Chapter 35

Once again, Elsa found herself dealing with the aftermath of a major screwup. She pushed away the woman she loved the most due to being in denial of her own feelings- and not fully understanding how her actions affected other people- and pissed off the best friend of said woman in the span of a ten-minute conversation. This screwup felt a lot different than the other ones, this time she couldn't figure out a way to fix things.

All these thoughts and more were pounding mercilessly in Elsa's head, but the one that she kept coming back to was this: Her coffee tasted like crap.

It was baffling how such a gorgeous resort like The Mirage- easily one of the most massive structures in all of Agrabah- could be so meticulously crafted out of clay, ivory,, and marble, have two Olympic-sized swimming pools, and boast a 24/7 buffet with the best food from all the corners of the world...and also brew the worst pot of coffee Elsa had had in her entire life.

She downed three cups.

The sleep she got on the plane, and the short nap she took after unpacking, still weren't going to be enough to keep her awake and alert. And with her meeting with Mrs. Badroul in an hour, she needed to be both of those things. If Marshall or even Hannah were here, they'd hunt down a better brew. but she was flying solo for the next three days. It was for the best though, probably; it'd be a nightmare driving through the crowded, camel-infested streets; and Hannah would probably find a way to sneak away to some bazaar when she wasn't looking.

The pitch in her hand, nearly blank, stared at Elsa mockingly. After all this time she still had no idea what she'd be saying. It was becoming dreadfully clear that she was just going to have to wing it.

With a heavy sigh, she hopped off her barstool and stretched herself out. The lobby cafe was filling up with the resort guests coming in for brunch, which meant it was a good time for Elsa to start heading out anyway.

The lobby was twice the size of ArenCorp's, cream white tiles covered the floor, with every other tile emblazoned with a red, cursive "M". At the center was a circular front desk, with a handful of employees answering questions and checking people into their rooms, and on the far side of the lobby were the gold elevators, and escalators that lead to the second-floor casinos.

The receptionist she'd talked to when she got out of her room said her taxi was waiting right outside, Elsa nodded politely and thanked her.

If she had her classic "Ms. Andersen" charm and confidence, she'd be able to wrap this negotiation up today. But the board booked her for three days just in case, and with the way Elsa was feeling, she'd probably need all of them to get the oil baroness on board.

Today wouldn't be about convincing her to partner with ArenCorp, today would be all about getting into her good graces. And Elsa was...great...at that. She shook her head to get the excess tiredness out of her system and made her way to the oscillating front doors. But halfway there, she was stopped by a voice that made her tense up.

"Ms. Andersen! What a surprise to see you here."

Of course he'd be here, at this exact resort, at this exact time, catching her attention exactly when she wanted to leave. Elsa loosened her shoulders and returned her face to a neutral position before turning around, "I could say the same thing to you, Mr. Westerguard."

Hans was sporting the same red vest, button-up shirt look he had on in their first encounter, he was flanked by a hulking man with impressive sideburns, muscles bulging out of his maroon dress shirt. "I seriously doubt that, I posted about my vacation on Instagram yesterday."

"And what makes you think I follow you on Instagram?"

He put a hand on his chest to fake being offended, "I follow you. I mean you haven't posted in like a month, but still…"

"I see you're staying at The Mirage too." Elsa said, not wanting to entertain this stupid conversation any further.

"Of course, it's the best resort in Agrabah." He replied, arms outstretched as if asking Elsa to take in the view. "But I can't help but wondering why you're here."

"Official business, it's none of your concern." Elsa replied hastily.

Hans raised an eyebrow, "Official business, huh? That wouldn't have anything to do with a certain Mrs. Badroul, would you?" When Elsa didn't respond- but unfortunately let her eyes slightly give up her suspicion- he continued, "You ArenCorp folk are way too predictable. I've been planning this trip, and your obvious attempt to undermine me, for three weeks now."

