Cross Purposes

by Concolor44

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Author's Note:

Today is 25 December 2019. Merry Christmas! I know I'd planned to wait until Sunday to publish this, but from the traffic counter it looks like most everyone who was waiting on it has already seen the previous post.

Also, I would like to give credit to CrunchDeNumbers for the idea for Elsa's new non-lethal attack form. He explored it in great detail in his (Absolutely Wonderful!) story, "Magic Makes Fools". If you haven't read it, you should make the time to do so SOON.

I would like, as well, to thank grrlgeek72 for lending me her character, Admiral Mikael Naismith. He has been a stellar addition to the cast.

Again, I would ask you to pay close attention to the time/date markers. There's a lot going on here.

Epilogue, Part III

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Arendelle Castle, ten months later, the crack of dawn

Elsa winced at the shrill cry from down the hall and pulled a pillow over her head. It didn't help much.

[[ For such a tiny thing, that girl has a real set of lungs, doesn't she? ]]

[[ One morning. Just one blessed, peaceful morning. Is that too much to ask? ]]

[[ Hey, at least you don't have to feed her. ]]

Another lusty scream cut off in mid-shriek.

[[ There. See? Poke a breast in her mouth and all is well. ]]

[[ For about an hour and a half. I don't know how Anna doesn't fall asleep on her feet. ]] Elsa turned over so she could face her mate. "Honestly, Anna was never anything near that loud. She'd cry, sure, but nothing like … I mean, it's almost supernatural, how Astrid's screams can penetrate walls of solid stone."

"Supernatural?"

Elsa gave him a grave nod.

"Wait … You don't think … Morana?"

"Oh, who knows! Maybe our illustrious great-several-times grandmother is having one over on us. If so, she needs her sense of humor adjusted."

"She hasn't … contacted you recently, has she?"

"No. Anna was the last person she spoke to as far as I know." She dimpled. "Perhaps she's still, um, 'convincing' her husband to stick around. That was what she wanted from the Blending."

Carlos thought up a couple of objections, but quickly dismissed them. "Could be, I suppose. They wouldn't need to eat, and if I remember correctly it was … what, fifteen hundred years since she'd been with her kind?"

"Something like that. That's a long time to, ah, make up for."

"So true." He paused. Frowned. Cocked his head.

Elsa sat up. "You feel it, too?"

Nodding, he quickly slipped out of bed and threw on trousers and a shirt while Elsa clothed herself with a gesture and activated her defensive wards. Striding to the door, Carlos asked, "Can you tell where they are?"

"Rear court, I make it."

"Right, near the formal gardens."

"Let's go." With another gesture she created a long, heavy pistol and tossed it to Carlos.

He cocked an eyebrow and said, "Try to take them alive, this time?"

"If possible," she answered grimly. "That's a just-in-case thing." In the previous assassination attempt, the zealots involved had managed to poison themselves before they could be questioned.

[[ Twice last Spring. Twice last month, and now again. This is getting tiresome. ]]

[[ I'll have to speed things up with the Council. For too long they've been dragging their feet about setting up the Parliament. ]]

He gave a brief nod of agreement. [[ I feel sure Anna would be even more anxious to get it up and running. Speaking of, how'd your last talk with her go? ]]

[[ She's in denial. Says I should be Queen as long as I live. ]]

[[ That would definitely set the bar high, wouldn't it? ]]

[[ Funny man. ]]

They ran smoothly along the halls until reaching the lower level and turning toward the rear of the castle, where they ran across a Watch patrol. Elsa gave them a quick outline of the situation and sent them to find Jørgen.

[[ They timed things well. The Guard is in the middle of shift change. ]]

[[ I'm more interested in how they got past the trio of Sentinels outside the walls. ]]

[[ We'll be sure to ask. ]]

[[ What are they doing? They haven't moved since just after we detected them. ]]

[[ They seem very … focused. ]]

[[ True. Proceed with caution, as they say. ]]

Easing up along the back wall of the smaller greenhouse, they spotted their quarry where they crouched against the rear wall of the castle. Elsa extended her vision to get a look at what they were working on. She hissed in a quick breath. [[ I think it's a bomb. ]]

[[ … But … but that keg's huge! If it's full of black powder, it must weigh close to a ton! How did they even get it here? ]]

[[ I'm not arguing. But they just put a fuse in it. ]]

Clenching his teeth, he hefted the pistol and Sent, [[ Shall we take them now? ]]

[[ I'd like to do the honors. ]]

[[ Please, Dear, be my guest. ]]

Elsa concentrated and sent her magic into the group by the wall. This was a trick she'd learned in the last almost-two months. Anyone in the effective radius was instantly hit with the most intense case of 'brain freeze' imaginable. It never failed to put the targets out of action. This time was no different as seven men curled up on the ground, mewling in pain in the fetal position and clutching their heads as tightly as possible.

The Fey-touched couple eased over to the group of incapacitated assassins. Elsa quickly removed the fuse and encased the bomb in thick ice while Carlos searched the men for weapons, finding several and melting them. He propped the men up against the wall. Elsa released them from their pain.

