1
The atmosphere in Vienna was a tense one that day. It was 2 PM in the afternoon and Queen Elsa was already uncomfortably awake after five coffees. "You might want to try a slice of this gateau sis" Anna suggested before she stuffed a third large slice of Black Forest down her throat. "I'm surprised that you're not five stone heavier already at the speed you're eating" chuckled Elsa, in an attempt to disguise the nervous tones in her voice. " Oh don't worry about me, try some" Anna replied hastily. Elsa cautiously picked up the knife and cut herself a small slice of the one and a half foot cake before her. She then picked up a spoon and scooped a small piece of the spongy chocolate mixture into her mouth. The chocolate and wild berries felt smooth and rich as she swished it around her teeth before swallowing it. Then came the sweet aftertaste which made her smile. "It certainly has a zing to it" Elsa replied before she took another spoonful from her plate.
The two sisters were in Vienna awaiting the declaration of which city would host the next Winter Olympics. The Snow Queen was hesitant at allowing Arrendelle to bid for the games at first, believing that the world would see it as having an unfair advantage due to her powers. But Olaf pointed out that her magic would actually be a good selling point as it would reduce the cost of the games substantially, and would of course guarantee perfect winter games conditions. The last year had been filled up with planning the venues, choosing the campaign team and sorting out the finer details including costs, scheduling, and winning over potential sponsors and allies from across the world. Thankfully Elsa had left this to Christophe and Kai to sort out. But she still had to give her final approval to everything involved in the bid before it could be submitted. She would never forget the image of Christophe struggling to carry the bidding folder onto the ship before it sailed to the Olympic headquarters in Switzerland, even now she still had concerns for his back.
The declaration was now four hours away and both sisters were biding their time by taking lunch in Vienna's most prestigious coffee shop. Cafe and Kusion was what the locals usually did here, and the sisters had been widely impressed by the range of sweet treats on offer, even though they would never be as good as what was made back home. As Elsa slurped her sixth black coffee she heard the cuckoo clock strike two amongst the loud conversations around her. "Do you reckon we should get one for the hallway?" enquired Anna. "Not after what we've spent here." Elsa sighed as her eyes scanned the room, in an attempt to stop her sister nagging her for one. Whist they were wealthy the sisters had only brought a limited amount of money to Austria with them and most of it was locked up in their hotel suite. "Couldn't we just put it down as expenses?" Anna enquired again. Elsa now turned her gaze towards her sister at this request, as the Olympic Committee had given each candidate city a small amount to cover their bidding costs but what they covered was heavily restricted. "Anna, you know those are for the transport and boarding costs of our stay." Elsa stated. "Besides, those are also being used by the delegation team as well." "Sorry I forgot" squeaked Anna with a hint of embarrassment. Elsa felt surprised at this statement. How could the second in command of her Kingdom forget that they had brought a 25 strong delegation team with them from Vlada Fjord? But Elsa took a deep breath and remembered that Anna was usually full of surprises. Maybe the caffeine was going to her head.
At that moment a waiter came over to see how they were getting on. He was a handsome young man with matted black hair, thin cheekbones and a clean shaven face. This went well with his black and gold pattered waistcoat and tight fitting jet back trousers. In regular circumstances most single women would fall over backwards for a chance to be with him, but being given the chance to serve the lunch for the most powerful women in the world was not a regular circumstance.
"Everything alright dears?" the waiter said softly in his camp voice. When the sisters had arrived at the coffee shop Elsa had instructed the waiter not to call them by their royal titles so as not to draw more attention to themselves than was nesscerary. "Oh we're fine, may we have the bill please?" Elsa asked softly. The waiter nodded his head obediently and picked up the dirty plates before leaving. "I reckon he'll be good for you." Anna whispered to her sister. Elsa chuckled silently "What an earth makes you say that Anna? Elsa whispered back. "He's handsome, polite and is just the right age for making a great prince." Anna said intriguingly. "The question is what makes a great prince?" Elsa replied rhetorically. Elsa and her sister knew from personal experience that just because a prince was handsome and acted kindly did not automatically make him a great prince by any stretch. The waiter then returned with the bill and placed it on the table before the queen.
Elsa looked at the paper but did not make a fuss at the high amount of money that was written on it. Instead she picked up her royal handbag and rummaged through for the relevant money. Not wanting her sister to bear the burden for her cake addiction Anna hastily reached into her dress pocket and placed some coins on the table. By now Elsa had already placed her notes on the table and looked over to see Anna's coins. "Anna these are our Kronas." Elsa pointed out. "Oh, really?" said Anna, surprised at her own blunder. She once again rummaged through her pockets and picked out a 20 Shilling note. "This should do it." Anna responded cheerfully. Elsa laughed once again, but this time it was slightly louder. "The meal's 120 Anna, is that all you have?" Yes Anna replied. "I spent the rest of it on that exquisite teddy bear in Hoffers." Elsa gave her sister a slight frown at this point but knew there were better things to fall out over than a simple soft toy. Once the waiter came over the sisters paid and Anna excused herself to the toilet. The waiter then returned with a brief receipt and a small collection of chocolates. He had only turned to leave when Elsa called him back. The waiter turned around and looked stunned at the Queen of Arrendelle's request. He approached her nervously but nonetheless stood before her as if he was a soldier awaiting inspection.
