Chapter Text
PART I
Honeymaren took a deep breath. Her eyes slid closed. Her heart hammered in her chest. The reindeer shifted and grunted around her. Northuldrans from the village filtered into the circle; eyes bright with excitement.
They needed to witness this moment—a legendary proposal.
The intricate bracelet—woven and beaded with all the love of the forest, spirits, and Honeymaren’s heart—felt heavy in the pouch on her belt.
A bout of nausea churned in her stomach.
The hushed whispers of her people echoed through her ears, infiltrating her mind. For a moment, she wondered if this was the right decision.
Doubt lingered in her mind like poison.
Did she want to marry Elsa?
More than anything.
Honeymaren wanted to spend the rest of her life with one of the most extraordinary women she knew.
She wanted to witness Elsa in her most elegant and delightful moments.
She wanted to cradle her in the privacy of their own tent—their intimate life hidden from the world and only meant for them—especially when Elsa’s demons rose to beat her down.
But most of all, she wanted a family; a new beginning.
Just the two of them.
Honeymaren’s fear didn’t rise from her own doubts—no, there were none. She loved Elsa. More than nature itself.
No, she feared that Elsa may not be on the same page as her.
Her distress must have been prominent on her countenance because her brother placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“Hey, it’s going to be alright. Okay? I’ve seen the way she looks at you. Elsa adores you—she loves you. I think she wants this too,” he assured her softly. His gentle words were enough to calm Honeymaren’s nerves.
She gave him a small, crooked smile.
“You’re right, Ry. I’m just nervous is all. She’ll like this—she wants this too, right?”
Ryder squeezed her shoulder.
“I have no doubt about that,” he replied, then paused. His expression went soft. “You ready? I can go get her now.”
At his offer, Honeymaren hesitated for a split moment.
The pouch on her belt weighed like a ton again; it was now or never.
She nodded.
Ryder grinned at his sister and pulled away, jogging out of sight to find the Fifth Spirit.
When he was out of sight, Honeymaren began her climb onto the large, solid rock where she would declare her love for Elsa in front of the entire village.
The nausea returned.
Once she stood tall, all eyes turned to her.
The reindeer shifted. Some scuffed the ground with their hooves while others remained where they were directed.
Honeymaren’s heart battered in her chest. Her palms were sweaty. The wait was torture and she recited the words she’d practiced for weeks over and over again in her mind.
Finally, in the distance, she recognized the white silhouette of her wife-to-be being escorted by her upbeat brother.
The sight made her smile. Her heart skipped beats; thrumming a rhythm in her chest that made her either want to sing or cry.
Every Northuldran’s head turned in the direction of the approaching duo.
Honeymaren stiffened her stance. Her knees locked up as Ryder walked Elsa closer. Her heart palpitated in her chest when she locked eyes with the most gentle and warm icy-blue eyes she’d ever seen in her life.
Of course, she’d seen them before, but not like this. Not before one of the most important moments in her life.
Ryder left Elsa’s side once they were a couple feet from the smooth rock.
Honeymaren looked down at her with a nervous smile. Elsa merely quirked a brow. Her dark lips twisted in confusion as those beautiful eyes darted about.
This was it. This was the moment. There was no turning back now.
Honeymaren took in a deep breath, fumbling to take out and present the bracelet, before her voice boomed loud enough for all of the Northuldra to hear.
“Elsa, Fifth Spirit of the Enchanted Forest! My beautiful, enchanting snowflake! Will you marry me?!”
As soon as the question left her mouth, Honeymaren froze.
Elsa's eyes were wide, but not of surprise or excitement. No, this was a look she’d witnessed many times before—it was the embodiment of fear.
Honeymaren’s heart stopped. The bracelet in her hand was forgotten. Her legs trembled as she scrambled off the rock. She lurched forward with an outstretched hand; pleading.
“Elsa—wait!”
But the Fifth Spirit had already backed away. Her hands held to her chest as if to protect her heart. With one last, wide-eyed glance at Honeymaren, she spun on her heels and fled.
“Elsa! Shit—“ Honeymaren cursed, tripping over herself. She fell face first, hand barely catching her fall.
The blue and white woven bracelet tumbled onto the grass. Its crystals and beads glittering at Honeymaren as if to mock her.
Heart thundering in her chest, Honeymaren scooped up the bracelet and scrambled to her feet, ignoring the concerned and pitiful looks the others sent her way.
Her mind raced, thinking of all the places Elsa would run. There weren’t many. Her tent would be too obvious.
