Archive of Our Own

Honeymaren stared at the ring in her hand, eyes grazing every last detail. With any luck this was going to be the last time she saw it - that she really saw it before attaching it to the finger of her love.

It was made of silver, a beautiful light shade of silver that was nearly identical to the sparkling of the crystals on her ice sandals. It was light enough to match her pale complexion, to actually highlight it and make it appear and feel as though the ring were a part of her in comparison to a gold that would surely contrast. Embedded towards the center, between a couple of small engraved snowflakes, was a small diamond gem. Honeymaren could not recall the exact name of the gem; she only knew that when she saw it, it matched her eyes perfectly.

A warm smile crossed Honeymaren’s face. She could already imagine how it would look on Elsa’s finger.

All she had to do was say yes.

Poking her head from behind the tree she’d been leaning up against, she could see Elsa in the encampment talking to a child. She had returned from her early spirit duties and was about to meet Honeymaren when the child, eager to see some of the ice magic at work, stopped her. And, naturally, Elsa being, well, Elsa was more than happy to oblige. She sat down in front of the child, legs neatly folded under her form, and began waving her hands, wrists, and arms in multiple different positions as gorgeous ice crystals danced through the air in front of them. It really was a sight to behold. Not just Elsa using her magic; that was always a pure delight. But it was also seeing her interact with the other Northuldra. Though the differences in which they were brought up did bring about some issues in the beginning, it was nothing they couldn’t work past. Elsa was still a member of their clan and also had ties to the spirits. Combine those traits with her huge heart; there was no question that she had always belonged there.

Honeymaren could so clearly picture it now. Though Elsa would always have her spirit duties, not to mention the magic itself was already a large responsibility, there was absolutely no reason she could not live her life out as most normal humans. She and Honeymaren would each have their jobs to attend to, but always make time for each other. Elsa would return to the encampment and Honeymaren would offer her some food. Any time a child would come up and encourage Elsa to do some magic for them, Elsa would absolutely give in and Honeymaren would stand to the side watching the interaction. She could imagine them taking walks along the coastline; Honeymaren on her reindeer and Elsa on the Nokk. She could see Elsa cuddling up to the baby reindeers, the way she had the very first time she arrived in the Enchanted Forest. She could imagine them singing lullabies to the reindeer and, who knew? Maybe one day, if they both so desired and circumstances permitted, an actual family.

But that was still so far into the future. And it also depended if Elsa said yes.

Spirits, Honeymaren hoped she would say yes.

Turning back around, Honeymaren leaned against the tree. With one hand cupping the ring tightly, her other hand delicately removed the hat that always rested on her head. Honeymaren exhaled slowly, looked up at the sky, and then at the hat.

“Mother...spirits...give me strength. Please,” she pleaded quietly.

Another exhale.

She could do this.

Carefully she set the ring on top of her head and then returned the hat to its former position. She made sure the frame cupped her head as tight as it could do that the ring would remain in place. It was the best possible hiding spot; Honeymaren never removed her hat save for sleeping. Elsa would never suspect she was actually hiding something under there.

With a newfound determination, Honeymaren turned and left the comfort of the tree. She approached Elsa and the child, though kept a few steps away while she watched Elsa finish the show. The blonde blew a few snowflakes in the direction of the child’s face, causing a whirlwind of laughter. Elsa blinked, noticing Honeymaren had come over. A soft smile crossed her face and she politely told the child, “Please excuse me.” She rose to her feet and the little one ran off, continuing to squeal in delight.

Honeymaren gave her a slightly cocked grin. “Hope this doesn’t mean I’m losing you to someone younger,” she teased.

Elsa shook her head, lightly rolling her eyes. “My work never ends, Maren, you know that. Besides, that happens to be my favorite part of the job.”

Honeymaren delicately took Elsa’s hand in hers. “What a coincidence. My favorite part of the job happens to be watching you.” She then lifted Elsa’s hands to her lips and placed a chaste kiss on it.

A faint blush crossed Elsa’s cheeks. “Huh. Are you sure that’s your only favorite part?”

“You got me,” the brunette confessed. She leaned in, closing the gap between the two of them, and kissed Elsa. She could feel the blonde return it, sighing lightly into the motion. Honeymaren couldn’t help but smile as her lips parted and stole a final brief one, reveling in the fact that she got to do that every day.

No, it wasn’t kissing her girlfriend who also happened to be the Fifth Spirit.

It was kissing her girlfriend, the most incredible woman she’d ever met.

Once they broke apart the second time, Honeymaren briefly rested her forehead against Elsa’s before lengthening the space. Though it was tempting to stand there kissing her for the remainder of the day, she had already made other plans. “You ready?”

Elsa cocked her head. “Are you going to tell me where we are going?”

“It’s a surprise,” Honeymaren smirked.