Standing before them with one fist clenched at the small of his back, Carlos raised his other hand, investing it with a brilliant red flame. "I'm giving you louses one chance to spill your guts. If I don't like your answers, I start burning off body parts until I do."

The two men at the right end of the line jumped up screaming and made to run, only to smash face-first into the ground when Elsa froze their legs together. Carlos shrugged and added, "Or we can do it that way. Now talk. Who sent you? Who's behind this assassination attempt?"

The man in the middle shakily pulled a crucifix from his coat and held it toward Carlos, stuttering, "Ba-b-back, demon! In th-the b-blessed name of Christ!" He had a pronounced German accent.

"By the Saints! You people would be in deep trouble if I really were a demon. Where's your faith, man?"

That seemed to confuse the fellow for a moment, but he firmed up his chin and his grip on the holy relic. "Your lies won't fool me!"

Dousing his flame, Carlos stepped up to him. "What's your name?"

"… Fritz."

"Aaaaand that's a lie." Carlos snatched the crucifix from his hand and looked it over, much to the surprise of 'Fritz'. "Nice workmanship. Bronze?"

The man nodded dumbly.

Carlos handed it back and ticked off several points on his fingers. "We are not demons; we are Fey-touched. We can do magic because each of us has a fairy ancestor. We were born with our powers. It has nothing to do with sorcery or witchcraft. We are both, in fact, Christians." He stared down each man in turn. "For the last four months we've been more than up-front with that information. Ever since that crazy zealot tried to burn down the city last February, we have made no secret of the nature of our abilities, and to be honest it wasn't much of a secret before that. No one in Arendelle has a problem with it, because they all know how much Elsa loves them. She has all but given her life for her people on a few occasions." He gestured at the ice-covered bomb. "And now, what, you want to blow up the castle? Why?"

The ersatz Fritz, still unconvinced, said, "No thro-throne in Christendom should be held by a … by a sorceress. We … we had to …"

"Uh-huh. You had to make idiots of yourselves." He leaned forward. "Is there anyone else in on this little expedition?"

'Fritz' quickly shook his head.

Elsa gritted out, "That's another lie." She moved up beside Carlos, trapping each man in his own ice cage so she could concentrate on this one without worrying about the rest. "So. Did the others come with you?"

"No!"

"I see. Are they here in the city?"

"No … I mean, there aren't any others!"

Carlos said, "Are they near the castle?"

"What? They aren't … no! No, it's … we you see here are the only ones!"

"Ah. They aren't far away, then." He stepped back a few paces and slipped into the astral plane, casting around for unfriendly thoughts. He was quickly rewarded with a knot of ill will in the direction of the docks. Closing off the connection, he turned to Elsa and said, "I'll be back shortly."

"Be careful."

"My Dear, you wound me. I am always careful."

She dimpled at their private joke. "See that you are."

"I'll let the Watch know where you are on my way out."

The dimple grew to an appreciative smile. "Thanks."

True to his word, it was less than half an hour before he was back with the remainder of the foreign conspirators. He and the squad of Watch he'd conscripted marched the manacled men into the Watch Headquarters and back to the interrogation room where Elsa and Captain Fjelstad waited with the first bunch. They were added to the line on a long bench, twelve men now who were quite obviously terrified half out of their minds.

Elsa paced before them a few times, arms crossed, brow furrowed, before halting in front of 'Fritz' and grousing, "What am I supposed to do with you now?"

The men only stared at her in awe and terror.

"That was not a rhetorical question, gentlemen. I am honestly most vexed with this whole situation. You are the fifth group to enter Arendelle with the express purpose of killing me since the spring thaw, and there is absolutely no reason for it! I have never held, nor do I now hold any intention of invading anyone else; I have no designs on empire, and can't quite fathom the mindset of anyone who would want to take on such a huge headache. I have done my best to be a good Queen to Arendelle and a reliable ally to our friends. We pose a threat to exactly no one. And yet, here you are! That bomb you brought would have destroyed the rear third of the castle, at the very least, and killed many innocents." She picked up her pacing again. "So, my question remains. Why did you feel compelled to do this?"

Sweat covered the man's face. "But … but you're a … sorceress. The Bishop said so! He …"

"I Am Not A Sorceress!"

'Fritz' gulped audibly. "… But Bishop …" Realizing then that his fear was about to release a secret, he clammed up.

Her exasperation plain, she demanded, "Has this Bishop ever met me?"

"… I … don't see how … um, that is …" Confusion fought with fear in his mind, the combination ramping up the sweat until it dripped off his nose every couple of seconds. "I-I-I … don't think he, um …"

"His name, please?"

A trembling silence answered her.