Elsa frowned, she had her orders not to disclose to Hans her true reason for being here, but if he was already aware of that, then there was no point in following it. "If that's true, then you also know that I will stop at nothing to ensure you don't secure that partnership."

Unfazed, Hans simply chuckled and walked slowly towards Elsa till he was close enough to lean right in her ear. Even at 8:30 in the morning he still smelled like liquor. "You're playing a dangerous game here, Elsa." He whispered menacingly. "Don't expect me to go easy on you."

Much like their first meeting, Elsa pushed him away with a bit too much force, knocking him straight into his bodyguard who didn't even flinch.

"I have a taxi waiting for me." she said before turning around and leaving, not giving Hans the satisfaction of seeing the unease on her face.

"I'll see you soon, Elsa!" Hans said amused. "Tell Jasmine the same thing!"

The taxi ride was a silent blur, with Elsa barely answering any questions that her talkative driver- who made her miss Marshall even more- just had to ask. Thankfully the drive itself went smoothly, although he did swerve a couple times to avoid hitting a camel and a couple jaywalking pedestrians, and soon Elsa found herself where she needed to be: New World Oil.

The driver had no problem finding it, considering it was the tallest skyscraper in Agrabah, easily towering above ArenCorp by 25-30 floors. The building itself curved slightly at the top, and had ivory walls, and countless windows in the front. At the very top was a helipad where a helicopter was touching down on, and the name of the company was written in massive, jade letters.

Elsa paid her fare and stepped out of the cab, actually eager to see what and who awaited her inside the building. However, it didn't seem she would get the chance.

Waiting for her at the entrance was a gorgeous, tan woman in a black suit with her jet-black hair done up like a crown on her head; while she may have been a head shorter than Elsa, she still cut a very intimidating, larger-than-life figure. Behind her were two massive bodyguards that looked like they were twins with their similar facial features, shaved haircuts, and posture, and curled up at her feet was a tiger giving Elsa a frightening side-eye.

Although she had an accent, she spoke in perfect English: "Ms. Andersen, it is nice to finally meet you."

Elsa found herself brushing away the lint on her own white button-up/black skirt attire and pulling back any stray strands of hair. "Likewise. It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Badroul." She took a couple steps forward to shake her hand but stopped dead in her tracks when the tiger sat up and let out a low, predatory growl.

"Rajah, sit!" Mrs. Badroul said sharply. The tiger complied immediately, settling back down beside her, but still glaring menacingly at Elsa. Surprisingly, it wasn't the worst someone's glared at her this week. "My apologies, he does not take too kindly to strangers."

"It-it's alright." Elsa said in a bit-too-high voice. She took a couple more tentative steps forward, finally noticing the baroness' flawless complexion and eternally serious brown eyes. "I was under the impression that I would be meeting you in your office."

"There has been a slight change of plans." She explained. "I must go and pick up a delivery in the city."

"Oh, I wasn't aware...uh, I can reschedule if you want."

Mrs. Badroul's eyes narrowed and her chin raised slightly, not to be condescending or intimidating, but out of curiosity, "Why would there be a need to reschedule? There is no reason that you and I cannot still have our meeting."

Elsa backtracked, "I'm sorry, it's just that you said you needed to go pick something up, and I just wanted to be polite and give you time. You must be a very busy woman."

"Yes, I am. I have carefully mapped out every hour of my day, and I honor every appointment that I have, that includes ours as well. The meeting will still go as planned, the only thing that will change is the location."

"Oh, good. I'm-I'm glad." She must look like an idiot tripping over her words this much. "Where do you want me to meet you, then?"

The shorter woman raised her eyebrow, "There is no reason for you to meet me anywhere else. You are coming with me."

"I am?"

"Yes." A black car, basically a small limousine and much nicer than Elsa's, pulled up to the building with perfect timing to emphasize her point. The doors opened outward, and the black, leather passenger seats faced each other. Mrs. Badroul waved her bodyguards and her tiger away, stepped inside, and gestured towards Elsa, "Come with me, Ms. Andersen. We can discuss your proposal in the car."

