Author's Note: A huge merci/dankeschön to our translation assistants, a-kiirii-on-board, darkdraconis, and pascaldragon. Thank you so much!

La Guerre de l'Art - Un Portrait de Deux Lesbiennes Amoureuses

[The War of Art - A Portrait of Two Lesbians in Love]

CHAPTER 10

The Art of War

It was a quiet morning, some four months hence since Hans' departure to Civitella. Elsa had arrived early at the de Neuvillette estate to call on Anna for breakfast, with the late April weather quite pleasant this year.

They sat together eating their breakfast with a warm cup of tea while quietly enjoying each other's presence, until they were interrupted suddenly. With an anxious tone, Kai beckoned of Anna, "Please, Madame, there is an urgent caller awaiting you in the parlour."

Both Anna and Elsa tensed immediately. Anna seldom had anybody call at the chateau… besides Elsa, of course. As she stood from the table, Anna reached out for Elsa's hand to gently pull on it. Elsa acknowledged the request to accompany her beloved to the parlour, standing with her.

Once they arrived, Kai opened the door for them to enter where they found a solitary figure slowly pacing the room with his back to them.

Anna gasped, shaken by the appearance of the man across the room, wearing a crisply pressed black doublet trimmed with gold stitching and matching breeches. When he turned, they could plainly see the heraldry of Picardie on his left breast—four squares of color: blue at the top left and lower right, white at the lower left and top right, each section separated by arms of the Cross of France with lys flowers upon it.

The man walked slowly toward them, before stopping a few pied du roi from Anna as he faced her with a somber expression. "You are the lady of the house? Madame de Neuvillette?"

Anna replied hesitantly in a weak voice, "Oui…"

He took a deep breath. "I am Sous-lieutenant Mignières. Je regrette de vous informer que votre mari est tombé dans la ligne du devoir. Toutes mes condoléances."

Fallen. Hans had met an untimely end on the field of battle. The wife—la veuve de Neuvillette, as she would now be known—reached out blindly for Elsa's arm, finding it after the first few attempts. "You… this isn't possible. No, y-you're mistaken."

"Afraid not," he followed up, stiffly formal but not unnecessarily cold. "There was confirmation. I am sorry for your loss."

"No…" Her voice tightened, and her eyes began to swim. "Wh-why… how could…"

Elsa hastily wrapped her arms around Anna, cradling her newly widowed lover's head to her breast. She saw Kai wave the man out of the room and close the door behind them, leaving the women alone in private for a few minutes.

At first, the tears did not quite come. Anna was in shock, of course, not having expected to hear such news on an otherwise unimportant day. Then, little by little…

"O-oh," she whispered into Elsa's crisp linen shirt, voice strained. "Well, it… is war, I did expect- I mean, not expect, but dreaded… oh, Elsa, how could he have been k-killed so soon?! It isn't fair, it's- how dare they kill my husband, what right do they have to be s-so—

"Shhh, shhhh," Elsa soothed her, patting along her hair as the red-haired widow began to sob at last. She herself felt her eyes prick with tears, but held them back; there would be time enough for her own grieving later, when she was alone. Private mourning. Anna needed her in the here and now.

Minutes passed, and when Anna was little better, she guided her onto the nearest couch and settled her upon it, arms remaining around her all the while. When Kai very surreptitiously poked his head in to inquire about her well-being, Elsa mimed raising a teacup to her lips; he understood at once, and went to prepare something to settle her nerves, should she have need.

Kai returned shortly with the tea, setting it upon the small table in the parlour before retreating from the room again. All the while, Anna remained sobbing with her head pressed to Elsa's breast, with the blonde's arms wrapped firmly around her in an attempt to provide as much comfort as she could.

Elsa softly asked, "Ma chérie, would you care for some tea?" The rustle of fabric as red locks shook side to side against her chest was the only reply she received.

Several more minutes passed before Anna's tears finally subsided, her body settling to calmly rest against Elsa—no longer wracked with shaking sobs. Her voice was strained when she finally did speak again. "I- some tea…"

"Oh, of course. Though we will have to stand for me to get it."

"R-Right. Okay… I can do that."

The two stood, Anna taking Elsa's hand in a death-grip. "I'm right here, Anna, ma bien-aimée. I'm not going anywhere…" she tenderly reassured. "I shall stay with you jusqu'à la fin des temps, if you'll have me." Anna only squeezed her hand tighter.

Once they made their way to the table, Elsa proceeded to pour each of them a cup of tea. They returned to the couch again and sat themselves down, Anna leaning on Elsa's shoulder.

"I… I want to- no, I… I need to know… how…" Anna struggled to get the words out, before taking a sip of her tea. The warm liquid soothed her throat immensely.

"Don't worry about that right now. Just…" Sighing deeply, she pressed her lips together as she tried to think of what best to say. Nothing came to her, but she decided to make an attempt regardless. "He was a good man. Maybe not the greatest, or wisest, but I think in his own way he tried to bring beauty to the world. Through us, our talents. Either way, he most definitely touched our lives."

"That he d-did…" Blowing her nose on her handkerchief, she let out a long, anguished sigh as she attempted to stem the flow of tears, with moderate success. Another sip of tea bolstered her further, gave her an even voice. "Ah… I won't pretend I enjoyed being his wife, but he was a good friend, at least. Just can't believe he's…"

Elsa reached over to lay her hand on Anna's again, caressing the skin soothingly as her other arm lay gently against her back. "It is a shock, to be sure. Even in wartime."

"Oh… Dieu, Elsa, what will I do now? The de Neuvillette estate is not mine to inherit, I'll… not be penniless, but I doubt I'll be given enough to buy my own premises, I—

But at those words, Elsa could not help but let out a harsh chuckle. Not a true laugh, one of genuine amusement, but one that said she found the question utterly ridiculous.

"What on earth are you thinking of, fille irréfléchie? You're going to stay with me, naturally."

With an undertone of incredulity, Anna replied, "With… you?"

"Well of course, dear sweet Anna. You are ma bien-aimée, are you not?"

"Oui…" Her cheeks flushed, only for her to continue, "as are you mine, ma chérie."

