FROZEN YOUTH: PART 1.5
ERIK'S EARLY DAYS
The winter had gone by faster than Elsa had ever expected. Granted, with a baby boy, time tends to fly by quickly. The first few months were fairly easy. The queen would hold her son throughout the day and he wouldn't fuss or fidget. He was a calm and happy baby.
But as spring came around, Erik was becoming more and more curious. Now able to crawl, Elsa found herself chasing the little prince around the castle constantly. She would turn her head for a few seconds and he would vanish off on a little adventure. Though Elsa knew he was in no real danger, she still feared losing him within the large palace. But there was one event of Erik's curiosity that the queen would not soon forget.
On a cool spring evening, Elsa lay asleep in her bed and Erik in his crib. This night was particularly restless for Erik as he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He slowly sat up, rubbed his eyes and looked around the dark room. The only light came from the moon shining through the window and a soft light coming from the bedroom door that was left slightly open. Wanting to get up and explore, Erik held tightly onto the bars of his crib and began to climb. He slid down the side and landed on the floor with a gentle thud. The drop surprised him a bit, but he sat up and began to crawl out the door.
Erik slowly made his way down the hall, giggling a bit as the soft rug tickled his hands and feet. His path was lit only by moonlight coming in from windows on the clear night. He came to the top of the stair case and looked down. He had never gone down the stairs by himself before, but that certainly didn't stop him. Erik turned and slowly put one foot over the edge of the first step; then came the next foot. Smoothly, his little body slid over the edge of the first step and he landed on the next one. He repeated this process several more times until he reached the bottom of the staircase. Erik then made his way across the hall and came to another slightly open door. He pushed it open and made his way into the room. As the door swung, it hit the wall with a thud.
Elsa woke with a sudden jolt at the sound of the thud. She sat up quickly and looked around the room. Immediately, she looked over at Erik's crib. Elsa let out a quick gasp when she noticed that her baby was not there. The queen moved her blankets away and rushed out of bed to find her baby. She was tying her robe around her as she walked down the hall calling his name. Soon after, Anna came out of her room, Kristoff still snoring in the background. "Elsa, what is it?"
"Erik's gone!" said Elsa. "He must have crawled out of his crib! I don't know how it…where is….I-I just…." Elsa held her face in her hands out of fear. Anna took her sister's shoulders and spoke to her. "Elsa," she said, "calm down, I'm sure he's somewhere close by. He can't have gone far. I'll help you look." Elsa nodded and the two split up. Anna continued to search up stairs and Elsa went down. Elsa looked in the lounge, the dining room and even the kitchen with no success. Where could the child have gone?
Elsa was growing more nervous and on the verge of giving up. Then she heard a peculiar sound. It was a light hum that repeated. It sounded and then stopped. It happened again, but a different pitch. She looked at the clock, but it wasn't its bells. She followed the sounds into a dimly lit room. The room was small and lit by the moonlight. Inside was a large, grand piano. And there, standing on the bench, pressing on random keys, was little Erik.
Elsa let out a sigh of relief and walked calmly over to her son. Erik looked up at her and simply smiled. He went back to pressing notes, giggling at each soft tone. Elsa gently picked up her son and held him close. "You had me worried" she whispered. "I guess I need to keep a closer eye on you." Erik fussed a bit, wanting to get back to the piano. He reached for it and whined a little. Elsa looked at him and then the instrument. "I didn't know you like music so much." She sat on the bench with Erik in her lap.
Elsa had been taught how to play when she was very young, but she had not played since then. But the queen did vaguely remember a little something. She positioned her hands above the keys and softly played a lullaby that her mother used to sing to her and Anna. The melody softly echoed in the room and moved elegantly through the air. The soothing sound flowed into Erik's ears, and a soft smile went across his face as he slowly drifted off to sleep.