Not having much of a choice, Elsa followed.

This drive was quiet as well, but Elsa didn't appreciate it as much, if only because they were supposed to be having a "meeting". Granted, it had only been a couple minutes since they left New World Oil, but still...the woman in front was giving her nothing, in fact she had yet to look up from her tablet.

"I have heard a lot about ArenCorp, and about you, Ms. Andersen." Mrs. Badroul said suddenly, catching Elsa off guard for the hundredth time that morning.

"Oh! Uh, thank you."

The brown-eyed CEO finally looked up at her, "That was not meant to be a compliment." She put the tablet down, and folded one leg over the other, scanning Elsa, possibly looking for any weaknesses. "There is a lot that has been written about you, even more so recently."

Elsa frowned, she was hoping the article wouldn't come up in conversation. But now that it had, she may as well try and explain herself. "That was a very unfortunate incident that I found myself in. I wasn't myself when that article was published, and I deeply regret it."

Mrs. Badroul didn't look very convinced. "What do you regret?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Do you regret your actions? Or do you regret getting caught?"

Damn, no one's ever actually asked Elsa that before. Anyone that mentioned the article did so to try and slander her even more, no one had asked her how she was handling the whole thing. And no one had asked her if she regretted what she did.

Of course, Elsa regretted it. She'd hurt people with her actions- and was still continuing to do so, which begged the question of whether or not she'd learned her lesson, but that was another rabbit hole that she didn't have time to go down. But would she have regretted them more if she'd never gotten caught? Would she have felt bad at all? A part of her wanted to say that she would, but that was present-day Elsa talking, the past Elsa who had done all those things didn't make an effort to care much about anyone.

Defeatedly, all she could say was "Both."

Mrs. Badroul nodded once, "You are humbled, I respect that. Typically, with scandals such as this, the person at the forefront only apologizes because they have been caught. They have no plans to actually rehabilitate themselves, they just wait in the shadows until they are out of the public eye again. You are honest, at least, and I believe you know what you did was wrong."

Elsa held back her smile. Mrs. Badroul respected her, or at least she respected her honesty, that was something to work with. "Thank you for believing in m-for believing me. I know that what I did was wrong, and I intend to make it up to the people that I've hurt. I don't plan on waiting in the shadows."

"Then that is one thing we have in common." Unlike Elsa, this woman was not hesitant in holding back any smile. It was pretty, just like the rest of her. "Along with our penchant for success. The growth of ArenCorp in these last few years is outstanding."

Now that was definitely a compliment. "Thank you, Mrs. Badroul, that's a lot of praise coming from you."

"I am sure it is. Now, I think that it is about time to discuss this proposal of yours. Why is it that you seek a partnership with my company?" Mrs. Badroul folded her hands in her lap, waiting patiently for a response.

But Elsa didn't have one lined up. She was already impressed with herself for getting this far and told herself this was going to be a simple "getting to know you" sort of meeting. In hindsight, knowing how packed this immaculately tanned CEO's schedule was, not realizing that she only had one shot at an impression and a proposal was pretty dumb.

Still, she knew she couldn't just leave the baroness hanging, so she said the first appropriate thing that came to mind.

"I have heard a lot of good things about your company as well. New World Oilhas grown exponentially under your supervision, and I believe having a strong ally as yourself would be beneficial to the both of us. ArenCorp wants to continue expanding and continue to become a great influence in the business world, and I believe that having you with us would do just that. Plus, I do believe that we can come to certain terms that will let you see a return on your investment sooner rather than later. I'm sure we can come to a compromise to fit any need you have."

"I see…" Mrs. Badroul's lips pursed, taking in her words. "That is disappointing."

Elsa blinked, "Excuse me?"

