In Arendelle's fair kingdom, a ruler did appear.
Born with a secret power so great, alone, she stayed in fear.
Although the force was hidden, one day she let it go.
And all the land was covered in eternal ice and snow.
An enchanter to the east, and from a distant age,
Heard the wish of a tortured beast, consumed by pain and rage.
She named her price to send him deep inside the dome:
"Pierce her heart, and seize the crown, or else I'll send you home."
AU/UA Storyline: When she let it go, her curse froze the kingdom, and the people in it. She erected a globe of impenetrable ice, sealing the winter, and herself, inside until the end of her days. But there was another monster that had from a deadly power, suffering much like she. And a single wish will bring them together, for the chance to find joy in living, again.
"What… was that?" There was a twinge of fear in the blonde's tone. "H-Hello…?" Her crystal slippers clicked across the floor of the west wing. Something was watching her. She could feel it. Something dark and unfamiliar to her. Something dangerous. Her breath slowed, blue eyes narrowing nervously. The already broken walls crackled yet again in the silence. "Who's there?!"
This part of the palace was far from the main hall. The usual serene blue light dimmed with her growing fear, and the shadows crawled from each of the six the corners of the room. The only illumination was the tall, arched window overlooking the white mountains. It cast weak light across hexagon floor, and Elsa walked down the dim path to peer out the window, for some hint to the disturbance she felt. She never dreamed to look up, where the demonic crimson gaze of the predator eyed its prey from its perch on the blue molding.
It was starting to snow again, thanks to her. She turned away from the window, and shuffled half heartedly away. Her knuckles turned white as she wrung her hands, bemoaning her paranoia. In the room she glittered like a beacon from the window's light, and the beast's fangs and talons elongated. Her crystal slippers scraped from her dragging shuffle. The insomnia was getting to her now, she was sure.
But as the last of her gossamer cloak retreated into the shadow, the beast launched in a lightning strike. She turned, a startled sound escaped and she quickly stumbled back, hands immediately moving to bring up curling wave of ice. "No!"
The beast answered with a pained yelp. The ice cracked from the force of the collision and the beast tumbled right over the arch, across the floor, all the way to the corner of the room. Elsa stumbled back shaking her head, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"What… Are you?"
The faint sunlight lit the silhouette in the shadows. It was like a massive wolf, but snow frosted across its dark mane and fur, making it hard to distinguish.
"Please… Calm down." She held out her hands as she stepped back, trying to placate the wild beast.
Lips blue with cold pulled back into an open snarl, and fangs and clawed nails glinted as he turned onto his belly. Yet as he crouched, Elsa noted the stiff limbs, and slowed movements. Almost like it was having trouble moving. It winced, and she noted the way one of its paws gingerly touched its head in a surprisingly human movement. But its eyes opened again, piercing the prey with a ravenous crimson gleam, and the young Queen nearly gasped in horror. She grabbed the skirt of her dress and lifted it, dashing for the entryway. The doors slammed open at her command, and she flew down the corridor, the beast close behind.
The hall was dark, but up ahead she could see the faint claret red glow of the palace Heart. Elsa was not a fast runner by any means, but she knew that if she stopped now, she would be doomed. The walls and ceiling crunched in her wake, and each clap of her slippers left behind a panicked spurt of magic that burst in jagged webs, growing like thorny vines behind their queen. The first few shattered like thin glass from the beast barreling after her, but they quickly grew in size and strength. The beast evaded the deadly spires shooting from the once flawless mirrors above and below. It grabbed them and swung around, leaping over and sliding below in a nimble dance of survival. But Elsa did not dare turn to see; instead she focused on the exit.
She threw her hand out, shooting at the top of the entryway. The arched doorframe flashed blue, before a frosted floe formed like a curtain. She tightened her hold on her dress, and sprinted for all she was worth. With a desperate reach, she leaped across the finish line, just as it sealed shut.
