June 9, 2019
Schoenburg Castle
Oberwesel, Germany
9:50pm
A small tapping on the glass near where Selena sat forced her eyes to shoot open in surprise. She hadn't fallen asleep, rather closed her eyes as she held her beloved redhead in her arms. She could feel the difference in their clothing, the silkiness of Deanna's white-lace wedding gown, in her hands as she rubbed them up and down Deanna's arms and legs and the smooth fabric that was her black suit the the Snow Queen herself wore. But her hearing overruled all her other senses as the tapping came again, causing the platinum-blonde to twist her head as she felt Deanna lift herself out of her arms.
The two Frost women looked through the women to the source of the sound, only having a second to do so until the car door of said window was pulled open. For a moment, Selena's brain remarked on how odd a choice that was for the person tapping on the window. What if she and Deanna made a run for it? Sprinted out of the car?
They either are VERY confident in their abilities... she mentally laughed. Or they feel we aren't going to do something that stupid.
Dismissing the thought quickly, Selena gazed up at the window-tapper, her eyes taking in the dark blue uniform and the word written across the chest. It was, obviously, written in German, but the young woman didn't need to know the language to know what the word stood for in her tongue.
“You prefer English?” the black woman asked – confirming what had been set by the others that had spoken to the two women.
“Yes, please.” Selena answered automatically. She wanted to scream so many things – things she had already screamed many times that night.
This is a mistake!
This is wrong!
You've got the wrong person!
STOP!
But she bit her tongue. Such remarks had done nothing and she was certain they would do nothing again. Even Deanna was choosing a similar course, simply clinging to her wife as best as she could while she listened.
“We're going to be heading out in another short bit. I'm sorry you've had to wait.” the dark-skinned woman offered kindly.
“It's...alright.” was all Selena could say. “We still don't understand any of this...”
The woman could only nod her head before politely shooing the couple back a little so she could close the car door once more, returning to her work with her other co-workers.
“And it looks like that isn't going to change.” the platinum-blonde grumbled quietly, though she suddenly felt her wife stirring.
“I don't know what to say.” Deanna whispered, lifting herself up to face Selena. “What can I say for any of this?”
Selena looked away for a moment before returning her gaze to Deanna's – emerald meeting sapphire. Reaching her hands up, she caressed her wife's cheeks with one. “Just tell me you love me...”
In less than a second, she felt warm hands touching hers, Deanna grasping the pale-hand of her wife as tears, once more, fell down her eyes.
“I love you.” she whispered, as if it were so fragile a truth that she feared it would shatter. “I love you. I love you! I love you!” she repeated, growing in strength though her voice remained a whisper.
Leaning forward, Selena's brushed her lips against Deanna's forehead as she held her wife once more. “And I love you.” she whispered. “More than anything.” she added as she felt her wife press herself against her own lean frame. It was the best she could do.
Not like I can do any better...
The rain had decided to come and get all its work done for the week, it seemed, for the day had started in the throngs of a rather fierce storm. From several of the windows of the rooms of the guests, one could see the storm clouds as they spread throughout the castle grounds and down into the small town of Oberwesel below. Even the large lake near the town was getting filled with more water, the sight of droplets along the surface observable towards the horizon.
But it was the sound that Selena enjoyed as she sat on the couch, awkwardly reading the piece of fan-fiction that was on her Ipad. She had always loved reading – and had often stuck with “published works” but - what could she say? Her wife had gotten her hooked some time ago on the writings of the average individual. Some were originals, others were shipping – combinations of characters from shows or movies that weren't part of the cannon of the story. Selena didn't really read alot of those, simply because she liked to read original works – which is what she found herself engrossed in. It was a story about a Demon Queen and a female mage in a world that was like those Dungeon and Dragon games her beloved daughter, Elsianna, had played before. The Queen was a powerful creature – guarded and strong – while the mage was merely a human. True, it was obviously a concept of “two different worlds finding love” but it just seemed so... genuine to the Snow Queen.
