Frozen 1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any Disney characters who happen to wander into this story.

* * *

The letter from Governor Weselton reaches Elsa's commanding officer only weeks after it's sent. In it, he bemoans that the waters around the Southern Isles are teeming with pirates. One in particular stands out to him—a woman calling herself the Summer Princess (a ridiculously childish name for a pirate in Elsa's opinion). According to the governor, she has been causing chaos on his islands, jumping from one to another with ease.

The navy ships stationed in the area haven't been able to slow her down in the slightest. In fact, she's attacked them too, as embarrassing as that is. If it were up to Elsa, this pirate would be at the bottom of the ocean after only a short, effortless struggle.

That's why she knows of the letter, in fact.

"You are to sail to the Southern Isles," her commander says in no uncertain terms, "and deal with the threat. We have vested interest in the goods that come out of the area."

Elsa nods without hesitation though inside she is mildly annoyed. The Northern Isles are _her _place. They are cold and distant and isolated and everything she loves.

(She fails to see any resemblance between them and herself. Her crew, on the other hand, finds it strangely ironic that their captain is as freezing as the waters they sail in.)

Point being, that's where she's been her whole life. And now she had to go to someplace warm and sunny and dazzling because of the incompetence of others.

Sometimes it's a curse to be so good at your job.

* * *

The journey south is uneventful except that Elsa has to start shedding a different article of clothing each day due to the insufferable heat. The first casualty is her thick wool jacket, followed by her stockings, then the turquoise gloves she's so fond of. Soon she's wearing nothing but her perfectly polished boots, a thin pair of trousers, and a sleeveless white top. Her sailors seem to be gazing at her much more than usual but she when she asks them what the problem is, they scramble back to work.

She squints into the horizon, a frown forming on her face. Was the rest of the world always so _bright_? She's happy with the meager week or two of sunlight the north was granted—anything more is just plain unusual.

Her crew seems equally distressed by the change in the weather. Olaf is especially affected, sweating buckets all over her recently scrubbed deck.

She orders him to scrub it again for good measure.

* * *

She's granted an audience with the governor straight away. The man is short, nervous, and sporting the fakest hairpiece Elsa's ever laid eyes on. He is going on about all the shipments that have been seized by the Princess and how investors are starting to move their money to other, safer islands. It's all very boring and Elsa wishes for the hundredth time that she was back on her ship and away from this small and annoying man.

"…so you see that it is imperative she be killed!" Governor Weselton stops himself, out of breath. After taking a moment to suck in some air he continues on, face red and puffy. "I don't care how many people are hurt, just as long as she is done away with and business returns to normal!"

Elsa raises an eyebrow, unimpressed.

The governor claps a hand over his mouth at his outburst. "Did I say that out loud?" He asks meekly.

God, does she hate dealing with bureaucrats.

* * *

Elsa takes a tour of the island, courtesy of the governor. She thinks it's a ploy to distract her from his frequent, consistently embarrassing gaffes. Not like she would forget them. Actually, she might draw upon them when she needs a good laugh.

It's a wonder he's been reelected so many times. Elsa suspects vote-rigging.

Still, the island is rather nice. Nothing like her precious Northern Isles with their glaciers and rugged mountains and snow storms. This island has beaches that people actually seem to enjoy using for activities other than ice fishing. The fruits growing along the roads are sweet and refreshing. The people are a little too friendly for her liking but for the most part they seem like good and honest folk.

When she goes to the port, she gauges the attitudes of those on the merchant ships. Most seem nervous to be on the sea due to the Princess. She manages to find a few who have seen her and they eagerly tell their stories.

Haldor Oaken, the burly captain of _The_ _Wanderer_, is the first she speaks to. "The Summer Princess? I had a very odd encounter with her." Oaken must be from up north as well, judging by the thick wool sweater he wears despite the heat. He pulls at its collar absentmindedly as he continues, "She and her crew boarded my ship. They were all very good fighters, you see, and we surrendered quickly. But all she took was our lutefisk. That is strange, yeah? What kind of pirate only takes the lutefisk?"

The rather shady Jacob and Wilhelm Stabbington brothers are the next merchants she speaks to. The one with the impressive mutton chops goes first, a grimace settling on his scarred face. "Yeah, I know her. Bitch seized all our rum. We were gonna make a huge profit on the load but we lost it all to someone who calls herself a 'princess'." He hawks up a glob of saliva and spits next to his feet to show his disgust at the situation.

His brother rubs at the irritated skin under his eyepatch before nodding in agreement. "I've never seen anything like it. She just disarmed us without killin' nobody, took our booze, and left with a smile on her face. The last person who screwed us over that bad was that brown-haired poncy boy. Remember him, Wilhelm?"

Elsa leaves the siblings to their dark grumblings and makes her way to her own ship, tired and with a renewed interest in meeting (and imprisoning) this pirate.

* * *

Her plan is relatively simple and her commanding officer agrees to it easily enough. Her crew would hoist plain white sails on the ship and hide all traces that it was a naval vessel. The seamen stationed throughout the Southern Isles were to spread rumors of the bounty on her ship, that it was stocked full of rum and lutefisk along with precious jewels. She would follow the last known route the Princess was seen on. Eventually, they were bound to cross paths.

When they did, Elsa planned on taking the pirate's ship for herself and using it as leverage to go back to her home islands. She had recently acquired her first sunburn and decided she would be pleased to never see that damn ball of fire again unless it was obscured behind heavy gray snow clouds.

* * *

Weeks pass by. Elsa begins to grow tired of traveling back and forth along the same stretch of sea. Her wretched sunburn is starting to peel and her crew is moving at a sluggish pace. If the Princess isn't going to fall into her trap, she'll have to start thinking of a different approach. Elsa purses her lips at the thought—her plans always worked.

That night, she remembers going to bed in a foul mood and waking up to the sound of shouting and gunfire. The sun is just starting to creep past the horizon when the Princess' crew disabled the rudder of Elsa's ship and began to board.

Elsa scrambles out of bed, tugging on a pair of pants and tying her long hair into its usual bun. Her cutlass is in her hand and she is out of her cabin in less than a minute.

She immediately sees that the situation is not in her favor—it seems like half of her weary crew have already surrendered and the pirates are already starting to make their way into the holds of the ship. Too bad they won't find anything except empty crates.

Elsa disarms the nearest pirate with a quick flick of her wrist, sending his sword into the air. The blond haired man looks at her with wide eyes and slowly raises his hands. "Where's your captain?" She demands, sword to his throat. If she could get the Princess to surrender, her crew would surely follow.

He swallows and his light eyes search through the chaos on the ship. Seemingly heedless of the blade near his jugular, he takes in a deep breath. "ANNA!" He shouts over the noise.