"When I said that I have heard a lot about you, I meant that I know all about your tactics, your demeanor, your impressive knack for speech, and I wanted to see that on display. Instead, you give me this generic answer that tells me nothing about your motivations; rather it seems as if you are reading off a script that your company has given you."

Well that was a little unfair; and not true, Elsa would have much preferred to be reading off a script. Was it her fault that she was going into this meeting relatively blind with her only actual motivation for this partnership being to ensure that Hans didn't get it? Okay, so yeah it was. And yes, maybe Elsa didn't actually have any grounds to be offended because everything this no-nonsense woman was saying was true. That didn't mean that it didn't hurt, though…

"I...am sorry if my words come across as generic, but that is my actual motivation." she half-lied. "I think if we were to come to a compromise, we would be great resources to one another."

"Where's the fire, Ms. Andersen?" Mrs. Badroul asked as she uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, pointedly ignoring Elsa's explanation. "Where's that spark? That wit and intelligence I have seen and heard so much about? Are you not the same woman who prevented a coup from WeselTechwhen your technology wing was floundering, simply by talking their CEO into resigning?"

Elsa thought better than to mention that he was on his way out of the company even before she talked to him. "I'm not sure what you want, Mrs. Badroul. Do you want me to talk business? Or do you want me to impress you?"

"Is it too much to ask for both? I thought I was dealing with someone I might even see as an equal, not some corporate yes-woman who does whatever her Board of Directors tells her to."

Man, she really had a knack for digging into your real problems and keeping you from beating around the bush. This was one of the reasons she was so successful at her job. "I rarely ever do business outside of Arendelle, I was just trying to make sure I didn't offend you with my words or mannerisms. That's why I'm not trying to showcase this 'wit' that you want me to."

Her strikingly brown eyes narrowed, "Do I look like a woman that gets easily offended?"

Elsa leaned back in her chair instinctively, wondering why she even needed a tiger if just her stare could intimidate people like this. "N-no, not at all. In fact, you look like the complete opposite. You look like you never get offended, that's why you're so good at your job."

"Hmm…" The tigress leaned back as well, eyes still narrowed. "Ms. Andersen-"

"Please, call me Elsa." What?

"I'd rather not." She replied coldly. "I am saddened to see that this meeting has not gone as I would have liked it to. I thought I would be meeting with Ms. Andersen, ArenCorp CEO. Instead I am dealing with...whatever it is that is seated in front of me."

Elsa bit her cheek to keep from replying, even if that remark had hurt more than the rest. She'd already said enough to dig her into this deep hole.

"I will give you one more chance to try and convince me why we should be meeting. One more chance." She folded her arms across her chest and nodded her head towards the highly offended blonde. "Proceed."

Elsa squared up her shoulders and mustered up the straightest face she could. If Mrs. Badroul wanted intense, take-no-prisoners, I-always-close-the-deal Ms. Andersen, then that's what she was getting. Even if her confidence was at an all-time low, even if a part of her mind was still back in Arendelle, even if a part of her heart was still in Arendelle...wow, that was super corny. Either way, she was determined to close this deal, lack of motivation aside.

She cleared her throat and took a breath, "Mrs. Badroul, have you ever been in love?"

"What?"

WHAT?!

Why in the hell did Elsa just ask that? What possessed her to even think that was an appropriate question to ask during a negotiation? Oh right, Anna. Well, there wasn't any time to take that back. All she could really do was construct the greatest pitch she'd ever made on the base of the worst slip of the tongue she'd ever made.

"Just-just hear me out, okay?" Elsa took another breath and continued, "There's a point to this, um...right! So, if you've ever been in love...you know that you-you'd do anything for them. Anything. Even murder isn't off the table."

Mrs. Badroul continued to stare at her, eyes widened in bewilderment.