"Then why would we consider any other arrangement? We shall spend the rest of our days together, in our home."

Anna's eyes lit up, the solemn nature of the Sous-lieutenant's visit temporarily forgotten. "Our?"

"But of course—"

Elsa's reply was halted by supple lips pressed firmly against hers, not frenzied but impassioned nonetheless, as Anna conveyed the depth of her love and gratefulness—and Elsa responded in kind. The kiss was slow, gentle, tender—and yet so filled with emotion that both women began to shed tears, only parting when the need for air finally overtook them.

"I'm so glad I have you," Anna whispered, voice thin and uncertain despite her words. "Without you here, I don't know if I could… if there would be any sense in…"

But again, Elsa shushed her. The newly-widowed woman seemed to think she needed to explain herself, to speak, but there were no words for how they felt to be unearthed. All they could do to help ease the situation was to give it time. Time and patience.

Some minutes later, Kai knocked on the door and entered, looking sheepish to even be doing that much. Coughing into his fist, he said, "Excusez l'intrusion, mesdames, but the gentleman did give me their official letter as to… well, the circumstances. I could bring it in now, or leave it until later. At your discretion."

When Elsa only looked up to motion with her hand for him to come closer, he did, walking as softly as possible across the rug to place the letter in her waiting hand. Then he bowed slightly and backed from the room.

Elsa sat watching Anna as she stared at the envelope after Kai had exited the room, closing the door behind him. "I… you said you need to know, but… are you ready to read it?"

"I… Yes. I need to know now…" Anna trailed off.

"You won't be able to have closure. I understand. Would you rather I not be here when you read it?" Elsa asked warily, her voice full of concern.

"What? No… of course I want you here, with me." To further impress her point, Anna once more leaned into Elsa's body, resting her head against the now dampened linen shirt covering the blonde's chest.

A slight smile graced Elsa's lips, happy that she could continue to be there for Anna—to be her rock. "Thank you," she whispered, then laid a brief kiss upon Anna's forehead.

"May… may I?" the redhead inquired, one hand outstretched in request of the envelope. She handed Anna the envelope, trepidation twisting her smile into a worried frown. Anna's hands trembled as she opened the envelope and pulled the enclosed letter out.

Elsa waited patiently as she read over it. Several minutes passed. Then the redhead lowered her hand, gazing off to one side.

"The siege… went badly. He caught a bullet to the…" Her hand came up and gestured to her own head, before she shivered from the implications of such a wound. Both teal eyes returned to the letter for a moment before she thrust it across to Elsa, wanting it to be as far away from her as possible.

Folding it up, her other hand reached across to rest on her lover's shoulder. "Oh, Anna, I am sorry. You did love him, after a fashion, didn't you?"

"Yes." Her hand came up to clutch Elsa's hand against her, and hard. "After a fashion. He was a good friend to us, wasn't he? Despite his many quirks."

"Yes, I suppose he was. If for nothing else, I am grateful to him for the opportunity to meet you—though that is not all, as he did provide patronage for all these several years and the opportunity to become my own woman. And… much as I detested the time he was with you, he did right by you and respected your wishes. I must commend him on those qualities." She looked to Anna's tear-stained face and cringed. "I-I'm sorry… I should be more supportive than this."

Anna shook her head. "No… I understand. He was important to us in many ways, even if there were certain… difficulties presented by him, as well. I did love him, as a friend… and he did so much for me, that I would have forever been in his debt—taking me in, giving me the chance to meet you…" Her voice trailed off as tears freshly streamed down her cheek once more.

Elsa pulled the woman against her once more, arms wrapping firmly around her shoulders as she nuzzled her nose into the crook of Elsa's neck in search of solace. She inquired hesitantly, "Did… did he suffer?"

Anna mumbled into her neck, "No… Dieu merci, pas. He was shot by an arquebuse… right through the—in the head… they said his death was instantaneous."

"Then that is… a small mercy for which we should be grateful. At least there was no suffering, no prolonging his agony until— But she cut off when she saw the words were not helping Anna. "Would you like me to stay overnight, or would you prefer to come to my chateau? I think no one would fault you for not wanting to sleep in his bed tonight."

"No. No, I will… honour his memory with that, at least." Then her eyes turned up toward her Elsa, desperately imploring her to comply. "Sleep beside me there?"

While the contents of her stomach churned, Elsa shook her head. "That would not be proper."

"To hell with proper! I cannot bear the thought of sleeping alone tonight!"

"Anna—

"Please! I… I do not ask that we do anything more than sleep, I'm not so heartless toward his memory this soon after, but I honestly need the company or I shall never…" More fresh tears overtook her, and Elsa drew her in tightly, kissing the crown of her head and stroking up and down her back soothingly.

"For you," she whispered in reply. "For your sake alone, I shall do this. But… we must be in full bedclothes—I cannot… I will not… not in his bed." She paused briefly. "But… Anna, chérie… Heartless? You? Jamais! You have the most utterly pure, sweet heart of anybody in this entire world." She laid a lingering kiss to the crown of her head.

"Je… je vous remercie." Elsa felt, more than heard, the timid response against her neck.

They sat once again in quiet, the somber mood washing over and through them as each continued to come to terms with Hans' passing. However, after several minutes had passed the atmosphere was violently broken by a loud grumbling.

Elsa smiled slightly at this—an opportunity to remove themselves from this shroud of sorrow, if only briefly. "Anna, I appreciate that this is a difficult time, but you must eat to keep your strength. Please," she implored of her beloved, "let us find Kai, and get some food."

"Oh, but I don't much feel like food…" However, she allowed herself to be led off toward the kitchen, the letter forgotten on the couch. It would remain there until the following day, where it would spark yet another fit of weeping. From both of them.

The memorial service was brief and tasteful, and attended by some of the late Hans's fellow soldiers who had not gone to the front alongside him, as well as the messenger who had borne the letter to their house. Anna very much looked the part of aggrieved widow, hidden inside a black dress with an equally-black veil. However, her tears were quite real, even if her "undying devotion" to their marriage had been somewhat of a forgery.