The young queen skid across the phosphorescent ice. Her ears grew deaf to her panting, and her racing heart, hearing only the throbbing in her skull. And the sudden bang from the beast striking the blockade. She hurried to her feet, eyes glued to the thick sheet. Her body buzzed, her limbs shook, her eyes were wide at each bang. She nearly gasped at the sudden web of white cracks. Impossible, he couldn't possible break through like that. Another loud bang made her jump, and she rethought her statement.
Claret red shone like a warning on the usually dark grand hall. Her shaking hands went out like terrified little guards, and it was all she could do to keep them steady. The ice broke, a single fist shooting through. The pieces clattered across the floor, even as the thick furry arm pulled back to make room for the second hand to claw and yank at the pieces to make it through.
And then his face peered through the hole to snarl at her, and her horror gave way to shock. Under the illuminating light, she realized the "fur" was a coat, and his "mane" was just long, dark hair, clumped and frozen in frost. The beast didn't really look very… beastly. They looked like a—A boy. "N-No…" It couldn't be a boy. There was nothing human about those eyes or those talons and fangs. Yet the evidence was there.
Whatever or whoever this thing was, she could not bring herself to hurt him. Even if she had to defend herself. She never wanted to hurt anyone yet—yet fate threw her a curve ball and all the people she swore to protect had indeed been hurt. And it was all her fault. But this thing— this boy. Maybe she could think of something. So she took a deep breath.
"Wh-who are you?"
Her voice was soft, but fell on his large, pointed ears no better than a lilting hum. And to the young queen's increasing morbid intrigue, he hacked away at the ice with a single-minded fervor. He labored at the task, through heaving herculean effort. He still half-crouched in preparation, but stopped momentarily to grab his head. He must have still been hurting from the crash before. Her fascination overtook her senses, so much so that the claret red slowly gave way to the usual aqua glow.
"You're hurt. I can help you."
He paused. He eyed her.
"You can understand me, can't you?" She saw it, subtly, in the way he hesitated. There was something obviously wrong with the beast and she just needed to figure out what and how to fix it.
His stomach roiled as he inhaled her scent. If he fought, he could die. But the starving creature needed food. He needed to survive. So he answered with a growl. It was a high pitched growl, a cross between the squeak of a bat, and rumble of a tiger. That was the woman's only warning before he grabbed the edge of the hole and lurched through, this time dashing close to his reflection on the mirror floor. She thrust her hands forward, and pile of snow engulfed the beast. The snow shocked him, and for a few moments the silence was deafening. Then he burst from the pile in a flurry of white. She grabbed her dress again, skirting around the central fountain to try and get away while she tried to think of some way, anyway, to help. The glassy ice was hard across the beast's feet as he bolted. The rush of hormones and adrenaline kept his muscles going, even as his limbs grew stiff with cold, but he would not last much longer. Even in those few moments he had stilled, the shivers threatened to wrack his body. So he bounded after her, even as the sub-zero air filled his lungs with knives and his blood with ice.
She bounded for the steps of her precious ice palace, dashing up them towards the next level, never daring to look back. His limbs, normally beyond any normal human capabilities, had been strained for too long. He bound and leaped up the steps after her, each impact jarring him with pain. Until a misstep at the half-way point cost his balance. He slammed onto the staircase with a loud thud, bouncing right into a slide down the ice with a pained shout. The young queen stopped at the top of the staircase, and glanced over her shoulder, her eyes growing wide as she gazed down upon the fallen figure. But after his echoes died down, he did not get up.
The second sudden slam and overwhelming cold had effectively calmed the demon. Claws retracted, and ears shrunk to a human size and shape. His bare limbs were numb, where his hands and feet and face were exposed to the ice, and obvious hypothermia was starting to turn them gray. He quivered, and his breath was shaky and shallow.
