Chess Piece

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

“Good morning.”

She had been sleeping well, something she rarely got for a quite some time now. It seemed that she even missed the morning knock from Kai.

But when she felt someone played with her platinum blonde locks, her eyes fluttered opened. And that was when he muttered those words from above her.

She found herself tangled with her husband, her head nested comfortably on his chest and one of her arms sprawled across his abdomen with one of her legs actually located between his. And instead of his dark burgundy jacket, he was wearing another simple T-shirt, though the sleeves were unrolled.

“What…?” she propped herself up with her elbow and looked at him. It seemed that she still had her dress on, but her hair was completely loose from its bun and her crown was located on the nightstand at his side of the bed. “What happened last night? Did we…?” They didn’t do anything… right?

He shook his head. “Nothing happened.” He confirmed, “You were so tired that you fell asleep on my lap. I lied you down, but you didn’t want to get out of my embrace. I did manage to remove my jacket and pulled your hair down and put off your crown, because I figured it won’t be comfortable.”

She still looked at him suspiciously with her eyes narrowed toward him. “Really?”

 “I swear.”

“Well then,” she sat up on the bed beside him. “Good morning.”

He smiled and also sat up when he looked on how gleaming his wife was under the morning sunlight with her smile that could melt the entire snow in the world. He leaned forward and planted a tender kiss on her lips.

“I think Kai forgot to give a morning knock for me.”

“Actually about that…” he scratched the back of his head embarrassedly, light blush creeping onto his cheeks. “You were so peaceful in your sleep that I kinda send Kai away when he knocked on the door.”

Her icy blue eyes widened in an instant. “You let me slept in?!”

The Prince’s brows furrowed as he nodded slowly. “Do you have any morning plans today?”

“I have so many works to do!” she hid her face on his hands. Her fingers started to itch from her powers begging to be released. “Paperwork that could only be finished if I do it from the morning and now you let me slept in…”

“Hey, hey, don’t worry about that.” the auburn haired Prince reassured, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, making her jumped slightly. “I’m going to help you, okay? We’re going to do it together.”

She looked up at him, somehow comforted by the smile he offered her, the itch on her fingertips started to decrease over times. “You will?”

“Of course.” He moved a strand of platinum blonde hair away from her face. “But we should get up now… I think we’re late for breakfast.”

~O~

With the two slowly warming up to each other, at least their daily activities weren’t as awkward as the first day the Prince lived in the castle. They spent the entire day in the Queen’s study, reading and signing tons of paperwork. Elsa has originally thought she had to spend the first thirty minutes watching the Prince in case he has a problem with understanding the paperwork and letters, but he was surprisingly good at it, just the King Arendelle needed.

Though there was still one problem left… Anna.

The eighteen years old Princess has not yet entirely forgave her sister for closing the gates again. She has refused to speak to the Queen if it was not really urgent and needed, and it hurt the older sister so much. She missed her younger sister who never gave up knocking on her door, asking her to build a snowman.

The Queen tried a few times to start a conversation with the Princess, still being careful as not to hurt her with her powers, but the strawberry blonde haired girl always seemed to manage avoiding her.

She has once thought that with her sister avoiding her would be a good idea to keep her safe, but now seeing that Anna really did avoiding her made her heart ached in sadness. She blamed her powers, or shall she call her curse. If she had born normal, she wouldn’t have to suffer like this, forever isolated from the world.

As she lay on the bed with her husband, his arms wrapped around her figure while her head rested on his chest, she cannot help feel exhausted about keeping the curse herself. She needed someone to talk to; someone who will understand and listen to her even if she was cursed like this, someone who will share the burden with her.

She looked up, gazing at his face intently. “Hans?”

“Hmmm?”

“Do you ever feel like a chess piece yourself in a game being played against your will?” she asked carefully. She knew it may sound cheesy, using such complicated reference, but she didn’t want to reveal much.

The Prince raised one eyebrow at her odd question. “Do you?”

“Constantly.”

Another silence came between the two before Hans decided to break the ice. “What is it?” he asked as he rubbed her cold arm up and down, sending chills down her spine upon the contact. But strangely her powers did not react to his presence or touch.

“Nothing.” She lied, hiding her face under the locks of her platinum blonde hair. She had to admit though that she was not one of a good liar. She could hide her feelings, but not the truth, not even to herself.

“Elsa-”

“No.” she cut him, shaking her head. “No, I don’t want to talk about It.” she sighed and sat up on the bed, reaching toward her nightstand and blowing the candle off before she laid on her side, her back once again facing him. “Good night.”

Hans watched her silently, sighing softly and running his fingers through his hair upon her change of mood. They were so warmed up few moments ago, but now she had once again turned her back toward him coldly.

Women and their secrets…

Blowing the candle on his nightstand, he pulled the blanket up below his chin as he also lay on his side, facing the other way so now they had their backs facing each other. Now he had to figure out how he could make her trust him completely without any more secrets. “Good night.”