Whoever the writer – she gazed at the information at the top of her current page – GizmoDrop was the username – was, they had obviously felt passionate about the writing of this story and it showed in every word and every grammatical and typo error.
It's just feels real. She thought to herself as she continued to read.
With arms shaking. Aurora reached out towards the much smaller human. “What are you doing?” Mina asked, her form shaking in both fear and – the mage was surprised to feel – excitement and hope.
“I want...” the demon queen whispered, her breath hitching in her throat. “I want to hug you.”
“Hug me?” laughed Mina in surprise. “Why do you look like you're trying to grab hold of a fire, then?”
Aurora looked away uncomfortably. “I've never...” her voice trailed off, causing the raven-haired mage's eyes to widen.
“You've never hugged before? Never been held?”
The half-dragon demon's biting of her lower lip and shaking her head was the only answer she could give, and it was all the shorter Mina needed to see. Without thinking, she threw her arms around the much taller woman, pressing herself against the firm form of the most powerful demon in Talsora!
A sliver of a smile reached Selena's lips as she read the scene, but she felt the shift of pressure as the bundle lying on her shifted. This was the reason reading was difficult at the moment, for though the Snow Queen was sitting up against the large frame that held the window – allowing her to hear the sounds of the storm outside – she also had a particular redhead nestled up against her, catching a quiet nap and using the taller Frost as her pillow as she settled between Selena's legs.
Shaking her head, Selena placed her Ipad down on the window-sill before wrapping her arms around Deanna, holding her there as she nuzzled the redhead's crown. The day had just begun its morning, which is why both women were in their nightgowns. The sun had risen an hour ago, awakening Selena and prompting her to sit by the window to read. Only five minutes later, a grumpy Deanna, without saying a word, had gotten out of bed, marched over to her wife, plopped herself down, and snuggled up to Selena, before immediately going back to sleep.
She doesn't like sleeping without me... Selena sighed, gently rubbing her hands along the soft contours of Deanna's back and arms. It was a fact that the Snow Queen shared. It was certainly not impossible for either woman to sleep with the other, but after years of marriage and love, this was the preferred method of sleeping. In one another's arms. The position rarely mattered and varied. What was important was the warmth and safety the two felt with each other – a product of the love they shared.
While the thought did make the young wrestler smile, it also made her jaw clench and her arms tighten around her wife protectively. The nights sleeping without her Deanna – her pet – had increased in frequency thanks to her job. Or rather, one damned bastard who worked where she worked. With Gerda acting as baby-sitter for the children, Deanna had been able to travel with her wife far more often, going with Selena on the luxury bus – the “Believe It!” tour bus. In fact, Selena smiled at the memory, the pair had reached a personal record a couple of months ago when they had gone seventeen nights in a row sleeping together. And Selena had still perform her wrestling commitments without much difficulty!
That all had changed the night she had lost the United States Championship. It had been Xander attacking her bus, smashing a window with a sledgehammer, while her Deanna was inside, that had distracted her and allowed Giovanni Aries to take the match and the title from her. While she prayed for the chance to regain it at some point, Selena had been more concerned with her wife, obviously. Since that terrible night, she had not allowed Deanna to accompany her to shows, instead having the redhead stay home with the children.
She hated it. Hated how Xander, unknowingly, had stolen something so precious to her. Something he had no right to take. It was worse than Giovanni stealing the title from her or any of the times the Beauty Network – particularly Sienna Swann – had stolen matches and nicknames from her. That was all part of the business. That was something that came with the territory.
This wasn't. Her wife – like her family - was off-limits! Their private life was just that. Private. Or it deserved to be. But Selena couldn't chance that now.
With a sigh, the platinum-blonde closed her eyes and rested her head against the window-sill, letting the sound of raindrops and thunder fill her ears, along with the sound of her wife's breathing, soft and quiet as it was. The older Frost felt warm, almost floating after a while, feeling sleep take her.
She wasn't sure what first caused her to stir out of it. Was it the soft hand caressing her face? Was it the loud thunder that struck from the storm? Or was it the soft lips pressed against hers?
