Chapter 1: Stormfall
Before the Great Thaw, before the Eternal Winter, before the coronation, there was a ship. A lone ship that left the port of Arendelle, carrying the King and Queen to destinations unknown. But during their mysterious journey, there was a storm. There was a search. And there was a funeral. Their bodies were never found. Their secrets were buried, deep under the sea. The wreckage of their ship scattered the world over.
The monarchy continued with two sisters, polar opposites and destined for different futures. The loss of both parents impacted them greatly. Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle struggled through the pain, alone, separated by fear and secrets. They struggled to make sense of the tragedy. Anna would spend hours on end talking to the paintings on the wall. Joan, Anna's favourite painting, always gave Anna her sympathy, but never relief from the pain inside. On the other side of the door, Elsa tried desperately to hide her powers, aggravated by her emotional loss. But while Anna had long since come to accept the fact it was an accident, Elsa, now unoccupied with fear and self-loathing, would not.
It was nearly a month after Anna's 19th birthday. Elsa was once again up past midnight. Her study was a mess. Books were strewn across the ground, papers covered her large desk. Elsa herself was a picture of not-so-sophisticated grace. Her normally sparkling eyes were bloodshot and dull. Her signature braid was frayed and tattered. She looked like she had gone to hell and back.
"C'mon!" Elsa shouted. "There has to be something! A destination, time of arrival! They can't have just left us for no reason!" She pounded her head on her desk.
A light, signature knock resounded through Elsa's office. It could only be one person.
Elsa sighed lightly. "Come in Anna."
Elsa did not even look up, too engrossed with the papers in front of her. Anna shyly walked into what she thought was a hurricane zone. She gave the place a once-over with her eyes. Silently, she walked over behind Elsa's chair and started to massage Elsa's tense shoulders.
"Mmm, Anna that feels good." Elsa might be able to conjure ice, but her sister's hands were truly magical. "But you should be sleeping. It's well past midnight"
"I could say the same thing to you, Elsa."
Elsa sighed. She had stayed up for every night for the past couple of weeks, studying the records surrounding her parent's deaths. Elsa resolutely believing that she could find something, anything that would help her understand what happened to them. However, the records were very obscure and trying to decipher them had so far led to no results.
Elsa heard a rustling behind her and turned around questioningly to come face to face with Anna . . . and chocolate! Anna giggled quietly. "You always light up when I bring chocolate to you!"
"Thank you, Anna." Elsa took a huge bite out of the chocolate bar.
"Hey! We were supposed to share! You shouldn't eat too much at once Elsa! You don't want to become like Counsellor Evenstad..." Both visibly cringed at the thought of the enormous, sweaty lug who attended daily court meetings. Anna paused, realizing her mistake. "Not that you will though! You could eat a thousand chocolate bars and still look as fantastic as you do now! In fact, you always look fantastic! Even when your hair is slightly messy and . . . I'll stop talking now!" Anna covered her mouth with both hands as a furious blush overtook her complexion.
Elsa looked back down at her files and smiled at the unintentional compliment, while enjoying the savoury sweet taste of the chocolate. The last couple of months had been a roller coaster ride of emotions and feelings for the young monarch. After nearly a decade of isolation, it had been frightening opening up to people. But Anna had been there every step of the way. Together, they grew as individuals, but also a pair as well. Every time, Kristoff asked Anna to go fishing or something like that, Anna always asked if Elsa wanted to come along. Strange feelings overtook her whenever an incident like that occurred. Elsa felt conflicted, but didn't understand why.
"And that's why we have to try curry when the vendors get here! They say it's hotter than a …"
"ANNA!" Elsa's outburst made Anna jump slightly, causing her to feel a momentary twinge of guilt. "I'm sorry, Anna. I've just been really tired and preoccupied with our parents. What were you saying?"
Anna looked straight into Elsa's dull eyes. Despite Elsa's makeup, Anna saw that several dark bags were forming underneath her eyes. "Cmon Elsa. I'll take you to bed. You need rest before the Midsummer's Gala."
Elsa was about to get up, but froze halfway off her seat. Elsa enunciated her next words very carefully. "What. Gala?"
Anna looked at her with a weird expression. "The Midsummer's Gala? It's all Arendelle has been talking about for the last couple of months. How do you not know what it is?"