The other pirates seem to pause for a moment before continuing their own fights. Somewhere beyond her immediate vision, a clear and melodic voice answers back, "Kristoff?!" Soon people begin to part and the owner of the voice comes into view.

This…_this_ is the Summer Princess?

She's a young woman wearing a pair of beige trousers and a white shirt with billowy sleeves. A black and green embroidered vest is buttoned tightly over the shirt, showing off her slender figure. Her silky strawberry blonde hair is meticulously tied in two braids and her _face_. Elsa doesn't think she's ever seen a face so pretty. As she comes closer, Elsa can see that her eyes are a bright and unabashed cerulean and a spatter of freckles runs across the smooth skin of her nose and cheekbones. Despite the fact that Elsa still has her sword to this Kristoff fellow's neck, there's a full grin on the woman's face and she seems perfectly unconcerned for his life.

"Did you call me?" She questions the man, the sword in her hand nearly twitching with energy. She hasn't acknowledged Elsa yet, which leaves her feeling slightly miffed.

"Y-yeah," he says, trying to inch away from Elsa's hold on him. "I think she wants to fight you."

The Princess—Anna—quickly scans Elsa from head to toe before positively _beaming_ at her. This reaction is unsettling. Elsa's enemies might scream or run from her in terror but they have never smiled at her. Especially in such a way that makes their eyes sparkle.

Wait, what?

Elsa mentally shakes herself out of her reverie. She could appreciate Anna's beauty at a later time (as in _never_), but right now she has a pirate to bring in. She shoves Kristoff aside and readies her sword.

Anna does the same, the smile never leaving her face. "So, what's your name?" She asks, not moving a muscle.

Elsa narrows her eyes. "Why should I tell you?" She growls before lunging at the other woman.

Anna lets out a cheery laugh and blocks Elsa's sword with ease before returning an attack almost lazily. Elsa swipes her sword to the side and Anna skips a few steps back. "I'm just curious. Since Kristoff was yelling it in your ear, I know you heard mine."

Elsa moves in again, intent on slicing the woman's sword arm. Anna moves just enough to avoid her blade and continues talking as if they were having tea together. "Oh! I got it! If I beat you, you have to tell me your name. Does that sound fair?"

"Stop distracting me!" Elsa yells, frustrated. She lunges forward again, sending a volley of potential strikes at her opponent. Anna blocks them all, hardly looking winded, but at least she's shut up.

The longer they fight, the more Elsa is able to take in Anna's fighting style, or lack thereof. Her movements are like nothing Elsa's ever seen before. One moment she appears to be stumbling headlong into Elsa's sword and the next she twirls around it gracefully, safely out of harm's way. It's a strange dance that's only one wrong step away from injury or worse.

Throughout the fight, Elsa sees something in her, something that goes deeper than the cheery smile and mischievous glint in her eyes. There a sort of fierce happiness flowing throughout all of her movements, as if she's born to swing her sword just so, as if this single fight is her reason for existing.

At some point, Elsa realizes she's paying more attention to the owner of the sword than the sword itself. Before she can right this grievous error, Anna closes the gap between them until she's just a breath away. It's uncomfortably close and Elsa can feel the woman's breath against her cheeks.

Her sword is wrenched from her hand and Anna takes a step back and rattles it in front of her teasingly. "So, what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't," Elsa responds through gritted teeth. She's in shock, internally stewing in embarrassment. That is the first time in recent memory she's been disarmed. Anna hardly looks like she worked up a sweat doing it, which is all the more infuriating.

Anna cocks her head in consideration. "That's too bad," she says before spinning around and holding Elsa's sword overhead. "Everyone!" She calls out. "The captain of this vessel has surrendered. Do the same or prepare to die."

All around her, Elsa's crew looks shocked but those who still have their weapons quickly discard them while the pirates hoot and cheer. Elsa can feel her cheeks burning in shame but she still holds her head high.

A beautiful pirate with thick black hair and tan skin comes towards Anna, a scowl cutting across her face. "I've got some bad news, Captain," she says in a low voice. "There's nothing in the cargo hold. _Nothing_. Maybe someone else got to them first. What should we do?"

For the first time since Elsa's seen her, the smile on Anna's face disappears while she thinks. Her sharp eyes take in everything around her before landing on Elsa herself. The grin quickly comes back. "We can take the captain!" She announces, proud of her solution. "She'll do well for collateral, I'm sure."

Elsa chokes back her anger, knowing any protest might get her into trouble. If the Summer Princess could disarm her with so little effort, she probably wouldn't consider killing her or her crew to be much of a hassle.

The pirate woman nods in agreement. "Good thinking. Would you like me to take her to the brig?"

"Yes, please!" Anna chirps. She turns her attention to Elsa. "Sorry about this," she says, looking completely unapologetic. "It's just how these things go."

Elsa heaves a heavy sigh but somehow doesn't find herself to be terrified at the prospect of being a prisoner. Instead, when she's led across the gangplank and onto Anna's ship, she finds herself looking backwards. Not at her own men but to Anna, who's enthusiastically shaking the hands of Elsa's bewildered crew.

There are worse things than being the captive of the Summer Princess, Elsa surmises. But that doesn't mean she's given up. At heart she is an officer of the navy and she still intends to bring down this intriguing woman, no matter how charming and skilled with a sword she may be.

The sooner she captures the Princess, the sooner she can go back to her orderly life in the north. After all, she hates the Southern Isles. They are warm and sunny and dazzling and everything she isn't.

(She doesn't fail to see the resemblance between them and Anna, which makes her dislike them all the more.)

* * *

**A/N: **This is my first time writing in present tense so I'd be happy for any constructive criticisms you might have. Thanks for reading and I hope to have the next chapter up relatively soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Is that a Pirates of the Caribbean quote I see? Pshh…maybe.

* * *

The brig is much more spacious than it has any right to be. Elsa surveys the cell she's unceremoniously pushed into as metal door swings shut behind her. The cot is surprisingly large and a mirror hangs crookedly on the far wall next to a porthole. Elsa peers out the porthole and sees her ship (or rather _former _ship). The sight is enough to make her clench her hands into fists and curse that stupidly pretty pirate for her current situation.

That's what really rankles her. Maybe it's just because there's many more men in the navy than women, but no one was ever attractive enough to grab and hold Elsa's attention for more than a moment. It's like the pirate knew all the ways to push buttons Elsa's not even aware she has.

(Like the way her pants hugged her slender legs, the relaxed smile on her face, those freckles and those _eyes_…)

Ridiculous. Thinking about this is ridiculous and a waste of time, Elsa knows. She moves away from the porthole and sits on the cot, stewing.