With an aggrieved sigh, Carlos stepped up and loomed over the man, who leaned back until the wall stopped him. He kept his voice low and even and conversational. "Here's the deal: there are several Fey-touched in various places around the world. I've traveled far and have met a few. Each one, so far, has been born with a different form of magic; why, I have no idea. Elsa can create ice and, if she so wishes, imbue it with life. I can create a fire hotter than anything else on Earth and, somewhat recently, discovered I could fly. Others were able to lift great weights with their minds, or give life to inanimate objects, or speak with animals and walk easily through another man's deepest thoughts." He paused, letting that information settle. "Since I met and fell in love with Arendelle's Queen, each of us has gained additional powers. I don't know if we are unique in that, or if other pairs of Fey-touched have had similar experiences. I never heard of any. But I advise you to believe me when I say that I can, if sufficiently provoked, tear the information we want directly from your mind, will you or nil you. It most likely will leave you a gibbering husk that would soon starve to death because you wouldn't have any notion of how to chew or swallow."

A tiny, whimpering noise clawed its way out of 'Fritz's' throat. He hadn't blinked since Carlos began speaking, and seemed to be trying to withdraw into his own rib cage.

"We can do this like the civilized people I suspect you are, or I can get my answers another way. I assure you, gentlemen, you would find it unpleasant. But know you – without a hint of doubt – that I will get my answers. We will put a stop to this lunacy, one way or another. I would rather not scramble your brains like a morning egg, but I will if you leave me no choice."

Elsa had turned away in distress at his descriptions, blinking back tears. That fact was not lost on 'Fritz', who slumped as he made his decision. "My name is Meijer. Arnold Meijer."

"Ah," responded Carlos with a relieved grin. "Now we're getting somewhere. Why are you here?"

"Our Bishop sent us."

"And which Bishop might that be?"

"… Matthäus Kutschank, the Bishop of Breslau."

"And why does he want my wife dead? Thinks she's a sorceress, does he?"

Arnold nodded, taking a quick look Elsa's way. "Though, she, ah … doesn't … behave like a sorceress … would behave … I think?"

"No. She doesn't. There's an excellent reason for that."

Elsa turned back to them, wiping briefly at her eyes, and asked, "Breslau, you say?"

"I …" He swallowed hard, eyes darting between the two royals. "… yes."

She leaned up against Carlos's arm, wrapping hers around it. "All the way from the eastern German States. This is ridiculous."

"I agree."

With another sigh, Elsa stepped away from her husband and stiffened her back. A few complex gestures invested each of the foreigners with a brief golden glow. After that, a thought eliminated the ice cages. She waved her fingers at them to rise; cautiously, the men stood.

"Sweetheart?" asked Carlos. "What are you doing?"

"Sending them home."

"Home?! After what they did?"

"After what they planned, at the behest of another, because of bad information. I will not break a dropped sword simply because the arm that swung it is deluded or evil." She looked each man in the eye. "Besides, they can't hurt me now."

"… Oh. What did you …?"

"A variation of a ward I placed on Nicolai one time." She walked over to the first man in the row and said, "Strike me."

Her command confused him for a moment, but then he shrugged and drew back a fist … and promptly fainted, flopping to the floor in a heap.

"And that," she stated, "will happen to any of you who entertains a thought of harming me."

Carlos nodded, grinning. "Very nice!"

Panicking, Arnold asked, "Is he dead?"

Elsa's eyes rolled so hard they could almost hear it. "No, of course not! If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead. I said I was sending you back home, and I am." She crooked a finger at the Watch Sergeant, who came to stand before her. "Kindly find out where the ships currently docked are heading next, and how large each one is."

"Right away, Majesty!" He hurried out.

The Queen turned back to the men. Gave each a disgusted look. Shook her head. "Captain, if you would be so kind as to secure these men until such time as they can be sent on their way?"

"It will be done, Majesty."

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It was four days until an appropriate ship came available. The dozen conspirators slumped up the gangway with their effects (minus a couple more pistols) onto a three-masted merchantman headed for Amsterdam. Elsa instructed that they return to their Bishop with the message that she was not a sorceress, and an official invitation to the cleric to visit Arendelle at his convenience to see that this was so.

Not that she expected it to do any good.

When the ship had rounded the point of the fjord, Carlos placed a careful arm around Elsa's waist and said, "Back to business as usual, then?"

"For the time being," she answered with a quiet sigh. "I just wish they'd leave us alone."

"So do I. Anonymity is sounding pretty good these days."

"And to that end, I need to prepare for Thursday's meeting with the Council."

"Anything I can do to help?"

She turned her face up to his, giving him a contemplative look. Her eyes shaded a bit toward violet; a couple of sparks lit them for an instant. "Why, you know, I do believe there is something you can do. Something you are astonishingly good at. Something you haven't turned your hand to in a few days."

He nodded, a grin growing. "Indeed, though these have been stressful days, I'd not like for my, ah, talents to wither on the vine."

Taking possession of his arm, she steered them toward the castle. "Let's explore that topic, shall we?"

"We shall."

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The Council Chamber, 27 July 1843, 10:00am

Keeping her temper in check was a skill in which Elsa had long practice. This meeting was testing its limits.