Elsa gasped quietly as she watched the fallen figure almost transform. He wasn't moving. Oh no. Worry overcame her quickly and she made her way, cautiously, down the stairs again, approaching the fallen creature carefully. He had to be okay… Right? "Please… Please be okay…"
At the sound of clicking, hazed golden yellow eyes peered up deliriously. They flickered with confusion, throbbing mind sluggish as he tried to put the pieces together. Where…? So hungry… but couldn't move. Limbs like lead. The demon again? Couldn't…
She stared at his eyes in shock. They looked… more… human. His limbs, at least the ones that had been bared to the cold, were turning gray. Hypothermia was setting in and she knew that ended disastrously if it wasn't taken care of. "There has to be something I can do!" He seemed so young.
He was trying to tell her something. It was barely above a whisper. Her eyes widened further and she quickened her pace, reaching the boy's side in an instant and hesitantly crouching down next to him. He struggled for breath, and twisted his mouth to spit out the words, but the syllables were nonsensical, and mashed. Key…yo? Keyo skate?
"I'm sorry, I… I don't understand."
He blinked up at her, a spark of recognition at her words. And then: "Go." he croaked, voice barely managing above a whisper. "Get away… please…"
She looked over, surprised. He was obviously still out of it, but his words were very clear. And it was unsettling to hear them directed at her. "You need help. You need to warm up. You—You're not well."
He knew she wanted to help. His sluggish thought-process could at least comprehend that much. But his vision was hazy at the woman beside him. He thought her pale skin was from cold, and the glinting ice on her dress was from snow outside. He thought he could even see ice in her long hair. He assumed she was suffering from the cold like him.
"Y-you c-can't..." It was all her could do to tell her this much, the shivers starting to internalize. She couldn't help him with what he needed- he was a monster that wanted to take her life to sustain his own.
Elsa wasn't sure if there was any way she could actually help. But, at this point, she was willing to do whatever it took to help this boy survive. It would be her fault if he died because of the cold. The cold she created. But he seemed as determined to get her away as she was determined to help. "Please, just tell me what you need. I'll—I'll try and help." She didn't want another life on her already guilty conscience. His life meant more than hers right now.
"S-save yourself- l-l-leave me." Each word was painful in and of itself. But he had to convince her and make her see the danger. Even now, as she was next to him, the only reason he wasn't reaching out to grab a hold was because he couldn't feel his arm enough to use it anymore. "I-I- n-n-need—blood…"
He could feel her surprise more than see it. It would be impossible not to be stunned, when given such an answer. So he waited with relief once the burden was out. She would see the danger and leave. She wouldn't have to be sacrificed because of his hunger. She'd leave him to die, like he should have a long time ago, and worry about saving herself in this frozen wasteland.
"H-How much do you need… To feel better?"
…He was delirious. Hallucinating, dreaming, something. No one in their right mind would willingly let a demon eat any part of them. Yet his eyes started focusing on her wrists, pupils dilating in sheer need. She would just have to reach out, put it near his mouth and let his fangs sink in and- "I-I-" he half sobbed, disgusted with himself but unable to tear his eyes away from the promise of life. "I d-d-don't kn-know, I-…" He'd never suffered from hypothermia before while he was starving. If he waited too long the hunger was so strong he needed almost half a human's blood supply. Other times he just needed a few sips every few days, if he had a steady amount of food. "But… I-I can't… h-h-hold i-if it hu-hu-hurts..."
"Shh, shh. It's okay. It's okay." He needed to relax. Elsa smiled weakly, bringing one hand up to lightly brush it through his hair. "It'll be fine. I'm going to help you. You're going to be alright. Just—Just tell me what to do and I'll do it."
The teen barely registered the touch to his head, sensation still numbed. But he could smell her skin. She was so gentle with him. Her presence was calming and reassuring, even though she was the one risking her safety to save a demon. And despite himself, he was prone to believe her.
