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Chapter 9: Out of the Boat and Into the Sand

(Elsa)

Elsa held her hand back over the edge of the boat and shot a continuous stream of ice from her palm and into the water, causing the boat to rip through the surface of the sea. Elsa sat behind Ariel and watched as the mermaid took in the new feeling of speed that she was sure Ariel had never experienced before. Their hair whipped behind them in the rushing wind. The cold sea sprayed them as the boat soared through the water. With her arms outstretched and her head held high, Ariel managed to take most of the spray. Elsa watched contentedly as Ariel enjoyed the ride.

"How do you like my magic, now?" Elsa shouted over the roar of the wind.

"I had no idea magic could be used for such... joy," Ariel shouted back to Elsa. She whipped her hands through her flying, red hair and shouted various words of excitement. Elsa could only giggle.

"I'm glad that you like it," Elsa shouted.

Ariel turned around, twisting on her tail. Her hair whipped across her face with a few strands getting caught in her mouth. She brushed them away and Elsa laughed at the adorable mermaid. Ariel's entire front was soaked from the sea spray.

"I've been on ships before, but I've never experienced anything like this," Ariel shouted. Her hair continued to whip violently in the heavy wind.

"To be honest, I've never done anything like this either. When I started paddling away this morning I figured I was going to be alone for the rest of the journey home so why not use my magic? Then, this idea came to me and it turned out to work like a charm."

Ariel became quiet. Even as her wet, red hair whipped through the air around her face, nearly burying it in those soft, slimy locks, Elsa could see Ariel's head lower as if in shame. Elsa closed her hand and the icy stream shooting from her palm ceased. The boat slowed and then came to a stop. Elsa's and Ariel's hair were disheveled, poufy messes falling down their backs and across their chests. Then, as the boat shifted with Elsa moving closer to the mermaid, Ariel looked up and noticed tiny snowflakes falling around her.

"I do forgive you," Elsa said reassuringly. She leaned forward and took Ariel's hands in her own. Ariel's skin was soft and smooth and cold to the touch, similar to Elsa's own skin. "You don't have to feel bad for abandoning me. You came back."

"That's not the point," Ariel muttered, her eyes a stark contrast of the excitement she had been showing only a few moments ago. "When you first saw me—a mermaid!—you freaked out, but then you were almost immediately okay with me. But, when I first saw your magic—"

"You were in complete and utter awe," Elsa said. Ariel lifted her head sharply, her gaze returning to Elsa's. "Remember when you returned with the shrimp I had carelessly thrown out to sea? There was snow. That was me. You loved it. Maybe you didn't know it was me at the time, but you still liked it."

Elsa moved in closer to Ariel, her knee grazing the mermaid's scaly, green tail. A rush of warm tingles went up Elsa's leg and she managed to hide the shiver that then went up her spine. She feels so good against me...

"No matter how you reacted upon seeing me use magic for the first time, the most important thing is that you came back. You didn't abandon me."

"I know, but..." Ariel sighed, shaking her head. "It's like you said earlier. I based you having magic on one bad experience I had with magic and then freaked out on you. I called you a witch, a monster." Ariel pulled her hands away from Elsa's and wrapped them around herself. "You're not any of those things." Elsa could hear Ariel's voice beginning to quaver. "You're..."

"Elsa," the Queen of Arendelle whispered. She reached into the long strands of slimy, red hair that had covered Ariel's face and found the mermaid's chin. She curled a finger under it and lifted Ariel's head, her hair falling away from her face as their eyes slowly met. "I like having you with me," Elsa admitted, her voice soft and compassionate. Her lips curved up and a pink blush filled her cheeks as her eyes fell upon Ariel's red, plump lips. "Honestly, I had hoped you would return."

Elsa felt another rush of warm tingles, this time swelling in her chest and dispersing throughout her body; her fingers and her toes tingled. Her heart beat rapidly against her chest. Her eyes lifted from Ariel's lips back to her sea green eyes. Realizing she was still holding Ariel's chin, Elsa lowered her arm slowly and brought it back to her lap. She ran her other hand over her finger cherishing the feeling of Ariel's soft, strong chin.