No two Councilors could agree on more than a pitiful handful of Articles for the new Constitution. The tax system was too lenient (or too strict). The criminal justice changes were too harsh (or not nearly harsh enough). The number of Departments was too few (or too many). The Parliament should meet once a month (or twice a month, or twice a year, or whenever enough of them felt like it). The two Houses should have equal strength in terms of voting on laws. No, wait, the Lower House needed to take the lead. No, you're wrong, the Upper House had all the experience with running the kingdom, so their opinion should hold sway. The Lower House should be elected by district. No, by county. No, by village. One representative per section or two? Or three? The terms of office for the Lower House should be five years. No, seven. No, four. No …

[[ Dear? Do we still have that bomb? I think I have a use for it. ]]

[[ Patience, Darling. Let's just talk while they hammer out the details. You've already made your preferences clear, but if abdication is truly what you have in mind … ]]

[[ It's not just that! In the first place, I don't want to leave a mess for Anna – who is still covering her ears and going 'La-la-la-la-la' anytime I bring up the subject – and in the second, the people deserve the best government we can give them. ]]

[[ Yes! Great! You're right. All objections withdrawn. But at this point all you really need to do is go over the documents they produce and pronounce your blessing or disapproval. You're still Queen Regnant. You don't have to take part in this multi-level squabble. ]]

[[ … You know … you're right. I don't. ]] She tapped the table then, causing all the Councilors to look her way, and said, "Gentlemen, I believe you can handle the details from this point forward. When you have everything written down to your satisfaction, send me the documents. Until then, good day."

They all rose when she did, and bowed her out.

Carlos met her a few halls away. "You do look a touch frazzled."

"I'd rather spend the day in a henhouse," she grumped.

"How about spending the rest of it up at your ice palace? We can take a picnic lunch and- whoa!"

She'd grabbed his hand and was dragging him toward the kitchens. "That's the best idea I've heard in days! Dear, you're a genius."

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The Ice Palace, 4:40pm

Quite some months ago Carlos had brought up the materials to put together a large bed for their use while in the palace. Sleeping on blankets on the ice had lost its allure rather quickly.

Marshmallow was the only other being who ever visited the place, remote as it was, but he spent most of his time now in the capital, learning the ins and outs of being human. His hope, once he perfected his shapeshifting, was to join Admiral Naismith's spy corps as an undercover operative. Being essentially indestructible, he would be the ideal candidate for the more hazardous missions. However, despite all his practice, he still had difficulty passing under scrutiny as homo sapiens. Voices tended to trip him up, as well as customs and turns of speech. Elsa was confident he would eventually get it.

Back to the point, though, they had, over the months, stocked Elsa's ice palace with everything they could think of to make it a comfortable hide-away. Taking a day or two off to unwind in the peace and silence was something they'd grown accustomed to every few weeks. Also, Elsa felt a great deal freer to, um, let go when they made love. There was no one around to care that she practically filled the place with snow. Several times.

It was in the afterglow of just such a pleasant interlude they lay sprawled over each other on the previously mentioned bed. "You know," she drawled between deep-drawn breaths, "I think this keeps me sane and Arendelle safe."

"You've revealed my dastardly plot! Obviously, that's the only reason I would go to the trouble of-"

She cut him off with a pillow to the face. That led to tickling, and that led to more of what they were doing earlier.

Eventually she lay curled in his arms, lightly panting and giggling softly. "I'm glad you've got lots of stamina."

"I'm glad you enjoy what we do."

Giving his chest a long, soft kiss, she then scooched up until her head nestled under his chin. He started lightly skritching her scalp, eliciting something like a purr.

{{My Lady, may I interrupt?}}

Elsa flinched at the contact. Blinked a few times. [[ Marshmallow? ]]

{{Yes, My Lady. The Good Princess Anna has asked to speak with you.}}

[[ Why didn't she just use the sphere I gave … oh, that's right, I don't have mine with me. Huh. All right, um … ]] She glanced up at Carlos, who shrugged and said, "If it's important enough for her to try to get in touch with you, we should probably go ahead and get back to the castle."

That elicited a lengthy sigh. "Well, it was nice while it lasted. Sure." [[ Tell Anna I'll be there in half an hour. ]]

{{As you will, My Lady.}}

. . .

Admiral Naismith was waiting with Anna and Kristoff when the royal couple bustled into the small conference room. Elsa raised a slim brow at him. He bowed and said, "I was the one who asked for the meeting."

"May I assume, then, that the topic of this meeting is of importance to the kingdom?"

"Rather directly, Your Majesty."

She gave him that look and said, "Elsa."

"Yes. Elsa. Sorry."

"Does this have to do with reestablishing trade with Weselton?"

"Ah … no. The Council is handling the details. Since the Duke's passing … well, his niece is a great deal more reasonable, about a lot of things."

Kristoff put in, "Her fascination with your magic doesn't hurt, either."

"Very well," responded Elsa with a nod. She turned back to the Admiral. "What has your back up today?"