Several days following were spent nearly alone in her estate. The family had not insisted she vacate right away, and had in fact given their word that she would have several months to get her affairs in order, but she told them she would be moving in with her good friend as soon as was permissible, giving the excuse that "the ghost of her husband" lingered in the halls. Though she would take reminders of him with her, she could only remain sorrowful the longer she stayed.

So it was that, a week after she had paid her last respects, Roxanna's worldly possessions were being carted the short distance through the streets to Elsa Maurer's estate. Everything had arrived safe and sound, though a great deal of it was merely piled up in the receiving room, to be allocated space a bit at a time.

Anna and Elsa found themselves at the de Neuvillette estate for the last time, to ensure that Anna had not missed anything in her packing, and to bid farewell to the staff who she had gotten to know over the past two years.

A final sweep of the premises revealed that the only item missed was a single painting. However, it was one of particular import to the pair which had been tucked away in Hans' private gallery, away from prying eyes—one which neither of them wanted his family to see, or to be in possession of. Once the canvas had been very carefully rolled and secured for travel, they made their way back to the entranceway of the chateau.

There they were greeted by the sight of the entire staff standing in two rows, flanking the path to the doors. Many of them appeared slightly unsettled, and amongst all the women on staff a glimmer of moisture could be seen in the corner of their eyes. As Anna entered the room with Elsa a few steps behind, Kai was the first to approach her.

He fought to keep a straight face, even as his voice wavered slightly when he spoke. "Madame… you will be greatly missed here. You always brought such warmth and joy to this house. I truly hope that your fate holds better things for you in the future."

"Je vous remercie, Kai. For absolutely everything over the past couple years… you've always been so kind and helpful. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart." Anna's voice cracked as she struggled to keep her tears from falling, and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders in a tight embrace. "And I shall miss you dearly. You are a wonderful man."

"Oh," he half-laughed, half-sobbed dismissively. Then he embraced Elsa, being careful of the painting she was carrying. "You even moreso; though we did not get along when you first came to us, I… count the both of you as family."

The blonde kissed him on either cheek, then whispered, "If you're ever looking for a change in employment… well, I can't provide a lavish lifestyle such as this, but… our door is open to you."

"That is much appreciated, madame."

Once they were outside, Anna sighed, steps slow and ponderous as they approached the waiting carriage. "It really is a shame I can't have you move in here with me, instead. Not that I have anything against your own chateau; I love it dearly! But…"

"But you shall miss your home." When Anna nodded, she looked skyward as they waited for the chauffeur to open the doors. "Understandable. I was much the same when departing Germany, but… here I am, with you, and property of my own. I've not a single regret."

Slowly, she allowed her lips to pull back into a smile. "Nor do I."

Just as Anna started towards the carriage, they heard the trampling of hooves approaching from the gates. Both women turned their heads to see another, smaller carriage making it's way towards the front entry of the chateau.

"That's strange," Anna commented. "Hans' family wasn't supposed to arrive for at least another week, I thought."

Elsa took a long, hard look at the carriage as it stopped. Her eyes lit up in recognition. "Ma chèr, it's your cousin, returned from Paris."

Anna's eyes widened and twinkled. "Rapunzel!" she shouted across the courtyard as the door to the carriage started to open.

"Anna?" Came her cousin's reply, with a querying tone. "Were you and Elsa off somewhere?"

"Oh, Punzie… I have so much news for you."

Rapunzel raised her brow. Elsa interjected with an even tone, "Rapunzel, if you would please follow our carriage to our estate, we can fill you in on all the details upon our arrival there."

Confused as she was by their direction, she did as they asked. The miniature procession soon arrived in front of the smaller, tasteful estate; Elsa's income from her paintings had enabled her to add small touches that transformed it from tasteful but plain, to the resplendent chateau on the lane. Planter boxes filled with local flora, striking paint, and expensive-looking tapestries that could be glimpsed through the windows added to the impression that someone very wealthy had decided to decorate a very unimpressive abode.

"Ohhhh, but it is so beautiful!" Rapunzel was saying as she stepped from the carriage, the stressed-looking chauffeur unloading her bags for her. "You really do have premises, Madame Maurer—and they are très fantastique!"

Smiling as she held the door open for the cousins, Elsa said, "And it is your home away from home, whenever you can escape the clutches of your overbearing mother. Please, come in."

"Yes, but… I do not understand." Once they had managed to work their way inside, she found herself looking for a place to sit in the receiving room, and finding the only one, she did not wish to claim it out from under the hostess or her cousin. "Why do we come here when we were already at my cousin's home? And… dare I ask… why you are wearing vêtements noirs?"

The question stole the light from Anna's eyes, but not her smile for her cousin. Not entirely. "That's what we wanted to tell you. Please, sit."

Rapunzel made her way to the lone unoccupied chair and sat down. All the while she looked at each of the other women in turn inquisitively. Once she was seated, Elsa moved to stand at Anna's side and rested her hand gently upon her upper arm.

"Punzie…" Anna began, "let me start at the beginning. When you last visited, you knew that my husband was sent to the front lines in Civitella, yes?"

"Yes…"

"Well, a few weeks after you left while Elsa and I were having breakfast at the de Neuvillette estate—"

Rapunzel interrupted, "The de Neuvillette estate?"

Anna's voice began to waver. "Please, Punzie… let me…"

"Anna? Are you okay?" Elsa gently squeezed Anna's arm.

"I- Yes, yes I'm okay now." Anna briefly turned to Elsa and gave her a small smile, took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and turned back to Rapunzel. "That morning, we had a caller during breakfast… an officer from the military. Hans… he was killed on the battlefield—shot… in the head." Her voice cracked, and she started to tremble.

"Ma chérie…" Elsa whispered softly, to which Anna waved her hands motioning for Elsa to continue before she pressed her face to the blonde's shoulder. She gently stroked her opposite hand through red locks as she felt her shirt start to dampen, before turning her attention to the brunette sitting across the room.

"Please excuse her, this is a trying time yet even after several days have passed."

"Oh, no… of course. But, why are we here?"

"Once Hans' family was notified, your cousin was made aware that the estate was to return to his family, and not to be left in her possession. When I found this out, I offered for her to come live with me. It was actually rather fortuitous that you arrived when you did, as we were just leaving the estate for the last time."