Elsa narrowed her gaze ever so slightly. “Maren, you know how I feel about surprises.”

“Don’t worry, I promise it’s a good one.” Honeymaren squeezed Elsa’s hand for reassurance, and then began to lead her towards the reindeer. “So, tell me about your spirit duties today. Was it Gale trying to scare the crap out of Ryder again?”

Elsa giggled and shook her head. “No, not this time.”

“Ok, so it was Bruni setting something on fire and scaring the crap out of Ryder?” Honeymaren grinned.

“No, that was yesterday,” she reminded her.

“Ok, was anyone trying to scare the crap out of Ryder today?” Honeymaren laughed. “I mean, what’s the point of having all these awesome powers if you’re not going to put them to good use?”

“Maybe because it’s your job to scare the crap out of your brother?” Elsa assumed.

The brunette shrugged. “Hey, I won’t turn down a little help once in a while.”

Elsa shook her head. “Well, if you must know, it was the Earth Giants today. A small territorial issue, courtesy of your reindeer.”

Honeymaren blinked. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, I believe he’s technically your reindeer. After all, you’re the one who named him.”

“Yes but you were the one who raised him.”

“Until you came along and stole him from me.”

“I did no such thing.”

“He has not been able to take his eyes off of you since you came here.”

“Are we still talking about the reindeer?”

“Why don’t you see for yourself.”

The two of them stopped walking. Elsa had halted slightly in front of Honeymaren so she was facing her as opposed to standing beside her. Her back, as a result, was facing toward the herd of reindeer. Honeymaren smirked, her eyes falling on the creature in question. She signaled Elsa to turn around. The blonde responded, blue eyes falling on a certain reindeer with big, innocent, brown eyes covered in purple flowers.

Elsa let out a joyful gasp, placing a hand over her mouth. “Oh…! Are those…?”

“Purple heather? Yeah,” she shrugged. “Told him they were your favorite. He’s been waiting for you all ready with them.”

“Bjorgen, you shouldn’t have,” Elsa said.

The reindeer responded by rising to his feet. He trotted the remaining space over to Elsa, batting his big eyes in her direction. A few of the loose flowers slipped off of him and onto the ground as a result. Elsa responded by gently scratching underneath his chin. Bjorgen tilted his head back, letting out content grunts at the motions. Though he was considered a full-grown reindeer by now, he was a bit smaller compared to the rest of the herd. Honeymaren personally found him an interesting creature. Despite his naive looks and that he was clearly not as mighty as the other reindeer, Bjorgen was known to be quite the troublemaker. She could still recall the night he approached Elsa when she first arrived. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her and would barely leave her side until the Earth Giants nearly attacked and Elsa had to continue north. When Elsa returned permanently, Bjorgen seemed to do anything and everything within his capabilities to garner Elsa’s attention. As of recent, that may or may not have meant occasionally pissing off the Earth Giants. However it had not fully registered to Bjorgen that it meant Elsa had to leave him for the day to calm the spirits.

“He is also here to give you a ride,” Honeymaren added.

Elsa pulled her hand back, placing it over her heart. “Oh...that is not necessary. I don’t mind walking.”

Bjorgen nudged Elsa’s arm, causing another faint ‘oh’ to escape her.

“See? He totally wants to give you a ride,” Honeymaren stated. Holding Elsa’s hand, she pulled her to the reindeer’s side. Then she moved her hands so they hugged Elsa’s waist and lifted her up to sit on Bjorgen. “You enjoy the view while I lead.”

“You can lead just fine from up here.”

“He’s your ride.”

“I insist.”

“Elsa.”

“Maren.”

Why was it so difficult to say no to that woman? All she had to do was...well, just about anything and Honeymaren found herself giving in.

Sighing, Honeymaren shook her head. “Very well.”

She was about to hoist herself onto Bjorgen and sit in front of Elsa when the reindeer barked. Having other ideas, Bjorgen tilted his head, which caused his antler to knock into Honeymaren. She was subsequently pushed off and knocked down, lying with her back on the ground. Honeymaren let out an ‘oomph’ and her hand immediately went to hold onto her hat as her back made contact with the surface.

“Maren!” Elsa gasped. She jumped off the reindeer and poked his nose lightly as to give him a scolding. She lowered her brows at him, causing the reindeer to frown and hang his head. Honeymaren had just been able to catch a glimpse of the exchange as she sat up. Her hand remained on her hat, but it had become lopsided.

Oh crap!

What if the ring fell out?

Did she still have it?

Her grip became tighter. Her free hand frantically felt the ground beneath her to see if landed anywhere. She couldn’t exactly stick it under her hat; Elsa would know something was up. But she couldn’t feel the jewelry on top of her head. Where was it, where was it…?

“Honey, are you alright?” Elsa knelt down in front of her, causing the brunette to snap out of her haphazard thoughts.

