36. Our muses sitting at their child’s sickbed.
The day faded into the soft twinkling glow of twilight and the green and blue ribbons of light stretched over the skies of Norway. Yet with all the beauty they cast over the land Elsa and Quirin could enjoy none of it. Not the shimmering of the light against the gabled rooftops of Arendelle, not the way the waves crested crashed in a spray of glittering droplets. They saw none of that from where they sat.
Delicate fingers held the boy’s hand as Elsa and Quirin hovered at Varian’s bedside. He’d been troubled by terrible coughs, a molten fever and a restless sleep. Too much ache for a young body to bear. Perhaps the Trolls could help, but the teen was in no condition to travel.. All they could do was watch him, help him through the harsh nights and be there to pull him out when dawn finally broke and he could be free of this blight.
Elsa’s gaze pulled away from Varian and she scanned over Quirin’s face. The wrinkles upon his brow more pronounced from the weight of his concern. The Queen’s heart bled for him. For her this was painful but for him it was AGONY. This was his child. His baby. He’d seen the boy grow, mature. Seen him learn to walk, to play…
Exhaling a heavy breath, Elsa stood and walked around the foot of the bed to the other side where Quirin sat. A gentle hand rested on his shoulder, thumb gently brushing over the fabric of his shirt. Offering what reprieve from the pain she could.
“He’s going to be okay…” She told him, her voice barely more than a whisper. But, not to her surprise he didn’t seem to hear her.
“Hey-..” She persisted, taking his jaw tenderly in her hand and turning his face to look up at her. They were both weary. To the point where if they didn’t take a break they might find themselves sick as their boy. There had to be rest for them. They wouldn’t have a choice. She smiled, careful and tired… But sincere. She repeated. “… He’s going to be okay.”
And without a moment’s hesitation she wrapped her arms around his strong neck and pulled him against her, letting his head rest against her chest. Her fingers combed through his soft brown hair as she let him rest on her. Giving him a safe place to lean while life threatened to pull him down.
“It’ll be okay…. I promise.”
