"A tale exists in Arendale about a king forever cursed to walk a terrifying blizzard by a spiteful witch." the old man spoke with a calm tone as he peeked over his book the kids laid staring amazement dancing in their eyes, drawing a small chuckle from the old story teller. "The kind King was fair to all never once betraying his people." he stopped again turning the page his eyes looking over the words "It wasn't until a thief posing as poor maiden broke into his court convincing the King that bandits had taken her mother demanding the Kings crown in trade." the story was once again interrupted by the turning of pages. "The King approached the maiden placing his crown in her dirty hands with a beaming smile sent her own her way." the elderly gentleman looked away as he grasped a cup from the side table bringing it to his lips his eyes finding the next set of words placing the cup back on the small table before picking up where he left off. "The next month the very same maiden approached the courted pleading for his crown again to which the King kindly handed over his crown again and again." the elderly man gave a heartfelt sigh as he looked over the book again his emerald eye falling on the young red-haired girl who sat in front eagerly awaiting the next passage. "Anna, you already know this story?" he quipped as his green eye looked over the smiling girl again.
"I know I know it's just my favorite story!" Anna whispered tilting her head down as well as giving him a quivering lip.
"Alright, alright." he waved her down as she settled back among the other children. "Now as winter grew closer the king visited again by the same maiden, she approached the court but before she asked the king stopped her" he read his eye tracing the diagram that illustrated the words. "I know that you have come for my crown but I offer you one of equal value, he waved as his retainer brought before him the most elegant crown set with a gold reef with sapphires as bright blue as the maidens eyes." a short cough cut the story short as closed the book "Sorry little ones that's all this time." he coughed again as he waved to the kids "We will continue tomorrow." he shouted as Anna waltzed toward the door with a company of the kids playing around her.
"Anna if you could spare a moment?" he coughed motioning for her to come closer "this book is my most prized possession, I know you love this story so I'm going to give you this book." he gave a slight smile as he placed the old book in her arms letting his fingers rest on the old leather "Just be sure to take very good care of it." he sighed as he rubbed his one eye brushing the solitary tear from his cheek.
"Of course!" she began to bubble with excitement bringing the book to her chest before spiraling toward the door pulling the door open before jumping out onto the small stone road running toward the castle.
"I wonder if he would even recognize you?" the old storyteller chuckled his breath wheezed out as he took another sip of water "or me?" he laughed giving a few short coughs as he gazed out of his window.
Anna softly tapping in a short rhythm as she past the iron gate into the large courtyard her eyes scanning the bench on the far side of the courtyard her heels still taping in a soft rhythm as she sat bring the large leather bound book to her lap grasping the red ribbon that marked his place pulling pages open to the last page that was read.
"Now where did he leave off?" Anna whispered as her finger traced the sentences after sentence the wind picking up around the courtyard picking up the fallen petals and leaves into small torrent before the wind shot toward the bench slamming the book shut nearly pinching Anna's fingers with the pages.
"You can't!" the voice echoed behind her drawing her gaze from the thick bear trap of a book her eyes settled on an elderly maid who shuffled with numerous older staff each carried a look of panic. Anna's eyes found their way to the center of the massive crowd eyeing Elsa the older sister carried a look of disinterest as they continued to hound around her.
"Ma'am please the town won't wither away from a small storm like this" the butler shouted pushing his way to the center of the chaos pushing the maid out of the circle of staff.
"This is Arendale's chance at becoming a thriving country again, I can handle a storm!" Elsa replied giving the waning staff a confident grin her eyes darting through the ever moving collection of staff still vying for her attention spotting Anna still sitting with the large book now placed at her side.
"Ma'am, the storm will pass in a day or two!" the tailor shouted pushing the cook out of his way as the group followed into the throne room leaving the young Anna alone puzzled. Anna shrugged as she opened the book thumbing the pages stopping at the page that the book had slam shut on "the king then bowed placing the crown in the young maidens left hand his crown in her right, the thief felt a roar borrowing inside her dropping both crowns she leapt into the king's arms tears upon her cheek." she read aloud her eyes filling with joy from the re-reading the old passages "The kingdom was now blessed by a Queen a soft smile filling the kingdom with warmth, for a time the kingdom was at peace until the king's most loyal retainer cursed by paranoia trekked to the highest peak to an old witch, the witch eager to take the kingdom for her own gave the Retainer a vile warning him to never let it out of his sight." a slight cough dragged Anna from the pages her eyes fell over the books binding to find Olaf and Kristoff sitting among the staff that just a minute ago hounded Elsa the tears beading in their eyes as they listened "keep going" Olaf waved pushing the book to her nose.
"The Retainer's trip back to the castle was long it wasn't until he arrived in the city to learn of kings child a baby as pure as her father with the thieving skills of her mother, the Retainer's heart, and mind softened as his own new born daughter grew close to the kings child." she took a second glance at the picture the images seemed to resonate in her mind the pictures playing out like an old memory in her head. The gentle tapping on the book brought her out her muddled thoughts.
"I can take over." Kristoff whispered looming over the book almost tipping over as Anna pulled the book from his hand.
