Prompt for Elsamaren Summer 2020 week - Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Love... wait, what?

xxx

Elsa was totally and unequivocally convinced... she was sick.

She had to be, there was simply no other explanation for why her body was acting the way it was. Could it have been something she ate? But then none of the Northuldra were ill, and everyone always gathered to share meals. Maybe it was her early morning rides with the Nokk out on the Fjord? But those had become part of her routine for almost two months now. Could the steady change in season be the culprit? But the weather had been unseasonably warm the last few weeks, so that even Elsa could feel the Earth Giants becoming more restless as they sensed coming spring thaw, so that didn't make sense either.

There were a few hours where Elsa had thought she'd shaken the strange ailment while exploring the seemingly endless network of tunnels that made up Ahtohallan. Upon her return to the Forest however, it began all over again. And quite frankly, Elsa found it exhausting.

Naturally, Elsa did not want to get anyone else sick so she'd written to Anna, letting the girl know that she wouldn't be making it to their weekly family dinner. Even more naturally, the new Queen had shown up later that evening. Elsa's only warning was the sound of pounding hooves before a set of boots began marching purposefully towards the dwelling the Northuldra had helped Elsa build.

When the tent flap was ripped aside Elsa almost jumped out of her skin and nearly dropped the basket she had been weaving, into the fire. "Anna! Goodness, you almost scared me half to death!"

"You're one to talk, sending me that letter," Anna scolded, ducking inside and hanging her traveling cloak before waking the sleeping coals of Elsa's hearth, quickly setting to work gathering herbs to make tea. Moving nimbly around the modest dwelling as if it were her own, Anna pulled one of the furs draped across Elsa's sleeping mat and threw across the other woman's slim shoulders. She then started thoroughly inspecting her sister.

The snow queen chuckled at the younger girl's fretting. "Anna, what on earth are you doing?"

"You said you were sick," Anna said firmly, and leaning in close, seemingly to examine Elsa's pupils.

"Oh well forgive me," Elsa said, laughter in her voice, "I had forgotten all about your training as a physician."

The Queen did not seem to share Elsa's amusement. "Just because I'm not a doctor doesn't mean I won't be able to tell what is wrong with my ownsister," she said matter-of-factly.

When Elsa simply raised an eyebrow at her, Anna folded her arms across her chest. "Well, come on," she prompted. "Tell me what has been going on. I think it is probably safe to rule out a cold since I don't see any tiny snow people running around the village. Is it a stomach bug?"

Elsa suddenly became serious. "I… I'm not sure to be honest. I'm not even certain when it started, I just… something feels… off."

Anna looked confused, handing the older woman a cup of her freshly steeped brew before sitting down next to Elsa. "Off? Is that bad?"

"Not exactly." Elsa said, a little shyly. "I just know I've never felt this way before."

"Well give me some examples and I'll tell you if I've ever had it. I used to get sick all the time when we were young."

Elsa smiled. "I remember. Mother did always refer to you as her 'wild child'." Her smile faded however, as she thought about all the odd things that had been happening to her. "Well I keep getting this strange feeling in my stomach and chest, almost like someone released a swarm of fireflies in there." She sighed, "And I keep having these unpredictable flushes of heat, even when the weather is perfectly cool. Yesterday, during my bow making lesson, I was burning up so much that I had excuse myself. Also, you know I've always prided myself on being well spoken and worked so hard to refine my control, but lately I've-"

It was then that small knock came from the opening of Elsa's tent.

"Come in," Elsa called.

An olive-skinned hand slowly peeled back the flap, and the face of a young woman took its place. "Hey, Elsa! I brought you some trout from my fishing trip, I thought you might like a few. I'll teach you how to clean them, if you'd like- oh hello, Your Majesty! What brings you to the Forest?"

"Hi, Honeymaren," Anna greeted the Northuldran warrior. "Just visiting my sister. Apparently, she has been feeling a little under the weather lately. But I'm happy to see you are making sure she is at least well fed."

Honeymaren suddenly looked very concerned as she set down the basket of fish. "You're not feeling well, Elsa?"

Anna watched as her sister's faced turned a very impressive shade of red that slowly crept down her neck. And when the Northuldran stepped close to press the back of her hand to Elsa's forehead and cheeks, the redhead was surprised her sister didn't start to steam with how much heat she seemed to be radiating.