"I came back last night," Ariel admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "You were asleep in the boat and I didn't want to wake you... I wiped the tears from your cheek."

The tingling sensations in Elsa's body gathered in her face and swelled as she felt her eyes water. Her cheeks grew hot and she knew they were red, but she couldn't bring herself to care. "You came back to me last night?"

Ariel nodded slowly. "I felt horrible. I wasn't sure if you'd want to see me after the way I left you, so I wanted to wait until you were asleep. I was coming back for my stuff, but when I saw you lying in the bottom of this boat wrapped up in the seaweed blanket I made for you and clutching my mother's leather pouch like a sponged animal, I knew right then that you weren't a bad person and that not all magic was evil. I knew right then that what I had done was a mistake and that you didn't deserve to forgive me, but if you would then I would never leave you again. I value our friendship, Elsa. I value you."

Elsa's heart swelled with elation and she closed her eyes, two tears etching their way down each cheek. Her jaw trembled and her voice quavered. "I value you, too, Ariel."

Ariel placed her hands on either of Elsa's cheeks and used her thumbs to carefully wipe away the falling tears. Both women slowly brought their heads together until their foreheads touched all the while staring longingly into each other's eyes. In that moment, Elsa wanted to wrap Ariel up in her arms and embrace her in a hug. She wanted to feel Ariel's cool skin, wet hair, and slimy scales against her entire body. Her courage failed her in that moment, though, and she settled for a smile instead.

Ariel smiled right back at Elsa. "No more crying, then," she said softly. Her voice picked up with elation as she added, "I want the rest of our journey to be filled with fun, laughter, and joyous adventuring!"

Elsa sniffled and wiped her nose with her finger. "Deal," she said.

Ariel slowly removed her hands from Elsa's face, but kept her gaze locked with the blonde's. Elsa had wished at that moment that her powers included reading minds so she could know what Ariel was thinking, but perhaps it did better not to know? Elsa inhaled a deep breath, calming herself. She wiped her eyes and turned her attention to the sky.

The sun was just past its peak and Elsa figured that the time of day was somewhere in the early afternoon. There were a few stray clouds in the otherwise empty, blue sky and not even a breeze blew across the sea. The heat beating down on Elsa and Ariel was incredible, but luckily for Elsa her magic enabled her to withstand the heat as much as it enabled her to withstand the cold. Ariel on the other hand needed to stay wet during the immense heat to keep from drying out and while sailing at high speeds kept the mermaid wet due to the sea spray, sitting idle only aided in drying her out.

The boat shifted and a splash followed. Elsa looked to the sea to find Ariel, but she was gone. Elsa twirled her finger and pointed it to the sky, sending a tiny, sparkling beam of snow and ice above her. Snow began to fall around Elsa and the boat as she looked over the edge and into the water.

The sea was clear and sparkling and clean. Fish swam beneath the boat and Elsa smiled watching them.

Where did Ariel go, little fishies? Where's my salmon?

Elsa jumped when a splash of water hit her on the back of her head followed by the innocent giggling that she had grown used to over the last three days. Elsa whipped around to see Ariel, but the mermaid was gone. She furrowed her brows in confusion and then jumped again as another splash of water hit the back of her head followed again by Ariel's child-like giggling.

"I'll get you," Elsa warned, her inflection implying her jest.

"You have to spot me, first," said Ariel.

Elsa turned to where the voice was coming from but Ariel was gone again. The water rippled all around the boat and each time Ariel resurfaced Elsa was just a couple seconds too late to spot her. "You know I could freeze the area around this boat and capture you in ice."

"You could," said Ariel. Elsa whipped around to spot Ariel, but she disappeared. "But, you won't," added the mermaid, returning to the surface. Elsa quickly followed Ariel's voice, but the red head was once again gone.