Researching into the past had taken so much out of Elsa's time. It had become an obsession. She had been neglecting her duties as Queen. During her daily court meetings, she was always disinterested; her mind too occupied with thoughts of her parents. As Queen, she was supposed to be responsible for all the happenings in her nation. Putting her head in her hands, Elsa just felt overwhelmed.
A light rain had started to fall on the grounds of Arendelle. But all Anna could hear was the sniffling sounds coming from her sister. Anna watched as tears fell from Elsa's pale cheeks. So she did what any good sister would do. With muscles built from years of horseback riding, Anna picked Elsa up into her arms.
"It'll be okay, Elsa," Anna whispered in Elsa's ear, before giving her a kiss on the forehead.
The castle was dead quiet as Anna carried Elsa back to the Queen's chambers. Elsa had stopped crying and was now gazing at Anna. She's so beautiful, Elsa thought. Now illuminated by cascading moonlight, Elsa could pick out every facet of her sister. The gentle curve of her cheeks. The spattering of those adorable freckles. The love which simply emanated from her every time she looked at Elsa. Anna brightened up every room she walked in, and Elsa felt so blessed to have such an amazing sister.
Eventually, Anna reached the Queen's room. She gently laid Elsa down, and turned to leave, when Elsa's slender hands pulled her back.
"Anna. Can you please stay? Just for a bit?" Elsa asked, with pleading eyes. "I don't want to be alone tonight."
Anna smiled. "Of course." Still wearing her dress, Anna slid underneath the covers, lying side by side with her sister. Their fingertips were lightly touching, bringing smiles to both their faces.
As the gentle rain continued to fall over Arendelle, the two sisters drifted into a peaceful slumber. Neither had slept better in a long time.
Elsa awoke to the sounds of birds chirping. Blinking away the crust on her eyelids, Elsa's eyes slowly became accustomed to the sunlight flooding through the room. Anna must not have closed the curtains last night, Elsa mused. With that thought, she turned towards her sister. Anna's hair was still in its signature twin pigtails, only slightly frizzy. Elsa had always found the pigtails adorable, even when they were children. Elsa continued to stare at her sister, perfectly content to wait until she woke.
Unfortunately, Anna had always been a late sleeper. After 2 hours of hearing Anna snore quietly, Elsa decided to have some fun. "Pssssst! Anna! Wake up! The sky's awake!" Anna responded with a very unprincess-like snort. Elsa giggled softly. "C'mon Anna. The cooks are serving chocolate crepes today!" The only response from Anna was another snort. Elsa knew she had to take drastic measures.
Swirling her hands, Elsa conjured up 10 ice cubes. Then, promptly shoved them down Anna's dress.
"YOWWWWWW!" Anna leapt straight off the bed onto the hard floor. "COLD COLD COLD!"
Elsa burst into laughter as Anna squirmed on the floor, the ice trapped underneath her dress. Out of sympathy, Elsa dissolved the cubes. Yet, she still smirked as Anna glared at her. "Aww. I'm sorry Anna. I just wanted to wake you for break… well I guess it's lunch now."
Anna continued to pout on the ground. "Apology not accepted. That was mean Elsa."
"Please forgive me Anna. What can I do to make it better?"
Anna turned away to hide the smile slowly creeping onto her face. "Promise me when the gala starts, you'll spend time with me? I know you always get busy with other stuff, but …"
Elsa interrupted her sister. "Of course Anna! I couldn't do it without you! You still haven't told me what it is yet. But I promise Anna."
"Pinky promise?" Anna said, while raising her pinky.
Elsa shook her head tiredly, but with a smile on her face, she agreed, linking their pinkies together.
"YAY! Now let's get some breakfast!" Anna ran off to change into some nicer clothes. "I'll meet you in the dining room in ten minutes!" she cried as she raced out the door.
With the room empty, Elsa was finally free to change out of her dress, now covered in drool marks and wrinkles. She would have to ask Gerda to wash and dry the dress later. Having spent a few hours awake, without eating, Elsa was famished. She chose to forgo putting on an actual dress and instead conjured up one of her signature ice dresses on her way out. Still barefoot, she seamlessly created a pair of sparkling ice heels as she walked down the hall. Elsa continued her brisk walk to the dining hall. Oddly, she didn't run into any servants on the way down. The clicking sounds from her heels resounded against the stone walls. Finally, she ran into Kai right outside the dining hall.