Either way, she felt herself being gently lifted from the drifting dark and her body reacted as she pressed herself into the kiss, her eyes fluttering open for a moment to see the mane of red. A second was all she needed before she closed her eyes and pulled her wife flush into her embrace, hearing and feeling a gasp of surprise from Deanna as Selena gripped her read and squeezed, causing the younger woman to break away from the kiss with a smile.
“Well, hello to you too!” she beamed, eyes dancing as she took in her wife.
“Shouldn't I say that?” smirked Selena, pulling Deanna in for another soft kiss.
“Mmmm.” hummed Deanna. “I don't care if you have morning breath. I love you.” she teased.
“Me?” laughed Selena in-between now playful kisses. “You're” kiss “the” kiss “one” kiss “who started” kiss kiss “this.” kiss kiss kiss.
The two laughed as Deanna leaned away. “Please.” she shook her head. “You're addicted to my kisses and I'm just helping you out.”
“Oh is that what it is?” Selena raised an eyebrow. “And how did you get on this windowsill with me?”
“Because I'm addicted to all of you.” Deanna shrugged. “That includes cuddling.”
“Oh I see.” Selena shook her head. “You're a dork, you know that?”
“Yeah. But I'm your dork.” Deanna teased by sticking out her tongue.
“Yes you are.” Selena sighed, leaning in to cup her wife's face and kiss her once more.
Leaning back, Selena's eyes took in the clock on the nightstand by their bed. “Oh wow. I was asleep here for two hours. The children should be awake by now.”
Deanna nodded and quickly shuffled off her wife, the Snow Queen releasing an involuntary, quiet whine, causing Deanna to stop suddenly and eye her, Selena's own eyes going wide at the sound she did not do on purpose.
“Did you just whine?” Deanna half-smiled, half-gawked.
A slight red blush colored Selena's cheeks as she scratched the back of her own head. “I...yeah, kinda”. She cast a look back to her standing wife. “I like holding you.”
The surprise was replaced on Deanna's face, changed to one of absolute adoration as she tilted her head. “I like being held by you.” she stated openly and honestly, all thoughts of teasing out of her voice. “And I love how much you need me.” she admitted, reaching out her hands to take Selena's. “You know I need you just as much, right?”
Selena only nodded as the redhead helped her up, the Snow Queen instantly feeling the pains in her back, neck and legs from being seated too long in such a position. With a groan, she stretched her arms and left leg to try and get everything back in order, hearing a pop or two in certain places as she did. “Still storming out.” she stated without looking, hearing the sounds from behind her.
Deanna nodded. “You think Gunther has any games for the kids? I can't imagine them cooped up in their rooms all day.” she asked, turning to walk around the room, gathering and setting clothes on the bed.
“I imagine he has some things.” Selena stated. “And we brought some of our own. Plus, I told David and Elsa to bring at least a couple of chapter books.”
“I'm glad.” Deanna flashed her a quick grin before she finished lying out a pair of jeans and an emerald-green t-shirt, along with her underwear. However, she continued to move towards the dresser, opening another one to pull out a different set of underwear and socks, these ones a little more – was sexier the right word? Selena wasn't sure, but she preferred the lace and designs rather than just the simple panties Deanna often wore.
“What are you thinking?” Deanna asked with a smile. “Blue jeans and...” her voice trailed off before pulling out a dark purple long sleeve strap slim t-shirt, the laces being black and at the side.
Selena spied the attire and her wife giving a raised eyebrow before nodding her head. “Yeah, I'll go with that.” she smiled, taking the jeans and shirt and lying it next to Deanna's clothes. The two then remained silent as they gathered their towels, moved into the bathroom, undressed and began showering together, the space large enough to accommodate both of them...
The shower, itself, took about an hour and a half, a little longer than usual – for marital reason – but the two Frost women had managed to make up for it by hurrying through their grooming, both Deanna and Selena settling on only a little makeup and leaving their hair free. Together, they rushed out of their room and ran even faster across the stoned paths to reach the main-castle lobby where most of the social rooms were kept, Deanna's hand never leaving Selena's as they ran.