"I have collated many reports from my, um, field agents."

"Your spies."

"Semantics. In any case, the information is highly disturbing. You know the recent assassination attempt you foiled?"

Nodding, she responded, "The one instigated by that small-minded Bishop in Breslau?"

"Bishop Kutschank, yes. That was a minor bit of nonsense compared with what we have recently discovered." He picked up a slim packet of papers and passed it to her. She opened it and began to scan through them while he continued, "There are three active plots underway to remove you from the throne of Arendelle. The most concerning one is based in the Ottoman Empire."

"Oh, for the Lord's sake! Now I have the Mohammadans after my neck, too? It wasn't enough some leaders of the Church accuse me of sorcery. What do they want?"

"The Ottomans?"

"Yes!"

"I'll, ah, summarize those documents for you. There is a cabal of three powerful imams in Istanbul. They have decided that you are either a demon or are demon-possessed. They are trying to mount a holy war. The Sultan, however, is against that idea."

"Thank God for small favors."

"The imams, in return, are mounting individual expeditions."

"So … war, anyway, whether the Sultan wants it or not."

"Basically. They shouldn't be able to put forth much of a force in terms of numbers, but they have fierce fighters and a truly remarkable level of zeal for the project."

"Lovely."

"Second is an effort by an independent preacher, one Jan Ott, operating in Belgium and the Netherlands. In a manner similar to Bishop Kutschank, he has been inveighing against you because of sorcery."

Elsa sighed and held a hand against her forehead. Carlos pulled her gently to his side and kissed her temple.

"Third is a strange case. A wealthy House of Sicily has announced they have a right to the throne of Arendelle through a cousin of your father's. My men have determined the claim to be of no merit whatsoever, but the House lodged a formal complaint with the Holy See, again with the idea that you perform sorcery."

The Queen walked over to the window and pushed it open. Leaned out and took a deep breath. "I am heartily sick of this whole mess. I can't be spending valuable time away from my duties to Arendelle to watch my back all the time. And I shouldn't need to be explaining myself to a bunch of wizened, pinch-faced old …" A low sob surprised her, and she immediately found herself once more in her husband's embrace. "Sorry."

"You've nothing to be sorry for, Dear One." Turning to the others, Carlos stated, "We will move the abdication up to next month."

Kristoff blurted, "Next month?!"

Anna's voice was panicky. "Carlos, no! I'm not ready to-"

"You, my fine Princess, were born ready. You're twenty-one now, so of age. You already have an heir. That's another worry the kingdom need not fret over. We will go ahead and push through the new Constitution, so you won't have any legislative headaches. The people love you. The Watch and the Guard all but worship you. Your most common nickname is 'Arendelle's Warrior Princess'. It won't be much of a job to make that 'Warrior Queen'."

Elsa moved to take her sister in her arms. "Anna. Sweet Anna. You will be perfect as Queen. Perfect for Arendelle."

"I can't do this alone!"

"Nor will you be. We won't be moving away. Probably just up to the ice palace. I'll be underfoot for a long time. I just … won't be Queen. Then all these benighted idiots won't have a target." She shot Carlos a meaningful look. "We should probably make a few visits, to drive the point home."

He nodded slowly. "A capital idea. I believe face-to-face meetings would be more … productive."

Anna held Elsa away from her, a surprised look coming to rest on her face. "You're not leaving? I thought you'd be leaving."

"Heavens, no! Why would you think that?"

"I … well …" She gave her lip a thoughtful chew. "No good reason?"

"You'll not be rid of me that easily."

"… Huh …" She searched Elsa's face for any trace of jest. Finding none, she gave a hesitant nod and finished, "All right, then."

Elsa leaned in to renew the hug. "You will be a marvelous Queen. You have a fully competent Council – perhaps a bit irascible, but they know what they're doing – and shortly will have a Parliament, so the duties of being Queen Regnant won't be quite so onerous. And I will be a hop and a skip away when I'm not right here within these walls."

"Yeah, all right. As long as you're around for me to pester with questions, I guess it won't be too bad."

"You will do beautifully."

And she did.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Antwerp, 19 October 1843

Jan Ott stood looking at the trim woman before him. He glanced down at the holy relic he held, kissed it, and placed it into its display case. Turning back to her, he clasped his hands at his waist, then, hesitantly, at the small of his back, then, finally, crossed his arms. Taking in once more her garb, he chewed on a lip. Was she about to ride to the hunt? That would explain the shirt, trousers, and boots. "You are, um … nothing like the stories about you."

"In my experience," replied Elsa, "gossip will tend toward exaggeration."

"That is … true."

"Indeed. And 'truth' is what I am interested in here, specifically the truth about my powers and the state of the throne of Arendelle."

"Meaning that your sister is now Queen."

"Correct."

"And you abdicated … why? From what I have seen today you would have no difficulty protecting yourself." His glance shot briefly to her companion where he leaned against the door frame across the room. The few things they had shown him were frankly terrifying.