The young queen pulled her hand back, stunned at herself for reaching out to touch him so carelessly. It had been automatic, as a small gesture of comfort. Whether for him or herself was hard to say. It was obvious the very idea of allowing this to happen frightened her to no end. But at the same time, the thought of being able to save at least one life… almost seemed worth the risk. She could recover if she allowed this to happen… couldn't she? But what if she couldn't. No. No. She had to do this. If she didn't he was going to die and he was so young. He had so much to live for. At least, that's what seemed to be the case to her. There was no backing down now. She would not allow herself to leave him this way. No matter how much pain was involved, which she deserved, she was going to save this boy's life.
'Are you an angel?' he thought deliriously. And though it sounded like a cheesy pick-up line, he meant it literally. Because he had met angels before. One of heaven, and one that had fallen. Right now this woman was reminding him of the guardian he had lost touch with. But right now that question wasn't important, because he was already exhausted, and his energy was already fading fast. He focused on his breathing, trying not to focus on the pain the icy air razed in his lungs. He tried to turn his hand to see if he'd be able to grab on, but all he could manage was the twitch. It was already stiff. He wouldn't be able to hold her. He'd have to trust her to hold still for him. "Wr-wrist…" He forced out. "J-just… keepp-p-p-p cuh-cuh-close…"
She could do this. She made herself comfortable on her knees next to him and listened to what he struggled to say. She nodded and moved to inch the elegant and intricate sleeve of her dress up enough so that her wrist was easily accessible. Just take a deep breath and let it happen. Exhaling softly from dark lips, she moved her wrist to his lips. Just keep close. No matter how much pain came, she couldn't stop him. Not until he was safely out of the danger zone. "Here. It'll be okay. Just do what you need to do."
Her scent was near pure intoxication as it neared his mouth, senses sparking with a little more life with hope so close to his grasp. He creaked open his jaw to try to catch the limb. He knew he should have warned her to hold still. Not for his sake, but because struggling actually made the pain worse. He knew from experience. But it was all he could do to get his jaw muscles working; to chomp down with his fangs and finally pierce skin. There was a sting, like she had just been pricked by a needle. Not even a second later, that sensation multiplied by 1000 and she tensed, breath hitching in her throat. She bit down on her lip to keep from crying out, only uttering a whimper instead. She had known it would hurt. But knowing still was not as good as actually feeling the pain.
Human blood did not taste pleasant. Not even to someone who needed it to survive. It was bitter and metallic, but it was warm. It wasn't scalding, but to someone near frozen to death it was borderline painful. Yet he welcomed the pain, the warmth sliding down his throat and filling his core. So long as the strange woman kept still, however, it was bearable. It was hard enough because he had to keep moving his mouth to try to get his mouth working. Despite his fears of the woman being in danger, he had to drink slowly. It was hard enough to breathe, let alone drink, and he had to actively concentrate to get it down.
She could almost feel her blood flow, causing the woman to shiver and her fingers to twitch like she wanted to pull her wrist away. No! She scolded herself. She had to stay. She had to endure the pain. She could feel her power bubble up and curled her fingers into a loose fist. She could not lose control. Not now.
'Conceal, don't feel. Don't let it show.'
Warmth from his throat seeped into his chest to relax his muscles, though the demon struggled with tiny sips until his jaw stopped quivering. The teen's hand finally managed to work again, but could barely mange to cradle the stranger's delicate wrist to his mouth; like holding a baby bird. She watched, with mild interest. He was gentle but she had a feeling it was only because he was still weak. His fingers were ice-cold, still stiff and barely touching, but they still craved the warmth of her skin. A mere thirty seconds, and he could drink no more, but not out of some sense of mercy or satisfaction. He had been starving, but his near-frozen system could only handle so much warm fluid at once. He was still too weak to feed properly, even for the little amount of blood he swallowed. She wouldn't even notice a difference. His fangs retracted, but he instinctively sucked off the remaining blood and licked the porcelain skin clean. So when he drew away, the evidence of his feed was already gone. He released her limb and panted from the effort, breath finally steaming in the cold like it should have
Elsa drew her wrist back and brushed her fingers over the skin. She was surprised to see there was no evidence of anything. No puncture marks from his fangs. His face was gaining a tiny bit more color, and his lips were stained with blood as he tried weakly to wipe at his mouth. Whatever it was he was doing, it was working. Elsa could see every little, minute detail as life seeped back into the boy. He was relaxing and he could move, if only a little. "Wow…" A whispered reaction to what she had just witnessed. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before.