With a huff, they practically burst into the main-castle building before casting their eyes out back towards the storm they had run through.
“Remind me why we needed the shower?” Selena joked, running a hand through her damp hair.
Deanna, though, refused to miss a beat. “Well, I couldn't exactly make love to you outside, could I?” she mocked. “People could see us!”
Oh she thinks she's coy! Selena thought, her initial shock at Deanna's brazen answer quickly wearing off.
“As opposed to just hearing us?” she shot back. “Pretty sure we should have rented the tower – there are room buildings not too far from us.” she flick-raised her eyebrows in silent challenge.
“Are you saying I'm loud?” Deanna asked in mock-shock and mock-hurt, resting her hands on her hips.
“I'm just saying that if the walls could talk, the ones on the other side of the building would say 'Keep it down, will ya!'.” Selena countered playfully.
“To me or you, Mrs. 'Oh yea! Right there! Don't stop! Please!'?” Deanna moaned and gasped, her imitation of her wife causing a blush to race across Selena's face, especially when the redhead pressed her chest against Selena's for added benefit. The Snow Queen's mouth hung open, unable to make much of a sound, allowing Deanna to grin like a Cheshire cat as she ran her hands up her wife's front and around her neck. “Some people sing in the shower...” she leaned in close, so only her wife could hear, her breath warm against Selena's ear. “Some make love...” she whispered before latching onto her wife's earlobe and sucking on it with her lips and teeth, earning a shiver from Selena.
“Okay...” Selena gasped in defeat. “You win.”
Immediately, Deanna was off her, hopping up and down with a bright, childish smile. “Yay!” she cheered before leaning in to give her wife a quick peck on the cheek before strolling further into the large lobby.
Closing her eyes to catch her breath and calm herself, the platinum-blonde gave a quick jerk of her head in a mixture of exasperation and adoration before walking to catch up with her wife. Immediately, the pair could smell the unmistakable scents of breakfast foods: eggs, bacon, french-toast, the maple syrups-
“Love this...” Deanna whispered, her eyes closed as she inhaled the man scents, Selena doing the same and giving a hum in agreement.
“Die Fraulen Selena and Deanna!” cried out the happy voice in a mixture of German and English, gaining the women's attention towards the corner of the room, their eyes scanning over the multiple tables, some with people (guests that they both recognized for their upcoming ceremony), and some that they either didn't or they were empty. It was the business season again for the castle, so it did not surprise Selena that others had booked the castle for vacations – the place was big enough for more than just their group, she reasoned.
Feeling a tug on her arm, Selena, seeing the source of the voice, was guided by her beaming wife as they made their way to the table in the corner, Deanna offering a kind “Hi, guys!” to the group. Immediately, she spied the merry man Gunther, who had called them, Gerda, the Frosts' Manhattan neighbour/friend/babysitter, and Selena's children. The group greeted them with warm smiles, baby Amiliah bouncing up and down in her secured high-chair at the sight of her mommies. Everyone was dressed in a variety of casual, comfortable clothes like them – the only exception to those two statements (the clothes and the bright smiles), merely stared up at Selena with slight smile. She dressed in a black, lace outfit and her hair was done in a tight bun.
For the Snow Queen, it was the cause for her focus to become laser-focused on the chair beside the young girl and with a squeeze of Deanna's hand, she moved to do so, her eyes locked on her oldest daughter as she took her seat.
“Hello, snowflake.” she greeted in a quiet voice, her daughter's eyes (blue like hers) flashing up to greet her.
“Hello, mother.” she said quietly.
As Deanna sat down on the opposite side of the table, across from Selena, the two waited for a bit while the others ate the food they had collected from the buffet table, Deanna even helping Amiliah now that she was there.
A quick glance from the Snow Queen, however, revealed to her the small pieces of fruit and only two pieces of bacon on her oldest daughter's plate.