[[ That is so. Protecting myself is not the issue. Protecting Arendelle definitely is. ]]

He flinched at her voice in his head. This was perhaps the most disquieting of her powers. If she could walk through his thoughts, picking out bits of information at will, there truly was no defense he – or anyone else – could mount. "I understand."

"Good. I'm glad we had this chat." She held out her hand to Carlos, who glided over to stand with her. "Now you have accurate information, I will count on you to spread it around. We have no affiliation with sorcery. Our powers are innate, and are present because of our Fey ancestry. Is all that quite clear?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Ah-ah-ah! I am not the Queen. That, you must also keep in mind. I have no official title nor any ties with the governance of Arendelle, period. I will occasionally visit my sister and her family, but only as the doting aunt. Also, I have … you may think of it as a chalet, I suppose. I have a retreat deep in the mountains of northeastern Arendelle. I will probably spend some time there, if only for the solitude. But I have no say in how Arendelle is ruled. We are now a Constitutional Monarchy, and it is likely that Queen Anna will have the kingdom transformed into a Republic inside two decades."

"A Republic?"

"It is a dream of ours."

"… I see." (No, he didn't.)

The meeting had taken place in Antwerp's Old City. Reverend Ott's residence took up one side of a four-square cobbled courtyard some fifteen paces on a side. The ground floor emptied into this yard; the first and second floors were graced with balconies and fanciful wrought iron. It was a good place to rest and take a dark beer of an afternoon. Most days. Today, a chill wind combined with a not-so-light drizzle kept most people indoors.

Elsa and Carlos walked to the courtyard and turned to face the cleric, seemingly unfazed by the cold rain. She held out a hand. A burst of blue-white sparks faded to reveal a small, translucent bird. It took flight, zigging back into the house.

Slack-jawed, Jan Ott whipped his gaze between the bird doing lazy loops in his parlor and the former Queen.

"This bird is both a gift and a guardian. I have warded your home so that if someone with ill intent enters, the bird will know and will protect you."

"Protect me? That tiny thing?"

She only gave him that secretive smile and replied, "Yes."

He didn't argue. For all he knew, it could shoot flames from its eyes. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome. Now we must go." She laced her fingers with Carlos's, and they shot straight up out of sight into the mist so quickly Jan Ott could barely process it.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Isla Más Afuera off the coast of Chile, 03 November 1849, early afternoon

Elsa roused from her half-slumber when Carlos called her name. [[ Yes? What is it? ]]

[[ Kristoff's on the Mirror. I think Anna's going into labor. ]]

[[ … Already? She isn't due for nearly three weeks! ]]

[[ Hey, I know that, and you know that, but it looks like no one told the baby. ]]

She sighed and rolled to her feet, stretching out her back and then rubbing a hand over her bare bottom, frowning at the light dusting of sand. A few quick gestures gave her a thin coating of ice. It took the sand with it when it cracked apart and fell off as she jogged up the narrow strip of beach. She created one of her spidery conveyances and rode it up the mountain to their house.

Carlos met her at the door, taking in her unclothed form with an appreciative grin. "Working on your tan again?"

She gave him a humph as she walked by. They'd discovered after moving to this deserted island that she didn't tan. Period. But she'd developed a deep and abiding love for sun-bathing. And for going around unclothed.

"Better put something on. Kristoff's still in the Mirror."

"Oh. Right. Thanks." An icy sundress immediately formed around her. She hurried on into the main room and up to the image of her brother-in-law in the wide floor-to-ceiling Mirror. "Kristoff? Are you sure it's labor? It could be false contractions."

"Her water broke. It's the real thing. She wants you here."

"Hmm. Very well, that's different. Tell her we'll be right there."

"I will, thanks." He moved out of the picture.

Elsa turned to her husband. "You feel up to a trip?"

"You know there's only one correct answer to that question."

Grinning, she responded, "And that would be, 'When do we leave?'"

"Got it in one." He swept her up in one arm and planted a long kiss on her. "Also, I think you're a bit silly for questioning her as to whether it was real labor. This being number four, I'm sure she's familiar with all the signs by now."

"All right. Your point."

"Let me get changed and we'll leave."

"Let you?" she rejoined with a smile, her eyes turning a light green and sparkling. "I'm not the one holding you off the ground."

"Oops, my mistake." He flipped her up to his shoulder and carried her giggling form into their bedroom.

The house was compact, built of local materials (the island was heavily forested, so wood was no problem) and cozy for just the two of them. It was on a shelf high up on a breath-takingly steep mountain side, accessible to anyone else only via a long, dangerous climb. Since Carlos could fly, and Elsa lift herself on her ice, it wasn't an issue.

Each of them chose an appropriate outfit (not that the stark difference in temperature between South Pacific summer and Arendelle winter would bother either of them, but they didn't wish to shock anyone) and reconvened in front of the Mirror. They joined hands.

One of their reasons for choosing this island, apart from its extremely remote and uninhabited location, was that it had two strong ley lines crossing it. They built their house at the junction, using it to power the Mirror.

