Talker- Chapter 1

Universe: Gancanagh/ Fae AU Rating: T (currently, expect M in time) Length: 2580 

TW (for all chapters): Curses, Suicide, Murder, Dub Con (technically but not really)

A/N:Was this supposed to be a oneshot for KA Week where I was writing monster AUs? Yes. Did I do that? No. Of course I didn’t. I’m me. So here’s what you need to know if you don’t have the background knowledge: Gancanagh (Ghan-canna) are male fae from Irish legend who can addict humans (usually human women) to them with a single skin to skin touch. Addicted humans, once out of the presence of these fae, lose their minds and can kill themselves. This fic is going to be quite dark. It’s highly self indulgent because I LOVE this stuff. Blame Melissa Marr.

[Next Chapter]

[Master Post]

She ran. Her slippers were lost among the weeds as she picked up speed, her hair flowing loose around her like a wild thing. Her mother would have been so ashamed. Her sister would be if she were still around, but she didn’t fear their judgement. There was no sense in fearing the dead and the gone when there was something much more real, something more solid, to fear. Someone was trying to kill her.

It hadn’t been a whim when she’d chosen to read her fiancé’s journal. It had been a nagging voice in the back of her head that told her that even though everything was perfect, there was something he wasn’t telling her. Of course, she’d thought that it was going to be something not so terrifying, like that he had a gambling habit or some sort of secret hobby he didn’t want her to know about.

She hadn’t expected to see a list of women, deceased women, numbered down the page, the numbers corresponded to a ledger, each woman tied to two separate amounts, a dowry and an inheritance. Despite her seemingly miraculous ability to misjudge the intentions of people in her life she wasn’t stupid. When she saw her name and two blank spaces for what she was going to be worth wed and dead she’d taken off as fast as she could.

She couldn’t bring the book to the lawman in town, not when she knew that he was known to frequently share a pint with Hans, her evidently serial murdering fiancé. Either he’d brush her off, or he’d be in on it, and she was terrified about what that meant for her in any case. So she’d taken off into the woods with the book and little else. He’d be after her soon, she was certain of that much. She didn’t have much of a plan, but the woods were safer than the village and if she was lucky enough to not be eaten by wolves as she crossed the way, she might be able to make it to the closest town within a few days.

She wished she would have had the thought to bring her horse. She wished that she had worn her boots, her slippers already lost to her, and adrenaline carrying her past them. She wished that she had brought something to eat. The journey to the closest town was two days on foot, and she simply had to hope that he wouldn’t be bright enough to set out on horse to get there first and tell the sheriff there that she’d lost her mind.

Tears streaked down her face, her chest ached, and her sides were cramping. She’d already been running for a fair distance, but it didn’t feel safe to stop yet. She was strong, she’d always been, but this taxed her more than anything she’d ever attempted before. She wished that she’d never met Hans at all while she was making impossible wishes.

When she started to cough, her overexertion catching up with her in a way that made her guts wretch, she stopped. She had no idea where she was, but she knew that if she didn’t know where she was, Hans certainly wouldn’t. She’d grown up on the edges of the forest. Her parents had been well off and her nannies had kept her out of its clutches for most of her early life, but she had spent far more time in it than Hans had. She knew it’s landscape for the most part, and she knew its stories.

Hans had come to the village when Elsa was preparing to leave for the city. Someone had to take care of the family trading company, and with Mama and Papa gone, unable to make the week long trip back and forth between their quiet village and the port city where their empire had been built, Elsa had decided it best to move there herself. Anna was supposed to join her after not too long, but when Hans had come to town, all charming and debonair, she’d thought that for the first time in forever she’d not feel so isolated and alone.

Her vision streaked a bit as she tried to breathe in and out. Hyperventilating and passing out would do her no favors here. She hadn’t run from a murderer just to die in the woods.

“What are you running from in such a rush?”

A chill ran up her spine as Anna turned towards the voice. It wasn’t familiar, which was far more of a comfort than it ought to be, but her heart still was in her throat as she saw that she wasn’t alone.