“Are you...” she began, tucking a few stray strands of platinum hair behind her ear. “Going light for the first round?” she added a playful tone as she addressed Elsianna.
“No...” the child whispered. “I'm just not very hungry...”
“Not very hungry?” Selena asked in some surprise. “Ms. I-Can-Eat-My-Weight-In-Waffles?' she teased, recalling many a breakfast buffet she had shared with her children and her oldest proving such a thing.
Instead, her Elsa just shrugged.
“Well...” Selena thought for a moment, as she took in the multiple conversations at the table. “I'm going to make an attempt. Did you want to come with me?” she placed a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder, which was enough for the girl to push herself out of her chair and give a nod of her head before following her mother to the massive tables of silver trays and round bins.
“So...” Selena offered, getting a plate for herself. “How are the exercises going for your hands?” she asked, casting a glance at Elsianna's said appendages. They were tucked in the sleeves of her shirt and hearing the question, Elsa quickly placed them behind her back.
“Fine.” she answered quietly.
“I'm glad.” Selena nodded with a smile. “Are you excited about being the ring bearer?”
It had been an easy choice for the Frost wives. Elsianna was their oldest daughter and they wanted her to be involved with a such a wonderful event. David, of course, was a little jealous, but Gunther had stepped, making him a fellow usher like himself – which David had accepted happily. The young boy didn't understand how much Elsianna needed this – even Elsa didn't understand. Ever since that day – the day Aaron Stanton burned Elsianna's arms with a match and hair spray – their daughter had changed. Gone was the energetic, doe-eyed, 'magic is real' child they knew and loved. Instead, Elsianna rarely spoke unless spoken to, always dressed in long sleeves and kept her hands and arms hidden at all times. Selena and Deanna had tried to comfort her and bring her out of her shell, but had had no success. This idea – Elsianna as the ring-bearer – seemed perfect...
“Actually, mother...” Elsa tried. “About that...”
Selena turned her head as she spied the waffles sitting on a tin, too perfect to ignore. “Should I get waffles?” she asked playfully, biting her lower lip.
Clenching her mouth shut, though her eyes went wide, Elsianna nodded her head.
“Okay...two? Three?” Selena was slow, deliberate with her actions, as she placed one waffle at a time on her plate. “Four?”
“Four.” Elsianna whispered in an answer.
“Four it is!” Selena exclaimed before lowering herself to her knees so she was more on level with Elsianna. “But something is missing...” she stated, tilting her head this way and that as she examined the breakfast plate. “What do you think, Elsa?”
Elsianna eyes the plate and – it came – the loud growling from the pit of the child's stomach!
“Knew it.” Selena smiled coyly. “You're hungry.”
“No...No I'm not...” Elsianna shied away, turning to look at the floor.
“Snowflake...” The answers came to Selena like lightbulbs flashing on. “What if we sit somewhere...” she pointed to a smaller table in another corner of the room. “Over there? Just you and me?”
“But...” Elsianna's voice shook. “That would be rude.”
“It would be rude if we simply ignore your tummy.” Selena countered. “Besides, I'm allowed some private time with my ring-bearer. Wedding rules and all that.”
Biting her lower lip, Elsianna cast a quick glance at the group she had been sitting at, all of them still in their conversations, before turning back to gaze at her mother. “Okay.” she whispered, a sparkle in her eyes.
“Okay!” Selena smiled, getting back to her feet. “So...does your stomach want maple syrup? Butter?”
With barely any hesitation, Elsianna pointed a tucked in hand towards the tins. “Crispy chicken on the side, bacon on the side, maple syrup and rainbow sprinkles...” her voice trailed off. “... please.”
Selena gathered all the requested items and needed cutlery before shuffling over to the new table. She cast a quick glance at Deanna, the redhead nodding her head in understanding as Selena gestured with her free hand that she and Elsianna were sitting at another table. Once the Snow Queen had her daughter all situated, she rushed back to the buffet table to grab some fruit, bacon, ham and two waffles with syrup (not nearly as much as on her daughter's plate).