[[ Ready? ]]

[[ Silly man. ]] Elsa extended a hand to the Mirror, drawing in magical potential and focusing it on the smooth surface where it gradually invested the entire expanse with a golden outline.

[[ All right, it's ready. ]]

Carlos added his power to hers. The surface shimmered. Shimmered again. The connection through the astral plane firmed up. A cool breeze soughed out and caressed them. Then they stepped through.

[[ That always feels so weird. ]]

[[ Hey, if I knew a better way to travel three thousand leagues at a step, I'd do it. This will have to suffice. ]]

Kristoff came back into the room. "Oh, good, you're here. Doctor Odum wants to talk with you."

That drew a frown from Elsa. Given Anna's regenerative abilities, there had never been any danger in childbirth (and, to be honest, only a fraction of the pain other women felt during delivery). "Why would Doctor-"

"It's the baby. He says there's something wrong."

Elsa all but sprinted the rest of the way to Anna's room. The physician stood waiting at the door and held up a hand. "Please, don't go in yet."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"There's a problem with the placenta. I think it's between the baby and the cervix."

The ex-Queen thought furiously for a second. "Does that mean the baby can't come out?"

He nodded.

"Does Anna know?"

He shook his head, his expression somber.

"All right." She crossed her arms. "What can you do about it?"

Pursing his lips with a small humming noise, he answered, "The standard procedure here is an operation to remove the fetus."

"Baby."

"Yes. The baby."

"Then why are we standing here? Shouldn't you be getting prepared?"

"Yes, I will in just a moment, but I wanted you to know … there's only about a two-in-five chance the f- baby will survive the procedure."

"… Two … two in …" She bit her lip. Hard. "Dear God."

"Chances under normal conditions are about the same for the mother. Obviously, that's not a problem with Anna, and I will be able to take more care around the fe- um, baby since I won't have to worry about her bleeding out. But I thought it wise to have you here and informed before I start. Just in case. If the worst happens, and you can't save her child, she will be inconsolable. I've seen that happen."

"Oh," whispered Carlos. "So … you've done this before?"

"This will be my third such operation on a living woman."

"… What?"

"In medical school, we used cadavers to-"

"Oh. Right. Of course."

Doctor Odum moved down the hall. "I'll go get everything set up. We'll need to move her to the infirmary for the operation, and I wanted to have sufficient muscle on-hand to make the trip as easy for her as possible."

. . .

Everyone's fears were unfounded. Since the surgery wasn't under such a tight time constraint (and the doctor needn't worry about Anna's health) he was able to make precise incisions and remove the (as it turned out) little boy without incident. Not ten minutes later, already completely healed, Anna took her freshly-cleaned son and introduced him to mother's milk. Beaming up at Elsa, she crowed, "Finally! I was beginning to wonder if we could only have daughters."

"We'll have to watch them," replied her sister, sporting an equally broad grin. "Angelique and Astrid might spoil him rotten. They've been itching to add a baby sibling to their doll collection."

"Not Alyssa?"

"Too soon to know yet. She's only two and a half, after all."

Kristoff chuckled at that. "They're more likely to pick on him."

Anna patted his hand. "We'll just have to give him a brother so they can watch each other's back."

"More?" He had to grin at that. "How big a family do you want, anyway?"

"Big enough." Giving Elsa a sidelong glance, she added, "Big enough so there will never be any chance one of them will end up lonely."

Leaning down and hugging Anna tightly, Elsa whispered, "You are the most admirable person I've ever known."

"Not a word I would've picked, but if it makes you happy …"

"You make me happy, Anna. Seeing you surrounded by your family is one of the few things I used to wish for. Having it come true … well …" She shot Carlos a meaningful look. "This wish and one other are all I really want out of life."

Doctor Odum checked Anna's vital signs once more, grinning to himself. "Would that all my patients were as durable as you, Your Majesty." He collected his things, dropped them into his bag, and stepped toward the door.

"Doctor?" inquired Elsa, "do you have a minute?"

"For you, my dear, always. What's on your mind?"

"Could we step into your office?"

"… Sure."

"Thanks."

[[ Dear One? Everything all right? ]]

[[ Yes, Darling, I just had a few follow-up questions for the doctor. ]]

[[ Ah. Well. If you need anything … ]]

[[ You'll know as soon as I do. ]]

Elsa and the physician slipped into his office. She shut the door.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Back at Isla Más Afuera, five days later

Elsa got naked as soon as feasible after their return home. "Ugh," she complained as she hung up the dress she'd been wearing, "I can't believe I ever thought clothes were comfortable." Slapping the garment with the back of one hand, she added, "My skin can't even breathe in this thing!" She turned away and stretched her arms up high, relishing the ocean breeze through the window.

Carlos, in turn, relished her unclothed form. [[ You'll never get an objection from me!]]

Giving him a coy glance, she shaded her eyes toward lavender and asked, "Feel like re-christening the bed?"

For an answer he ripped his shirt off, grabbed her up and ran for their room.

. . .