He still trembled as he blinked away the frozen tears from his lashes to finally see clearly. For a moment he was caught up in her unexpected vitality. Pale skin, but rosy cheeks and nose. She was obviously alive and well, not freezing to death. Even with that dress.
"You… you saved me." he realized belatedly. His voice was still thick with strain, but his trembles were not enough to hamper his speech. "Why?"
She blinked when his voice pushed through the mess of thoughts in her mind, giving him a curious look. Why did she save him? "Because it was the right thing to do. And… because I wanted to. You needed me."
The boy was honestly stunned speechless for a few moments. A stranger that he knew instinctively that he had been chasing after, had somehow managed to shove away the terror of facing him and see a starving boy that needed saving. And then willingly put herself in danger to try to save his own life.
This woman was incredibly brave. "Thank you," he said earnestly. "I really owe ya one."
Elsa offered no words but a silent nod of her head, a little amazed at herself for what she had done. For one moment, she had forgotten everything she had done and willingly approached someone, even let them touch her. And though her power had acted up, she had managed to suppress it enough to be able to save this one, simple boy. Even after almost falling victim to his beastly actions. It was something that wouldn't happen often so it was best to take it for all it was worth.
He shifted his attention to get himself off the stair case- until he spotted his bare hands. "Where are my gloves?" Another shift and he craned his neck to stare down at his bare feet in clear bafflement, Elsa following his gaze in bemusement. "And my sh-shoes?" Though he asked this more to himself than her, though she was confused as well. It was foolish to wander around this desolate winter land without proper clothing. No wonder he was freezing. How had he lost them? He grunted and pushed to roll over stiffly, and his hand went to his head as the movement disoriented him, to Elsa's slight panic. "That's right… there was a c-castle…" he mused as the memories slowly returned. "I s-saw it, and- whoa…"
And then he stopped when he finally caught sight of the cathedral. His face appeared almost younger, a near child-like wonder as he took in the sight before him. "Is this whole place made of ice?"
Sleek sapphire blue walls stretched vertically into the Gothic arches, connected by rough, almost raw crystal cut aquamarine pillars. Yet the ceiling was what nearly took his breath away. The thick ice filtered the sunlight in a pale, aquamarine glow, where the snowflake pattern shone white. It was like a stained glass ceiling with only two colors, and the effect on the whole of the palace was simply marvelous. The ice palace was the only good thing she had created with her powers, aside from Marshmallow and Olaf. Speaking of those two snowmen, where had they wandered off to? She didn't really worry much for either of them. They may have been made of snow but they were more than capable of taking care of themselves. For now, Elsa had to focus on her current company. Soft giggles caught his attention and he craned his neck to peer up at her. She straightened with grace and poise, tucking her hands in front of her. "That's correct. This entire palace is made of ice. I—I created it."
"You?!" He leaned forward in shock, which shook a few locks of frost-laden hair into his face. He spluttered and hastily wiped away the ice with his stiff fingers before he scrutinized the woman more closely. His trembles were easier to ignore now that he had a focus. "So… you h-have ice powers…" His voice was rough, though speaking came easier as his vocal chords warmed again. He squinted one eye and cocked a brow skeptically. "You're not ab-bout to tell me you're the spirit of wh-whinter or anything are you?"
