20Author's Note: Sorry it's taken so long for me to update. This is just a short, fun chapter. Hope you enjoy. Keep hanging in there, the Elsanna IS coming, just not in this chapter. Please let me know what you think!
Elsa waved her hands and the Fjord horses instantly picked up their pace and, in a few moments, when they came around the bend, sure enough, there was a quite picturesque lake. Anna's eyes went wide with delight.
"Oh wow, it's beautiful, Els! It's absolutely perfect!"
There was quite an assortment of flora and fauna, milkweed, ferns and bulrushes and cattails and water lilies with lily pads where fat frogs sat and dragonflies and their smaller, blue tinged counterparts, damselflies, all buzzed around while big Greylag geese and colorful Mandarin and Harlequin ducks swam and waddled around the edges. A pair of beautiful white swans were swimming peacefully far out on the tranquil surface of the lake. The smile on Elsa's face showed that she was just as thrilled with finding the secluded lake as her sister was. There was even a shade tree in the form of a large, leafy oak near the water's edge. The sunlight glinted off the lake and made it look almost like glass… or glittering ice. There was a smattering of bright yellow, purple and white wildflowers growing around the perimeter of the lakeshore as well as daisies and calla lilies, all being attended by bees and various other insects buzzing about.
Elsa hopped down from the cab and grabbed the picnic basket. She filled her lungs with a deep breath of the fresh air, which was punctuated with a light floral scent out here near the lake. Then she reached up to take Anna's hand and help her down beside her.
"So gorgeous!", Elsa said, surveying the scene before them and then turning her eyes back to her sister. "But not as gorgeous as you, my dear, sweet sister."
At this, Anna flushed bright crimson. She wasn't used to such compliments from anyone, never mind her fantastically stunning older sister. She looked down at the grass beneath her feet. "Oh stop, you're the gorgeous one. Always have been."
"Well, I beg to differ, little one.", Elsa said, hooking her arm through Anna's and starting towards the tree. She got about halfway there before she turned back towards their hansom cab.
"Oops!", she said, "Almost forgot! " She waved her hands in the air and a stream of snowflakes swirled from her fingers, weaving their way to the area over the cab where they coalesced into a small cloud from which snow fell onto the roof and the horses. "Since I'm not in the cab any more, everything will need a little help to keep from melting in the sun."
"So they get their own personal flurry, just like Olaf."
Elsa nodded. "Precisely!", she said, "Now, where should we spread out to eat. I'm starving!"
"Under that oak looks like a great spot. Nice and shady.", Anna suggested.
"Sounds good.", Elsa said and headed over. She put down the basket and rummaged around in it until she found the checkered blanket, which she withdrew. Anna came over and took one end, while Elsa got the other and they unfolded it between the two of them.
That's when it happened. Out of nowhere, a dragonfly appeared and buzzed up to the pair. It circled around Anna first, flying in the herky jerky pattern that is typical of such creatures. Then, it flew right up in front of Elsa's face. It hovered there for a few seconds, hanging in midair, examining her quite closely eye to eye. Time seemed to stand still as they stared at one another, mesmerized. The insect gazing at Elsa and Elsa gazing back at the insect. Then some invisible something broke the spell and Elsa reacted.
Boy, did she ever react!
Anna had never seen anything like it.
Elsa let out a cry that sounded like a combination of a whoop and a shriek, dropped her end of the blanket and took several swipes at the innocent airborne visitor with the palm of her hand. It managed to dodge her first couple of swats and she missed it by a mile but it zigged in the wrong direction on the third and she connected with it, whacking it hard. The dazed insect tumbled head over tail down towards the ground before it was able to right itself and fly straight up, over Elsa's head, back to the relative safety of its family at the lake's shore.
But Elsa had completely lost her composure and had become even more freaked out now that she had actually lain her bare hand on the creature for even a split second. A gust of freezing wind and snow hit Anna, nearly knocking her off her feet as Elsa let out another high pitched yip and fled in the opposite direction, her arms still thrashing wildly about in a panicked attempt to protect herself from her would be attacker. Since she'd lost sight of the insect, she feared it had managed to get stuck in her hair, which completely unnerved her. She began skipping and hopping up off the ground, covering her head with her hands and frantically pulling at her hair trying to dislodge the imagined unwelcome visitor.