As she sat down opposite her daughter at the table, Selena could see Elsa's eyes wide as she stared at the rainbow creation.
“Dig in!” encouraged the young mother as she cut her own waffle and sunk her teeth into the sweet, buttery taste.
Slow at first, Elsianna pulled her hands out of her sleeves. With no one around to see her, except her mother, she was able to show her hands. Selena took in the pale-white skin and the long, web-like scars that ran across her entire hand. A pang of sadness filled her heart for a moment that her baby's hands and forearms were so changed, but it was replaced with a silent thanks that the girl still had full use of her hands. Still, Selena saw the slight shake her daughter's hands had but she kept quiet as Elsianna picked up the fork and knife and began cutting into the pile of waffles. She waited until Elsa had taken a bite before smiling brightly at her child.
“Good?” she asked, earning a nod from her daughter, who tried to smile as her mouth was filled with waffle! “I'll take that as a 'yes'.”
The two are in silence, but Selena made sure to notice every smile and sparkle in her daughter's face and eyes as she ate. This! This was their daughter, and she despised the Stantons for almost taking that girl away from her and Deanna.
There was no questioning that family was the most important thing to Selena – it was what this entire event was truly all about. Her dearest friends and loved ones, the most important people in her life, there to share in the love between her and the most important person in her life. With a soft smile, she turned her head to eye her wife across the room once more. The redhead, needing a moment before she spied her wife, gave a teasing wink before pointing to her heart and then pointing at Selena. Selena titled her head, dreamily looking at Deanna before she heard-
“You love mom very much, don't you...” the voice came from Elsianna and earned her attention.
“Of course, sweetheart.” Selena shuffled over to sit beside Elsianna. “With all my heart – just like with you and your brother and sister.”
“What about Obi?” Elsa asked, referring to their white husky, Oberon.
Selena rolled her eyes. “Obi, too.” she added. “There is nothing I wouldn't do for you and the rest of our family.”
The cry of another child – a plea for chocolate - interrupted Selena as the pair spied another family – one neither recognized – shuffle into the section of the room, taking a seat a short distance away, their plates filled with food. The group of three, a man and woman and a young boy, around David's age, cast a glance towards Selena and Elsianna before turning their attention back to themselves – except for the boy. He kept staring at the two Frost members and it wasn't until it was too late until Selena realized why.
“Mommy! Mommy!” cried the boy, tugging on the sleeve of her mother. “What's the matter with that girl's hands?!” he asked loudly, pointing at, not Selena, but Elsianna!
“Behave yourself!” ordered the woman curtly. “You're being very rude, Ethan!”
“But her hands are all weird! She has 'monster hands'! Is she a monster?!”
“Ethan!” this voice came from the father, who eyes his son sharply. “That is more than enough!”
The parents threw an apologetic look at Selena, who merely smiled and forgave them with a wave of her hand, but her head jerked back as she heard the 'clang-clang' of silverware being dropped onto the table. Her eyes took in the sight of the dropped cutlery before she saw the pale hands above them shaking uncontrollably.
Uh no... Selena's mind cried, her hands reaching out to take the trembling hands into her own. “Elsianna! No!” she quietly implored. “Don't listen to that... you do not have-”
“Yes, I do...” the child sobbed in a whisper, tears falling from her eyes. “I can't do anything with these stupid things...”
With a yank, she pulled her hands out of her mother's grasp and, once again, pulled them into the sleeves of her shirt. “I'm sorry, mommy.” she cried. “I can't be your ring-bearer. I can't be anything-”
Was all she could say before she was up and sprinting out of the room.
“Elsianna! Elsianna!” Selena called back, pushing herself out of her chair and rushing for the door! But by the time she got out, her daughter was nowhere in sight, lost in the storm raging outside.
“What happened?” the voice came from behind her, causing Selena to turn to see her beautiful wife. A quick explanation from the platinum-blonde and the two were quickly on their way, rushing through the storm to find their daughter...