Chapter Text

“Are you ready, Elsa?”

Elsa turned to face Kai; he stood proudly, dressed up to the nines, his head held high. His warm smile helped to soothe her frayed nerves.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

She took his offered arm, wrapping her fingers around the crook of his elbow, and took a deep breath as they faced the doors, beyond which everyone else waited. When he leaned in to open them, Elsa felt her breath catch. Her heart raced, nerves alighted all along her spine, and she felt as if it was all going to explode somewhere in her chest. Kai must have heard, because he paused before reaching the door handle, turning to look at her.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, just... just nerves.”

Kai smiled tenderly and patted her hand. “Understandable. This is a big day for you.” He turned back to open the doors and this time did not falter. “Gerda had them, too.”

Elsa would have responded to that but any sound was silenced as she caught sight of her—hands clasped behind her back and eyes looking down at her shoes, a harsh blush flaring across her cheeks. Elsa smiled.

They took their first few steps.

The room was small, and not many people were there. She and Anna had insisted on a small gathering. There was no need for a big fancy wedding, not when there were only a handful of people in their lives who mattered enough to care. Anna’s fellow soldiers and Elsa’s friends took their places on either side, the men in their dress blues and the women in beautiful flowing dresses—Rapunzel looking especially extravagant as maid of honor and Kristoff dashing as best man. They all had such vibrant, excited smiles gracing their faces, but Elsa only had eyes for one smile.

Anna stood there, energy radiating like heatwaves. She was wearing her dress blues, flawless in appearance as always, and her hair was pulled back in an elegant bun, a braid of her hair running across in front. It was a little startling to see Anna wearing make-up—she hadn’t worn make-up in quite a few years, since they first started dating—and somehow she was even more beautiful than she already was. She stood tall and proud, face calm and serene, but Elsa knew on the inside she was a storm of emotions much like herself.

The thought warmed Elsa’s heart and set it racing even faster.

“Thank you for coming, Kai.” she whispered as they walked down the aisle.

“Of course, it’s the least I could do.” Kai chuckled and patted her hand once more. “You know Gerda would have loved to be here, too.”

Elsa felt her heart clench and she had to swallow the sudden wave of emotion that threatened to spill forth. She only nodded, taking one more deep breath as they approached the end of the aisle and Kai let her go.

Elsa walked up the steps of the dais and took Anna’s hand as she offered it to her. Despite Anna’s attempt at a calm demeanor, her hand was trembling, and Elsa gave it a gentle squeeze in an attempt to soothe her. They looked at each other, and some kind of emotion sparked in Anna’s eyes. Her smile grew bigger and she led her soon-to-be-wife up to where they would say their vows.

The celebrant cleared his throat to begin speaking and an even greater hush settled over everyone.

“Friends, we have gathered here today for a very special occasion—to celebrate the bond of these two individuals, a bond of love impenetrable and ever-lasting. Though there have been many hardships they have faced, and many hardships they may have yet to face, here they stand before me, driven by their caring for one another, their devotion to one another, ready to declare their love eternal.

Now, this is a small assortment of guests to be sure, but one I think is stronger for it. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb, they say, and all these proud and smiling faces prove it true. It means a lot to them to see the ones they care about stand at their sides, to help lead them into this next chapter of their lives together.”

A whirlwind of emotions threatened to tear through Elsa as the celebrant continued to speak. Anna stood stock-still to her side, ever the soldier, despite the trembling in her hands. She clenched them into fists, gripping Elsa’s hands tightly. Elsa winced but only rubbed her thumbs over the back of her hands, and Anna visibly relaxed. She smiled gratefully, ducking her head in embarrassment, but quickly regained her composure and straightened herself. Tall, determined, but every emotion imaginable bleeding through her eyes. Elsa fell in love with her all over again.

“And now the two brides would like to read a wedding prayer. This ancient Hawaiian wedding prayer they have chosen they feel reflects their love for one another best, and I could not agree more.”

Anna’s face flushed red with embarrassment as all eyes settled on her, and she cleared her throat, words catching momentarily as she started.

“B-b-before we met, you and I were halves unjoined except in the wide rivers of our minds. W-we were each other’s distant shore, the opposite wings of a bird, the other half of a seashell. We... we did not know each other then, d-did not know our determination to keep alive the cry of one riverbank to the other. We were apart, yet... connected in our ignorance of each other, l-like two apples sharing a common tree. Remember?”

Elsa smiled and spoke her part.

“I knew you existed long before you understood my desire to join my freedom to yours. Our paths collided long enough for our indecision to be swallowed up by the greater need of love. When you came to me, the sun surged towards the earth and the moon escaped from darkness to bless the union of two spirits, so alike that the creator had designed them for life’s endless circle.”