"Don't touch." she mouthed with a look of annoyance lowering the book back to resume the passage "the Kingdom was soon plagued with a freezing wind that froze fields and lakes drawing the kingdom into a spiral of decay with the witch spreading lies among the people the witch knowing of the retainers soft heart however she was unaware of a child's curious nature finding the vile cold to the touch her breath twisting with the air now sooner the vial fell to the floor shattering against the cold floor the contents now empty !?" Anna stopped her finger running back through the passage to reread.
"Anna!" Elsa called approaching the crowd "I didn't know you took over Dresher's job?' she inquired as the castle staff rose to attention. The courtyard soon filled with a forceful wind slamming the book shut as the sun took refuge behind the mountains the clouds covering what little sunlight was left. Leaving the large storm that poured over the mountain side like fog setting in on a lake "let's go, everybody inside!" she motioned waving the staff inside as the biting blizzard began heaping over the castle walls.
"Elsa, do you remember this story?" Anna asked as the door slammed shut her mind still full of questions as her hands franticly searched for the book before stammering off toward the door. "Kristoff did you see what I did with the book!?" Anna panicked as she looked among the castle staff her eyes scanning their hands looking for any sign. "It's still outside!" she shouted as she grasped the doors handle pulling the door open with the wind helping the door fly open a flurry of snow cascading around the hall the wind taking Anna from her upright position the garden outside was quickly caked in Ice the wind blowing the very flowers from the dirt they rested in Anna slowly crawled her hand outstretched to the bench the wind's icy breath stinging her face behind her eyes closed as she crawled forward her hand brushing against the hardcover. The cold sting of the wind suddenly disappeared her eyes fluttering against the frost the hung on her eyes looking up at the tall behemoth of a man stood reaching downward placing the hard covered book in her arm shortly after his hand wrapped around Anna's arm and with a swift jerk sent her sliding back into the great hall within a few seconds later the large hand gripped the door pulling it with ease as if the wind carried no strength against him.
"Anna are you all right!?" Kristoff shouted pulling the tome from her hands sending it sailing across the floor pulling his coat off laying it gently across her chest.
"What happened?" Olaf inquired as he jogged to her side only for Kristoff to push him back a few inches.
"I think she could use a little less cold." he quipped quickly pushing the snowman back again.
"Elsa, are you not concerned for your sisters safety?" the maid asked as she covered Anna with a small blanket. Elsa walked toward the door waving her finger as if she was directing a small melody causing the snow to melt from the door her fingers slid around the door handle pulling the door open with the aid of the roaring wind the strong torrent blew the book open the pages played out a tale of the witch casting a spell on the young princess only for the King to intervene, the King defying the witch led her to curse the kind man to follow an everlasting storm until his heart was as Icy as the storm itself.
"I trust Kristoff and Olaf." she waved as she stepped out to the frozen utopia the winds seemed to stream around her as the door slammed shut behind her.
"I see you're still a curious girl." the gruff voice guided her attention the bench a large man sat his emerald eyes watching the warping wind "you better get inside!" he shouted holding the frozen camellia to his nose the heat he exuded seemingly thawed the plant only for it to freeze again as he moved it from his face.
"I've been waiting for you." she responded calmly stepping toward the towering man her face still gave the convincing stair.
"That's the first time I've heard that in a while." he responded raising his hand raising to pat the young woman's head leaving the Elsa's hair a mess "I know what you want, but is it best for them." he sighed as he handed her miniature sculpture of a small badger the detail seemed to suggest that it was not his first. "You really should burn that book." he waved his hand nearly brushing Elsa's nose as his other hand plucked another camellia from its frozen bed.
"It's the only memento he has of you." she sat next to him looking over the small piece of wood "It hurts him." her face carried a solemn look "It hurts me." she shouted bringing his Iron clad gaze back to her "I love Anna." Elsa admitted as she stood twirling her hand to raise an Ice sculpture of Anna before them.
"I know." he breathed slowly as he looked up at the ice a gently smile formed.
"No you don't" she murmured as she sat took the seat next to him "Artemus, I can't hide this, and it would be much easier with your help!" Elsa spoke looking up to the twisting winds above them her hand slowly raised toward the sky her cheeks stained a bright red "I can tear down this prison" her voice seemingly drawing his attention from the statue.
"I can't let that woman take her rage out on Arendale!" his face betraying his gruff voice.
"So much for the kind king" Elsa whispered turning away from him as he looked down at her his eyes still carrying his concern.
"That woman can't come back here" he shouted his face became flushed with color "I can't face her!" the large coat came crashing to the ground his hands clasping together with frosted beads of sweat crystallizing on his cracked forehead his hands shaking slightly.
"Oh please." she sighed bringing her finger to the frozen torrent in the sky within an instant the storm fell to the ground the sky around carried a soft light as the moon illuminated the courtyard his eyes looking out among the stars as a small black flower sprung up from behind them a small vine wrapping around Elsa's heel the other slinking around Artemus's leg, "It's all like I remember."
"Yes still creaking under the frozen weight." the honeyed voice coaxed both their attention to the plant behind them a purple mist sprouting from the open bud as a tall woman emerged from the purple fog "What, no hug?" the young woman asked stepping from the plant to the ground the snow melting around her heels "that's no way to treat your dear mum" she laughed with her arms spread to the side.