“O...oh! Y...yeah. Just...caught me off guard is, is all….”

Not that it sounded convincing at all! Honeymaren was not only one of the tribe’s best warriors; she was also fantastic with the reindeer. It was not like her at all to become flustered because of one. Caught off guard was one thing, which, yes, Bjorgen had very much done to her. But considering the circumstances Honeymaren believed she had full reason to become nervous. If only she could get her shit together and make sure she had that damn ring….

She noticed Elsa’s hand move forward. The brunette flinched, afraid for a moment that Elsa was actually going to touch her hat. Honeymaren’s grip on her hat tightened and she bit her tongue in anticipation. Was she going to find out? Was the whole surprise about to be completely busted?

To her surprise, Elsa’s hand stopped just short of her hat.

Though, to be fair, it really shouldn’t have been a surprise.

Elsa had done no more than slightly brush her finger across Honeymaren’s hat. Not once had she fully touched or removed it without the brunette’s permission.

Instead, Elsa used the end of her finger to tip Honeymaren’s hat ever so slightly, not coming into contact with it any more than she had in the past. Then, in the same swift motion, she leaned forward and placed a kiss on her girlfriend’s cheek. Almost as soon as she pulled apart, Elsa’s hand lowered and reached for Honeymaren’s free one. She pulled the brunette back up to her feet and, being the love-struck woman that she was, Honeymaren followed the motion aimlessly. The fear all but forgotten, Honeymaren followed Elsa back to Bjorgen. Elsa climbed onto his back first, and then offered Honeymaren her hand to help her up. Honeymaren obliged, much to the reindeer’s disappointment. As soon as she was up, she felt Elsa’s arms wrap around her waist and her head rest against her shoulder. Honeymaren felt her body relax at the closeness of Elsa. She moved one hand so it covered Elsa’s, and then used her other hand to feel underneath her hat.

Good. It was still there.

Holding in a sigh of relief, Honeymaren adjusted her hand so it looked like she was adjusting her hat.

“Ready to try this again?”

“Lead the way, love.”

Honeymaren moved her hand from her head onto the reindeer and instructed Bjorgen to take them forward.

“I’m sorry about that,” Honeymaren apologized. “I know Bjorgen can be a bit...protective. I wasn’t expecting an actual fight out of him.”

“You are not the one who needs to apologize,” the spirit replied, “and you should absolutely not feel as though you have to go through all this trouble just for me.”

Honeymaren scoffed. “The last thing you could ever be is trouble. Besides, I wanted to do something for you.”

“And what is the occasion?” she inquired.

That I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you and give you the most romantic date ever to prove it, the brunette thought.

But she couldn’t actually say any of that out loud!

“Didn’t realize I needed a reason to want to do something for my girlfriend,” she instead teased.

A faint grunt escaped the reindeer. In what shouldn’t have been a surprise, he lunged forward, jumping unexpectedly over nothing, and shifted his body towards one side. Elsa’s grip tightened around Honeymaren’s waist as a result, but Honeymaren had nearly lost her balance and swung off. She gasped at the sudden movement, nearly feeling her hat slipping off in the process.

“Bjorgen!”

Her hand instinctively went up to her hat to make sure it was still in place. And though she felt the edges of the fur brim, she also felt something much sturdier on the top. Her fingers encased around the familiarity, quickly recognizing it as Elsa’s hand.

“Sorry…” the blonde apologized softly. She moved her hand much too suddenly for Honeymaren’s desire. “I...I wanted to make sure it didn’t fall…”

Spirits, could Elsa be any more perfect?

Despite her hardly ever coming into full contact with Honeymaren’s most prized possession, trying so hard to respect the woman’s boundaries with it just as much as Honeymaren had given to Elsa in the beginning, she still acted in haste to protect it. It didn’t matter that Honeymaren had a ring hidden under there, hell it didn’t even matter if Elsa didn’t know the story behind the hat; she just knew it never left her girlfriend’s head. She wanted to do her part to keep it as such.

Oh….

Realization struck the Northuldra woman.

Elsa didn’t even know why the hat meant so much to Honeymaren.

She just knew she never went anywhere or did anything without it.

So she would in turn do everything to protect it.

Spirits, how did Honeymaren get so lucky?

She just wished she wasn’t sitting in such an awkward position to kiss Elsa right now.

So instead, she reached slightly behind her where Elsa had moved her hand. Honeymaren pulled it to her front and gently placed it to her lips. “Thank you.” She then moved it down and placed it over her heart. “So much for this being a romantic ride, huh?”

“It’s alright,” Elsa promised. “I’ll just have to have a long talk with Bjorgen when we get back later.”

The reindeer grunted in shock.

“Yeah, that’s right. You’re in trouble now,” Honeymaren teased the creature.

Bjorgen groaned.