"You're warm, but it doesn't feel like you have a fever. Elsa why didn't you tell me, Yelena left me in charge of your well-being."

"W-well, I didn't think… I didn't want anyone to worry," Elsa was now twisting her hands together, unable to meet the other woman's eye. "I- wasn't… I mean. I'm sure, I'm fine."

Honeymaren didn't seem convinced, apprehension still marring her soft features. "Is there anything I can do? I'll go ask around and see if we have any more of those dried mushrooms we gave to Ryder when he got that bad cough."

"Oh you- you don't have to- there's no need…" but before Elsa could argue further, Honeymaren had slipped back out into the dim light of the setting sun. Leaving the blonde to simply stare after her, a dreamy look in her eye. The sound of Anna clearing her throat finally brought Elsa back to the present, and when she eventually managed to focus on her sister's expression, the young Queen was giving her a look that Elsa decided she did not like one bit. "What?"

"I think I might know what this mystery illness of yours is," she paused. "Let me ask, who was giving you the bow-making lesson when you had to excuse yourself due to your little heat wave?" Anna asked.

The older woman blinked at her for a few moments, surprised at the question. What did that have to do with anything. "Honeymaren. But Yelena assigned her to teach me all about surviving in the Forest."

"And did your stomach start feeling firefly…ish, before, or after, Honeymaren started giving you these lessons?"

"Well, after, I suppose. But I don't understand what that has to do with-"

"Does she touch you often?"

Elsa looked up at her sister in alarm. "Good heavens, no! I realize she is a warrior, but Honeymaren is not a violent person! Anna, how could think that of her?"

The Queen shook her head. "No, no that's not what I meant, Elsa. I meant more along the lines of, for instance, before when she touched your face. Do you find yourself losing control if she does things like that?"

Suddenly, the memory of snow slowly falling as Maren had taken one of Elsa's hands in her own to help direct the proper way to stitch leather, filled the snow queen's mind. Her hands had been so strong and yet so gentle. For reasons Elsa couldn't name, her mind had started to drift, and she had wondered what it would be like to have those same hands tangle in her hair or grip her firmly by the hips. She blushed. "Perhaps… once or twice, but-."

"Last question!" Anna interrupted, holding up a hand. "Does this speech impediment of yours ever flare up when you talk to Ryder or Yelena, or anyone else you've met here in the Forest for that matter?"

"I..." Elsa trailed off staring into the flames, her eyes slightly unfocused as she thought back over her time spent with the Northuldra and the past few months receiving lessons from Maren, "no."

Anna lit up like the evening sky during the solstice. "Oh, Elsa this is so wonderful!" She exclaimed throwing her arms around her sister's neck, almost knocking the blonde over. "I have to admit that I was starting to worry that maybe you didn't have any preference at all. Not that I would have thought differently of you or loved you any less. I mean everyone is different, especially when it comes to what they like."

"Wait, wait, Anna," Elsa said hurriedly, cutting off her sister's rant. "What on earth are you talking about, preference? I'm sick."

Anna's smile bloomed into a knowing smirk. "Yes, Elsa. You are definitely sick. Looooove sick," she said grinning broadly.

It felt as though someone had punched her in the gut. "I beg your pardon?" Elsa asked looking slightly horrified. "Love," she choked. Elsa hardly knew any of the young men from the Northuldra tribe, other than Honeymaren's brother, and Elsa most certainly did not feel that way about him.

"Okay, love may be a little bit of a stretch, but you definitely like her." Anna said.

"Her!"

The redhead gave Elsa a puzzled look. "Wow, Elsa for an all-powerful elemental being, you can be really dense, haven't you ever picked up a romance novel? It is so obvious you have a thing for Honeymaren, anyone with eyes can see it."

"What!" Elsa yelped like a kicked dog. The temperature began to drop steadily as Elsa hugged herself tightly, suddenly feeling very exposed. For a good portion of her life Elsa had feared intimacy of any kind, but she knew as Queen of Arendelle she was expected to eventually marry and produce heirs. However, after discovering her true nature as the fifth spirit and abdicating the throne to her sister, Elsa truly believed that romance was something she would no longer have to worry about. It wasn't that Elsa didn't want to find someone to have that sort of relationship with, it was all just so… foreign to her.

