#rocc

is this anything

[The Kristanna WIP continues! In which local family realizes not a single member among them is straight.]

Despite Anna’s best efforts, Prince Lorenzo leaves on schedule two days later, and he and Elsa part merely as fast friends.

Given how much they enjoyed him, it’s maybe not surprising when Anna catches Elsa lurking the halls wrapped in their mother’s old shawl when the next bunch of letters from hopeful suitors arrives, aiming to be her first visitors of spring when the ice clears from the fjord. The bar’s been set in an actual high place, now, and—gosh. If they wanted the whole process to just be over and done with before, it’s got nothing on how they all feel now.

Kristoff’s right, is the thing. The kissing frogs approach hasn’t gotten them anywhere, and more than that—it’s not how anyone in their family has ever found a partner. Father was always proud when he talked about how he married for love; about how being king so young gave him the latitude he might not have had otherwise to put his foot down and propose to Mother no matter what his advisors had to say about it.

So maybe—maybe Elsa doesn’t need a prince. And who could blame her? It’s not like Anna had any luck with them.

Elsa needs someone grounded, Anna decides. Someone normal, steady and dependable and totally outside the rules that have only ever restricted them.

Anna’s got a shortlist.

-

She brings it up at lunch later in the week, when Elsa’s ruefully going over how they might stack their next bunch of visits for maximum efficiency in the coming months.

“Or we could just—not,” Anna ventures, trying to sound thoughtful instead of just worn out. “I mean, Elsa, come on. This isn’t working.”

“People aren’t going to stop applying their suits just because I say I’m bored of this.”

“No, but they would if you found someone another way and said you were taken. Look at me—no one’s asked for my hand lately.”

Kristoff chokes on his food, and she slaps his back bracingly as Elsa makes a face Anna can’t interpret—private, amused, but somehow awful all the same. “I don’t think a Kristoff of my own is going to just fall into my lap any time soon.”

“Well no, not if you don’t go looking.”

“I hardly have time to try dating around on top of everything else—”

“You don’t have to, you could let us set you up!”

“‘Us?’” Kristoff echoes. She pinches his side.

“We know lots of good people.”

“I know you do, but I can’t just—”

“Why not? Why can’t it be that easy?”

Instead of answering, Elsa starts cleaning up her place at the table. “Can we talk about this later? I have to go, I’m going to be late for my meeting with Duke Higgenbotham—”

“What’s your harvester friend’s name?” Anna asks Kristoff loudly, talking over her. Already envisioning how this will go down—he’ll say Who, Aleks? and she’ll say Yes, that’s the one, casual as you please, like it only just came to her off the top of her head.

“Lars?” Kristoff squeaks instead, sounding horrified.

“No, the sweet one.” Doesn’t he see where she’s going with this?

“Erik is married.”

“No, the sweet one!”

“Oh, Aleks!” (Yes, Aleks! she thinks, trying hard not to roll her eyes.) He laughs, then shakes his head. “Never gonna happen.”

“What? Why?”

“Aleks doesn’t like women.”

“What are you talking about? I’m a woman, and Aleks likes me. I’m a delight.”

“Sure, so delightful you couldn’t remember his name. But no, I mean, Aleks doesn’t, uh…” Kristoff fidgets. “He doesn’t… like-like women. He doesn’t, er. Prefer them.”

Before Anna can come up with a new suggestion, Elsa blurts out: “That might be convenient, actually. I, um. I don’t prefer men.”

She looks just as shocked as either of them at what’s come out of her mouth. The room gets very still.

“What?” Anna breathes.

idk why i love this so much