Sitting on a stump just a bit behind her was a man smoking a pipe. His face was obscured by the brim of his hat and by the distance between them. His voice was level and calm, a bit curious, but not demanding. She clutched the book in her hands.

“Who says I’m running from something?” she asked I return, panting as she did so, “I could be running towards something.”

He nodded and she knew that although she couldn’t get a good look at him from where she was standing, he was certainly watching her. The smoke from his pipe trailed off in the opposite direction, carried by the lightest of breezes the likewise shook the leaves from the autumn trees. It served to bring her attention to him even more so, with everything moving away from him, he became the focus of her vision.

He chuckled. It was a rich warm sound, cheerful, liked she’d pleased him with her response.

“Well then, what are you running towards?”

She huffed out a breath, her lungs finally seeming to be able to take air in and out somewhat normally.

“Safety,” she answered honestly.

Her mother had told her to never talk to strangers, but there was something about the wat he was sitting, relaxed, low, like he wasn’t going anywhere. It was comforting, like his chuckle, like his voice.

He hummed in return, as if he’d somehow suspected as much.

“Well before you run to safety, maybe share why you’re running?”

He sat up and set down his pipe on the stump next to him. She hadn’t noticed that it had stopped smoking, which seemed odd, but when he looked up, she stopped thinking about it so much.

He was handsome. Not in the sort of devilish, posh way that Hans was, but in the strong, natural way that the forest made men. He looked like the sort of man who might busy himself with chopping wood or tending to horses when he wasn’t sitting on a stump.

She approached him, he had broad shoulders, he wore a flannel frock coat which accentuated this and as she drew closer, she saw that under the brim of his hat he had a mess of blonde hair and deep brown eyes.

As she approached, he stood and reached his hand out to her, and she reached out in kind.

He frowned then, and he pulled his hand away quickly.

“You’re much too trusting.”

Anna blinked, confused, but then looked down at her feet. There were mushrooms at her toes, a ring of them around the stump. She knew the stories of the woods, the rules to follow that she’d been told in her childhood tales, and so she took a step back, confused and a bit frightened.

He gave her a wry smile when she looked back up at him, but his eyes showed something like disappointment. It didn’t make any sense. He’d almost had her, and then he’d pulled away.

She choked down her horror and realized that he was giving her an expectant look.

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

He nodded and sat back on his stump, regarding her from a safe distance. She knew that the space was for her benefit, not his. She had no iron, no salt, no silver on her person. She couldn’t hurt him, but if he was fae, which all signs pointed to, he could hurt her in hundreds of ways without putting much effort in.

“So trusting girl, why are you running to safety?”

She felt a lump form in her throat as she thought about her answer. Displeasing him probably wasn’t a good idea. He’d shown restraint, but she wasn’t sure if she could run fast enough that he couldn’t do anything to hurt her. She had the oddest sense that he wouldn’t try to at any rate, but still, she knew it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Would telling you be a wise decision?” she asked in return, her mind rushing through everything she knew about faeries. They were tricky, powerful creatures. They couldn’t tell a lie, but they would tell you the truth in deceitful ways. Faeries double talked and stole children, they tortured men and women for the momentary joy it gave them in their endless lives, they were not to be trusted.

He grinned again, looking pleased. “Trusting but not entirely foolish then. I won’t insult you. Yes, telling me would be wise because I mean you no harm.”

Maybe it was the sudden softness of his expression, or the way he said it so meaningfully, but she believed him. She was trusting, too trusting. He might still kill her, so she asked him for clarification.

“You mean me no harm, or you will do no harm to me? You can do something to harm someone without meaning to.”

The wind shifted. There was a sweetness on the breeze, like spiced wine and tobacco. It was intoxicating. It was him.

“I will do you no harm. You have my word…” he paused, looking at her expectantly. He was asking for her name.

She shook her head. Names had power. She remembered that much at least for certain. The rest of the rules were somewhat foggy with age, but the most important ones were there. Faeries can’t lie, but they’re tricky. If you step into a faerie ring you can become trapped there if the faerie it belonged to caught you. Eating faerie food binds you to them. Names give power both ways, so never give yours away.

