Elinor was looking at her crown. Her crown scared her a little now. Watching it sit on the table.
Merida had brought it back to her a couple of days after their adventure.
Queen Elinor and King Fergus were going to be sitting on their thrones again to talk with the clan-chiefs some more before they sailed home.
But Elinor was afraid if she put the crown on again, she wouldn't be who she was now anymore.
She had carefully put it down before going into the stream to try catching fish to eat. She had been so hungry, even after all the fish Merida had caught for her, but she hadn't wanted to loose the crown. She had felt the tug of the bear on her almost as soon as she changed; to be the bear, the beast, wild and untamable.
She had needed the crown and clothes as a shield against that. But it hadn't been enough. She had lost herself to the bear. She had hurt her own daughter.
It had hurt a lot when she had learned that Merida had done this to her. She had asked herself if she hadn't been a good mother? But the answer was no, she hadn't been. She had been working so hard trying to be a good queen, trying to teach Merida to be the perfect princess, that she had forgotten to be a good parent.
How many times had she railed to her dog at the unfairness of her own parents when she had been Merida's age?
She had had to marry Fergus to solidify the alliance between the clans. At first it she had been content to be his wife, but he was good at war; he was less good at peace. So she had stepped up to bolster him and his rule. To make the clan stronger.
She had needed the crown to remind the clan that she was the queen and to be obeyed.
But now she realized that she was the crown. The crown had defined her so much, it allowed her to be powerful but it had made her forget herself.
She had lost herself to the crown as much as she had lost herself to the bear. Elinor shivered.
Queen Elinor still needed to rule but Elinor loved her husband and children like she hadn't since they had first been together. And she wanted to love them like she loved them now forever.
Queen Elinor may have walked into a brawl and taken the clan-chiefs in hand like rowdy children, but Elinor had thrown off the clans to protect her daughter and had fought and defeated Mor'du himself to save her family.
"Elinor, The clan-chiefs are ready," said Fergus from the door.
"Yes, dear. I'll be right in." Not looking away from the crown.
The crown did not control her, would not control her.
Elinor picked up the crown and with shaking hands put it on her own head. She could feel herself change, becoming a queen. But there was more to her then the crown, much more, especially now.
Merida is chasing her little brothers into the dinning hall and around the table as the Queen is sitting at the table sorting through a few last letters.
"Merida!" The queen snaps. Everyone stops.
Queen Elinor stands and everyone looks down expecting to get punished. Elinor removes her crown and places it properly on the table.
Merida and the boys shot glances at each other, this was not something mum had ever done before. Mum never took off her crown unless she was in bed. Were they in a lot more trouble then they thought for some reason?
Elinor stepped away from the table; settled herself brought her hands up in front of her like claws and opened her mouth and shouted. "Gonna getchya!" and charged them with a huge smile on her face.
Merida and the boys barely got their jaws off of the ground in time to dodge their Mum with squeals of laughter.
Authors Note: Queen Elinor's identity was deeply tied to her crown. They left it by that stream, but I doubt they forgot about it, and Merida is good enough to go get it. But I am not so sure that Elinor appreciated that.