. . .

. . .

The bed was first, the kitchen table second, the rear porch third, their outside hammock fourth.

There they rested, content.

Replete.

Surfeited, for the time being.

His fingers ran lazy loops around her back, bringing up random waves of gooseflesh accompanied by small, satisfied grunts and moans.

[[ You know I love my sister, right? ]]

He looked down at the top of her head. [[ And that's nothing like a non-sequitur. ]]

[[ My train of thought derailed. Anyway, I'm starting to think she should visit me here instead. ]]

[[ And leave the kingdom to coast along on its own? Not her style. ]]

[[ Not long visits! Just … so I won't have to put clothes on. ]]

[[ Oh, you'd prance around naked in front of her? ]]

[[ In the first place, she'd get used to it. In the second, she'd probably join me, especially as hot as it is here compared with Arendelle. ]]

He didn't answer.

She listened to his silence for a bit. [[ You disagree? ]]

[[ Oh, that's not a bet I'd take. Anna's a wild card, always has been. I don't know how Kristoff would react, though. ]]

[[ He'd get over it. He'd love watching her relax au naturel. ]]

[[ Possibly. She might get a sunburn, though. ]]

[[ Which would heal as soon as it happened. Moot point. ]]

[[ Ah. True. ]]

She snuggled up close for a bit, then giggled.

"What?"

"You can be the most incurious man I know."

"What do you mean?"

"We were in Arendelle for five days."

"So we were. And that signifies …?"

"You didn't ask me where Anna and I went yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that."

"Wasn't sure it was any of my business."

"To be sure, it was."

"Oh. I figured you were off doing new-aunt things, yes?"

"Some. But mostly doing new-mother things. Commissioned a crib, for one."

"She already has a crib. And she's hardly a new mother."

Elsa's sly grin grew bright. "That's quite true. She's not."

It only took him a couple of seconds. "Wait? … Darling? You?"

"Me."

"Are you sure? I mean, I thought we couldn't because … well, because it never …"

She put a finger over his lips. "I don't know why it took so long. But I had Doctor Odum check." She placed a hand on her belly. "He thinks I'm about two months along."

Carlos's grin threatened to bisect his head. "I'm going to be a father?"

"You are. And a good one you'll be."

With a near-deafening WHOOP, Carlos grabbed her up and shot into the air like a firework.

.

.

.

The End

. . .

. . .

. . .

End Note:

I feel a sense of lightness at finally finishing this story, so I may be a bit giddy for a while. Here are a few thoughts on Elsa, Carlos, and company.

Keep in mind that the "Meltdown" cycle (which, believe it or not, isn't finished yet) is 100% faithful to canon in the first movie, and flatly ignores "Frozen Fever", "Olaf's Frozen Adventure", and "Frozen II". You'll never see any snowgies in my story because Elsa, being Fey-touched, can't catch a cold.

On the other hand, I must admit to being INTENSELY gratified that Elsa in the second movie turns out to be an Elemental and gives the kingdom over to Anna; it was utterly logical and beautifully executed. My biggest beef with "Frozen" was that no one seemed even a little curious as to where her ice powers came from. The sequel answered that question in a thoroughly satisfying climax. At this point I can't say for CERTAIN which movie I like more, but I'm leaning toward the second one. Anna, once again, is the Hero of Arendelle, and by doing "The Next Right Thing", even when it seems hopeless or even impossible, saves her sister and her kingdom. Delicious.

But, back to the story. Some of you may notice that there was nothing concrete mentioned concerning eldritch powers in relation with Anna's children. That's because (so far) they don't have any; but then, she only has four kids to date, and that's all I'll say about that right now. However, if any of you believes that two Fey-touched could produce a "mundane" child, I have some beachfront property in Kansas I'd like to sell you.

I've also dropped hints here and there about Carlos's back-story. I'll be fleshing that one out (I have a complete outline for it) and posting it separately, as a prequel to the series. Timeline not yet established.

All that being said, there is one huge, brightly-glowing elephant left in the room, and that would be Elsa's tremendously extended lifespan. How she deals with it, and all the baggage it carries along, is the subject of the final story in the cycle: "Partings". It is extensively outlined, but won't be nearly as long as "Meltdown" or "Cross Purposes", and so it shouldn't take a huge amount of time to write. Again, though, its timeline is not yet established, and that's because of my next project.

I am about to try my hand at a Harry Potter story. Well, more like "in the middle of trying", since I have a lot of it written so far. But I was serious about giving y'all a break concerning a posting schedule. I won't begin posting it until it's finished, at which time I will publish a chapter a week. Regularly. The same goes for the two "Frozen" stories mentioned above (and for a third pending "Frozen" story that is completely unrelated to anything else I've written).

. . .

And I guess that's all I wanted to say.

Thank you to all you lovely, lovely Readers who took time from your busy schedule to flip through my disorganized scratchings. I only ask that you respond to it in some way. (Reviews are best, but a quick PM or a Favorite works, too.)

Happy Reading!

Con