“Don’t be such a drama queen like your mother,” Honeymaren joked.

Elsa raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Well you can be,” she shrugged.

Elsa shook her head. “You are impossible.”

The brunette kept the smirk on her face. She could feel Elsa toying with strands of her hair, slowly and carefully beginning to undo the thick, tight, messy braid that always cascaded down Honeymaren’s back. “Says the spirit woman who’s playing with my hair.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

“Maybe I will.”

Part of the remaining ride resulted in silence. But with Elsa, nothing was ever awkward. At least, not for Honeymaren. She knew far too well Elsa herself could be awkward. It was a sight Honeymaren would never grow tired of. There had only been a brief questioning on whether or not Elsa should close her eyes at any point. However, recalling that Elsa was one to loathe surprises, Honeymaren simply told her to act as such when they arrived. Elsa obliged and continued undoing Honeymaren’s braid, gently running her fingers through the strands and, on occasion, brushing against Honeymaren’s back. It was soothing to the brunette and she wished it were a motion that could go on for ages. However, when she realized they were nearing the clearing, she knew she had to inform Elsa.

“We’re here.”

She motioned for Bjorgen to slow down, steadily coming to a stop entirely. Honeymaren slid off his back and approached the thick bushes that blocked their path. Honeymaren pushed the leaves out of the way, clearing a path just enough for Bjorgen to squeeze through. Though Honeymaren took note of Elsa’s curious gaze, the brunette couldn’t help but smirk. Once they were through, Honeymaren followed behind them. She stayed just off to the side, allowing Elsa to take in the view before her.

They had stopped in front of a clearing that had been closed off from the path courtesy of the bushes. It wasn’t spacious enough for most reindeer, but for the two women there was plenty of room. Sprawled out across the center was a blanket and a picnic basket. And circled around that were more purple heather. A number of sturdy trees circled the clearing, branches extending far off into the clear blue sky. However there were a number of breaks between the leaves, allowing just enough room for the sun to shine spotlights through. And, if Honeymaren positioned the blanket correctly, hopefully they would be able to get a view of some of the clouds above if they lay down.

Or, if they were lucky enough to stay for an extended period of time, the stars in the night sky.

“Oh my spirits…” she heard Elsa breathe almost inaudibly.

Honeymaren smiled warmly. She allowed herself to look up at her girlfriend and take in her dazed expression. 

Not to brag, but Honeymaren knew this would be a nice surprise.

She offered her hand to help Elsa down, though it took the blonde a moment to feel for it on the air. She was still so entranced by the sight in front of her. Elsa had commented on how beautiful the forest was many times in the past; but this was one area she had yet to see. It was truly breathtaking.

Oh sure, Honeymaren could imagine Elsa’s view was; being this was her first encounter.

But Honeymaren’s view?

Even more so.

“It’s beautiful….” the spirit whispered.

Honeymaren silently shooed Bjorgen off, instructing him to return to the herd.

She’d prefer not to have any eyes on them from that point forward.

Especially not Bjorgen’s, if his previous reactions had meant anything.

The reindeer huffed quietly and glared at Maren.

She responded by shaking his finger.

He narrowed his gaze.

She pointed.

With the faintest bark, Bjorgen pouted and reluctantly turned back towards the encampment.

She would be hearing from that creature later, Honeymaren was certain. Though she doubted Elsa would mind if Bjorgen were nearby, Elsa was not the type of person to desire an audience for anything. She was a private person and Honeymaren respected that. Their dates were meant to be just that – theirs.

Honeymaren approached Elsa, standing next to her. Then, gently, she took her hand in hers and led her over to the blanket. “I’m sure this doesn’t seem like much,” she confessed softly. “But I know how you are about privacy and space…. I wanted to give you a nice date where it could just be us.”

And where I could ask you to marry me, she thought nervously.

“You just...you do so much for everyone around you. I wanted to be able to do something for you, too,” she finished.

As they slowly sat down and Honeymaren explained her reasoning, she could see pure warmth radiating in Elsa’s eyes. It was almost ironic; they were an icy blue, almost giving the impression they could be just as cold. But it was one of the many things Honeymaren loved about Elsa. Whether they were cold or not, it was true that ice itself could very much be dangerous. But there was also a vast beauty in it. And none more so than in the form of Elsa. Honeymaren for a moment could not read if Elsa was being emotional or just plain speechless. But spirits, there was no expression that didn’t look good on Elsa. Happy; surprised; confused; awkward; appreciative; love; even the negative emotions like sadness or anxiety or fear...they were all perfectly Elsa. There could have been nothing more beautiful in Honeymaren’s eyes.

Yet regardless of her emotion, somehow she always managed to speak in the most elegant manner. “This….” She briefly glanced around them, continuing to take in the sight, before returning her gaze to her girlfriend. “...This is everything.”