Leaning forward and clasping her hands, Rapunzel told them earnestly, "I am sorry for your loss, toutes mes condoléances. I never had the pleasure of meeting your Hans, but he seemed to be alright from what you told me." Then she pounded both hands down against her knees. "But how could they put her out on the street like that?! Don't they care for their widows?!"

"Well…" Anna glanced up at Elsa very briefly, then shrugged. "They're complete strangers to me. Staying with them would mean feeling like a burden. But staying with Elsa… I mean, she's my meilleur ami, my mentor. Family. Also, she offered, and the offer sounded far better than being a piece of furniture in one of their estates."

"But… you could have come to stay with me, your relation de sang. You know that, right?"

"You weren't here to ask. Besides, I…" Her squirming made sense when she said, "We both are well acquainted with your mother."

That made the brunette chuckle harshly. "Very true. Can't say I blame you when you put it that way."

At that, Anna's mood eased somewhat, and she giggled. "Sorry, Punzie. You know you're like a sister to me, but I couldn't live with her." She gave a light-hearted attempt at a grimace towards her cousin at the idea.

Elsa lightly squeezed her shoulder, silently asking, "Are you okay?"

In response, Anna graced her with an easy smile. "I'm fine, ma chèr Elsa. I just needed a moment."

"I'm glad." In an effort to change topics, Elsa inquired, "Would either of you care for some tea? Or, perhaps some wine?"

"Oh, after that news today… I think I'd have to go with the wine."

Elsa silently agreed. "Rapunzel?"

"I'd love some wine, too. But watch out for Anna, she gets intoxicated pretty quickly."

Elsa's lips quirked into a half-smile as she turned to look at the redhead in question. "I'm sure she does," she said softly, her voice containing just the barest hint of teasing. It did the trick—Anna's mood lifted a little bit more as her smile grew.

"Oh, how...how about we make our own wine, hm? To...To take our minds off of things?" she suggested. "I'm sure you haven't tried that before, Punzie."

Rapunzel chuckled—unlike before, it was genuine. "No, I haven't! But I doubt it would age enough to be of any good quality by the end…" She smirked, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "I didn't know you knew how to make wine. What else do I not know?"

"A great many things," Elsa teased the brunette, bringing Anna over to help her to standing. "But come. You'll want to leave your shoes and stockings in here—and if you don't have an old chemise, I could fetch one for you, I'm always dropping paint on mine."

Chuckling, Anna began leading Rapunzel upstairs. "Her point is, you don't want to stain anything important. I'll get it for you."

As Rapunzel disappeared with her cousin upstairs and Elsa moved toward the kitchen, she overheard her say, "But how do you know where Elsa's old chemises are?!" She couldn't help but chuckle under her breath.

Typically, the phrase "stepping on each other's toes" tends to mean hindering someone's progress. In the case of Anna, her cousin and her lover, that phrase applied in the literal. Elsa's fermentation vat was really only large enough for two pairs of stomping feet, and therefore, tossing in a third made the quarters quite close. Not that anyone minded; the pigeage still continued and was quite effective enough to produce what would eventually become a couple new bottles for their drinking pleasure, and all three of them had a riotous time into the bargain.

"We're not...actually going to drink this, are we?" Rapunzel asked later when they were settled in Elsa's kitchen, her broad grin belying any concerns such words would have normally contained. They had decided to go all the way with their creations—corking them, fitting a label, and penning the current year.

"No, of course not," Anna laughed, taking the bottles over to the counter and leaving them to be stored at a later juncture. "We'll have another vintage. This one won't even be wine for a few months, and even then I'd say we let it rest a year yet."

"Oh…" Shrugging, Rapunzel sat back in her chair, tossing the grape-soaked rag onto the tabletop. "And I give up, my feet will simply be red forever."

Tittering, Elsa got up to fetch the bottle they would consume, while Anna worked on cobbling together a modest meal of bread, cheese, and jam to pair with their drink. "Give it a few baths, you'll be the same light shade from top to bottom in no time."

Rapunzel laughed. "I'll take your word for it!"

Elsa chuckled as she returned with the bottle of wine for their quick meal. It was among the few that had fetched a...heftier price than the others in her stock, but it was a special occasion, after all. Or rather, it's something we all need right now, she thought, glancing over at Anna as she set to work opening the bottle. The girl's shoulders were more relaxed than she had seen them recently—no doubt Rapunzel's presence helped ease the weight of her burdens, if even a little. A familiar face. A familial one, rather.

"Thank you," she murmured to the brunette, voice too soft for Anna to hear, "thank you for agreeing to...well…"

"It's not a problem," Rapunzel whispered back, surprising Elsa with how quickly she had picked up the issue. Her voice carried a note of seriousness Elsa hadn't heard from her before. "I'd do anything for Anna's happiness. I mean, it was still fun and all, but...I'm glad it's helped her, too."

"Good, then. We're on the same page."

"I daresay you're a thousand pages ahead of me," Rapunzel chuckled. When Anna picked up all but one of the fresh bottles to take down to the cellar and darted from the room, she leaned forward and added, "And… I'm not la donneuse, just so you know. This conversation never happened."

Laying a finger on the side of her nose, Elsa replied, "Oui, tout à fait. I can tell you're trustworthy; I'm an excellent judge of character."

"Oh, really?" she laughed. "Because you seemed to think I was too empty-headed to figure out you're lovers."

It was quite lucky Elsa had only just raised the wine to her lips, otherwise it would have wound up all over the kitchen. "W-we are what?!"

Taking advantage of Anna's absence, Rapunzel propped her juice-stained heels up on the table as she drew her own glass into her lap, contemplative. Relaxing into their candid conversation. "I had a lot of time to think in Paris, between sightseeing. First, on your behaviour, and how… flattering it was for me. In a way I didn't expect." Her hand raised to ward off Elsa's sputtering, frantic protests. "No, no, I'm still entirely infatuated with Eugene, and men in general. However… what can I say? Having a woman give me the same attention a man would, and one so gorgeous as you? It was a unique experience."