Elsa rummaged through her handbag once more and took out a large handful of orange shilling notes. The waiter's eyes almost popped out at this sight. Tips were nothing new in his job and he received them regularly. But one orange note alone was worth 200 shillings in his nation, which was his basic salary for an entire month. There must have been at least 20 before him on the table now. "Take this as a thank you from myself and Princess Anna." Elsa stated with a smile. As Queen Elsa moved the pile of notes towards him the waiter was unsure if he should accept such a large amount of money. He knew that all tips had to be declared to his manager but he knew that only Kings and Queens carried this sort of money and that few waiters ever got to see this offering in their lives. He scooped up the notes hastily and arranged them neatly before putting them in the front pocket underneath his black apron. "My greatest thanks dear lady" he replied graciously. "Would you like a box to take away your leftover gateaux? "It's very kind of you to offer but I think I've got it covered." Elsa replied softly. The waiter gave a slow nod towards the queen of ice and snow before he left the table with a spring in his step. Elsa then waved her hand and constructed a perfectly shaped box of ice on the table and placed the gateaux inside before sealing it with an ice lid. She then lay back in her chair and admired her work with a smile.
2
The Vienna opera house was an imposing venue in it's own right. It was a place where those singers who had trained for years came to prove their worth. The stage was sleek and the curtains as tall of the turrets of a castle. Today it was packed for the announcement of the hosts for the next Winter Olympics. Winter sports played a big role in Austro-Hungarian culture and not a single stone had been unturned in terms of decoration for the event. Even the cleaning cupboards had been given a fresh coat of paint the week before. But outside was where the real action was. All the bidding teams had assembled for photos and interviews with the press and flash photography was inescapable. The five candidate cities were Quebec City from the Kingdom of Québec, Munich from the Principality of Bavaria, the Japanese city of Hakuba, the Ottoman city of Saklikent and last but not least Arrendelle's capital city Vlada Fjord.
Once the royal sisters had arrived, they steeped out of their carriage to the cheers of an excited crowd. Both the sisters were grateful that despite Bavaria being the favorite amongst the pundits and papers, Arrendelle's bid had the popular support of ordinary citizens from across the world. None of the other Newspapers in Vienna had talked about the fanfare of the other bids quite as much as theirs and it had not escaped them here. The crowd continued to cheer at their presence once the siblings had joined their 25 delegates for official photos. Amongst the camera flashes Anna could make out the large placards that read "Arrendelle for Winter Games" and "Go for Gold Elsa!" Anna turned to her sister and said "I reckon we would defiantly win if this was a public vote." Elsa smiled back as the photos continued to flash, clearly not wanting to spoil any newspaper headlines.
Shortly the delegation was moved on into the foyer where canapés and champagne were being served. The event was designed to encourage friendly alliances between the bidding cities, despite the anticipation that all of them felt towards the impending announcement. The sisters did their best to keep their eyes on all that was being offered to them, including mini cheeses on bread, sausages and Apples on sticks and the tomato pastries which were floating around. "I bet Christoph would be in heaven right now" exclaimed Elsa is she took another sausage. "After taking care of the kingdom for us I bet he will be" said Anna as her eyes followed a Seabass pancake. Christophe was usually the Royal Ice Deliverer of the kingdom, but had been promoted to the title of Regent Protector when both sisters were absent from the capital. It was his first time he had done this role and he seemed pretty competent at it when the Royals ship had left the harbor. The Royal duo had been in Vienna for almost a week now and had heard nothing from him, so assumed that everything was okay, just as long as he kept impersonating Sven the reindeer's voice to a minimum.
After this light refreshment the doors to the Auditorium opened and all the delegates and sovereign leaders of the candidate cities were ushered inside. Elsa was instructed by one of the ushers that herself and her sister have been assigned two front row seats along with the other international leaders. Once they entered and found the seats Elsa began to think hard about the possible speech she should give in the event of victory. It was hard to know where to start as she had spent most of the horse-drawn journey from Arrendelle trying to think of one but didn't want it to be too clichéd. Beside her sat the Duke of Bavaria and on the other her sister, who was trembling with excitement. At this point one could mistake them for a parent and an unruly toddler going to the theatre for the first time. "Isn't this great?" Anna spat out hurriedly. "Everyone is almost inside and we could be seconds away from making history!" Anna was right about one thing, the kingdom of Arrendelle had never held a Winter Games before. This was two reasons, the first one being the fact that the competition had only existed for 40 years. The other relating to the fact that her parents didn't believe a winter games would be a good idea with a child who could not control their ice powers. But thankfully those troublesome years were long behind Elsa now and her kingdom could bid for the games with confidence. As the lights dimmed and the drum rolls began Anna grasped her sister's hand and held it for good fortune.