"And what makes you think that I won't?" asked Elsa, turning her head in all directions hoping to spot Ariel.

"I think you like me too much to encase me in ice."

Elsa's cheeks turned red as she stammered, "Uh, what do you mean?"

"You know, as friends," said Ariel. Another splash of water hit Elsa's head and as the blonde Queen turned to spot Ariel, the mermaid had vanished.

As Elsa shifted in the boat, she could feel her reddened cheeks beginning to cool. The prospect of liking Ariel as anything more than a friend had enticed the Queen, yet she didn't know why. What was it about Ariel that brought the shy, heart-fluttering side out in Elsa? "You must have been really great at playing hide and seek with your sisters," said Elsa.

"What's hide and seek?" asked Ariel, briefly returning to the surface.

"It's a game," Elsa said, peering over the edge of the boat in anticipation of catching Ariel, "in which someone hides and the other players try and find the person hiding."

"Oh, that sounds like fun."

Elsa whipped around and found Ariel floating at the surface on her back. Her red hair was splayed out across the surface and her hands were tucked up under her head. Her tailfin gently beat across the water as Ariel now circled the boat on her back. Her green tail glimmered in the golden sunlight and her wet skin sparkled. She truly was a beautiful sight to behold, noted Elsa.

"I found you," Elsa said, her lips curving up in a grin.

"I let you find me," said Ariel, smiling. She continued to float on the surface, absorbing the sunlight and admiring the peace and tranquility of the moment. "Sometimes it's fun to play tricks on humans. My father says we're not allowed to come to the surface nor are humans allowed to know about us, but honestly most of us are quite mischievous. When we do manage to sneak away and go to the surface, it's fun to find a ship and just play around with the people onboard. Sometimes we'll kick our tails in the water and make the sailors believe we're dolphins. Sometimes we'll emerge for just a few seconds, long enough for the sailors to get a glimpse of us and then we'll disappear into the abyss again, leaving the sailors to speculate as to what they really saw. Was it a human? Was it a fish? Are mermaids real? They'll never know." Ariel grinned. "And, that's what's really fun."

Elsa giggled. "You're horrible!"

"We're mermaids. Sure, we may not exist to humans, but our legend will always live on in songs and stories that you humans create about us. I've heard some of them, being human once myself."

"Do you know any of the songs?"

"You don't know any of them?"

"I'm not a sailor."

"What were you doing on the ship, then?"

"I was—" Elsa paused. She had yet to reveal to Ariel that she wasn't just a citizen of Arendelle, but that she was the Queen. "Uh, I was..."

"Eh, no worries," said Ariel. The water rippled as Ariel sat up, her tail disappearing beneath the surface and her breasts floating above it. Her wet, red hair clung to her neck and shoulders and floated around her on the water's surface. "I know a couple of the songs."

"Could you sing one of them to me?" asked Elsa. She placed her elbows on the side of the boat and propped her chin in her hands as she marveled at the gorgeous mermaid.

Ariel reached for the boat and pulled herself in. She arranged herself so her tail was hanging over the edge with her fin floating on the surface. Her body glittered in the radiant sunlight.

"I can do that," she said, flashing a smile at Elsa. "I actually really love to sing. It makes me feel closer to my mother." Ariel paused with a wide smile on her face. Elsa could tell that she was recollecting memories of her dearly departed mother. "Anyways, what song would you like to hear first? Fathoms Below or—"

"Either," said Elsa quickly. I just want to hear your beautiful voice sing me a song. "Either song will do."

Ariel smiled and sat back. She stretched her arms along the side of the boat, her long, red hair falling down her chest and covering her bra, and flashed Elsa a wink. She appeared as if she was about to perform on stage as if she had sang on stage before. Ariel inhaled a deep breath and when her voice left her lips, Elsa was immediately lured in by her breathtakingly beautiful singing. Like the legends of sirens luring sailors in with their voices, Elsa felt like the sailor to Ariel's siren.