Her eyes finally turned to meet Elsa's again, and they were wide, serious. "The more I thought about it, the more I realised that she's happy with you. Even without my last visit, I'd be une imbécile to miss that it's you who's making her able to handle this tragedy so well as she is. Your adoring looks, your calling each other 'ma chèr' in just the right tone of voice. And all the nudes, always women! Everything paints a clear picture. So in light of all that… I mean, I let you flirt with me, too, so who am I to pass judgment if you're… more than friends?"

Elsa's typically pale cheeks were scarlet as she fought to control her breathing. Flustered nearly to the point of speechlessness, she sputtered, "I… Anna… We… You!"

Anna returned just as Elsa completed her sputtering, having only heard the last two words. After she took a brief glance at her lover, she turned to her cousin. With no small amount of vitriol, she queried of her, "Rapunzel! What did you do to her?!" She then turned her focus to Elsa, kneeling at her feet, putting the glass from her hand onto the table, then taking the blonde's hands into her own. She tried to focus Elsa's attention on herself, gently asking, "Elsa? Ma bien-aimée?"

Upon overhearing the particular term of endearment used by her cousin, Rapunzel sputtered. "Ma b-bien… ma bien-aimée? Mon Dieu! You… the two of you… you're not… de simples déviantes… are you?"

Anna was flooded with a rush of emotions—fear, embarrassment, shame… but at that moment her anger was the one to brim to the surface. Anger which she firmly directed at the brunette watching them with mouth agape. "RAPUNZEL! You… You asked her ABOUT US while I was out of the room?" Her words came out like acid—venomous and cutting.

Taking her feet off the table, she sat forward and replied, "W-well, I did, but… today is not the day to have brought it up with you, not while you're in mourning!"

"Then why bring it up at all?!" Turning back to Elsa, she saw the blonde was coming back to herself a bit more, so she caressed along her arm before following up, "This wasn't appropriate, and it wasn't your place to ask us about it!"

"And wait for you to tell me?" Rapunzel demanded, folding her arms. "In how many years?"

Anna's lips pursed for a moment, trying to decide if they ever would have opened up about their relationship without any sort of prompting, even to someone she loved as much as Rapunzel. In all honesty, she wasn't sure. "Well, that's… you may have a point, but it still wasn't appropriate! End of story!"

However, by this point, their guest's cheeks were growing pink to rival the hue of the mistress of the house. "You… truly are les lesbiennes, I…" Then she allowed her face to drop into her hands. "You painted me au nu! And I liked the attention, but didn't think it was… that sort of attention!"

Elsa, finally ready to speak once more, was first to respond. "Well, it was not… not really. I was merely teasing you, much as you were me at the time. And no, that incident was NOT intentional… you slipped and I merely was attempting to keep you from hitting the floor directly."

Rapunzel's cheeks darkened further, much as that was possible, as she recalled the fall and it's aftermath. "Oh… Oh God!" The brunette proceeded to further bury her face into her hands.

"Much as I do appreciate the female form, and my preference lies with the fairer sex… I am in love with your cousin. I have been for some time now. And… she is the only one I truly have eyes for." She cast a sidelong glance and wide smile towards Anna.

Anna finally stood up, pulling Elsa up with her. Teal eyes met sapphire, both sets filled with love and devotion for one another. She leaned in for a chaste kiss.

A noise much like some sort of dying animal issued from Rapunzel when she spied that, but by the time they looked over, she had a hand over her eyes. "I'm not seeing this… it is not my place to see this!"

"It's a healthy thing," Elsa corrected her, but gently. She knew the poor girl was coming to terms with quite a lot in a short amount of time. "I… know it's uncommon, I'm not so foolish to expect you to understand right away. But trust me when I tell you that if I were a man, I would have courted her and wed her properly. With all of my strength, I would have."

"Don't be cross with Elsa, Punzie. She's been so good to me… and I expect she will be in the future. My entire future."

Now she was lowering her hand, watching the way their arms were around each other, and a small smile blossomed. "Awww… the both of you, mignonne! I mean, it's still strange to me, but I can't pretend you don't suit each other!" Taking a deep breath, she seemed to release a lot of her tension and nervousness. "Now… I don't have to worry about staying with the two of you, do I?"

A lot of concentration went into suppressing the instinct to tease the girl. Somehow, Elsa managed. "No. Just… knock before you enter our bedchamber and you'll be fine." That seemed to tease her effectively enough as it was, for the mere use of the word "bedchamber" set her to blushing an even deeper shade.

Seeing that perhaps their guest might require some time to process everything, Elsa decided to offer the cousins room to talk. "Anna, perhaps you'd like to keep Rapunzel company for a bit, and I will start moving things from the parlour so we all have places to sit for the next few days?"

"Oh, but Elsa… those are all my things. I should help you to move them."

"Fret not, ma chérie. We have a guest, and she is your family. It would be rude to leave her unaccompanied; however, this needs to be done. It will only take me a short while, and will give you two some time to talk betwixt yourselves before supper." She leaned over, gave Anna a peck on the cheek, then stepped out of the room to start moving Anna's possessions to her old room.

Rapunzel leaned over, listening to the steps recede. Then she hissed, "So tell me what it's like!"

"What what is like?" When she caught the goofy grin on the brunette's face, she rolled her eyes. "Punzie, are you really that crass?!"

"You can't blame me when you're literally the first ones I've ever met! How does it compare to being with a man? Please, you have to tell me at least some vague detail!"

Anna raised a helpless hand, knowing that Rapunzel was being a lot better about this revelation than she could have been. "Oh… I wouldn't know. I pleasured Hans a few times, with hands, but… we never…"

That brought the houseguest up short. "Oh? Never, even though you were wed?" When Anna shook her head, she raised a hand to her mouth as realisation hit her. "You were in love. With Elsa, the entire time. And yet you… oh, it's so beautiful and so tragic, like something out of a fairy tale…"

"Yes. We confessed our love for each other only shortly before Hans proposed, and…" she trailed off as she felt tears fill the corner of her eyes. "And I could not turn him down at that point. She would not let me, so concerned was she for my reputation… my future—even if it was to be locked in a loveless marriage, and only able to sneak small gestures of affection with my true love on the sly." Her tears freely fell now, there was no will to hold them back as she recounted the various joys and pains of the journey from finding love with Elsa until Hans' passing to her cousin in painstaking detail.