She stews for the next few hours before moving to lie down. She stews until her eyes grow heavy and the motion of the waves lull her off to sleep.

* * *

The next day she wakes up to the sound of someone banging against her cell. Elsa raises her head and squints tiredly at the source of the noise. Her eyes widen when she sees Anna. She is wearing a pair of black breeches that stop just below her knees. A man's shirt of green silk hangs loosely on her frame all the way down to mid-thigh. The sleeves are rolled up to her elbows, revealing lightly tanned forearms. Her strawberry blonde hair, free from its braids, flows down her back.

Oh, and Kristoff is there too, a mangy, brown-furred dog making serpentine trails between his legs.

Anna hops on top of a nearby crate and her bare feet dangle above the ground. "Um, hi," she says rather uncertainly, as if unused to conversing with her prisoners. "You hungry?"

Kristoff slides a tray through the slot in the cell's door. The dog sniffs at it hopefully. "No, Sven!" He says sternly. "There's beans, a couple of sea biscuits, and some lutefisk," he informs Elsa with considerable effort, now that the dog is practically crawling on top of him to get at the food. She gets up and reluctantly takes the tray from him. "Oh, and some rum."

He's about to pass her a flask when Anna snaps her fingers to get his attention. "Hey! That's mine. We can't have an inebriated prisoner." Kristoff rolls his eyes and tosses her the flask. She snatches it out of the air, giving him a mock glare. Unscrewing the lid, she tilts her head back and takes a swig. A happy sigh escapes her and she smacks her lips.

Elsa bites her tongue and refrains from informing Anna that it's far too early to be consuming alcohol. Instead, she takes in the sight of her on the crate, her legs swinging back and forth like a child.

"How old are you exactly?" The question slips past Elsa's lips before she can stop it. She curses herself for asking—it's hard to remember that this is a fierce pirate who can kill her in an instant.

Kristoff half-heartedly attempts to smother his laughter, only stopping when Anna kicks him from behind. Sven huffs in what sounds like amusement. Anna sets down the flask and gives Elsa a considering look and an almost arrogant tilt of the chin. "Old enough to capture you. Or would you prefer that I be some young girl in need of your guidance?"

Elsa grits her teeth and valiantly tries to avoid snapping at her, but she's angry and the words come spilling out. "Maybe you do need some guidance. A girl like you must not have had a very good upbringing if this is the life you chose."

There's a moment when Elsa swears she sees Anna wince but it's over too quickly to tell. Anna's mouth screws up in thought and after a moment she says, "I understand if you're not feeling too friendly towards me right now. If it's any consolation, you were probably the best opponent I've had in a while. I mean, you were better than most of the naval officers I've fought."

That makes Elsa pause. _Right_…Anna thought she was just the captain of an unlucky merchant ship.

Anna continues, "I would totally fight you again. If…if that's alright with you. And I don't mean a fight to the _death_ or anything, just like, a normal kind of fight. With practice swords and such," she stops talking abruptly and gives Elsa an expectant look.

"Do I have a choice?" Elsa mutters. She takes a bite of her food and is pleased to find that it isn't any worse than what she was eating in the navy. She keeps her eyes focused on it so she wouldn't get caught staring at Anna. No need to let the woman know she could disarm her with both a sword _and_ a smile.

"Of course you have a choice!" Anna says, sounding surprised. "I just thought you'd want fresh air at some point. It's a long way to Swann Cove." Elsa jerks her head up and Kristoff shoots Anna a look. The pirate puts a hand over her mouth. "Oops, I don't think I was supposed to say that."

Kristoff waves his hands in front of Elsa, making vague gestures in the air. "You didn't hear that. We're going somewhere…_else_."

Anna slides off the crate and pats Kristoff on the shoulder. "I think she bought it," she says, and Elsa can't tell if she's joking or not. "Now let's get some work done." Before the two walk away, Anna turns to Elsa. "Seriously, let me know if you want to fight at all. We can do it on the main deck." With that, she waves and strolls out of the brig, Kristoff and Sven right behind her.

Elsa finishes her food slowly before laying down on her cot and beginning to think. Swann Cove…that was a Summerland territory. She knew none of her navy would be stationed there but she might be able to find some other form of help on the island. Of course, she'd have to be off the ship for that to happen.

These fights Anna wants to have…they might work out in her favor. The woman seemed like she was a little too trusting and open, which was something Elsa could use to her advantage.

Plus, she _really_ waned to fight Anna again. It must have been a fluke that she was beaten.

* * *

It wasn't a fluke.

That's the unfortunate truth she learns four days later, when she finally decides she's ready to go against Anna again. During those days, she thought hard about the moves the pirate used against her, the way her sword seemed like a deadly extension of her arm and how her footwork was somehow simultaneously clumsy and graceful. She closed her eyes and for hours imagined the fight from all possible angles, what moves she should have taken and where Anna's weaknesses might lie.

Elsa was confident that she had Anna all figured out.

(She was wrong. Oh so wrong.)

The two of them were now on the main deck, surrounded by most of the crew. They're watching with a sort of detached interest, as if they already know what the outcome will be. Esmeralda, the woman who had thrown her in the brig on her first day, has her hands on her hips and is smirking as if she knows there's no possible way Elsa will win.

But Elsa's not paying attention to them, not really. She's focusing on Anna. The Summer Princess is standing across from her, sword at the ready. She makes the first move and Elsa quickly blocks it, their dull blades clanging against one another.

Anna smiles encouragingly and moves to strike again. This time she fakes a high strike and ducks underneath Elsa's sword, which is slicing diagonally upwards through empty air. Anna comes up only inches away, her breath warm on Elsa's face. "Again?" She asks excitedly, reminding Elsa of a puppy.

"Fine," Elsa nods, stepping back to allow some much-needed space between the two of them. After she has her heart rate back under control, she attacks first.

It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter whether Anna is on the defensive or is the one attacking—she's always one step ahead of Elsa. Her moves are wildly unpredictable and some look downright dangerous to pull off (was that somersault _really _necessary?).

Once, Anna shines the sun's reflection off her sword, blinding Elsa and causing her to turn her head away. In that single second, Elsa finds herself on her back. Anna had somehow tackled her to the ground and was pressing her body against Elsa's in _very uncomfortable places_.

Elsa ignores the heat coming to her cheeks. "You cheated," she says accusingly. She shifts slightly, hoping Anna will get the hint and get off of her.

Instead, Anna simply shrugs in an unconcerned manner. "Pirate," is her one word defense. They stay in that position for a few silent moments, and _Anna's knee is still between her legs_. It takes the hooting of the crew for Anna to blink in surprise and move off and away. "I'm sorry!" She rushes, offering her hand to Elsa.