Elsa stared at Ariel, her eyes unwavering, as if the red head was the only thing in the world that mattered in that moment. Everything around the mermaid faded away: the water, the boat, the sun, the sky. Only Ariel's presence and her voice remained.

Listen to the sounds

To the sounds out at sea

You can hear them singing

Their songs sweet as can be

"Mermaids aren't real!"

Is what they'll tell you and me

But listen, O' listen

To the sounds of the sea

Listen, O' listen

To the songs out at sea

Listen, O' listen

To the maidens of the sea

Elsa's mouth hung agape. Her eyes were wide and she was still entranced. Never before had she heard a more beautiful voice. She wanted to praise Ariel, but her mind was clouded, hazy. She couldn't get that voice out of her head. Her heart swelled with elation as warm tingles dispersed from her head down to her toes.

"That was my personal favorite of the mermaid songs," said Ariel. "It's called Maidens of the Sea. It's not very long, but most sailor songs aren't. What did you think?"

Elsa tried to speak but nothing coherent came from her mouth. She managed to smile stupidly and then could only bring herself to clap like a fool. Ariel giggled. "That good, huh?" Elsa nodded her head slowly. "Do you want to hear the other song Fathoms Below?"

Elsa nodded, still unable to speak.

Ariel stretched her back, curving slightly over the side of the boat with her arms extended high above her head. As her breasts jutted out from her chest, strands of red hair fell by her side exposing the bra that she had fashioned from clamshells. Elsa slowly and carefully took in the full sight of the mermaid again, adoring just the sheer beauty of what the sea had to offer. As her eyes made their way back up Ariel's long, glossy, shimmering tail and to her toned abdomen and up to her chest, Elsa noticed her eyes settling upon Ariel's breasts. She thought back to first meeting Ariel and seeing her breasts bare and exposed and how flushed she had been. Her cheeks grew hot and red as she stared at them once again. Ariel sat up straight and inhaled a deep breath of air—ready to sing another song to Elsa. Just as she was about to begin to sing, her eyes widened and she screamed, "Scuttle!"

Elsa jumped, startled by the mermaid's abrupt scream. She noticed Ariel staring up at the sky and so she looked up with her. There was a bird quickly descending from the sky toward the boat. As it grew closer and finally landed Elsa recognized it. It was the seagull that had been with Ariel the first time Elsa had awoken after fainting from their real first encounter.

Ariel began squawking and chirping at the bird. Elsa furrowed her brow and cocked her head in confusion. Ariel seemed to be beyond happy at "communicating" with the bird. The seagull squawked back at Ariel and Ariel laughed. She ran her hand down the bird's back as if petting it in the same manner that Kristoff and Anna would pet Sven. Ariel squawked again and then that's when it dawned on Elsa. Ariel was speaking to the bird. She had forgotten that Ariel had told her that she could talk to the bird. Elsa sat back and watched and listened as Ariel continued to squawk.

After a few minutes of listening to Ariel speak Bird—or whatever language it was that birds spoke, Elsa thought—Elsa couldn't hold back any longer. She began giggling at the ridiculous sounds the mermaid was making. Ariel peered over at Elsa and smiled. "What's so funny?"

"Uh, nothing," Elsa said, giggling a bit more. "Just keep speaking to... your bird."

Ariel gasped. "Oh my, Poseidon! I'm so rude! Elsa, this is Scuttle." Ariel turned to Scuttle and squawked. Elsa could only imagine that Ariel had said, 'Scuttle, this is Elsa.' She giggled again when thinking about it.