"Oh no. No. Believe me, I am no spirit. But I do have ice powers… unfortunately." Though there was great beauty in her power, there was also great danger. This eternal winter was more than enough to show for that. "These powers are the reason it's so cold. They're the reason everything is frozen. I have done some terrible things."
His almost comical suspicion melted slowly into uncertainty, and then his expression opened again in dawning disappointment. "W-wait hold on, that means… you're the Snow Queen?"
She flinched from the question, turning away. "Is that what they've taken to calling me, out there?"
He didn't answer right away. It only made sense that this winter that he had been trapped in for days, and the frozen people and animals that "inhabited" the land like macabre ice sculptures would be created by a person immune to cold who lived in a castle of ice on the mountainside. "But…" He tilted his head up, eyes almost pleadingly her to tell him he was wrong. "I don't understand. You seem so nice. Why are you doing all this?"
He never imagined it from a beautiful human woman that had willingly tried to save him. He found it hard to connect the warmth of her blood he still remembered with the "ice curse" that had taken over the land.
"I—" Her expression only grew sadder. "I didn't mean to do it. I—I couldn't control my powers. I was afraid. And Anna and the people… So many people." She stood up, gripping at her head, her mood causing the palace to react, the crystalline ice walls darkening from their beautiful blue to a solemn yet still beautiful purple. The sudden change alarmed him for a moment, thinking that it was some sort of magic spell about to shake the palace walls. But when things remained calm, and her display, his fears dissipated."I've been trying to find some way to fix it. B-But no matter what I d-do… Nothing changes." Her arms wrapped tightly around herself, her head bowing, eyes slowly closing. "Everyone and everything I ever loved is gone… I'm alone in a frozen wasteland I created… No one is safe here."
It wasn't pity that shone in the youth's eyes at her incredible confession, but his heart clenched painfully in his chest as her words struck a little too close to home. If she had looked at him, she would have seen that flicker of recognition, that flash of empathy that showed in his eyes. Now he understood why she had helped him even in the face of danger.
"…But I am." He replied softly. "Maybe you hurt others, but… when it really counted, you saved me. That… that takes real guts. And a good heart. And right now I…" He laughed weakly. "I couldn't leave even if I wanted. I… still might need a little help." he admitted, and he looked up at her. "I can't do this on my own."
In his defense, he still didn't know about this woman's powers or how exactly they worked. He wasn't sure how they were controlled, or how much "danger" he was really in. All he knew was that there was a soul in front of him that had been suffering like he had, these long, agonizing months, and he wanted- no, needed to give her a bit of hope. When his words reached her, the woman paused, head slowly lifting, eyes opening again. Slowly, she turned, glancing over her shoulder at him. While his words rang true, Elsa still could not convince herself it was alright. But she steeled herself. He still needed her help.
Approaching him, she released the hug she had on herself and glanced down at her hands. What could she possibly do to help him now? She looked down at him, still on the ground and extended her hands, reaching out for him. He smiled at her responding to him, and reached out a hand to meet her. But she hesitated quickly, stopping herself when she was about a foot away from him, pulling her hands back. She was afraid to touch him, for fear of freezing him too. "But I… What can I possibly do to help you now?"
His smile flickered, but he let his hand fall without comment. No doubt she was hesitant to give him her wrist for risk of him feeding again. He understood the process was painful and frightening, and did not hold it against her. Instead he grabbed a hold of the rail with both hands, took another breath and grunted as he pulled his body to sit up. Watching him as he helped himself up, due to her selfishness and hesitance, she frowned. He really was in horrible shape. He sighed shakily, and cradled one hand to his head as his vision went swimming from the effort.
"I need my stuff." He choked out, and he scanned the floors for any sign of his items. But he only saw his claw marks, the snow and empty space. He sighed once, regretfully. "Looks like I ruined your castle. Sorry about this."
"Don't worry about it," she assured quickly. "It… was already in bad shape before you got here."