Elsa hesitates for a moment before taking the hand and hauling herself up. What feels like a jolt of warmth goes through her, starting from Anna's hand and going up her own until it hits her chest. Elsa quickly drops the pirate's hand, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Anna rubbing at her own palm, like maybe she felt it too.

Anna clears her throat. "Let's take a break," she directs towards Elsa. Her voice becomes louder and more authoritative as she turns to her crew. "As for you guys, get back to work! I want to be at Kanoa by sunup tomorrow." They disperse quickly, but not before Elsa sees Kristoff staring between her and Anna, his eyebrow raised in suspicion. He shrugs to himself and goes about his duties, Sven trotting alongside him.

Elsa takes a seat near the railing and fusses with her hair. A few pale blonde strands had come loose from the fighting and she pushes them back into her bun. Anna sits down next to her, looking perfectly relaxed and not even breathing hard.

"How are you doing this?" Elsa wants to know, disbelief clear in her voice. She knows for a _fact_ that she's one of the best swords in the navy—she's beaten all of her subordinates in mock fights as well as most of the other officers she's faced. For god's sake, she's gotten _medals_ for her skills in battle. And then some previously unknown pirate comes along and beats her with an ease that's simply infuriating. For the hundredth time that day, she counts her lucky stars that Anna doesn't appear to be bloodthirsty. No one would be able to stand in her way.

Anna mulls the question over and shrugs. "I was taught by the castle's swordmaster," she eventually answers. She turns fully towards Elsa and once again she's caught off guard by the vibrant color of Anna's eyes. "He's the best in the country, maybe one of the best _ever_ for all I know."

"Swordmaster?" Elsa says faintly. That certainly explained a lot. If she was personally taught by a man of such high standing, it would give her an advantage most could only dream of. Elsa follows up on the other part of Anna's statement. "What were you doing in a castle?" Castles were typically far from sea and Elsa can't imagine Anna anywhere other than a ship. _I'm already getting too familiar with her_, she thinks wryly.

Anna toes a crack in the wood near her boots. "I used to live there," she says somewhat evasively. "I made friends with the swordmaster when I was young and he taught me everything he could."

Elsa remains silent, processing the information. She couldn't see Anna actually working for somebody else. Perhaps she was a servant's child, not bound by the orders of her parent's employers. "What castle was this?" Elsa asks, hoping to glean more about Anna's life. Not because she's actually interested (because she most certainly _isn't_), but because it might help to know her background when she hauls Anna in to her superiors.

A tinkling laugh escapes the pirate. "I can't tell you that," she says like it's obvious. "I have an air of mystery to maintain. No one knows where I'm from and I intend to keep it that way." She gives Elsa a broad grin and says no more.

Elsa fights a smile pulling at her own lips. She's finding Anna's smiles and grins and laughs becoming more and more contagious. Eventually she might succumb to them, and she certainly can't have that happen. So she bites the inside of her cheek until the urge passes and tries another course of interrogation. "Then can you at least tell me what's at this 'Kanoa' place? I've never heard of it."

"We always stop there on the way to or from Swann Cove. It's…kind of a special place to me." Anna admits quietly. A cloud of somberness seems to appear over her and she clutches tightly at the sword in her hand.

There's a knot in Elsa's stomach when she sees that Anna's not immediately bouncing back to her usual happy self. As much as she doesn't want to care, she feels guilty for causing the shift in her mood. Elsa knows how absurd it is—a prisoner feeling bad for her captor—but she can't help it.

She hesitantly reaches out and her hand finds Anna's shoulder. Anna jumps slightly at the contact but otherwise stays still. The sensation Elsa felt earlier when she touched Anna's hand comes back. After a few minutes of making soothing circles against the fabric of Anna's shirt, Elsa's fingertips come dangerously close to the nape of the pirate's neck. She pulls her hand back, trying to look like she's not freaking out, and stands up and out of reach.

"I'm going back to my cell now," she says stiffly. The words sound laughable in her ears and she feels a flush coming across her face. The last thing she wants to come across as is obedient, but it's too late to rectify that.

Anna looks up at her in surprise. "Right. Your cell." She sounds like she's forgotten that she even had a prisoner, and Elsa wonders if she's the first person to be taken by the Summer Princess.

Anna lifts herself up to walk side by side with Elsa back to the brig. Elsa enters her cell and raises an eyebrow at who she finds already on her cot. "Sven," she says flatly, "kindly get off my pillow." The dog thumps his tail in response, not bothering to move any other part of his body.

"Sven!" Anna calls, some of her regular energy back in her voice. "Get out so Elsa can get some rest." The mutt doesn't move an inch.

Sighing in defeat, Elsa contorts her body around him and looks up at Anna. "It's fine. He can stay in here with me if he wants." Sven gives a tired rumble of approval.

Anna presses a hand to her mouth at the sight but a giggle still escapes her lips. Elsa has to stop the relieved smile that wants to come onto her own face at the sound. She forces herself to remain silent and stoic looking, which is hard to do when Sven decides to push a paw into her cheek.

The cell door closes and Anna peers at her through the bars. "Could I give you a piece of advice? About your swordfighting?" She asks almost timidly.

Elsa manages a small nod, curious as to what she'll say.

Anna takes a deep breath before speaking. "Let it go," she says simply. Elsa raises an eyebrow and Anna elaborates. "Let go of all your worries and all your fears. In that moment, when it's just you and your opponent, you should feel free, not weighed down by anything. If you can do that, you can do anything." A crooked grin appears. "Trust me."

After she's gone, Elsa finds herself staring up at the ceiling, Sven snoring next to her ear.

_Trust me._ Two words Elsa never thought she'd hear from a pirate, two words she would scoff at if it came from anyone else. But the words came from _Anna_. Did that make them any more or less valid? Anna wouldn't have said that to her if she knew about Elsa's true intentions.

_Trust me._

Elsa rolls over, frustrated. Why did her captor have to seem like such a great person? What gave her the right to have such a genuine smile, such friendly words?

As if sensing her internal struggle, Sven whines and pushes himself further against her. "Out of all the pirates in the sea," Elsa muses as she dozes off, "I had to be taken by the sweetest one."

* * *

**A/N: **'Kanoa' is a Hawaiian name that means 'the free one'. I thought that was very fitting for Anna and her backstory.


	3. Chapter 3

Elsa rouses to the sound of the anchor being lowered overboard. They must be at Kanoa. Sven is on her cot, taking up more of it than she is. She gives a slow stretch and deep sigh, trying not to disturb her companion.

She almost finds it pathetic how quickly her thoughts venture towards Anna. Hardly awake, still blinking the sleep out of her eyes, and she's already thinking about her.