When Elsa was a lot younger and before she and Anna had been separated because of the head incident, Elsa and Anna would often spend a lot of time outside playing together. Elsa was always trying to impress Anna one way or another and Anna was always about making Elsa laugh. One way Anna went about doing that was by making animal noises. She had always told Elsa that "I'm an animal trapped in a human body. Help me, Elsa! Help me live like..." and then whatever animal Anna happened to feel like at the time. Elsa would then help Anna live like an animal. Sometimes that meant covering her in dirt if she happened to be an animal living underground; or splashing her with water from the fjord if she happened to be a fish; or, Anna's personal favorite, making it snow so she could live like a bear or a reindeer. While Kai and Gerda, the royal servants to the former King and Queen of Arendelle, didn't like this, because it meant the girls would need another bath, Elsa and Anna always found it fun.

As Ariel continued to squawk at Scuttle all of those warm memories of her and Anna returned. She sat back and reflected on them while admiring Ariel.

After a few minutes of reminiscing her youthful past, Elsa's reverie was broken as Ariel shouted her name. Elsa shook her head and brought her attention to Ariel with a perplexed glare.

Ariel giggled. "I said we need to follow Scuttle. We have a surprise for you."

Elsa turned her head to where Scuttle had been sitting and noticed he was gone. She looked to the sky and saw him hovering above the boat. "What's the surprise?"

"Now, if I told you it wouldn't be much of a surprise, would it?" said Ariel. "You'll just have to wait and see." She grinned and cocked an eyebrow as if trying to be sly about wherever it was she wanted Elsa to go.

Elsa looked back up at Scuttle as he hung over the boat, slowly flapping his black and white wings. "So, follow him?"

Ariel nodded. Trusting Ariel, Elsa extended her arm behind her ready to propel the boat through the water with her magic, but then she stopped. "Wait, I need to know something." Ariel stared at Elsa intently, her eyes getting wide and her smile slowly stretching wider across her face. "How is it that you can talk to a seagull?"

"Oh, well, merfolk speak all languages. It's a gift from our god, Poseidon." Ariel sat back in the boat, relaxing again. She stretched her arms across the sides of the boat and let her tailfin slap the surface of the sea. "Let's see, how do you humans put it? Uh, I'm very good with my tongue."

Elsa sat in the boat quietly with her arm hovering over the water. She could feel her cheeks radiating an immense heat and not just because the sun was beating down on her. She certainly didn't need Ariel's giggling to let her know that her whole face had just turned beet red. The Queen noticed a lump forming in her throat and while trying to swallow it, she couldn't get it to budge.

"What?" said Ariel, through her giggling. "You look like you've seen me—what was the word?—nude, again."

Flustered, Elsa opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Oh my... She opened her mouth again, trying to speak, and this time she stammered, "Uh, I think you mean you're fluent in many tongues."

"But, I only have one tongue," said the mermaid, innocently.

"It... It's a figure of speech. Saying someone is fluent in many tongues is the same as saying someone is fluent in many languages."

"Humans are weird." Ariel sat forward and flashed Elsa another grin. "Can't I just say that I'm good with my tongue?"

In that moment, Elsa felt as if she was sitting over a fire. Her whole body was warm and her cheeks were fiery hot. She could feel the warm flush spreading to her neck and to her chest. She was sure that at any moment she would start melting. When trying to speak, she only managed to squeak, "Why?"

Ariel inhaled a deep breath, calming herself from her giggle fit. She grinned devilishly at the blonde and leaned forward. In an almost seductive whisper she said, "I like to see you blush."

Elsa buried her face in her one free hand and used her other hand to shoot a continuous stream of ice into the water, causing the boat to accelerate quickly without warning. The jerk of the acceleration knocked Ariel back and she landed in Elsa's lap. Her soft, red hair covered Elsa's thighs and her arms dangled over both legs, her nails gently grazing the skin of Elsa's slightly fuzzy legs. As Elsa tried to focus on following Scuttle, she couldn't resist the shiver going up her spine and how her skin was breaking out in goose bumps at the gentle grazing at her legs.

"I feel comfy like this," shouted Ariel over the roar of the sea spray. "I think I'll just lay here until we get to land."