The winter games anthem was played whilst highly trained dancers strutted their long legs and agile hips before them. Once the music stopped the crowd clapped with joy and the dancers stood to one side. A tall man wearing a long tailed suit then walked out and stood before a varnished wooden podium. He was carrying a gold envelope and observed the crowd through his wire-rimmed spectacles. "Ladies and gentlemen" he began. "We are gathered here today to announce the host city of the next International Winter Games." As the gentleman began his speech about worldwide unity Anna yawned loudly. Her sister then gave her arm a firm squeeze to remind her that they were both at a serious diplomatic event and that some people would take offence at that behavior. Thankfully not many people noticed apart from the Duke of Bavaria who gave her a slight look of disapproval. However it was not long until the head of the games committee came to the most interesting part of his speech. He had just announced the names of the competing cities and had moved the gold envelope onto the podium itself. " All of these cities have given their greatest dedication and have crafted their bids with passion, creativity and commitment" he said. "So with these values in mind I hereby declare that the next host of the International Winter Games will be…" As the committee head ripped open the envelope Anna could hear her own heart beating at 1000 mph inside her own head. The feeling was so loud that she almost missed the announcement. "….Valda Fjord, The Kingdom of Arrendelle." As he read this statement a big smile spread over his face and he looked towards the sisters. However the two of them did not notice this as the theatre filled up with a loud clapping.
Elsa now knew was a speech was due from her. She was about to get up out of her seat when Anna screamed then jumped up and wrapped her legs around her sister's waist as she gave her the tightest cuddle she had ever received from her younger sibling. Not even a Boa Constrictor could give her a tighter embrace than this. Once her sister had loosened her grip and the clapping had subsided, The Snow Queen and Princess Anna made their way up the stage to the podium where the head of the games committee shook their hands firmly. He then left the podium to the Royal duo to say a few words.
"My fellow delegates…" Elsa began with confidence. "I can not find the words to thank you for this honor." She then looked around at the crowd and saw the looks of expectation on their faces. "When I first discovered my powers I never thought that I would use them to serve the world in this way. You can also be assured that we will not let you down." Anna noticed that her sister was quickly running out of things to say and decided to interject. "And that is why it will be the most stunning, innovative and entertaining games you will ever see. Not to mention free ice cream for everyone!" This unexplained interjection allowed the snow queen to consider the tone of this speech and regain her sense of humor. " No pressure on me then!" she exclaimed lightly. The audience laughed at this statement before the sisters continued to give thanks to their delegates and explained how these games would be an inspiration to women everywhere. Once the sister's speech had finished the audience clapped and cheered as if they had witnessed a fine opera that the stage before them was designed for.
Later that afternoon the two sisters climbed back into their hire carriage and told the driver to return them to their hotel suite. Things would not be the same now when they returned home as they were now the host city of the next International Winter Games after Corona. Elsa did her best to keep mindful about the event by slowing down her breathing after the rather energetic celebrations in the foyer from their delegation. Anna on the other hand had decided to bring a free bottle of champagne on board in order to continue the celebrations. As the carriage started moving Anna continue to drink from the bottle. She then shoved in her sister's face, who clumsily rebuffed it. Anna was so excited that she had forgotten Elsa strict no drinking rule, or at least not in private. "What's up sis?" Anna asked as the coach sped along the busy city streets. "You need to celebrate sometimes!" she added as she took another swig from the bottle.
"I'm thinking about how I'm going to build all of our sites now." Elsa sighed as they approached the city square. "Well you built the fridge effortlessly enough so a few Winter Games facilities shouldn't be a problem." chirped Anna as she bounced over to her sister's side of the carriage. The fridge was the name that Arrendelian society had given to the ice castle that Elsa had constricted on the peak of the North Mountain. She had constructed it after she had fled her coronation party at the start of The Great Freeze and it had remained there ever since. Newspapers across the land had named it as the eighth wonder of the world and it was to host the ice climbing events during the games. "That was different." Elsa replied firmly. "Whilst I locked myself away I always dreamt that I could go there and escape the world I was trapped in, so it was quite easy to build." Anna could tell her that her sister was getting depressed at these memories so decided to take her mind off them.
"Maybe Periwinkle could lend you a hand." Anna suggested as their carriage resumed moving down the road. "I bet she won't be too busy." The Winter Fairy had always intrigued Elsa and the queen had a suspicion that Periwinkle might have been involved in granting her ice powers when she was a baby. But Elsa was always too busy being a queen to arrange a time to talk to her about it. "Maybe, but we would have two give her something in return" she said as the sister's hotel came into view. "I'll think about that on our journey back home" Anna replied as the footman approached the carriage door. Once the sisters heard got out and re-entered the hotel lobby Princess Anna rummaged in her handbag for a quill and parchment. "What do you think I should tell Christophe?" Anna asked the Queen as they climbed the stairs to their deluxe suite. "Tell him that I have my work cut out for me in the years ahead." Elsa said lightly as the two victorious sisters approached the floor their room was located on. After Elsa had suggested this line to her sister the royal siblings walked down the corridor, unlocked the door to their suite and both crashed down on their respective beds with exhaustion. It was only 5 o'clock in the afternoon but it had been a very long day indeed.