And, all the while, she was squealing bloody murder. It was like some crazy dance she was making up on the spot.
"It's in my hair! It's in my hair!", she hollered. Anna now noticed little squirts of ice spraying out intermittently as she struggled to control her powers while fending off the unseen adversary.
It was the single most unladylike, decidedly less than royal, display Anna had ever had the privilege of witnessing from her sister.
And it was hilarious!
Elsa had completely lost it... her composure, her restraint, her self-control, everything. And Anna had to admit she took some pleasure in seeing her always normally calm and collected older sister totally lose her cool. She knew she shouldn't laugh but she simply couldn't contain herself. It was probably the funniest thing she'd ever seen in her life. Definitely the funniest thing she'd ever seen her genteel, refined sister do.
"Well, that escalated quickly.", Anna said under her breath as Elsa continued to flail about and yelp and leap into the air. Anna wasn't sure what purpose the leaping served, but it certainly was very entertaining.
Anna found herself doubled over, laughing so hard, tears had formed in the corners of her eyes, as her sister batted at thin air and wailed about getting the imagined creature off her.
"Elsa! Elsa!", Anna finally managed to yell, "Stop it! Stop! He's not in your hair. He's gone now... long gone."
Anna wiped the tears from her eyes and went over to retrieve her stricken sister. As soon as she laid hands on her arm, Elsa squawked and whirled on her, eyes wide, a look of pure horror on her face.
And, at that moment, Anna got it.
She felt for her.
Elsa was absolutely terrified out of her wits by something that wasn't even there.
"It's me, Elsa! It's me!", she explained quickly, realizing she probably should not have touched her sister before letting her know she was there. Doing spontaneous things like that around Elsa was what had gotten Anna's heart frozen. "You're okay. He's gone. Long gone. Calm down! Calm down! You're okay now. Shhhh. You're okay.", she soothed.
When Elsa comprehended that it was Anna, her face reddened in embarrassment and she jerked away roughly.
"Don't! Don't touch me! Just stay away!", she barked, stalking back to the blanket and straightening it out on the grass beneath the oak tree where it had been abandoned.
She knelt down on the now smoothed out fabric as gracefully as was possible in her current state of dismay, situating herself in as dainty a fashion as she could muster, her back to Anna. She was trembling, her whole body shaking, and she had put her hand to her face, obviously wiping at her eyes.
Anna suddenly felt horrible for laughing. The encounter had obviously frightened Elsa so much that she was crying. And, she was moving her shoulders in such a way that seemed to indicate she was having a squirmy, creepy crawly kind of feeling as if the insect might still be on her. When Anna made her way back over to the blanket and sat down across from her, Elsa's cheeks were still flushed with embarrassment and anxiety, her hair was disheveled and there was a wild, visibly shaken look on her face, her eyes puffy with tears.
"I'm sorry, Anna," she said, voice quaking slightly as she began smoothing down her hair, forcing herself to slow her breathing, "I- I didn't mean that I didn't want you to touch me. It was only that I was afraid I could hurt you before I even realized what I was doing. It's just...", she said, hands shaking now as she wiped at her eyes again, "I just... I hate bugs. I despise them with an utter, intense passion."
Anna smiled in spite of herself. "You don't say?"
Elsa gave her a small, embarrassed smile then her face changed to anger. "Infernal, disgusting creatures!", she spat. Then, subsiding, "I apologize for the foolish spectacle I made of myself just now. That was utterly humiliating and completely uncalled for and I'm sorry you had to see it."
Anna looked down so she wouldn't have to meet Elsa's eyes and tried to contain the swell of giggles she felt building within her.
"No apologies necessary, Elsa."
Elsa noticed her demeanor. "What is it?", she asked.
"I'm sorry, Els," Anna looked up and forced herself to meet her elder sister's gaze, "but, I will never forget that as long as I live! It was like the best thing ever! I thoroughly enjoyed it."
"Oh, you did, did you?", Elsa asked haughtily.
Anna nodded.