"I had my stuff when I was outside, but then I saw this place, and… I blacked out." He realized, lowering his hand from his head as he put the pieces together. "I must've dropped everything and-"
He stopped, not wanting to go into detail. Because he didn't want to describe how he had probably caught her scent, and heard her heartbeat, and how it had driven his basic survival instincts to the forefront. How had had turned into a predator to hunt her down. Looking at his feet, and hands, he realized he must have taken them off in his state so that he had a higher chance of stalking, and an easier time with the chase. She noticed how he cut himself off and gave a curious look, but didn't question it.
"…I can't really control my powers either." He said instead, and when he peered back up, it was with a wry smile. "Thing is that when they take over I can't even remember myself. I turn into… well." He turned away, peering solemnly down the steps where his white feet settled on the blue ice. "You saw. It's a good thing I was already half frozen. Not everyone's been as lucky as you."
"It sounds like it's difficult to deal with for you." She knew that feeling well. She smiled weakly and lowered down next him again. "Have you… always been that way?"
A slow shake of his head, before he leaned against the railing. "No. I was h-human, but I was attacked. Killed, and turned into this. When I came back, I tried to go see my family, but I was… hungry." The word felt like bile in his mouth, and he shut his eyes. "Maru- my dog- he knew something was wrong, so he fought me off before I attacked. It's been a year since then. It f-feels like a lot longer."
He was shaking again, but this time not from cold. He could feel that familiar rush of images and emotions from dredging up the sensitive topic. Regardless, he pulled in his hands to hold them close, and tried to pull in his legs to bring them closer to his body. 'Stay calm. You're okay. You're here.'
Elsa listened, resting an elbow on her knees and her cheek in her hand. They were similar, in a sense. They were both cursed with something they didn't quite understand. And now they were both without friends or family. Two peas in a pod. "I used to be really close with my sister, Anna when we were kids. We used to play all the time. Anna would wake me up early in the morning and tell me to 'do the magic'. She was always fascinated by my powers.
"But like all good things, it had to come to an end." She sighed, eyes narrowing at the memory."Anna woke me up in the morning like usual and we both ran downstairs to the grand ballroom in the Castle. Anna was all 'do the magic, do the magic'. So I did. Everything was going well until… until—Anna was using ice pillars to hop around on. Every time she jumped I would create another pillar for her to land on. But then she started to go faster and faster until… I struck her in the head with my powers."
She remembered Anna falling and remembered how, when she reached her sister, a white streak formed in her hair. "I was so upset that I ended up freezing the entire ballroom before our parents showed up…" She stopped there and carefully stood up again. She would halt the story there for now. "I need to go and find your things before you freeze on me. What have you lost?"
The boy didn't even realize he was leaning closer to listen. Until she stopped it abruptly and he hung his head. "Man, just when it was getting good… I h-had gloves, and boots." He answered. "And a few bags too, with all my s-stuff. Just need the small one. It's probably still on the s-sled."
"I'll be right back."
She practically glided across the floor, and he called his thanks after her. She pulled open the double doors and stepped outside. The moment she vanished, the boy groaned out in relief and clutched at his head. "Aaaahtch tch tch…"
Maybe he should put ice on it. Least they had plenty of it. The thought almost made him laugh, as he blinked away his pained tears. He looked after the closed double doors in silence, contemplating this unexpected turn of events. This couldn't be right. The Snow Queen was supposed to be some cruel, heartless witch made of ice or something. That was what the witch had said, that was what he had come to expect, after seeing the tortured faces frozen in this eternal winter.
Was she lying to him? He couldn't tell for sure.
All he knew was that this wasn't part of the deal.
Okay, need a slight disclaimer here:
This story was originally created a while back (last year) in a roleplay a friend and I started up. So technically, this would be an AU crossover, but since the other series is barely mentioned, it hardly counts at this point. So yes, hope you enjoyed the first chapter, and look forward to writing!