By the end, her cousin also cried freely. "That… it truly is as though it came straight out of a fairy tale."

Elsa walked into the room then, eyeing the two women with their red eyes and tear-streaked faces. "Is everything alright in here?" Her voice small, words hesitantly uttered.

"Oh… yes. Yes, we're fine, chérie. I was just telling Punzie the full story of our love, beginning with your painting of the Siege of Orléans—the one you did for the auction at the hôtel de la Motte-Sanguin."

Elsa cocked an eyebrow as if to say, "The full story?"

Anna simply shook her head slightly.

Well, we still have some secrets to keep, after all… Elsa smiled a little as she rejoined them at the table. "It's...hard to believe it's been that long. Perhaps because I can't imagine life without you in it...without this. It almost feels like a decade since that painting, at least."

"The painting that started it all?" Anna mused, matching the blonde's smile with one of her own. "I hardly paid attention to your technique back then—it was simply too...exhilarating watching you work. A veritable goddess at her labors."

Elsa chuckled as she reached for her glass of unfinished wine. "I dare say the painting that actually started it all could, arguably, be the one I painted of you as a goddess." She raised the glass to her lips and paused, peering at her lover over the rim as a smirk curled onto her lips. "I never told you back then...but you truly are a goddess in my eyes. For one so fair, so kind, so skilled...To turn my world on its head with a mere smile, a mere touch, a mere look…"

Her gaze drifted down to the crimson liquid.

"...I would not mind worshipping you as you rightfully deserve."

Anna stared at her, breath taken away by those words, and suddenly, her cheeks matched the color of the liquid that was in front of her. "I…"

"Mon dieu, you two do realize… you're not alone, right?"

The two quickly sucked in a breath from the sudden interruption, and they faced the girl's brightly rouged cheeks. They realized that they definitely weren't alone. The eyes that widened in front of them left the couple in a state of fear… and that perhaps, Rapunzel was not so accepting about this type of relationship. It was a taboo, after all! Not one, but two!

Elsa opened her mouth to speak, but the woman cut her off. "Why don't you two get a room for yourself?!" She turned to Anna. "Anna, my darling, your dear cousin respects your relationship with this… fine, gorgeous woman, but she does not need to hear this!"

Anna, still in the state of shock, wasn't sure if her cousin was furious or not.

...Until, of course, a broad, impish smile formed on Rapunzel's face.

"Such words should be uttered in private, non?" She fanned herself with a hand, falling back to the theatrics they were both familiar with. "Eugene does this all the time, honestly. And Mother most certainly does not need to hear them…"

"Punzie, you scared me!" Anna exclaimed after she finally regained her voice, mimicking strangling her cousin, which only incited a laugh from the still-blushing brunette. "I thought you were...were…"

"Oh, make no mistake, my dear Anna...I was a little put off for a moment there," Rapunzel said lightly, patting the girl's shoulder with her other hand, "but you should know I'm like that with almost all super affectionate pairs. Perhaps it will change when I have a beau of my own, but...flowery words are still too sweet for me right now."

Anna grumbled below her breath, taking a sip of her wine before she was ready to wipe that endearing grin off of her face. "Well, quickly get yourself a beau, you wouldn't want to keep hearing our love talk, would you?" In the corner of her eyes, she noticed a slight blush from Elsa, but the smile resting on her face had almost made it go unnoticed.

Her cousin chortled. "Oh, of course not. If only mother would allow it."

"Well, why don't you let your darling sweep you off the ground and whisk you off with him to an unknown paradise?" Elsa prompted, earning a pair of eyes rolling at her question.

"My mother is not that loose of a person! She would never allow it without her approval."

"She'll go searching from sea to sea, looking for her lost daughter and…" Anna tilted her head. "Probablement, will behead the one who took her away."

"Exactement."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "A mother who doesn't let her own daughter pursue her own happiness without her approval? Absurde!"

"What? Do you expect me to rebel against her? Seek my own happiness even if she disapproves?" Rapunzel tittered, though the slight furrow in her brow said otherwise. "I'm afraid I don't have quite the same panache as you, Elsa Maurer."

Surprised by the sudden outburst of anger, Elsa softened her expression. "Have I angered you?"

The woman shrugged and crossed her arms. The dozens of emotions that swirled around her left her in a conflicted mood. Of course, she knew Elsa had been playing around—Mon Dieu, she was one hell of a teaser, of course. This didn't stop her from the frustration that her mother had given her.

"I'm… more frustrated with myself than angry at you, ma cher," Rapunzel replied.

"I'd… suggest that you come live with us; however…"

Rapunzel smiled sincerely. "I'd love to take up that offer, but it's not my place to be doing whatever, whenever I want."

Anna quickly slammed her fist on the table before her lover could even retort. The sudden outburst had caused the two to flinch. "Rapunzel, she has taken prisoner of you! Do you not realize that?!"

The brunette sighed. "She...cares for me, in her own way. But what am I supposed to do, Anna? Leave her alone? What would become of her then?"

"She will find someone else to terrify," Anna muttered. When Elsa nudged her, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "Listen… you cannot sacrifice your own happiness for someone else's. Especially not when they clearly would never do the same for you. It is… a horrible prospect, non?"

Looking at her in earnest, Elsa took a breath. "Rapunzel, belle ange, I may have been teasing you about finding you attractive, but it is a truth; you are a beautiful, smart, capable young woman. You deserve to pursue your own life, your own love! And my offer of rooming you here stands, as long as I have a room to offer, though I daresay you'd be a lot more contented if you found your own place in the world."

"You two…" Sighing, she sat up a bit straighter. "This was my first step, wasn't it? Setting out to see Paris, telling her I would not allow myself to be… bullied out of a simple holiday! I will try to assert myself, be my own person under her roof. If she doesn't allow that… then her roof will no longer be mine."

"That's the spirit," Anna said with a smile, reaching across to briefly squeeze her cousin's hand before sitting back and taking Elsa's again.