Honeymaren smiled. She picked up one of the loose flowers around them, one with a slightly longer stem, and brought it up to Elsa. She paused, making certain that Elsa would be ok with her next movement. When a nod of confirmation came, Honeymaren delicately tucked the flower behind Elsa’s ear and shifted her platinum blonde locks just enough for the flower to hold in place. Her hand separated a little, though hovered close to make sure it remained as such. Elsa’s hand then moved up, grasping Honeymaren’s. A flutter coursed through the brunette’s chest, never tiring of the sensation of their hands intertwining. She placed her forehead forward, gently resting it against Elsa’s. Though the urge to kiss her was always tempting, Honeymaren had been able to recognize in their time together that some moments were so much more intimate than that. To just bask in each other’s warmth. To enjoy each other’s company. To take that precious moment to feel and appreciate what home truly meant. This was one of those moments.

“There is more,” she confessed faintly. Honeymaren reluctantly pulled back and sat upright. She placed her hand on the picnic basket, opening it and then slowly revealing each of the many treats she had packed for them. One by one she took them out, feeling a very puzzled Elsa staring intently at each one.

“Wait...none of these are from Northuldra…” the blonde observed.

“They are not…” Honeymaren admitted.

Elsa blinked. “But where…?”

Honeymaren cleared her throat. “Arendelle.”

“Arendelle?”

“Uh-huh.”

“When was…?”

“So...remember that ‘trip’ I said I was taking with the reindeer?”

“The one that you claimed was for mating season?”

“Maybe….”

“In other words, the one you staged an elaborate lie for in order to explain your disappearance for an entire week?”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say elaborate…”

“Honeymaren.”

“But yes.”

“So you….”

“May have gone to Arendelle to pick up a few things.”

And to ask for Anna’s blessing.

But Elsa didn’t need to know that.

Yet.

Or ever.

There had been a lot of screaming.

Followed by a long lecture.

And more screaming.

And a few threats.

Followed by celebrating.

Then a stare down.

And, finally, the strongest bear hug Honeymaren ever experienced in her life.

“Just a few?” Elsa gasped. “Maren where have you even been keeping these?”

“Yelena’s,” the brunette confessed holding her breath.

Elsa stared blankly.

“You would have found them in my goahti,” she clarified. “And I couldn’t exactly take that chance with these.”

She pulled out the last collection of treats; one Elsa was far too familiar with.

A plate of chocolates, which Elsa quickly recognized as being from Blodgett’s Bakery.

“You didn’t…!” she gasped.

Honeymaren chuckled. “I still have no idea how you can stand these.”

“They’re delicious.”

“They’re so sweet.”

“So are you.”

“I meant disturbingly so.”

“You just have no taste.”

“I’d say my taste runs more…. Frozen.”

She smirked in Elsa’s direction as she unwrapped the chocolates. Honeymaren tried to hold back her laughter as she saw Elsa’s face turn bright red. Of course she knew exactly what she meant.

Shaking her head, Honeymaren removed one of the pieces of candy and offered it to Elsa. The blonde removed it delicately from her girlfriend’s hand and took a small bite out of it. Her chest puffed out, no doubt in some form of shock. How long had it been since Elsa had a piece of chocolate anyway? Likely her last visit to Arendelle, which had been roughly a month ago. That woman really was a chocoholic.

Anna’s words, not Honeymaren’s.

Elsa slowly exhaled as the sweet seemingly melted in her mouth and she closed her eyes, reveling in the taste. She placed her free hand over her heart, as if she were doing it to control herself somehow, before eating the remaining piece. Whether it was cloud nine or some sort of high Elsa was on, Honeymaren had no idea. Nor did she personally understand the appeal of chocolate. To her, they just looked like tiny squares of reindeer droppings.

But that was certainly not a thing to say on a date.

Or while her girlfriend was eating said chocolate.

The two of them enjoyed some easy conversation as they shared the treats. Honeymaren avoided the chocolate, but had absolutely no problem trying to hog the rest. She did it all jokingly, of course. It was entertaining to see Elsa’s playful side, particularly when she tried to take a slice of cake from Honeymaren’s position. Honeymaren dodged yet somehow Elsa’s hand still managed to fall into the dessert. The blonde responded by trying to swat it on Honeymaren’s cheek. The brunette brought Elsa’s hand to her lips and, instead of kissing it in that instance like she typically did, Honeymaren licked the frosting off her fingertip. Elsa jerked her hand back in laughter at the sudden motion, which somehow ended up slapping Honeymaren’s hat. The accessory almost flew off her head, to which Honeymaren had to drop her slice of cake and frantically grasp it to hold on her head. Both of Honeymaren’s hands grasped the brim tightly, hoping to pull it down further onto her head so it wouldn’t waver once again. She had been in genuine shock about it, as had Elsa. The blonde went so far as to apologize profusely. Except then Honeymaren felt guilty. She was only being more protective of it than usual because of her plan. She didn’t want Elsa to feel upset or as though she insulted Honeymaren somehow.