Anna had to be mistaken. Honeymaren was just a friend, her teacher, Elsa couldn't possibly have a… thing for her. But the more she thought about it, the harder it was for Elsa to deny. All these 'symptoms' Elsa had been having, every single one reached its apex when the other woman was around. The elemental just assumed she simply enjoyed Maren's friendship and attention, but Elsa realized her fondness for the Northuldran woman ran deeper than that. Her smile made Elsa's chest tighten, her laughter could drive away the darkest clouds, and when Maren touched her, Elsa did not shy away, but instead her body craved more. Though Elsa was still unsure just how much more.

Anna quickly sensed her sister's anxiety and scooted a little closer, taking one of Elsa's trembling hands in her own. "Hey. It's okay to be attracted to someone, Elsa, it's natural."

But it didn't feel natural to Elsa. She had forcibly shut down that part of herself for so long that it felt as though she were being asked to use a limb she had severed long ago, and now had no idea how it functioned. Then something occurred to Elsa.

"Do you think she can see it?" Elsa said in a small voice. And when Anna looked confused, Elsa sighed and tried again. "You said… that anyone with eyes could see my… my feelings. Do you think she can?"

Arendelle's Queen could tell she needed to tread carefully; this was obviously a sensitive topic for her sister. Elsa had come a long way since the day she had allowed Anna back into her life and accepted her powers, but Anna sometimes forgot all the things woman had lost during her years of isolation. Clearly, dreaming about finding herself a loving partner to spend the rest of her life with was one of them. "I don't know," she said with a tender smile and she couldn't help but notice Elsa looked a little disappointed at that. "But I think she likes you too."

Anna did her best not to laugh at the emotions that crossed her sister's expression in the moments that followed. The blonde's face went from shock, to confusion, to joy, and back to confusion again. All in the span of a few seconds.

"Really?"

It took all of the monarch's will power not to roll her eyes. "Oh, come on, Elsa. Did you not see how worried she got when I told her you were feeling sick?"

"That's only because Yelena put her in charge of getting me accustomed to my role as a guardian. You heard her," Elsa said looking a little crestfallen.

This time Anna really did roll her eyes. "No way," Anna said confidently. "That was genuine concern, not just duty, I'm sure of it." Anna looked her sister, who was now staring into her cup as if it contained all the answers she so desperately needed. How could anyone who was so intelligent be so oblivious. It made Anna wonder what else Elsa was completely oblivious to.

"Elsa? You know about…," she cleared her throat, "the birds and the bees, right?" Anna asked.

The blonde almost spat out her tea at the question and Anna had to pat her on the back a few times to help clear the liquid from her throat. Elsa could not believe they were having this conversation! She had never felt so flushed in her life so that she half expected to see Bruni playing in the flames of her hearth.

"Of course, I do! I spent almost most of my life being groomed to rule a kingdom. Remember? That included producing heirs. Mother informed me what was expected of a female ruler, and what that… involved." Elsa's shoulders relaxed slightly. "I did not, however, expect to have a discussion with my little sister about it years later," she said, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

Anna snorted. "Believe me, this is no picnic for me either, missy," she said. "So, when are you going to tell Honeymaren?"

"Tell me what?"

In complete synchronization, both sisters whipped around to face a very bemused looking Honeymaren. The woman stood at the entrance, holding what appeared to be a bag of very foul-smelling dried herbs and fungi, looking back and forth between Anna's expression of elation and Elsa's look of pure mortification.

Suddenly, Anna jumped to her feet, dusting off her riding breeches as she did so. "Well I think I've done just about all I can here. I'm glad we've worked out a diagnosis for you Elsa, unfortunately, I think there is only one person who can deliver the cure you're looking for," Anna said with a wink that caused the snow queen's cheeks to colour. The monarch then turned to the Northuldran, "I'll leave her in your capable hands, Maren, just remember to be gentle," she giggled.

"Anna!" Elsa squeaked, burying her face in her hands.

Giving her sister a quick peck on the cheek and Honeymaren a hug goodbye, the Queen of Arendelle took her leave. But her laughter lingered long after the tent flap had shut behind her.