Elsa managed to smile a little when she felt Rapunzel's hand reaching for her other one. "I… apologize for getting all worked up. I care for the wellbeing of those who are close to Anna, after all."

"I understand."

There was a moment of silence before Rapunzel smiled again, her eyes shimmering with the beginnings of tears. "I'm so happy Anna is in such capable hands," she said with a small chuckle. "Do right by her, will you? Make her happy? Keep her safe?"

"Of course," Elsa whispered, giving the brunette's hand a reassuring squeeze. "You have my word."

"Do you…" Then Anna dipped her head. "It was a silly thought. Je suis désolé."

"No, no, go on," Elsa bade her. Any thought her love had was worth hearing, to her point of view.

"Well… we could all have a slumber party." A little snort of laughter from Rapunzel made her rush ahead, "No, really—as we did when we were children, Punzie! Come now, you know they were the greatest fun!"

"What would happen in a slumber party with the two of you is not something I'm ready f—

"Obviously I didn't mean that sort of party!" Anna headed her off, but she was laughing. "Just staying up late, all piled in blankets and telling stories… perhaps some bread and cheese tucked away in our room? A little wine?"

Elsa raised her eyebrows. She was almost stunned at how much the mood had changed in just the span of a few minutes. Anna almost seemed angry when they'd been speaking about Rapunzel's mother. Now, she was all happy and jolly. Perhaps, this was what they needed—what Rapunzel needed the most.

"Anna, why don't we have supper first? We've eaten very little today. We can worry about this slumber party that you have in mind after we've got some food in our system," Elsa interrupted. But seeing how Rapunzel was finally laughing again, and Anna was rambling, there wasn't much to be worried about.

"Oh, but my sweet, Punzie and I had always wanted to have a slumber party when we were both children!" Anna pouted and nothing seemed more adorable than her puffed cheeks. Elsa almost wanted to cover her in kisses.

"We can talk about this while we eat. I can hear your stomach rumbling."

Anna's cheeks flared red, and her eyebrows crossed angrily at the girl next to her. "W-What, it's not—"

As if on cue, to accentuate Elsa's point, a low grumble emitted from the redhead's stomach. Elsa smirked at her. "Yes, yes it is. So, let's figure out supper and while we eat we can discuss the slumber party."

Anna sighed resignedly in acquiescence. "Alright, alright… let's get some real food."

Elsa leaned in for a chaste peck on the cheek. "We can talk as we prepare dinner?"

"Oh, this should be fun!" Rapunzel giggled, standing up from her seat. "Anna couldn't cook to save her life before—has she gotten any better now?"

Anna puffed her cheeks out, glaring at her sprightly cousin. "I'll have you know I can cook now! Maybe not as well as Elsa, but...that's beside the point!"

"Oh yeah? What can you cook then?"

"I don't know…" Anna shrugged. "Beans…?"

Rapunzel laughed. "What, do you cook them until they turn into a square or something? Mushing it together to make a big block?"

"Hmph! And you'd probably suggest I add pork too, don't you?" Anna huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "Which, I'll have you know, I can cook. Pork, I mean."

Her cousin arched her brow, smirking. "Just pork?"

"Arrghh!" Anna threw her hands up in the air and marched over to where Elsa had already situated herself near the cooking table, setting down the ingredients for their supper.

Shortly, they had concocted a peasant's feast of beans and pork, a few assorted vegetables, and bread on the side. Anna and Rapunzel both felt better about their various woes with full bellies, and they began to talk more of Rapunzel's trip to Paris, though they had already covered the salient points. Anna shared one or two of the less risque tales of their courtship under Hans's nose, including the chocolatl.

"Oh! Oh, I've never heard of that!" Rapunzel gushed as they cleared away the table together. "Would I like it, do you think?"

"Doesn't much matter either way," Elsa sighed, corking the wine to go upstairs with them, should they follow through with Anna's plan. "I looked into getting more, and can't even track down who got it for Hans and myself last time. Nor do I have the faintest idea of where to begin looking. Sorry, cher."

Pouting, Rapunzel sighed as she dried the dishes Anna had placed on the counter after washing. "But that sounds so good… oh well. I never get to have any fun."

"Well, all I can tell you is that, when you put just a little piece in your mouth…" Anna sighed, and she was dazed into paradise, just imagining the flavor. "...It just melts immediately… and it fills your tongue with this super sweet flavor. You really have to try it, Punzie."

The woman chuckled, grabbing the plate Anna had put down and carefully cleaned off the water. "If only I had the money, I would."

"You would not believe the expenses Hans spared in 'courting' Anna," Elsa chuckled. "Chocolatl was the least of his concerns."

"And arguably the best!" Anna exclaimed, glancing over her shoulder to the blonde. She winked. "Ma bien-aimée certainly won me over that day."

Said blonde arched a brow, a smirk curving onto her lips. "Really? Chocolatl was all you wanted from me? Not my dashing good looks, my artistic flair, my eye for beauty?"

"Oh hush, you." The redhead stuck her tongue out before returning her attentions to cleaning the few dishes remaining.

"Mon dieu, you might as well be an old married couple with how you're behaving," Rapunzel said, shoulders heaving in an exaggerated sigh, and Anna all but shoved the next plate at her for that remark. "What? It's technically true, anyway! You said your vows to each other at the wedding, didn't you? Even though Hans was right there...but still!"

It was then that the couple stared at each other in silence. "That vow…" Anna started, letting a hushed chuckle. "Oh, if only we haven't said it in secrecy."

"You'd much rather say it in front a crowd?" Her cousin raised her eyebrows. Anna knew what she was going to say next and managed to stop her before she could retort with another word.

"Yes I would, if… it was our wedding."

Chuckling a little, Elsa walked over to her lover, wrapping her arms loosely around her waist. "I'm sorry I cannot give you the wedding you truly deserve, ma chérie," she whispered into Anna's ear, resting her chin on the girl's shoulder afterwards. "The best I can offer...would be a private affair within these walls. Just the two of us, reciting those vows once more as we stand opposite the other. Heh...perhaps Rapunzel could act as witness if she so chooses."