Elsa groans and drapes an arm over her face. She's known the woman for less than a _week_. This kind of fixation is unbecoming for a naval captain of her repute. She's heard the kind of talk her crew thinks she's ignorant to—talk about how 'icy' and 'cold' she is in her interactions with other people. Where was that woman now?

She needs to rid herself of this petty crush (god, that word alone brings a bitter taste to her mouth) as soon as possible. The only thing those emotions would be good for—

Elsa's breath catches in her throat. That's it. These…_feelings_…of hers could go into her efforts of bringing the Summer Princess in. While she's never really been with a person in the most romantic of senses, she knows a few things about it from her sailors and their conversations regarding bar wenches and lonely wives. Of course, _that_ kind of talk was usually a precursor to some sordid tales about said strumpets.

Her cheeks color at the thought. Seeing as they would probably be arriving at Swann Cove in, at most, another week, it would have to be a quick romance, possibly involving a kiss or two. Elsa finds that she's rather alright with that—seeing as it would lead to her freedom, obviously—and she also knows from her crew that the easiest way to wrap a person around your finger is to have them fall for you.

Her twin goals, freeing herself and bringing the Princess in, could be met easier if Anna was more than amenable to her presence. Elsa sees the formation of a plan unfolding in her head, one that starts with a suggestive touch on and ends with her receiving a promotion to commodore.

It was foolproof, really.

* * *

She's absentmindedly running her fingers through Sven's ragged fur when Kristoff show up at her cell.

"You kidnapped my dog," he states plainly, eyes narrowing at the sight of said pooch cuddled against Elsa, cold nose burrowed into the crook of her neck. Any adorableness Anna apparently saw between Elsa and Sven is lost on Kristoff. Instead, he almost looks…jealous?

"I assure you, it wasn't intentional." Elsa responds dryly.

She removes her hand from Sven and Kristoff seems to relax slightly. "Good," he says. "Anna wanted me to tell you that we've reached Kanoa. She said that you could come ashore if you promise you won't kill anyone."

Elsa looks at him skeptically. "Anna said that?" It certainly didn't sound like her. Elsa finds the implied suspicion displeasing (the irony is lost on her); she most assuredly doesn't have any malevolent designs on the crew and for Anna to even think that—

"Well," he amends, interrupting her thoughts, "I added the last part but I figured it was important. Not all of us have the fighting prowess of the captain."

Elsa smirks. "Yes, I do recall."

Kristoff's face heats up at the reminder of his own short fight with Elsa. Opening her cell, he snaps his fingers and Sven gives an aggrieved whine but slowly stretches and slinks towards Kristoff. "So, promise not to do anything funny?" He asks as he kneels down to pet his dog.

"I'll be a perfect prisoner," she promises solemnly. After all, none of the other pirates were in danger—her orders were just to bring in the Princess. She had no interest in anyone else.

She gets up from the cot and checks her reflection in the mirror. In it, she sees a slightly dirty face and wild platinum hair attempting to come free from its tight bun. Sighing, she pokes the loose strands back into place and turns to find Kristoff tapping his foot impatiently.

He escorts her out of the brig and into the blinding early morning sunlight. Elsa winces slightly but her vision adjusts and she sees what must be Kanoa off the aft of the ship. It was a small island; Elsa estimates it would only take her a few hour to complete a circuit around its outer edge. The interior looks to be full of greenery and Elsa can hear the squawks of birds hidden amongst the trees.

The crewmembers who are still on the ship barely glance at her, and the few who do don't give her anything more than a perfunctory grunt. Besides the whole 'being in a cell' thing, she hardly feels like a prisoner. If anything, she feels more like a vaguely disliked guest. She knows this treatment isn't the norm on ships—pirate and naval alike—and she finds it interesting how this particular crew operates.

Kristoff presses an apple and a flask of water into her hands before steering her towards one of the small boats they would be taking to the island. A few other pirates lower themselves into the boat and soon they are off, Sven paddling alongside them in the clear water.

It's always a strange sensation for Elsa, having solid ground under her feet. She spends so long at sea that she hardly remembers what life on land is like. Kanoa is a beautiful little island and Elsa is relieved that Anna makes a habit of stopping here—between her hunt for Anna and her own subsequent capture, she's been at sea for a little more than a month.

Anna's pirates also seem to be enjoying the short break from their duties. Many are stretched out on the white sands and others are swimming or fishing in the waves. Kristoff walks past the main group until he and Elsa are relatively alone under the shade of a palm tree. His boots quickly come off and he rolls his pants up to the knees before sitting down. Elsa stays standing until he gives an impatient huff.

"Feel free to do whatever you want. Just don't leave my sight," he tells her, sounding slightly grouchy.

Elsa weighs her options. The only two pirates she's familiar with are Kristoff and Anna, and the latter is nowhere to be seen. Since Elsa isn't too eager to be around the others, she sits down as well. "Are you acting as my guard?"

Kristoff leans back on his hands. "I guess so, in a self-appointed kind of way. Anna gets careless sometimes about the little things. I'm here to see they get taken care of."

Elsa refrains from commenting on how she's apparently considered a 'little thing'. Instead, she sees an opening and casually says, "Why are we here in the first place? Anna told me she comes here whenever she's on her way to Swann Cove—" Kristoff shoots her a withering look and Elsa clears her throat, "Or wherever it is we're going. Which is not Swann Cove."

Satisfied with her response, he indulges her with an answer. "It's actually quite the story." He can't seem to stop the anticipatory smile from coming across his face.

"Oh?" Elsa inquires, surprised. She wasn't expecting him to actually tell her much of anything, but Kristoff has turned towards her a bit more and looks ready to tell this story.

He nods. "A little over a year ago…" he intones dramatically, "there was a violent storm that made the seas rage. One ship unlucky enough to be sailing on those seas eventually succumbed to the waves, leaving nothing behind but a few planks of wood and a girl named Anna."

Elsa's eyes widen at that. _Anna was…shipwrecked?_

Kristoff continues, "This island, previously unnamed, was where she found herself the next morning. The island was kind and she found it wasn't difficult to survive in such a place. But eventually boredom set in. So she began doing what any bored person stranded island would do—hunt for buried treasure." A broad grin lights up his handsome face. "And oh, did she find some. Jewelry, trinkets, clothing…things that could make her an incredibly rich woman. It was about this time that a down-on-his-luck ice merchant came across her smoke signals and investigated the source. He found Anna and eventually the two of them loaded all the treasure they could into his skiff before setting off."

He rubs at his chin in thought. "It was strange though. When the man asked where she wanted to go, she didn't name a place. She said she had no interest in returning home. She wanted to begin a new life, one where she didn't have to take orders from anyone, where she could go anywhere or do anything she pleased. The man wanted this as well since he had grown weary of his job. Armed with her new wealth, Anna eventually bought a ship and gathered a crew and, well," he smirked slightly. "Here you are."