"Ah, Your Majesty! Good afternoon as it is. What can I do for you?" Kai said, with a bow.
"Morning Kai. Can you get the cooks to prepare something for Anna and I? Something with chocolate?"
Kai nodded. "Of course, Your Majesty." He turned to walk away, but Elsa had one more question.
"Kai, do you know where everyone is today? The halls are awfully empty"
"Yes Your Majesty. Most of the staff is helping set up for the Midsummer's Gala"
Elsa cringed inwardly. "Of course. Well, thank you Kai"
"My pleasure, Your Majesty"
Elsa entered the dining hall. It was a vast room with gilded chandeliers dangling loosely from the ceiling. Ornate floor to ceiling windows lined the west wall, so that at sunset, the room was aglow with marvelous displays of light. During balls or parties, the entire room would be filled with large tables, but currently, a lone table and two chairs were the only pieces of furniture in the hall. It felt lonely.
She glided over one of the chairs and sat down and waited. Anna had yet to explain the Midsummer's Gala to her, so she was curious. The last time that many people had been in Arendelle had been for her coronation, and everyone knew that was a disaster. Elsa just hoped that everything would go smoothly this time around.
"WHOOPS. SORRY!"
Elsa heard pots clanging against the stone floors outside. Anna barged into the room, looking sheepish. "Heh, I was running too fast," Anna said as she took the seat across from Elsa.
"You look beautiful," Elsa said. And she was right. Anna was now wearing a light green summer dress that flared out at the hips. It was short; barely reaching her mid thighs, revealing Anna's toned legs. Her hair was in her signature pigtails that flowed loosely around her shoulders. The dress dipped down to Anna's sternum, revealing a slight cleavage. Both girls blushed at Elsa's compliment. Anna looked down and smiled.
"Thank you. You look beautiful too," Anna responded eventually. "So. The Midsummer's Gala… I hope I can explain it well 'cause there's a lot involved."
"Just try your best Anna"
Surprisingly, without too much of her classic rambling, Anna explained. Every 10 years, Arendelle hosted a Midsummer's Gala where the rest of the world convened to celebrate the joys of summer. The kingdom of Arendelle was transformed into an exotic theatre for the world. There were always boatloads of delicacies brought by the most exotic of travellers. Noted dignitaries and royalty would bound around alongside the common folk, enjoying what Arendelle and the world had to offer. There were carnival games and fireworks for two weeks straight. The main attraction was the Royal Tourney where knights from around the globe competed for dominance in sword fighting. Pride and fame along with 10 000 kronor was the reward for winning the tournament.
"I heard Sir Damien of the Shadowlands is one of the favourites this year. Then there's always Simba of Pride Rock. He's always a contender. Did you know the King of Pride Rock has lions as royal pets? That's so cool! I've always wanted a platypus as a pet cause…
The conversation started to drift away from the topic. Elsa was about to say something when the servants brought in the food. For two people, the servants certainly brought a lot of food. Plates of chocolate croissants, chocolate muffins, a pitcher of freshly squeezed juice, and a plethora of fresh fruit. Everything looked delicious. Elsa started salivating.
"WOW," Anna exclaimed. "CHOCOLATE!" She dug in immediately, tearing the pastries with her bare hands. On the opposing spectrum, Elsa picked up her knife and fork delicately picking pieces of cantaloupe and watermelon.
They ate in relative silence, both extremely hungry from skipping breakfast. The sisters devoured the food and soon enough they had finished everything.
"Boy I am so stuffed right now," Anna said, rubbing her stomach. "I couldn't eat another morsel!"
Elsa looked similarly weary. "Me either"
There was a content silence where both sisters just smiled at the peaceful interlude.
Elsa broke the silence with a question. "So when does the Gala start?"
"Tomorrow. July 21"
It got noticeably chilly in the dining hall and Anna shivered. Elsa was trying not to hyperventilate.
"Are you telling me that this huge festival that apparently the whole world attending, starts tomorrow?" Elsa looked on the verge of a panic attack.