"Oh, she'd just tease us if she were there," Anna grumbled.

Rapunzel wiggled her eyebrows. "Oh, yes, I will. Just who wouldn't? You two are complete love birds!"

Anna groaned, placing her hand atop of Elsa's and she was surprised that her cousin could hear all that whispering. She seemed much like an old lady, rather than a loving cousin that'd leave her be. She felt warm lips ghosting against her neck and smiled at the gesture from her lover."I don't think we'll be having one soon, right, my sweet?" She cupped her cheek with her hand.

Elsa hummed and faced Rapunzel. "I think we are bien just like this."

"Oh, of course," she waved off. "Who would want make such a huge promise so soon, right? Anyway..." She collected the dried plates and stacked them neatly on top of each other. "I think I might get sick of seeing the two of you with hands that aren't capable of holding themselves back from touching one another."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Would you care for a bath?"

"Perhaps, she'd like to bathe with us, Anna," Elsa breathed into her ear and a soft laughter escaped. She could feel the flush of Anna's cheeks—even the heat that was igniting from Rapunzel's as well. But all was well.

"Elsa, I said no teasing!" the brunette yelled, her cheeks becoming more flushed from the added frustration.

The woman shrugged, and she felt quite proud of the nervous laughter coming Anna. "Well, you just make it so easy for me, Punzie." The emphasis was another tease, and it forced out an exasperated groan from Rapunzel.

Elsa gently squeezed her arms tighter around Anna's waist before relaxing them once more.

Anna flashed a smirk at her cousin, only to tack onto Elsa's jab with, "You know, Punzie, she's not wrong. You really do make it harder on yourself the way you leave yourself open. And honestly, turnabout is fair play. Much of what resulted the last time you visited was only triggered by your teases to begin with, after all."

The brunette grumbled under her breath, "Whose side are you on here?"

Anna replied without hesitation. "Elsa's, of course… who else?" The two lovers chuckled at Rapunzel's sigh of resignation, having ceded her loss.

They made their way to the hallway containing the bedrooms, trading further stories and jests at one another. However, now there was the question of who would bathe first...

"So…" Anna started. "Do you want to take a bath with us?"

The three immediately halted, all eyes on the redhead, but they knew she wasn't serious. That smirk exposed it all. Rapunzel rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "You know what, I think I'd rather take a bath by myself. Before you two." She paused. "I'm being generous."

Elsa snickered. "Généreuses?"

"Well, I'm just assuming that… you know," Her cheeks flushed crimson again, her eyes wandering to evade two curious pairs of eyes. "I'm assuming that you'd want to… take time to…" Her hands gestured around but nobody seemed to have gotten what she was meaning to say. But perhaps, it was another one of their teasing games.

"Um… I don't quite—"

"You know!"

"I don't—"

"Faire l'amour!"

The couple burst into giggles like children.

"While I appreciate you trying to make us more comfortable, not every bath we take together ends up with us moaning each other's names," Anna managed to say, suppressing one last giggle. "Don't worry, Punzie—we won't subject you to that while you're here."

"Having another person in the same house never stopped you before, as I understand it," Rapunzel teased back, waggling her eyebrows.

"Well…" Anna put her hands behind her back, a sly smile began to stretch across her face. "There was this one time when Elsa—"

"Anna! We do not talk about that!" The blonde could feel the rush of heat gushing upon her cheeks at the mention of that one time. Rapunzel raised her wiggling eyebrows, noticing how ironic it was to see Elsa's heated face. She didn't care about what Anna had to say, all she wanted was her revenge.

"Oh? Elsa's shy now? After all that teasing?"

Anna smirked. The grip around her waist was tightened immediately by purpose, but it didn't bother her. "Sometimes, Elsa doesn't do well with others when… they tease her."

"Absurd!" Elsa gasped. "Anna, for the love of God, I thought you'd be on my side!"

"Well, you are easy to tease as well, my sweet."

"Anna!" Her blush intensified.

"I won't be that long," Rapunzel laughed as she left them to squabbling. However, when they noticed she was pausing at the door to the bath, they fell silent.

"What is it?" Elsa queried. "We can give you the key if you're worried about… encroachment."

"Not that. Just… I am faintly jealous. Of your love for each other!" she added, when she saw them surprised. "Not of… the other things. But you and she obviously care so much. I should be so lucky… with Eugene, or with another man."

"Or woman?" The coy smile on Elsa's face was only lightly teasing. "One never knows…"

"She's right," Anna added. "I certainly didn't set out to fall for the fairer sex—even a specimen as fair as this."

Pursing her lips to suppress a grin, Rapunzel wagged a finger at them as she backed into the room. "I highly doubt I could be in an… unorthodox relationship like yours, but… as you said, seul le temps nous le dira."

And with that, Rapunzel shut the door, leaving the two lovers alone in the hallway.

While Rapunzel was in the bath, Elsa and Anna went to heat up more water for the tub, so that it wouldn't be cold when it was their turn.

After about fifteen minutes, they returned upstairs to find Rapunzel just exiting the bathroom in her nightclothes and robe.

Elsa warmly said, "Have a good night, Rapunzel."

"Good night, Punzie. See you in the morning."

"A good night to both of you as well," she began. Then, teasingly added, "And no funny business in the tub, right?"

Not in the tub, yes. I can't make any guarantees elsewhere if we both get too aroused… Elsa chuckled, shaking her head. "We won't. And if we do, you have full permission to tease as much as you like."

Anna's head immediately whipped towards her at that, eyes wide. "Elsa!" she hissed, the words "Do you really want to take that chance?" left unspoken.

Elsa merely shrugged her shoulders in response. "She's your cousin. And besides, if she does come to live with us for a while in the future, well… I'm going to have to get used to it at some point."

Anna shook her head. "I suppose you're right."

Rapunzel chortled mirthfully. "Good night, ladies…" She then proceeded to retire to the bedroom they had allocated for her stay.

"Shall we, my love?" Elsa inquired of Anna once the door had shut behind the brunette, with a hand extended.

"We shall."

Our contributors: Cyrianu, forkanna/Jessica-X, iamrottingunman/iamrottingbitch, The Wandering Quill