"Merry Christmas Elsa! Get up get up get up!" Elsa groaned and pulled her pillow over her head, covering her pillow with her blanket. She heard the door open and buried herself in her pillow just before the blanket was pulled off and heard her little sister.
"Come on Elsa! It's Christmas eve! Get up!" Anna said, and Elsa heard the floor creaking from her bouncing.
"You wouldn't be so excited if you had had to stay up until two o'clock last night because of queenly duties." Elsa's retort was muffled by the pillow, but it hushed Anna for a minute.
"Yeah, but because you finished them for three weeks you can sleep in tomorrow!" Anna replied, and Elsa groaned under the pillow.
"Oh come on Elsa. At least get up now. I promise tomorrow you can sleep in as late as you want." Another groan came from under the pillow, and Anna giggled, knowing she'd gotten her sister. Then the pillow moved and Elsa shoved it away, sitting up and resting her elbow on her knee, resting her cheek on her palm. She glanced at the clock and groaned, muttering.
"You could've at least let me sleep until nine!" She rubbed her eyes and stretched as Anna said,
"I couldn't let you sleep anymore; I was way too excited!"
"Yeah, and she'd already woken me up and made me run across town to here, so she had to torture you too." A sarcastic voice outside the door alerted Elsa to another person's presence. She lazily lifted her head slightly and saw Hiccup standing next to Anna in his usual flight gear. Elsa groaned again and flopped back on the bed, pulling her blanket up over her face.
"I'll get up, just go out so I can get dressed." Hiccup and Anna left the room and Elsa got up, slowly making her way to a separate special room only she was allowed intom and since you're doubtless wondering what it looked like in there, I'll describe the room she was in.
It was a large white powder room, about two of her sleeping rooms, with a large, round, blue pond, changing temperatures according to Elsa's mood via magic. Trees, medium size, were in the room, with vines running along the walls, circling around the snowflakes embedded in the wall. No one was allowed in the room except Elsa, because it was where she did her most personal things.
She finished bathing quickly and yawned as she tightened her corset. She pulled a light blue dress out of her wardrobe and put it on, brushing her hair afterwards and winding it up in a French braid tuck and put a matching blue headband on. The dress had a fitting waist and top with fitting sleeves down to the elbows where they pleated and hung around her wrists. She clipped a necklace with a silver locket pendant with a sapphire in the middle around her neck and slipped on blue flats, heading downstairs afterwards.
She decided to be unladylike and slide down the banister, so she got on the banister and called,
"Comin' down the fast way!" She pushed and started sliding down.
"Geronimo!" She cried, and zoomed down. She saw someone standing at the edge of the banister and saw it was Hiccup, so she grabbed at the rail to stop herself, but it was worn smooth from Anna sliding down, so she started to panic slightly.
"No no no! No, look out!" Hiccup turned and Elsa slammed her feet into the ground, getting a slight grip and sliding forward on her feet, accidentally hitting him on the side and knocking him to the ground.
"Ow." Hiccup muttered, Elsa saw Hiccup shaking with laughter and Elsa started giggling as she helped him up. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, it was pretty funny, and Elsa saw that he was laughing.
"That was awkward." Elsa giggled, and Hiccup laughed, nodding.
"Elsa! Elsa! There's someone here who wants to meet you!" Elsa heard Anna's call, and saw her energetic young sister running straight towards her, pulling another young girl behind her.
"Whoa whoa, Anna stop." Elsa warned, holding out her hands to stop her. Anna skidded to a halt, accidentally jerking the young girl forward.
"Els, this girl, uh what was your name?" The young girl gasped for breath for a second before replying,
"Rita."
"Rita made a gift for you and Hiccup!" Rita flushed and gave Elsa a package wrapped in brown paper with a blue and green striped bow.
"Thank you Rita, that's very kind of you." Elsa fingered the package and Rita said,
"You don't have to wait until tonight, actually it's advisable you read it soon." Rita's voice was light and pretty, and Elsa smiled at her.
"OK, I'll go open it now."
"OK! Rita and I are gonna go ice skating now bye!" Anna dragged Rita off, pulling her towards the lake not far from the castle, and Elsa and Hiccup laughed after them.
"Poor Rita. Ah well, shall we go open this?" Elsa held up the package and Hiccup nodded, going with Elsa up to the library.
"Whoa. Rita is…" Hiccup breathed, and Elsa finished,
"Talented." They had unwrapped the package and it had revealed a leather bound book with fine embroidery all over the cover, silver, green and red threads in curls and snowflakes. On the front was embroidered,
Queen Elsa and Chief Hiccup
And on the binding band was inscribed inside silver and green embroidered bars,
The True Meaning of Christmas.