So the Northuldra did what she did best. First she told Elsa to calm down, and then gently placed her hand under Elsa’s chin to force the blonde to focus on her. She told her quite calmly and sincerely that it was all right.

And then she stuck her hand in the cake, covering it with frosting, and booped Elsa’s nose. The blonde jerked back and Honeymaren laughed, jokingly telling her that was her payback.

There really was never a dull moment with Elsa. The woman had so many sides to her. She could go from playful to apologetic to anxious to relaxed all too quickly. And yet none of it caused Honeymaren to falter. It didn’t matter how many different sides she’d seen or hadn’t seen of Elsa. Honeymaren only knew that she wanted to see them all. And as much as she didn’t want to cause Elsa any stress on their date, she was purely selfish in saying that regardless, she was enjoying every second of it. After all, it was Elsa. How could she not?

Eventually they lay down on their backs, gazing up at the sky through the leaves of the trees above them. The sunbeams shone through the breaks and a small breeze occasionally echoed through, causing some of the leaves to loosen from their places and fly across. Honeymaren’s only regret was that she didn’t pick a time when there was less foliage so they could get a better view of the sky, or perhaps she had just been off in her original setup. She had dreamed her whole life of what it looked like, imagining what the mist must have been hiding from them all those years. And though Honeymaren would admit that the sky, whether on a sunny day, cloudy day, stormy night, or clear starry night, was gorgeous, she would still rather stare at Elsa.

Finally, Elsa’s curiosity of their location piqued. “How do you know no one will find us here?”

Honeymaren shrugged. “It’s...it’s kind of a secret spot, actually….” She pulled in her lips and moved her gaze away from her girlfriend and upwards. “Mine and my mother’s.”

She heard Elsa shuffle besides her, likely changing her position to be able to focus fully on Honeymaren.

The brunette scoffed faintly, realizing there was no going back now.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure she had a secret spot that was just for her and Ryder, too,” she quickly covered it up. “But, wherever we were moving to, whether it was in between seasons or to avoid the spirits when they were angered, we always found a way to come here. We would lay here, sometimes on the grass or sometimes I’d be in her lap, and we’d stare up at the sky. She’d tell me stories that the elders shared about the sky. What it looked like. How the clouds shaped. What stars were like. If they had any names or what they meant. I’m not sure how much of it my mother had been able to see before. But she dreamed of getting a glimpse of it again just as much as anyone else here.”

Honeymaren paused, tilting her lips towards the side. She moved one of her hands towards her hat; for once not making sure it was in place but rather in a form of remembrance. For a moment she wondered how her mother would have reacted to everything. Seeing the forest free of the mist. Watching the stars scatter across the sky that first clear night. Seeing the spirits in harmony with their tribe. What would she think of Elsa? Would they get along? Would she be in awe of her? Would she have tried to convince Honeymaren that the Fifth Spirit was so obviously out of her league and she should stop pining over her and focus on the nice women in their tribe? Or would she tease her and go so far as to play matchmaker a la Anna?

Her one hope had been for freedom. What would her new hope be now?

“I just want to make her proud. You know?” Honeymaren spoke after a pause of thought. “Protect my people. Keep the peace. Watch over everyone. Live my best life with the people I care about.” With you, she thought to herself. “I...I just hope she knows all that.”

She felt Elsa’s hand slip over hers, followed by that wonderful airy voice of hers. “I think she does.”

Honeymaren turned her head to see Elsa lying on her side. She had her other hand leaning on the side of her head, elbow propping her up slightly so she wasn’t fully on the ground. A few loose strands of blonde hair fell just over her face yet the flower remained perfectly in place. Honeymaren turned onto her side, facing Elsa fully. She moved her hand off of her hat, paying no mind to it loosening around her frame. Her other hand tilted upwards so it snaked around Elsa’s, caressing it with her thumb in the process.

“I’m amazed by you every day, Maren. Your strength. Your loyalty. Your spirit. All of you. I am so incredibly proud of you and everything that you do. And I could not begin to imagine how your mother must feel every day she looks down on you. I am so honored you brought me here; to the place you’ve only shared with her. I know that must have been difficult for you. It’s been hard for me to open up, to accept. But you have been there, patient, and understanding through it all with me. I want to be able to do the same with you. And please know that however much or little you want to share, whenever that may be, I would like to honor her in some way. Because she gave you to me. And I believe I may speak for the both of us when I say that you are absolutely the greatest gift either of us could have ever asked for.”

Oh fuck.

How the hell did that woman have such a way with words?

Oh right…former Queen of Arendelle.