She thought for a moment about what he could call her. She’d never had a nickname or something that wasn’t a direct attachment to her. Hans had called her many names, “pet”, “lamb”, “darling”, but they all left a bad taste in her mouth now. She settled on the first name she could come up with.

“You may call me Kjekk.”

He laughed, “Handsome?”

It was her horse’s name. It was Norwegian, her father’s native language.  She spoke some, but not as much as she would have liked. Elsa was the better speaker.

His laugh was warm, and she felt the strange desire, despite all logic, to step back up to the edge of the ring. He was drawing her in, but she stood her ground.

“Du snakker norsk?” It was a simple question, if he could answer it at all it meant that he was answering affirmatively.

He grinned, “Some. You are a handsome woman.”

Her cheeks flushed despite her best intentions. He was being very plain spoken for what she had been told to expect, and she secretly appreciated it.

“I won’t hurt you Kjekk,” he continued, “And I would like it if you told me why you’re running. You don’t have to tell me, but I’m interested to know.”

She nodded at that. It was all she needed to know at the moment really, she just had one question left before she told him.

“May I have your name?”

“You’re trickier than I gave you credit for Kjekk,” he said, picking up his pipe which was smoking once more, but only lightly, as if it were still deciding whether or not it wanted to be used. “You may call me Gancanagh. I won’t give you my name, but you may call me that which I am.”

“Gancanagh,” she breathed. It made a terrifying amount of sense, “love talker.”

It wasn’t Norwegian. It was Irish. She’d had an Irish nanny once when she was eleven, and she’d told her the tales of the woods that hailed from her native home and land. Gancanagh were seducers. They brought humans, particularly women, into their rings and kept them there, spoke sweet words to them, and did all sorts of things her nanny had refused to explain until they tired of them. It seemed on the surface like something almost harmless for a faerie to do given the other things their various types were known for, but the sinister aspect was there, hidden. Gancanaghs are addictive to humans. For a person to touch a Gancanagh and go too long without their touch again would drive them mad, would drive them to suicide.

She stumbled back and fell unceremoniously on the ground; she’d almost touched him. She still wanted to.

He hadn’t touched her though. Why she couldn’t imagine. Maybe he had his current fill of mortal women to torture sweetly, or maybe she wasn’t the sort of woman he wanted. She wasn’t sure, maybe he had simply allowed her to be untouched on a whim.

“I won’t hurt you Kjekk,” he repeated, “I’m impressed you understand. Now that I’ve been honest with you, will you be honest with me?”

She shook her head and scrambled to stand back up. Her heart was racing and her head was a mess of conflicting interests. She wanted to run and she wanted to stay. He promised not to hurt her, but what was his definition of hurt? Was her killing herself in the future as a consequence of his whims something he counted as him harming her? Should she tell him that she’d already left worse than that behind?

“My fiancé is planning to murder me.”

The words escaped her mouth frantically. It wasn’t because of anything he’d done. He was attractive to her, on the surface trustworthy, but he held no power over her. She gave him the information nervously, but of her own free will.

His face went dark, and he set the pipe down once more. The wind shifted again and a cold breeze hit her back as leaves dropped from the trees more rapidly than before.

“The book you’re holding, is that the proof? May I see it?”

She clutched it tightly.

“Will you return it to me?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“Will you return it to me promptly Gancanagh… and I mean once you’ve seen why I’m carrying it… and will you take it and return it without touching me?”

He nodded, the darkness not leaving his expression. He was angry, not at her though, of that much she was certain. In his dark eyes there was still something gentle when he looked upon her. It wasn’t pity, it was understanding.

“I swear it.”

Cautiously, step by step, she approached the circle and stuck only the corner of the book into the circle. He took it from her slowly, to his credit, and did not reach out to touch her. He played no tricks, but instead began to flip through and observe what Anna had already seen for herself.

Anna realized a bit too late what she’d done when he said her name.

“Anna Arendelle,” he looked from the book and up to her, “That name suits you.”