Elsa did her best to resist the mermaid. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her breasts swelled with the same warm tingling sensation from earlier causing her nipples to slightly harden. She had butterflies in her stomach and on top of that she felt the sudden urge to run her fingers through Ariel's hair and along her smooth, cool skin. Then, it hit her as to what Ariel had said.

"Wait, did you say land?" shouted Elsa.

"Oh, did I?" shouted Ariel, innocently. "Oops, it was supposed to be a surprise!"

"We're going to land?"

Ariel nodded her head against Elsa's belly. "Just follow Scuttle!" She pointed her finger up at the flying seagull. "He said it's about another hour or so from here. It is slightly out of the way seeing as how we're heading east, but I didn't think you'd mind since you've been out on the water for so long."

"We're going to land!" shouted Elsa, jovially.

Ariel giggled. "Yes, we're going to land."

Elsa's eyes widened with elation and then as quickly as she was happy to be heading to land, she thought of Anna and lost all excitement. "No, wait, I can't," shouted Elsa. "I need to get home!"

"This will only be a slight detour," shouted Ariel. Sea spray wetted them and the rushing wind had their hair whipping around in all directions. "You need land as much as I need water and while I enjoy you being out here with me, I want you to have at least a few hours on land. We'll be there just for tonight. We'll leave at sunrise tomorrow, I promise."

Elsa considered it. She really did want to get home. That was her first priority, her only priority. She didn't want to worry Anna especially since she was pregnant, but at the same time Elsa couldn't deny how much she just wanted to step out of the boat and stretch her legs, let her toes curl in the sand, and hopefully eat something other than fish.

Elsa nodded her head, the corner of her lips rising. "Okay," she said. "But we must leave first thing in the morning!"

"Will do," Ariel shouted. "Now follow that bird while I get comfy between your legs."

Elsa's elated grin faltered as she felt another blush rise from her chest and settle in her cheeks. She did her best to focus on the travel and not Ariel's words, but they were hard to resist. Her skin broke out in a new wave of goose bumps and the tingling warmth returned to her breasts, her nipples once again hardening beneath her worn nightgown. Elsa inhaled a deep breath of salty sea air and shook her head, doing her best to clear her mind of Ariel's seemingly indiscreet innuendos. She focused on Scuttle, but was reminded of Ariel's presence every time the mermaid's fingernails brushed along the skin of her legs, which happened to be quite often and, if Elsa hadn't known any better, on purpose. She did her best anyways to not think about it, though it made the hour long detour a real challenge for Elsa.

# # #

When they finally arrived Elsa marveled at the beautiful sight before her. Sand as white as a flax sail littered the beach. Magenta and white lilies lined the trees at the beach and littered the shallow incoming surf. The water was crystal clear and sparkled radiantly amidst the sun's warm, golden glow. Lush, green trees covered the island beyond the sandy beach, most dotted with purple and pink magnolias and the others standing tall bearing their hanging fruit. Beyond the trees in the distance was a large mountain covered in lush, green foliage, though it was nowhere near as large as the North Mountain just beyond Arendelle. The island felt like a dream, something Elsa would conjure up in her mind to make her feel better about being lost out at sea.

Ariel hopped out of the wooden life boat and slithered in the sand, pulling the boat up on shore. She slithered away and flopped down on her back in the warm, white sand.

Elsa slowly reached over the side of the boat to touch the sand. She hesitated fearing that if she touched the sand, then it would all disappear like some cruel dream. Ariel lifted her head and gazed upon Elsa. "Come on, Elsa," she urged, "you've been wanting land for three days now. Get out of the boat and come enjoy it!"

Elsa inhaled a deep breath and as her fingertips touched the silky, warm sand she felt her eyes well up with tears. Elation filled her being and she gasped, followed by a wide smile. Sand. Land. I can't believe I'm finally back on land. Elsa stepped out of the boat slowly and as her toes touched the sand she felt a shiver go up her spine.

"Thank you," Elsa whimpered. "Thank you, Ariel! Thank you for this."