Elsa gave a small smile. "Well, you'd better not forget, Princess, it because that was absolutely the first and last time you will ever see me lose my dignity like that."
"Oh I won't forget!", Anna promised. "If only there'd been Flight of the Bumblebee music playing, it would've been perfect.", she winked.
Anna figured Elsa would shoot her a look and put her in her place for her flippant comment. But she didn't. Instead, Elsa's eyes suddenly widened and she started looking around frantically. "Oh, you don't think there are bees around here... do you?", she asked with slight panic in her voice.
And that was it, Anna couldn't contain the laugh that had been building up inside. "Oh Elsa, you are too much!", she giggled.
"I'm serious, Anna!", Elsa insisted. "I could be allergic to bees for all I know!"
"Elsa, stop.", Anna told her, trying to contain herself. "If there are any, I'll protect you, don't worry."
Elsa harrumphed and gave her a hard, skeptical look.
"Either that or we'll have another Flight of the Snow Queen on our hands!" Anna continued, not able to resist the joke in spite of her sister's disapproving expression.
"There will not be a repeat of that little performance, Anna. I assure you.", Elsa told her. "In fact, from now on, when it comes to bugs, I freeze first and ask questions later."
"Freeze first, ask questions later...", Anna said, a goofy grin making its way across her face as another flurry of giggles bubbled up from her stomach. She found she couldn't stop laughing, she felt tears leaking from her eyes again.
Elsa looked at her reproachfully. "Oh yes, by all means, have a laugh at my expense, little sister."
"Oh, c'mon, Elsa.", Anna shook her head, "Don't be that way! Lighten up! It was funny, admit it."
"It was not funny, Anna!", Elsa disagreed, "That vile, hideous thing attacked me!"
"Attacked?", Anna scoffed, "Oh c'mon, Els, the little guy was completely innocent. He was just saying hello."
"Innocent?", the Queen repeated, incredulous, "That thing came right at my face!"
"He did not 'come at your face'.", Anna countered. "He was simply hovering in front of it. Probably just attracted by the flowers in your hair."
Elsa blinked, digesting Anna's theory for a moment. "Well," she said hesitantly, "you have flowers in your hair, too."
"Ah yes, but they're your flowers, made of ice. No smell. Nothing to attract him.", Anna explained.
"Bees are attracted to flowers as well, aren't they?", Elsa said, voice sounding slightly stricken as she reached up and began pulling at the ones in her hair.
Anna smiled. "Here, let me help you take them out." Anna reached up and gently unthreaded the stems of the flowers Elsa had braided into her hair that morning.
"But you picked those for me.", Elsa complained, sounding so miserable that it made Anna smile.
"Yes, but there's a whole bouquet of them back at the castle and, if I know Gerda… and I do… she's got them all arranged perfectly in a vase with fresh water, just sitting, waiting for you on the dresser in your bedroom.", Anna reassured with conviction.
Anna tossed the flowers away and let her hand caress her sister's cheek lightly. Elsa leaned into it. "Yes, I'm sure you're right.", she sighed, then gave Anna a sheepish smile. "Like I said, insects are not my favorite of creatures and that ghastly dragonfly just came a little too close for comfort."
"Elsa we are in the great outdoors, of course there are going to be encounters with the locals.", Anna comforted. "We were the ones invading his habitat. And, besides, he was just curious anyway. He was never going to try to hurt you. You're the one who freaked out, had a conniption fit and nearly pummeled the poor thing into oblivion in the process."
"You're far too blasé about the entire situation, Anna. How do you know it didn't mean to hurt me? I mean, what if that giant, hateful thing had bitten me! No more Snow Queen."
"Dragonflies are completely harmless, Els.", Anna revealed, her voice calm and soothing.
"Well, it certainly didn't look harmless.", Elsa huffed, "It looked like something out of my worst nightmare. It was hideous! And it was the size of a house sparrow!"
"He was a pretty big one, yes.", Anna nodded, trying to be agreeable, "I can understand why he scared you. You're not used to seeing bugs that big."
"Definitely not!", Elsa agreed, "And those huge bulging eyes; that long tail! I thought that foul thing was going to sting me with it. It looked like the barbed stinger on a scorpion's tail!"