No.
Elsa would want to flee somewhere where no one would find her, much less reach her.
Ahtohallan.
Cursing under her breath again, Honeymaren sprinted North, knowing the Fifth Spirit could be miles away from her by now. She wouldn’t let her go that far, not without fixing this.
Weaving through the bushes and trees, Honeymaren could only hear the thundering of her heart in her ears and her heavy breaths.
A soft whistle breezed past her. A tickle of leaves brushed the skin of her cheeks and Honeymaren’s eyes widened in recognition of the wind spirit.
“Gale!” she gasped.
The wind spirit whistled again in response, circling her. Honeymaren never slowed her pace.
“Can you stall her? I need to make this right!” she pleaded. Despite the battering of her heart and her short, painful breaths, tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.
She wouldn’t let her mistake be the end.
With one last whistle, Gale flew ahead of her; now on a mission.
A soft trill directed Honeymaren’s attention to the ground. She noticed the blue flash of the fire spirit scrambling by her feet.
“Bruni!” she gasped, though it came out more like a desperate whisper.
The little fire salamander glanced up at her, licked his eyeball, and scattered after Gale in a confident bounce of pink flames.
Honeymaren’s eyes widened. Her cheeks red from exertion and she felt as though her heart were ready to burst. Yet, a tiny smile curled on her face.
She was not alone in this. The spirits were working with her to make this right.
A soft, giddy laugh of relief escaped her as she threw her head back. She felt the lingering breeze from Gale nearly lift her off her feet, propelling her sprint into a glide until only her toes grazed the ground.
Just as the shore of the Dark Sea began to come into view from between the trees at the edge of the forest, a deep tremor shook the ground like an earthquake. Honeymaren stumbled back onto her heels, losing the momentum she’d picked up from Gale.
She released another curse under her breath, pursing her lips to the point where her cheeks were puffy in her frustration.
“Shit shit shit, what now?!” she growled. Her eyes circled high when a dark shadow loomed over the forest.
An Earth Giant parted through the tops of the trees, like bushes that blocked its path, and stomped past Honeymaren.
The Northuldran woman yelped when the force of the Earth Giant’s heavy steps forced her off her feet and into the air. When she fell back down, Honeymaren narrowly avoided cracking her head on a boulder.
She rolled onto her back. Her vision swam; the trees spun. Jaw unhinged, Honeymaren squeezed her eyes shut and attempted to inhale. Her stomach clenched painfully, unwilling to obey.
Panic settled in.
Her fingers curled, clenching the earth in her palms. Dirt compiled beneath her nails.
After a few, long moments of writhing, Honeymaren gasped and rolled back onto her stomach as oxygen filled the stall in her lungs.
She grit her teeth, pushed herself up onto shaky legs, and raced after the Earth Giant.
Despite the giants’ well-known short temperament, Honeymaren had reason to believe—based on the actions of the other two spirits—that the Earth Giants were on her side.
“Please don’t let me be too late, please,” she whimpered under hefty breaths as she ran. Her lungs were ready to burst and the calves of her legs burned; but nothing was going to stop her from catching up to Elsa and being there for her when she needed her most.
Even though it was her own fault that this went out of hand.
A sigh of relief fell from her lips when she crossed the threshold between the forest and the rocky shore of the Dark Sea.
With ankles deep in the foamy water, Elsa summoned the water spirit. His majestic head tossed back as she mounted him.
The capelets of Elsa’s ivory dress billowed in the wind as Nokk brayed and splashed at Honeymaren the moment his bright, glowing eyes caught sight of her.
His nostrils flared.
Taken aback by the water spirit’s hostility towards her, Honeymaren hesitated, slowing her approach. She fought to catch her breath. Elsa’s name was on the tip of her tongue.
Gale flew past Honeymaren and circled the love of her life astride Nokk with a high-pitched, desperate whistle while Bruni scrambled along the rocks of the shore, trilling. The Earth Giant halted behind Honeymaren, groaning in displeasure.
Elsa paid no mind to the other spirits. Instead, as she directed the water horse to turn North, her glossy blue gaze caught Honeymaren’s.
The Northuldran woman’s heart sank at the sight of a lone tear cascading down Elsa’s flawless cheek. It dripped off her chin and fell into the water spirit, who galloped off along the waves of the Dark Sea.
Honeymaren dropped to her knees, ignoring the pain of sharp rocks digging through her pants, and held in a cry rippling through her chest.
She could see nothing but the blurry image of the white silhouette of the only woman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.