She spoke with such honesty, compassion, and love.

Elsa had the biggest heart out of anyone Honeymaren had ever met. But to have it on full display like that was only for a select few.

Elsa was proud of her, her ass.

Honeymaren was proud of her…for sharing the most vulnerable part of her and for trusting Honeymaren so deeply to want to share that.

That was exactly why Honeymaren could no longer hesitate in capturing Elsa’s lips in hers. It wasn’t rough, though the idea was quite tempting. But it was certainly out of necessity. She didn’t care if there was still the faintest taste of chocolate on Elsa’s lips, though Honeymaren still found the sweet quite vile. She just needed Elsa. She needed her to know how much those words meant to her. Honeymaren did not have the same gift of language, by any means. But she certainly had the passion. That was what she wanted Elsa to feel.

She grasped Elsa’s hand tighter, flatting it against her chest so she could feel nothing else except Honeymaren’s beating heart. Her other hand snaked up to the nape of Elsa’s neck, gently cupping it and feeling Elsa’s blonde locks completely cover her hand. She pulled back only momentarily to gasp for some air before pressing Elsa’s lips to hers again. She felt Elsa return it that time with more urgency, as if she were responding to Honeymaren’s emotions. Elsa’s hand snagged a few edges of Honeymaren’s hair, only in that moment causing her to realize her braid had been undone that whole time. Honeymaren shifted her body so she hovered over Elsa, causing the blonde to respond by rolling onto her back. Elsa’s hand slid higher up through Honeymaren’s locks, ultimately gripping a fistful of them tightly. It moved higher and higher up to the point where Honeymaren could have sworn her scalp was being massaged by snowflakes. She did her best to hold back a moan at the sensation, but ultimately failed. 

Suddenly, she felt something a bit harder move across her head. Honeymaren’s brows furrowed, only in that moment realizing that Elsa’s hand was under her hat. She ceased the kissing, pulling back ever so slightly. Elsa appeared to have a similar reaction almost simultaneously, save for one major difference.

Her response was out of confusion.

Honeymaren had no idea how to describe her own except for one word.

Busted.

Cautiously, Elsa pulled on the item, which seemed to have snagged onto a few loose strands of Honeymaren’s hair. Elsa’s brows furrowed. Did she see it…? Honeymaren wished she could tell. What was she thinking…?

Her hand was moving in almost a circular motion as she tugged delicately.

Oh. Ok.

Elsa realized Honeymaren had some curls.

That would have been such a wonderful teasing moment if Honeymaren’s plan were not about to completely unravel.

Finally, Elsa removed the ring, holding it carefully between her two fingers.

“What is…?”

Oh. Fuck.

Gulping, Honeymaren scrambled to sit back upright. She pulled herself off of Elsa completely, her hands moving rapidly up to her hat to put it back in place.

“That...that...that...that….”

Well there went the romance!

As Honeymaren stammered like the useless lesbian she completely felt like, Elsa carefully sat up. Her eyes examined the piece of jewelry between her fingers, and then looked to Honeymaren with a lost look.

Such an adorable, equally useless lesbian, lost look.

“Why do you have a ring…?”

“Be...because I…. I…. I….”

“But...you…. I thought the Northuldra didn’t really have…?”

“W...we…. Don’t…. Not really….”

“So then where…?”

“A...Arendelle…?”

“Arendelle??”

“Uh-huh…”

“Wh...why would you have needed to go to Arendelle for a ring?”

Honeymaren held her breath. Ok. Ok, she...she could do this. She just…. Had to get it out. Ask her.

Ok.

Here went.

She inhaled deeply.

“BecauseIheardthat’swhatyoudowhenyouwannamarrysomeone.”

Elsa blinked.

“Wait, what?”

Honeymaren bit the sides of her cheeks. “When I went...to, to Arendelle...I may have...also picked that up….” She grit her teeth in nerves, realizing her explanation was still somehow making Elsa adorably confused. The brunette sighed deeply. “I...I heard that’s what you use there…. We, we use reindeer. But Arendelle…. I….” One final exhale. “I got it for you, Elsa.” Once that was out in the open, Honeymaren allowed herself to explain fully. “I...I know how you are. All the reindeer around watching us...watching you...just waiting and expecting...the audience…. That’s not you. I mean, I mean you are Northuldra. You are absolutely Northuldra. But...but you’re also Arendelle. And that...this...it is you. The ring, the solitude, the grand gesture…. I wanted it to be just for you.”

She waited in anticipation, having no idea what to expect from Elsa after that explanation.

Elsa blinked with wide eyes and a hot pink covered her cheeks, fully highlighting the freckles that so flawlessly blended into her skin tone.

She was completely silent.

The former Queen of Arendelle was rendered speechless.

And as if that weren’t enough, the blabbering mess that escaped her lips shortly after was even more shocking.