"Elsa." Anna looked deep into her sister's cerulean eyes. "Calm down. The Queen doesn't have to do much during the festival. Pretty much just the opening and closing of the Gala."
After Elsa took in a few deep breaths, the temperature returned to normal. "Thank you, Anna. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without you," Elsa said, flashing her a genuine smile.
Anna smiled. "I'm your sister. I'll always be with you."
As they chatted more about the Gala, Elsa realized that she was looking forward to it. Anna was right. She really didn't have to do anything. She was planning to enjoy the next two weeks with her beloved sister. Elsa had been neglecting Anna lately, so she wanted to make it up to her somehow.
"Hey Anna. Do you have any plans today?" Elsa asked.
"No. Why?"
"Do you want to build a snowman?"
The two sisters spent the entire day in their own winter wonderland, thanks to Elsa's powers. She had conjured up a flurry inside the Royal Ballroom. They had multiple snowball fights (Anna had surprisingly won a lot of them) and built countless snowmen. Elsa completely forgot her worries about the Gala as she drowned herself in the fun atmosphere.
After a particular brutal exhausting snowball fight, both sisters plopped down prone onto the snow.
Anna giggled. "What is it?" Elsa asked. "It's just that you have snow in a weird spot." Elsa looked down, and sure enough, two blobs of snow sat on her dress, right where her nipples would be. Elsa quickly shook it off, blushing furiously, while Anna continued to laugh.
"Hey! It's not nice to laugh at other people!" Elsa said, still embarrassed at the event. It didn't help that her nipples were actually hard. Luckily, Anna had not noticed that particular fact.
"Sorry Elsa. That was just too funny. Perfect placement and everything"
Elsa frowned. "Hey I'm sorry Elsa. Please forgive me," Anna pleaded.
Elsa turned away and smiled. Anna shrieked. Her own nipples were suddenly chilly! "ELSA!" Now it was Elsa's turn to laugh. "Now we are even," she said, mirth in her voice. Anna pouted, but quickly smiled. Anna couldn't stay mad at her sister for long. "Fine, we're even," Anna responded.
"Awwww," Elsa cooed. "Come here, Anna." She wrapped Anna in a hug. "So what do you want to do tomorrow? Opening day and all."
Anna looked pensive. "Actually, I promised I'd walk around the town with Kristoff tomorrow. He promised to show me some of the best vendors."
Elsa felt strange. Of course, she has her boyfriend. She can't just ignore him for you Elsa. "Oh. That's fine Anna. I probably have to do perform some queenly duties anyways."
There was a tense silence between them. "So how are things going between you two anyways? Any wedding bells in the future?" Elsa asked jokingly.
Another silence. Elsa was frightened when Anna didn't respond right away. She couldn't fathom her sister getting married so soon. They had just started to reconnect, and the possibility that some man could take her away was startling.
"I think they're going well," Anna finally said. "He says he loves me, but after Hans, I don't know if I'm ready to commit to something so big. What do you think Elsa?"
Conceal, don't feel Elsa. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment. Don't be selfish. Anna clearly likes Kristoff a lot and she's happy with him. But a little voice in the back of head kept nagging. She's happy with you too.
Elsa was about to respond, when suddenly a loud horn sounded from outside the castle. The two sisters looked at each other. "What was that?" Elsa asked. "Beats me." Elsa quickly dissolved the snow and ran towards the balconies on the west side, Anna in tow. They both stared in stunned silence at the horizon. Hundreds upon hundreds of ships were converging on Arendelle. Huge frigates flying various flags, trading ships carrying their wares, schooners that sped ahead of the rest of the pack. Elsa could only imagine all the different types of people that would be arriving.
"These next two weeks are sure going to crazy Anna," Elsa commented.
"And I'll be by your side the entire time." Anna wrapped her arm around Elsa's, leaning her head against her older sister's shoulder. The royal duo stood there, intertwined, as the ships sailed closer, and the sun fell across the horizon.
As day turned to night, and the moonlight fell over the calm seas, one lone ship sailed towards Arendelle.
Two figures stood aboard that ship.
"Are you ready to return sire?" the older gentleman inquired.
The other man, younger and taller was impassive, yet the faintest inkling of a smile emerged on his face.
"It's time to come home"