"Elsa, dragonflies don't sting.", Anna said, maintaining her composed demeanor.
"They don't?", Elsa asked in shock.
"No.", Anna shook her head. "Sorry.", Anna added when she saw what appeared to be a look of frustrated disappointment flicker across Elsa's face.
"You're sure?", she asked, seeming somewhat deflated.
"Yes," Anna reassured, "They do look scary if you're not used to seeing them, though. You're right about that. And they're very curious little creatures, too. But I promise you, they're perfectly harmless."
"Hmmm...", Elsa said, and Anna could see the wheels turning in her head as she grasped at straws, trying to come up with another suitable reason for her chagrin, "Well, regardless, the wretched thing pursued me relentlessly... and in a nasty, malicious fashion. Even when I ran away."
"Um, no he actually didn't Els. You were imagining that. He flew straight up and away as soon as you started doing... the thing," here she flapped her hands, swatting and batting at the air in a pretty accurate imitation of Elsa's earlier display, "with your hands."
"He did?", Elsa asked, her face flushing red with embarrassment.
Anna nodded.
"So I overreacted.", Elsa admitted contritely.
"Ya think?", Anna raised her brows.
Elsa gave a rueful nod. "Maybe just a tad.", she tried to smile.
Anna returned the smile. "I guess it just freaked you out when you actually hit him with your hand and then you thought he was coming after you. I'm sure you scared the poor thing out of his wits even before you knocked him senseless."
"Oh.", she said quietly.
"So, see, he wasn't so bad after all. And I thought those big, googly eyes of his were kinda cute, actually."
"Cute!? Anna, are you mad? They were... utterly repulsive!", Elsa said, curling her lip in unfettered disgust.
"Oh, I'm sure all the lady dragonflies find them completely adorable.", Anna smiled.
"Well I'm not a lady dragonfly and I found them to be quite dreadful!", Elsa retorted, "Terrifying, actually. Like an alien monster or something."
"Aw, cut him some slack, Els.", Anna's voice actually sounded sympathetic, "He was not an alien, nor a monster. Just misunderstood. Kinda like a certain Snow Queen, I know and love."
"Well when you put it that way...", Elsa trailed off. "Now, I feel… sorta guilty."
Anna smiled. "Don't! He really scared you. And, all I'm saying is he didn't mean to do that and you were too quick to judge him."
"Oh my goodness, Anna," her sister said, suddenly smiling ear to ear, "I cannot believe we are actually sitting here seriously discussing the ulterior motives and merits of a common dragonfly!"
Anna giggled. "Well, me, either, to be honest!"
"I mean, this is supposed to be a picnic, am I right?", Elsa asked.
"Right, indeed, your Majesty!", Anna nodded.
"So, let's forget about silly old bugs and get to picnicking then, shall we?", Elsa chimed.
"I couldn't agree more, sister dear. Let's eat. I'm really starving now.", Anna confessed.
"Me, too!", Elsa concurred, "My stomach has been growling for over an hour."
"And… I brought a special surprise for our dessert!", Anna revealed happily.
"Oh?", Elsa's eyes brightened immediately, "What is it?"
"It's not a surprise anymore if I tell you!", Anna reminded her sister, a playful glint in her eye.
"Oh c'mon, Anna. I was just severely traumatized by a giant insect. Don't you think that deserves a little something?", Elsa bargained, "Please don't make me wait."
Anna giggled. "Okay, okay. You win!"
The younger girl opened the basket and carefully pulled out an insulated container made of quilted cloth to both seal in the heat and protect the bearer's hands from getting burned. She untied the top and pulled the sides down to reveal a small clay pot that was sitting on a hot brick from the kitchen stove. She used a towel to remove the top and steam roiled up from the inside along with a very familiar aroma. As soon as the smell wafted over to Elsa's nostrils, her eyes lit up with glee.
"Chocolate!", she sang, a huge grin of delight making its way across her face.
Anna smiled back at her and nodded. "Yup, chocolate fondue to be exact... for the strawberries you helped me prepare this morning."
"Oh little sister, you're much too good to me!"