Their hold on one another tightened, and their voices became one.

“Beloved partner, keeper of my heart’s odd secrets, clothed in summer blossoms so the icy hand of winter never reaches us. I thank your patience. Our joining is like a tree to earth, a cloud to sky and even more. We are the reason the world can laugh on its battlefields and rise from the ashes of its selfishness to hear me say, in this time, this place, this way—I love you best of all.”

Elsa could see the well of emotion in Anna’s eyes, feel it sting her own, and the two could not look at anybody else but each other. There was nobody else, no other world but their own. In that moment, they were all that existed, the rest of the world drowned out by Anna’s beauty and her own burning love.

Anna startled out of her reverie when the celebrant cleared his throat and she stared at him, dazed, blinking. He pointed to his ring finger and Anna’s face burned with embarrassment again.

“Oh—oh! Right.” She fished into her pocket for the ring, frowned, and then searched her other pocket. And then she froze, eyes wide and lips pursed tight in panic.

Elsa sighed.

“You forgot the ring?”

“No!” Her voice was trembling, her hands shaking, and she continued frantically searching the pockets as if expecting some sort of magic trick would make the ring reappear. “I... I-I had it in my pocket, I made sure before you got here, I—”

There was a small sound between a cough and a chuckle.

Anna turned on the spot, face flushed red with anger, as she glared down Kristoff, who was doing his very best at not breaking down into laughter—and failing miserably at that. He reached into his own pocket and took out the box with the ring on it, flicking it open. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist... the look on your face was... absolutely priceless.”

If Anna wasn’t doing a good enough job of glaring him into the floor, Elsa would have reprimanded him but she only shook her head. She watched her wife-to-be snatch the ring from their best man, eyes full of rage and promising comeuppance before turning back to Elsa, taking a deep and calming breath, and taking the ring before slipping the box into her pocket. She gently took Elsa’s hand and prepared to slide the ring onto her finger.

While the celebrant spoke, Anna’s voice was all she heard.

“I, Anna Bjorgman, take you, Elsa Arendelle, to be my beloved wife, to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart, for all the days of my life.”

Anna slid the ring onto Elsa’s finger.

“I, Elsa Arendelle, take you, Anna Bjorgman, to be my beloved wife, to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart, for all the days of my life.”

“By the powers vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss your wife.”

At once, the emotions spilled forth, and Elsa’s vision became stained with tears, but she could still make out the beautiful smile of her wife as they both leaned forward and kissed.

Anna and Elsa were only fairly drunk when they were dropped off at their new house.

Anna jumped out of the limo and picked Elsa up out of her seat. Giggling, the newlyweds waved goodbye to the driver before making their way up the steps to the front door.

“Please tell me you have the key.”

Anna huffed. “Of course I have the key! Why wouldn’t I have the key?”

“Weeelll, you didn’t have the ring.”

“That was not my fault, that was all Kristoff’s doing, that sneaky—”

Elsa laughed and Anna’s face grew even more red, from the tips of her ears to the back of her neck. Elsa nuzzled the side of her face and kissed her cheek. “You’re so adorable when you get embarrassed.”

“Sh-shut up! I’m not embarrassed...”

Anna unlocked the door with key in one hand and then kicked it open with a flourish, proclaiming, “Ta-da!” as they entered their home. It was small but lovely—perfect for the two of them. Anna carried Elsa over the threshold, smiling and whooping with glee as she leaned down to kiss her wife on the lips.

“I can’t believe I can finally do this...”

“Well, believe it,” Elsa mumbled against Anna’s smile, kissing her back, “because you’re stuck with me.”

“Oh no,” Anna threw her head back dramatically and Elsa laughed, “how ever will I survive?”

“I’m sure you can handle it,” Elsa snuggled up to her, tucking under Anna’s chin and laying a light kiss to her neck. “You’re my big brave army girl.”

“Hm, I suppose I didn’t suffer through basic training for nothing.”

“Hey!”

They laughed and bickered some more as they made their way down the hall and to their bedroom. Anna gently lowered Elsa down into the bed and leaned down for another kiss, longer and far more passionate. She cupped Elsa’s face, ran her fingers through silky blonde hair as she felt Elsa shiver underneath her. Hands tugged gently but impatiently at her uniform, and soon they were both undressed, lying in bed, their bodies moving together as they kissed and caressed.

Anna broke from the kiss, her lungs burning with the need for air, chest heaving, and drank in the sight of her beautiful wife. Elsa’s head was tipped back, her eyes closed, her lips parted, and her hair a cascade of gold that flowed over their pillows. The look of absolute bliss on her face sent Anna’s own heart leaping in joy.

“I love you, Elsa.”

“I love you, Anna.”

They spent the rest of the night wrapped in each other’s arms.