“Wha...wait...y...you…. You went…. And, and...the ring…? You...you mean you...and...and this…? You wanted…. Wait, what???”

Under different circumstances, Elsa squeaking out the ‘wait what’ would have left Honeymaren in an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

She should try this again.

“The...a reindeer proposal isn’t you. It wasn’t….” Spirits, how could she even explain it? Honeymaren sighed in defeat. There were no proper words to express what the hell was racing through her mind. “There aren’t enough reindeers in the world to express how I feel about you. When I asked you, I…. I wanted it to be perfect. I wanted it to be perfect for you. You deserve so much more than just the typical Northuldra proposal. The grand Arendellian ones everybody talks about…. The big gestures…. The way they’re catered to each individual person…. You’re meant for so much more, Elsa. Spirits, you are so much more. And...I wanted to be able to give that to you. I wanted to be the one to give it to you.”

At least Elsa seemed to steady herself with Honeymaren’s description.

Still, it would have been so nice to see something other than pure shock across the woman’s face.

Unless it was embarrassment.

Oh crap it was embarrassment wasn’t it?

Then Elsa let out a huge sigh of relief.

Wait, what?

“Maren I would have said yes if you proposed with a damn stick!”

Honeymaren stared at her wide-eyed.

Wait, what?

What did she just say?

Apparently Elsa was asking herself the same thing. Pursing her lips, she quickly slammed her free hand over her mouth.

There was a long pause.

Did…?

Did Elsa just say…?

Honeymaren had never found herself in such shock and captivation at the same time.

She would have said yes even if she proposed with a damn stick.

Suddenly, as if Honeymaren wasn’t even thinking, she looked around her until she found a loose branch on the ground.

It was a thin twig, one not even strong enough to qualify as an arm for Olaf. It was half bent with a single leaf on the end ready to fall off.

But a stick was a stick.

Pulling in her lips, Honeymaren suddenly held it out to Elsa, causing the blonde’s eyes to widen even more. Honeymaren took in her appearance. This was not at all how she imagined it going. She imagined they would have finished all their treats. Maybe the sun would be setting or maybe they’d be able to catch a glimpse of some of the stars. Maybe they’d be sitting up or lying down; Honeymaren wasn’t entirely sure. She just knew that she would look at Elsa and see the most incredible, kind-hearted, beautiful person in her life. She’d start speaking likely referencing the first time she saw Elsa that night she arrived in the forest. Or maybe she’d think about Elsa coming back from Ahtohollan, riding across the sea and returning on the Nokk as the Fifth Spirit, recalling how ethereal and goddess-like Elsa appeared in that moment.

Honeymaren had rehearsed a number of different ways to start her speech.

But they would all end the same.

Praising Elsa.

Thanking her for everything she did.

Not just for the forest, but for Honeymaren.

Saying how honored she was to have even met Elsa.

And even more honored she was to be her girlfriend.

But she wanted to be more than that.

How she pictured their lives going.

Mentioning that maybe Elsa would want something different.

Honeymaren didn’t care; she just knew she wanted….

No.

She needed to spend her life with Elsa.

That was the person she was meant to be with.

That was the only one her heart belonged to.

And then she would ask.

But at this moment?

This completely awkward, unexpected, useless moment.

All she could do was skip right to the question.

Maren lifted her free hand up, slowly removing her hat from her head fully, not once removing her eyes off of Elsa. Squishing the hat in her hand, she pressed it to her chest and kept the stick held out.

“Elsa will you marry me?”

She could see Elsa trying to keep her breaths steady. She could see her eyes water with surprise, though whether it was over Honeymaren actually going through with the stick or just the emotion of hearing the question was unclear. She thought she heard some faint laughter from behind Elsa’s hand…. Was that good?

Elsa’s hand moved away from her mouth and over her heart.

She was happy.

Despite the hiccup of the totally uncalled for moment, she was genuinely happy.

She then lifted her hand, allowing it to hang over the stick. Ice began encasing it, gradually wrapping around the object until the particles reached the very end where the stick and Honeymaren’s hand connected. The ice began circling around it, beginning to take shape.

It was round. Sturdy. A bit cold, though that could have been from the sensation of the magic. But then its form came into full view.

It was a ring.

Nearly identical to the ring Honeymaren had gotten for Elsa save for the lack of a gem.

Or rather, what appeared to be an actual ice crystal.

In the shape of a honeycomb.

Honeymaren stared in awe at the jewelry presented to her. A silent gasp escaped her. Not once had Honeymaren imagined herself wearing any kind of jewelry. Though not uncommon in Northuldra entirely, it was simply never something Honeymaren thought suited her.

But this?

It was beyond words.

The closest possible one to describe it with was the one that left Elsa’s lips.

And it sounded better than Honeymaren ever thought it could.

“Yes.”