"That's…quite the story." Elsa manages after a moment. She could hardly believe the tale—it seemed like something a pirate would say to garner a crew, not something that happened to real people. "But do you actually believe it? Shipwrecks, buried treasure, convenient rescues…it all seems a little too fantastical, doesn't it?" She could imagine Anna, in her excitable manner, telling her story in a dark bar, surrounded on all sides by avid listeners.

Elsa's sure the real story is much less exciting—perhaps Anna simply became bored of her life in the castle, stole a few valuable items, and ran off.

Kristoff cuts into her thoughts. "It's true!" He exclaims, looking highly affronted. He calms himself by clenching some sand in his palms before speaking again. "I know it's true," he says in a lower tone, "because I'm the one who found her."

"_You're_ the ice merchant?" Elsa says in astonishment. Before she can think better of it, she adds, "That must have been a tough business to be in."

Kristoff gives a snort. "Yeah, tell me about it." A slightly more serious demeanor appears after he catches Elsa's gaze. "I really did find her and she really was shipwrecked with treasure. I know how it sounds—I hardly believed it and I was there! But we combined my knowledge of sailing with her wealth and leadership abilities and here we are. We're not ordinary pirates, not in the strictest sense—"

Now it's Elsa's turn to snort.

"I mean it!" Kristoff says earnestly. "We don't pillage or burn or kill. We steal, sure. But only from those who can afford it. Anna's picked a good crew and she's a good captain. Navies have tried to bring us in but they never will," the confidence is clear in his voice by now, "because we're better than them. That's all there is to it." He gives her another smirk and leans against the palm tree with his hands resting on his stomach.

Elsa can't help but grit her teeth at the last part but she has to admit that Kristoff's story was all kinds of interesting. She already knew it was true that Anna isunlike other pirates—Elsa being here on the island instead of in the brig is proof enough—but the way Kristoff told it, she and the rest of them were no better or worse than anyone else who sailed on the open water. And for Anna to go from surviving on a deserted island to become such a famous pirate…it was almost admirable.

A gust of hot air blows over her and slips sand into her every fold of clothing. Narrowing her eyes, she tugs her boots off, making sure to empty the sand out. Her feet touch the ground and she feels herself relax. This is the first time she's ever been in contact with sand before. She finds the soft, warm texture to be delightful and she burrows her feet into it. From his spot, Kristoff watches her with a raised eyebrow but doesn't say anything.

The mood soon turns tranquil as Elsa watches the pirates playing on the beach. Esmeralda, the woman who doesn't seem to like Elsa too much, is even laughing and splashing water at a handsome, golden haired man. Kristoff soon dozes off to sleep right before an extremely wet Sven trots up to him and shakes his fur, spraying Kristoff with water.

_The plan_, Elsa thinks determinedly when she catches herself about to smile at the spectacle around her, _I have to think of the plan_. She quickly wracks her brain for ideas on getting Anna to trust her, to agree to let her off at Swann Cove, to—

"Anna!" Kristoff's voice interrupts her thoughts, and he waves to someone behind her. Elsa turns and her heart seems to beat a bit faster.

The plan—which was already on shaky ground after the story Kristoff just told her—nearly crumbles completely when she sees Anna. She's wearing a pale green camisole that blows against the wind, outlining her lithe form. Wrapped around her waist is a white and gold sarong that stops right above her knees. Her hair is still loose and her bare feet tread lightly across the sand.

But it's not even her body that's distracting Elsa. It's the way she wipes at the corner of her eyes before smiling and waving back to Kristoff. _Was she crying?_ Elsa wonders, but the thought is soon cast aside when Anna plops down between her and Kristoff.

"How are you doing?" Anna asks, no trace of wetness on her face.

Elsa tenses and looks at the ground. "When are we leaving?" She asks to evade answering Anna's question. Because the honest answer would have been '_conflicted'._ By all rights, Elsa should hate Anna, _wants_ to hate her. But she just can't, which makes her so-called plan all the more difficult to pull off.

Not sensing Elsa's inner turmoil, Anna replies, "Probably in another few hours. We'll be gone before the sun sets." Elsa looks up just in time to see Anna's bright eyes light up with an idea. "Say, do you wanna build a sandcastle?"

_Stop being so adorable,_ Elsa thinks miserably. _Stop it at once. _

Anna waits in silence for a few more seconds before adding, "It doesn't have to be a sandcastle. We can bury Kristoff instead!" That idea appeals a little more to Elsa but she remains quiet. Anna deflates slightly and her shoulders seem to droop. "Alright," she says in a smaller voice. "I'm just going to go swimming then. Kristoff, would you like to join me?"

Kristoff grunts. "I'm watching the prisoner. If she comes, I'll come."

Elsa wrinkles her nose at that—since Kristoff is sitting upwind from her, she can smell the wet-dog odor on him. She heaves a heavy sigh and nods. "Fine. But not for too long."

Anna gives her another one of those blinding smiles and runs towards the surf. Kristoff and Elsa trail behind her, Kristoff shedding his shirt along the way. He wades into the water and lets out an annoyed groan when Anna splashes water at him. Elsa watches them before realizing that she should shed her clothing as well. They're the only clothes she has and she'll be damned if they end up ruined by the saltwater.

She slowly unbuttons her shirt and carefully folds it before laying it next to Kristoff's. Her pants are next and soon she's in nothing but a camisole and a pair of dark drawers. Unconsciously, her hand reaches for the tight bun at the back of her head and she pulls the pins out. Her platinum hair tumbles past her shoulders, and out of habit she sweeps it back and over her left shoulder before joining her companions in the water.

The water is the perfect temperature and she wades in until it's up to her chest. She glances at the other two and, in complete surprise, sees four eyes staring back at her in absolute astonishment. Kristoff's eyes are as wide as they can get and his face seems to be slightly flushed.

And Anna…with her hair soaked to a dark auburn and water droplets gleaming on her skin, her mouth is agape. "Wow," Anna says, breaking the silence. "You're…kind of beautiful. _Really _beautiful, actually. Not that you weren't before, but now…Kristoff!" She calls out suddenly, her eyes not moving away from Elsa in the slightest, "Is it inappropriate for me to call the prisoner 'beautiful'? I think it probably is." Elsa finds herself growing hot under her scrutiny, though somehow she's also immensely pleased that Anna finds her beautiful.

"_Terribly_ inappropriate." Kristoff confirms sarcastically from his spot, though his eyes haven't left Elsa either.

