White Queen

Value of Family

She could not let her guard down.

Moving swiftly around the royal gardens, ears carefully picking up on any sort of sound that would tell her that she was not alone, eyes narrowed to see the smallest of movement behind the bushes and the trees, she had made sure that her footsteps were light and had barely made any sort of sound, watching where she step so that gravels would not give away her position.

Her heart raced against her chest, coldness swirling at the tips of her fingers, she took a deep breath to let a surge of calmness to wash over her, dismissing of the ice ready to come out. "I know you're out there."

A rustle of leaves made her head turned so quickly that she was a little surprised that she didn't get dizzy right away, but there was nothing behind her. But she was sure that she had heard—

"ARGH!" A full force crash against her side, sending her stumbling back as she started to lose her footing with a yelp, though a pair of arms had wrapped around her, catching her before she could tumble and fall down onto her backside, delighted laughter could be heard from her captor. "Got you!"

"Anna!"

The Princess grinned triumphantly as her arms remained around her older sister as they let the surge of their adrenalines come down and their heartrate reduced back into normal. "Got you, Elsa." She repeated, this time with far calmer voice.

"Anna, she's supposed to be the one that get you." Hans had revealed himself from behind one of the large bushes, giggling Wilhelm in tow, as he shook his head in disbelief. Olaf too, had come from around one of the trees he had hidden himself behind. "Why weren't you hiding?"

"I was!" the strawberry-blonde haired Princess defended herself as she released her hold, plucking a stray small twig out of her hair, no doubt from when she did hide before she had decided in pouncing the older sister instead. "But she looks so vulnerable, I can't help myself!"

Scowling, she had reached down to lift the young Prince into her arms. "I was trying to locate you by listening." Because most of the time that they played, both Anna and Wilhelm -who had just celebrated his first birthday a couple of months ago, could not help the little giggles that came out from their mouths, and that was what she had been relaying on to find them.

Sticking her tongue out at her sister, the Princess brushed away any other dirt that may have find itself onto the fabric of her dress before blowing away a strand of her hair out of her face. "Rematch? I'll seek this time!"

The sudden lightheaded sensation that washed over her had prevent her from registering the excited clapping from her son, instead her hold on him had tightened as she used him as her anchor, a reason for her not to collapse and bringing him down with her. It was so sudden and yet so quick that when she had regained herself, no one had seemed to notice her. "I think I'll pass this time, Anna."

"Wait, what? Are you sure, Elsa?" The Princess' bewildered expression, for they had only been playing for a little while, was soon replaced with guilt as her eyes suddenly grew wide and her shoulders slumped. "Look, I'm sorry that I jumped on you, don't be mad, Elsa, please."

"No, it's not that, Anna." Moving to pass Wilhelm into her husband's arms, she had shaken her head as she glanced up at the bright clear sky, eyes narrowing at the blinding sunlight. "I think heat doesn't really go well with me, that is all." Hans had expressed his own concern, with a hand placed on her shoulder, which she had held in her own as she gave him a reassuring smile. "Besides, I will sit just there, under the shades."

She was far better in watching anyway.

Under the glaring sunlight, she was even amazed with herself at how her magic was still able to maintain Olaf's form, there was not a single drop of water that had came from the snowman no matter how much he wandered under the heat, which was relieving since he had expressed his love for summer. She watched as Hans brought Wilhelm to hide between the bushes once more, and had to keep a straight face when Anna had turned toward her for help, shaking her head at her sister's attempt of cheating through her.

So far, Hans had been able to keep himself and their son well hidden that even the Princess -with the help of Olaf that had been discovered behind the bed of roses, and could probably keep the game going for far longer if it had not been Wilhelm's whine of discomfort that had blown their covers. When it comes to distracting Wilhelm from a round of tantrum that involved tears and wails whenever the Queen had to separate herself from him, Anna and Hans had worked quite flawlessly. They knew what they had to do, what to say, and how to handle the situation. And now with Olaf as his playmate many cries had been successfully avoided.

Not this one though.

The young Prince had insisted on reaching for his mother, impatient even when his father was on his way in carrying him toward her, hands reaching out as his feet kicked around. The action had made her brows furrowed, as she was sure it was not the time for him to feel hungry and Hans would have known if he had spoiled his pants. Opening her arms to take the boy into her embrace, Wilhelm had stood on her lap instead of sitting, pressing his cheek hard against hers as he visibly relaxed.

"You're hot." She concluded with a laugh as she held him close, the palm of her hands decreasing in their temperature, and the young Prince had squealed in joy as he snuggled against her further.

"Oh, that's actually quite smart!" The Princess had joined her in sitting at the stone steps of the castle, resting her head against her older sister's shoulder as she sighed in relief at the chance of cooling down after spending time under the sun. "This is nice."

Even Hans had took his place at her other side, wrapping his arm around her waist as he watched their son who had taken over her other shoulder, chuckling at how at ease he was in his mother's arms as he enjoyed the coolness of her skin.

"Is this what I am now?" the whole situation had her laughing, as now Olaf sat opposite from her, back against hers, admiring a flower he had picked on his way, even when she knew he did not need her the way the others did. "Not your Queen but your personal cooler?"

A chorus of agreement was shot back at her, even Wilhelm had giggled as he maintained his hold on her, causing her to shake her head with a roll of her eyes. Her own son had now given a way for her family to find the most ideal way of avoiding the summer heat, and she may wouldn't be able to get away from two adults chasing over her and a toddler that was just too adorable to resist.

But this... this had been the best possible outcome of her powers. The very power that she had feared for so long, had kept to herself so that no one could get hurt, the cause of her self-isolation for years inside her childhood bedroom where she spent half of her life alone and blanketed with loneliness, had now been the one thing that bring her surrounded by her family -quite literally, and she had turned to be a little emotional because of it.

Holding onto Wilhelm a little tighter, she cradled his head as she buried her face against the auburn hair that has grown so much, inhaling his scent as she closed her eyes. She didn't even realize she was trembling, but the moment she felt him snuggling up to her without much of a word or a babble he often does, she could not help the lone happy tear that rolled down her cheek.

Even if Anna or Hans had noticed her emotional state, they didn't say anything of it, simply maintaining their hold on her.

This chapter is originally far darker than this. But I'm feeling kind so fluff it is that you shall get.