Elsa turned the book around in her hands and opened it. After the protection page was a page on which was written,
Many people, in the joy of receiving and giving, forget what Christmas is and why they are celebrating. They think it's about Santa Clause, getting presents, and stuff like that. It's not. It's about Christ, the savior who was born Christmas Day to save our souls and bring joy to the world. The Son of God who was born to redeem us and save us from the fires of Hell. This book is about Him, His Mother, and his Father, journeying to Bethlehem, where Christ was born.
-Rita of Arendelle.
Elsa was astonished, to say the least, and Hiccup was slightly confused.
"Wait, what's she talking about?" Elsa smiled, realizing she'd forgotten Hiccup's Viking culture, and said, opening the book,
"Let's read it."
Meanwhile, Anna and Rita were going hard at it in a snowball fight, and Anna was enjoying the company of her new best friend.
"Hey, we're going to have a festival tonight, and there's one person who stands up on a platform and sings Christmas carols, but our person got sick, so I was wondering if you wanted to."
Rita looked surprised, and she stammered,
"Uh, sure. But I don't know if I have a fitting dress."
"Oh that's fine! I'll give you one. Come on let's go try on some." Anna tugged Rita to her room and made her sit on the bed. She tossed her a brush and told her to do her hair as fancily as she could imagine. Rita laughed and obeyed, and Anna picked out a red dress with long sleeves and a full skirt. She pulled Rita up, gave her a petticoat, a puff skirt that was really….thick, and had gold winding in Christmas-y designs all over the dress. It had a gold silk belt with a circle on her abdomen and a continuation of the belt in a gold ribbon going down the middle of the skirt. Anna gave her white stockings with gold designs on them and red flats with gold trimming and gold decorations. Anna re-did her hair, saying it wasn't fancy enough. She twisted and braided until it was beautiful enough for Elsa, and put on a gold band around her head, crossing her forehead. On the front of the band was rubies, and Rita stared at herself in the mirror astonished at the change.
"Is that really me?" She finally asked, and Anna laughed.
"Yes! And I must say, it is a big improvement." Anna took Rita's hands and smiled at her.
"Anna, I'm so glad you're my friend. Not because you're the princess don't think I'm a moocher or anything like that I'm not it's just I've never had a friend, like you." Rita rolled her eyes at herself. "Well, I've never had a friend, actually." Anna gasped softly and hugged Rita.
"I'll be your friend forever, I promise. I've never had a friend other than Elsa either. Well other than Kristoff but he doesn't really count because he's a man and you know what I mean?" Rita smiled and nodded.
"Now, let's get your gloves on, and go show Elsa and Hiccup." Anna gave Rita a pair of red silk elbow gloves and she slid them on. Anna changed into a similar dress, only it was green and red and not quite as fancy. She put on green gloves and flats, and they hurried to the library, where they showed Elsa and Hiccup, who had finished reading the book. Then Elsa and Hiccup went to their rooms and changed, while Rita and Anna went outside and waited for them.
"Go ahead, just sing the Christmas carols you remember." Anna whispered, and Rita swallowed, stepping up onto the stage. She cleared her throat and her silvery voice rose into the clear cold air.
The First Noel, the Angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
And by the light of that same star
Three Wise men came from country far
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
This star drew nigh to the northwest
O'er Bethlehem it took its rest
And there it did both stop and stay
Right o'er the place where Jesus lay.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
Then entered in those Wise men three
Full reverently upon their knee
And offered there in His presence
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made Heaven and earth of naught
And with his blood mankind has bought.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
She finished and everyone clapped loudly, with a few whoops, from Anna and Kristoff. She smiled and flushed slightly as she curtsied, then she sang more carols, saving one for the end.
After about an hour of singing, she cleared her throat and said,
"Will Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, Kristoff Bjorgman, and Chief Hiccup Haddock come to the stage please?" She looked down at them and smiled, beckoning for them to come up. At first they resisted for a little bit, then the crowd started pushing them a bit and they got up on the stage. Rita took Anna's gloved hand in her own then whispered in Elsa's ear.
"Make it snow, please?" Elsa twitched her fingers, making it snow softly but thickly. Rita cleared her throat and began to sing.
Hark! how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say,
"Throw cares away."
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold
Ding, dong, ding, dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From ev'rywhere
Filling the air
Oh how they pound,
Raising the sound,
O'er hill and dale,
Telling their tale,
Gaily they ring
While people sing
Songs of good cheer
Christmas is here
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
On, on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone
To ev'ry home
Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Hiccup joined in and they repeated it.
Hark! how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say,
"Throw cares away."
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the bold
Ding, dong, ding, dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From ev'rywhere
Filling the air
Oh how they pound,
Raising the sound,
O'er hill and dale,
Telling their tale,
Gaily they ring
While people sing
Songs of good cheer
Christmas is here
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
On, on they send
On without end
Their joyful tone
To ev'ry home
Then Rita gestured for the crowd to join in and they sang it one last time, Anna holding Rita's hand, Hiccup holding Elsa's, and Kristoff holding Anna's other hand, as the snow fell softly around.