Still, his tone is enough to shake Anna's gaze away from Elsa. She stares at him for a hard moment before shaking her head, unable to think of a retort. Instead, she splashes him again. He sputters and splashes back. Elsa finds herself drawn into the fight when one of Anna's strikes goes a bit off target and soaks Elsa's face.

She sputters at the sensation of the saltwater in her eyes and mouth, much to the amusement of the pirates. Her lips form something between a smile and a snarl, and she leaps into the fray with much enthusiasm. It's the first time she's ever been in something so juvenile as a water fight and she finds herself to be enjoying it immensely.

The three battle it out for what seems like hours, until Elsa is completely exhausted and her fingers begin to prune. Her opponents have also depleted their stores of energy and Kristoff eventually drifts off back to shore in order to round up the other pirates.

Anna lingers with her when Elsa heads back to the beach and gathers her clothes. She tries not to notice the way the wet camisole clings to the Anna's figure but it's rather difficult to ignore. She glances at Anna's face and notes with interest that her eyes quickly dart away towards the sky, as if she didn't want to be caught staring at Elsa.

The thought warms Elsa's face and she once again reminds herself of her plan. If Anna really was looking at her, perhaps this romance thing would work after all. She decides to test the waters. "I had a lot of fun today," she mumbles. Well, it wasn't exactly a flirtatious line but she found it to be truthful.

Anna gives her an odd look and leans in closer to her. "Hmm?" She asks, face far closer to Elsa's than it needs to be. "What did you say?"

Elsa swallows hard. "IsaidIhadfuntoday," she lets out in a rush before turning away and stomping towards one of the skiffs that would take them back to the ship.

Anna catches up with her and tries to catch her eyes. "Yeah," she says happily. "Me too."

The simple, honest reply makes Elsa's heart twinge and she forces herself not to acknowledge the feeling. "You looked nice today, too," she adds, only slightly louder than her previous comment. She grimaces at her amateur line—her crew would be laughing at her if they could see this sad display (of course, they'd do it where she couldn't see or hear them, for fear they would be thrown overboard).

But Anna doesn't seem to mind. "Thanks, you did too," she replies easily, "You should really think about wearing your hair down more, it looks lovely like that."

The rest of the journey back to the ship is in silence, as Elsa can't think of anything else to say in the light of that comment and Anna is content to just look up at the clouds in the dimming sky.

Once they reach the ship, the two part ways as Anna heads to her cabin and Elsa to her cell. To her relief, she finds that Sven is not laying across her pillow. Instead, he's stretched out along the foot of her cot and he wags his tail at her return.

Soon, the ship sets sail into deeper waters and Elsa is almost lulled off to sleep by the motion and the coming darkness of night. The only thing that keeps her clinging to consciousness is the thought of Anna. It seems like she can do no wrong, even though _she's_ the one who took Elsa off her ship and put her in a cell. The strangeness of her situation doesn't escape her and her mind keeps going back to earlier, when Anna was rendered speechless before calling her beautiful. A smile almost escapes Elsa's tight control and she has to remind herself that this is a _pirate_, not just some innocent girl. Elsa finds that that reminder is harder to summon each time she thinks about the Summer Princess.

As if summoned by these thoughts, a lantern swings in front of her cell and Anna looks through the bars. "Hi," she whispers. "Are you awake?"

Elsa almost jumps off the cot in surprise but quickly regains her composure. "Yes," she answers back, ignoring the thudding of her heart at this late night visit. "What is it?"

Anna bites her lip and casts her gaze downwards for a moment before looking back at Elsa. "I wanted to talk details about your ransom. I need to know who to contact once we get to Swann Cove and how much you think you're…worth." She says the final word quietly and shifts as though uncomfortable. She takes a deep breath and goes on, "I'd rather do this in my cabin. It's dark down here and I have nowhere to write. Is that alright?"

Of course. It was stupid of her to think Anna came down here for any other reason besides her ransom. Pretend fights with swords and playing together in the water didn't mean she wasn't still a prisoner. "That's fine." Elsa replies somewhat stiffly.

Anna nods, looking relieved, and quickly opens the cell. Elsa gives Sven a pat before following the pirate above the brig and across the main deck until they are in front of her cabin. Anna pushes the door open and gestures for Elsa to pass her.

The space is similar to Elsa's in size but that's where the similarities end. Where Ela's cabin had only the most basic of amenities and not a thing was out of place, Anna's is wild and colorful. Bright sheets of blues and yellows and greens are draped across her bed. On the wall behind her vanity, flags hang proudly. From a quick glance Elsa recognizes Corona, Arendelle, DunBroch and Summerland. The vanity itself is surprisingly bare of the jewelry Elsa expected to see. All that's on it is an ebony hairbrush and a bottle of sun balm. A small collection of swords are mounted at the foot of the bed.

Elsa stands awkwardly as Anna takes a seat at the vanity and gets out a quill and a piece of parchment. Anna readies her quill and turns slightly. "So what were you carrying on your ship?"

"Lutefisk, rum, some jewelry." Elsa lists off. She perches on the edge of the bed and has to resist the urge to lay down in it—it's certainly much more comfortable than her own cot.

Anna sighs wistfully. "Lutefisk and rum…what a splendid combination." Her quill scratches against the paper. "And who was your employer?"

Elsa tenses at that. She never intended to be captured and so the backstory for her 'merchant' ship was questionable at best. "Hawkins Trading," she blurts out before her silence can become suspicious.

From her spot at the vanity, Anna pauses a moment before giving a shrug. "Who was your direct superior? And how long have you been working for Hawkins?"

The questions were becoming too difficult for Elsa to lie about. Instead, she attempts to distract Anna. "Kristoff told me what happened to you on the island," she says, hoping it will make Anna forget about what she's writing.

To her surprise, Anna merely rolls her eyes. "Yes, he likes his own part in that story. I do as well," she adds quickly. "If it weren't for him I might still be there." She gives another sigh before going back to her paper. "So what were your answers? Also, I should probably know where you were sailing out of as well as your destination. I can send a copy of this letter to your crew and one to Hawkins' office in Freeport."

"I…" Elsa feels trapped and tries again to shift Anna's attention. "What were you doing on the other side of the island? It looked like you might have been crying."

This time the words have more of an effect. The smile seems to freeze on Anna's face and she drops the quill. "You saw me?" She asks, voice quiet.

The silence thickens as the two lock eyes and Elsa's heart speeds up again. Maybe that was the wrong question to ask, maybe Anna would be angry at her and forget this ransom just keep her in the brig for as long as she wants, maybe—

Anna stands up suddenly and Elsa tries not to flinch at the movement, but Anna doesn't seem to notice. She sits next to Elsa on the bed, her presence making the mattress dip slightly and causing the two women to bump shoulders. "You said Kristoff told you?" Anna repeats in the same soft voice, her gaze resting on the clenched hands in her lap. "I wasn't the only one on that ship. A lot of people I knew died that night. Including…" she shudders beside Elsa and Elsa has to resist the urge to wrap an arm around her, "Including my father."