Ariel was on her back with her arms outstretched above her head. Her red hair was splayed out all around her with sand littering her hair. Ariel moved her arms about her body as if to create a sand angel while her tail wriggled in the seafoam that washed up on the bank. Water lilies drifted up with the gentle tide and as the seafoam washed over Ariel's tail, the flowers remained on her, as if the sea was decorating her. "Don't thank me," she said. "Thank Scuttle. He's the one who brought up the island in conversation. He said there's human food here like berries and fruit and such. I only asked him if he could get us here."

Elsa fell to her knees and picked up a handful of sand. She poured it over herself feeling the rough granules settle in her hair and fall down her shoulders, chest, and back. She looked around for the seagull and noticed him pecking away at the sand as if trying to find a worm. "Thank you, Scuttle," Elsa shouted, unsure if whether the bird could understand her. Then, in a fit of excitement, Elsa followed it up with a squawk of her own.

Scuttle looked up and squawked back at Elsa while flaring his wings. Ariel sat up abruptly with sand falling from her hair and her back. "Elsa! You just insulted his mother!"

Elsa's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry... What did I say?"

"You called his mother a pigeon... whatever a pigeon is."

Elsa shifted her eyes. "Oh... I'm sorry, Scuttle," Elsa shouted. "Thank you for finding this island for me!"

Ariel turned and squawked back at Scuttle. "It's okay. I told him it's your first time speaking Gull."

Elsa grinned and scooped up more sand. She rubbed it along her arms and then fell into the sand. She turned over on her back and stretched out. "It feels so nice being back on land," she shouted jovially.

"Come, join me over here," said Ariel. Elsa turned her head and noticed the spot beside Ariel. She immediately blushed.

"But, I'm comfy right here."

Ariel grinned. "Okay, fine." Ariel rolled in the sand several times until she was lying beside Elsa. "I'll just come to you, then."

Elsa's cheeks blazed with crimson. Ariel began writhing slowly and sensually beside Elsa. She moaned softly enjoying the warm, soft sand on her skin. Elsa's pulse quickened. "This warm sand feels so nice against my skin and my tail. How does it make you feel, Elsa?"

Elsa swallowed hard. "It feels... nice," she choked out.

"Sometimes it's nice to just lay out in the sand and in the sunlight, huh?"

Elsa nodded. "It is." Though her cheeks were still flushed, Elsa couldn't resist a smile. While nothing would quite compare to being back in Arendelle, this island would happily suffice for the night. She had warm sand, beautiful scenery, fresh fruit to eat, and a wonderful friend beside her. Considering her circumstances, life was as perfect as it could be for the Queen of Arendelle.

Ariel sat up on her side with her head propped up on her hand. She looked Elsa up and down before finally resting her gaze on Elsa's face. "It was all worth it," she cooed.

Elsa turned her head to Ariel. "What was?"

"This. Saving you. Getting to know you. Seeing you smile. It was all worth it."

Elsa gently bit down her lower lip as another blush filled her cheeks. "Thank you for all that you've done," Elsa said tenderly.

Ariel smiled, holding her gaze with Elsa's. Elsa's eyes returned to Ariel's lips and then back to her sparkling, sea green eyes. Suddenly, Elsa jerked as sand landed across her body. Ariel grinned and rolled over and away from the blonde. She sat up in the sand and slithered away, heading for the shallow water coming up the beach. "I bet you can't get me," she shouted, giggling as she fled.

Elsa's heart fluttered in her chest as she watched Ariel move graciously through the sand. She sat up and got to her feet and opened her palm, forming a snowball in the center of her hand. "Oh, I'll get you, but it won't be with sand!"

Elsa lobbed the snowball at Ariel, barely missing her. It landed in the seafoam and melted upon impact. Ariel giggled again as she dove forward, landing in the water and swimming up the bank. Elsa chased her on foot, continuing to throw snowballs at the mermaid all the while both women laughing and enjoying one another's presence on the island.