"Yeah! So, yeah you'd do anything for them." She repeated. "Because you want what's best for them, you wanna provide for them and protect them. I-I'm not going to assume anything, even though your name is Mrs. Badroul, but I do have to...ascertain that you love your company at least. You would do anything for it, you want what's best for it, right?"

"I fail to see where you are going with this, Ms. Andersen." At some point, her expression had changed from confused to almost angry.

"I was just there." Elsa continued, the absolute wrong response. "If you want what's best for your company, if you know what's best for your company, then you will partner with ArenCorp."

Now she was definitely mad. "Are you threatening me and my company, Ms. Andersen?"

Elsa's eyes widened, the guilt and unease crept down her back, "No! No, that's definitely not what I'm trying to do. I would never threaten you, or your company, or anyone." Lies.

"I was just trying to say that...that ArenCorp would be glad to take you on. It would be a great start for an expansion into the West. You could open up an international headquarters in Arendelle, and I can guarantee it would be taken care of. You-just the presence that you have...the exposure you'd get would be amazing for your company. You'd have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. All...all you'd have to do is say yes."

Elsa felt that her chances of a successful negotiation would have been better had she not hesitated at that last line. They also would have been a lot better had she not started talking in the first place.

The car suddenly came to a halt, adding to the unease already inside. Mrs. Badroul's face remained unchanged even as she jerked forward slightly from the sudden stop. She still looked unfazed, unamused, but worst of all she still looked unconvinced.

"I am sorry Ms. Andersen, but you have not convinced me that this partnership is worth my time. In fact, that speech of yours has thoroughly convinced me that agreeing to this meeting was a mistake." The car door opened, and the glow from the desert sun illuminated her distaste. "When I am finished here, we will drop you back off at The Mirage."

"W-wait, if you just-" But she was already out of the car.

Elsa wanted to follow her out, try and explain and maybe redeem herself, but she stayed glued to her seat. She didn't have any confidence that she'd have the right words to say. Not this time.

After five minutes, the door suddenly opened and a man with unkept hair, and tattered shirt and pants was tossed down at her feet. At first Elsa thought he was dead, but he made a whining noise as soon as he hit the carpeted floor. "Goooosh sis, why ya gotta be so rough?"

Mrs. Badroul stepped inside shortly after, saying something in a language Elsa didn't understand- it didn't sound very nice. "Drunk at 10 in the morning, brother? Again? What would father think?"

"Baaah, he wouldn't caaaaaare." The man mumbled partially to the floor.

"How could you-" Her eyes had malicious intent, but she closed them and recomposed herself. "I am taking you back home, Aladdin, and I have doubled the security. They have their orders not to go easy on you if you try and sneak out again."

He let out a guttural burp, "Mmkay, booooosss…"

Elsa had a lot of questions, but when she opened her mouth to speak, Mrs. Badroul put up a finger, "Do not say a word."

So, she didn't. She remained silent throughout the entire ride as the two siblings- apparently- bickered. Or rather, Mrs. Badroul lectured her brother about his life choices and he continued to lay listlessly on the floor making comments about her shoes and slipping in and out of consciousness.

Soon, they found themselves back at The Mirage, and the door on Elsa's side opened. Mrs. Badroul sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Thank you for meeting me today, Ms. Andersen. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay here in Agrabah."

Elsa, still confused over the events that had just transpired, didn't find her voice again until she was out the door. Before it closed again, she held it open and spoke, "W-wait, I uh...I-I just wanted to say...give me another chance to change your mind. Please?"

Mrs. Badroul smiled, but there was no joy or happiness in it. She leaned forward till they were eye to eye, and replied starkly, "No. Good day, Ms. Andersen." The door slammed in Elsa's face, and soon the car was just a distant, black blur.

This was going to be a long three days.

A/N: Yes, Aladdin and Jasmine are siblings in this one. I also made Robin black and have two people named Kai, fight me.

We're gonna stay in Agrabah for a little bit (say two more chapters?), so hold on to your butts because it only ramps up from here.