A pang goes through Elsa at that and now she can't stop herself from lightly holding Anna's far shoulder. Her father…Elsa felt like a terrible person for bringing up this memory, even if it was for her own safety.

Anna leans into her touch until her head is resting against Elsa's shoulder. "And now every time I pass the island, I stop to pay my respects. The crew looks forward to it as a day off and I can be alone for a few hours." Elsa feels the other woman shrug. "So yes, I might have been crying. But the crew isn't supposed to see that. Neither are you."

"I didn't tell anyone," Elsa murmurs against Anna's hair. "And I'm sorry I brought this up. It was rude of me."

Anna sighs before sitting back up. "It's fine, but I should get back to this letter. I don't want to keep you up all night."

The words clearly weren't meant to be suggestive but Elsa still heats up at the notion of being 'up all night' with Anna. An irritating part of her forces her to remember the plan she has. Only the two of them in Anna's cabin, late at night, might work well in her favor.

Elsa takes a steadying breath before tugging on Anna's shirt. "I don't want to do much talking," she says quietly, fixing a stare on Anna.

The other woman's eyes widen in surprise. "Then…then what do you want to do?" She asks looking between Elsa's hand and eyes with uncertainty.

Elsa stays silent—she knows she has no skills when it came to using words to flirt—and instead leans towards Anna until the pirate is almost laying down completely. "What are you doing?" Anna whispers when Elsa's hand pushes her down until she's completely under Elsa. One of Elsa's legs settles between Anna's and she moves until Anna's face is only a breath away.

Elsa has never done this before, has never seduced a single person. She doesn't know where this sudden surge of confidence was coming from but the movements feel as natural as breathing. And seeing Anna beneath her, her hair a reddish-gold in the light of the lantern, her eyes staring up at her in anticipation…it makes this whole seduction thing that much more satisfying to pull off.

She closes the distance between them and captures Anna's lips with her own, earning a surprised squeak from Anna. The pirate's lips are soft and full, and Elsa finds them intoxicating. One of her hands comes to rest against Anna's shirt, fingers skimming across the fabric covering her ribs. Before she can deepen the kiss, Elsa moves her attention to Anna's jaw, planting a trail of butterfly kisses along the freckled skin before moving downwards.

Elsa's other hand finds itself buried in Anna's hair and she can feel the gritty texture of sea salt beneath her fingertips, can taste it when her tongue touches the pulse jumping at Anna's throat. Anna moans at the contact and Elsa thinks it's the sweetest sound she's ever heard. "I-I don't even know your name," Anna says breathlessly, and the skin beneath Elsa's mouth turns a lovely shade of pink. "I know nothing about you."

Elsa plants a kiss at the base of Anna's throat before coming back up to her face. "My name is Elsa," she answers, surprised at how sultry her voice has become. "There's nothing more to know in this moment."

Elsa quickly regains Anna's lips before she can think to ask any more questions. The kiss is longer and more thorough than the first one. Elsa feels Anna's lips move against her own and almost jumps when one of Anna's hands grasps at her waist. Elsa's tongue traces Anna's bottom lip, asking for entrance. Anna complies and her mouth opens in a gasp as Elsa deepens the kiss.

All rational thought leaves Elsa's brain, until the word 'plan' is nothing but a faint but persistent word in the back of her mind. She loses all sense of time as they continue to kiss. This is amazing. This is intoxicating. The sounds and movements of the woman beneath her make Elsa never want to stop this. Elsa finds that this kind of seduction comes easier than words ever could, that she is enjoying kissing this pirate more than anything she has ever done.

_Pirate._

The word drags her back to reality and she reluctantly opens her eyes. Anna is still beneath her, flushed and with a dazed expression on her face. Elsa doesn't stop her ministrations but she slows down considerably. _It's now or never_, she decides grimly. Elsa's hand slips under Anna's shirt and she revels at the sensation of the warm, smooth skin again her fingers. Anna arches up slightly at the contact, another moan escaping her lips.

"When we reach Swann Cove," Elsa says against Anna's shoulder, her fingers exploring the woman's stomach. "May I come ashore with you?" She punctuates her request with her teeth, gently capturing Anna's sensitive skin and running her tongue over the area until it's reddened.

"I…I don't see why not," Anna gasps out, arching up again, her form pressing against Elsa's. "Kristoff will probably kill me though."

"Forget about him." Elsa urges, her hand coming dangerously close to Anna's chest. "I just want to be with you. I won't wander off." At least, she won't wander too far—just enough to alert someone that the Summer Princess is there and ready to be captured.

Captured…the word is strange to think about. Imagining Anna in a cell kills her mood and she softens the kisses slowly before coming to a complete stop. Anna opens her eyes at the loss of contact but doesn't do anything but look at Elsa with her tantalizingly swollen lips.

"We should probably stop tonight," Elsa manages, fighting against a second wave of arousal at the sight. "I'm sure you want to get some sleep before your day starts tomorrow."

Anna slides out from underneath her and nods, still looking slightly stunned by this turn of events. Her hair is mussed her fine clothing is wrinkled. "You're right," she agrees after attempting to tame her hair. She gives Elsa a sideways glance. "You can stay here tonight, if you'd like." Elsa's eyes widen, and upon seeing her expression Anna rushes, "You don't have to! I didn't mean that in a suggestive way or anything. Just…I know my bed is more comfortable than yours and after what we did…it doesn't seem nice to send you back to your cell." Anna stops talking and blushes, not looking at Elsa.

Elsa nods slowly. "That would be fine," she says after a slight hesitation. She had no plans to _spend the night_ with the Summer Princess but she felt safe with the other woman, as strange as that seems.

Anna gives her a relieved smile and motions for Elsa to get under the covers. Once Elsa takes off her boots, she complies. The bed is just as comfortable as she thought it would be and she finds herself already half-asleep by the time Anna has taken off her boots and extinguished the lantern.

But she still feels the other woman next to her, feels the heat emanating from her body.

"Goodnight," Elsa murmurs before closing her eyes and fighting against the urge to curl her body up next to Anna's.

It's quiet for such a long time that Elsa believes the other woman is already asleep. She's about to drift off herself when she hears, "Goodnight…Elsa." Anna's voice is soft and almost timid. The tone is enough to bring a smile to Elsa's face and a painful sensation to her heart.

This plan of hers…it might have worked too well.

* * *

**A/N: **If I did the math correctly, this is about the midway point for the story. Thanks for reading!


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