With the sleeping prince in her arms, Elsa walked back to her room, humming the lullaby softly to her son. Before entering her room, she was met by Anna who was still running about. "Oh Elsa," she said, nervously. "I've searched everywhere! I just can't find him! I-I…"
"Anna," Elsa said. "It's okay." She motioned to her arms to show Erik, sleeping contently.
"Oh," said Anna with a light chuckle. "Is there anything you need? I still have some things for our baby if you…"
"I'm all right, Anna. You go on back to bed. You need your sleep, especially in your state."
Anna hugged her sister, kissed Erik's head and silently walked back to her room, rubbing her pregnant belly. Elsa stepped into her room and closed the door. She was about to place Erik back in his crib, but she hesitated. She had no intention of having a repeat for this night's events, so she laid him down in her bed. She pulled the blankets over them and brought him in close. Elsa gently stroked his hair and continued to hum the lullaby. Erik certainly was a handful, but Elsa could not bring herself to be mad at his behavior. There was so much for him to see! And this natural curiosity would only grow as he did.
Days went by and the worry of that evening was now just a funny story. But Erik's endeavors were far from over. Elsa did indeed keep a much closer eye on him, and he did not wander off again, but if there's anything that can make a new mother worry, it's this. One afternoon, Elsa, Erik, Anna and Kristoff were outside enjoying the nice spring weather. Erik, now taking his first steps began to walk around between his mother, aunt and uncle. He hobbled over to Anna and landed in her lap with a gentle thud. She scooped him and held him close. Anna gave him a quick little kiss on the cheek and giggled. Erik giggled too, and then let out a light sneeze.
"Oh!" Anna gasped. "Bless you." Erik sneezed once more and rubbed his tiny nose. Anna handed him back to Anna. "He must have some allergies" she said. Elsa held him close and gently placed her hand on his forehead. "He feels a bit warm" she said concerned. "Maybe we should bring him inside."
Back inside the castle, Elsa drew a warm bath for her son. He giggled lightly as she ran her hands across is velvet skin. He splashed about and played with bubbles as Elsa washed his hair. When finished, she wrapped him gently in a towel and dried him slowly. She hoped that a bath might help bring his temperature down and calm his body. Erik simple snuggled into the towel and clung to his mother. Not long after, the prince began to gently fall asleep. Elsa giggled and carried him to her room. Elsa sat in her chair, holding her son. She hummed him a lullaby and he drifted off to sleep. With a sigh of relief, Elsa laid Erik in his crib. She kept a careful eye on him through the day.
Later that afternoon, Erik began to shiver and cough lightly. Elsa scooped him up and felt his head. His temperature had risen. Erik then began to shiver a bit in her arms and let out a soft whimper. Worried, Elsa carried her son downstairs. What could she do? Who could she ask for help? All these thoughts made her even more anxious and the palace floor began to freeze beneath her feet.
Anna came from down the hall wondering what all the commotion was. "Elsa? What's going…" Before she could get her words out, Anna slipped on a patch of ice and lightly fell into a patch of snow. "Oof! Elsa," she said. "What's wrong?"
"It's Erik," the Queen replied. "His temperature is rising. He is shaking and I-I just don't know what to do!"
Anna held her sister by the shoulders. "Elsa, look at me. It's going to be okay. What did Mom always so when we got sick as kids?"
Elsa took a deep breath and remembered how their mother used to care for them. "Alright. Anna, do you think you could lend me a hand with him?" She asked.
"Of course," She said with a soft smile. "But I think we ought to deal with this." Anna then motioned to the trail of snow and ice her sister had left out of her anxiety. Elsa giggled lightly and with a twist of her hand, it all evaporated and zipped out the window.
The two sisters carried the young price upstairs to Elsa's bedroom. They wrapped him gently in a blanket and laid him down on Elsa's bed. The queen had one of the maids prepare a warm drink of medicinal herbs from their storage. Holding Erik in her arms, Elsa slowly spoon fed the medicine to him, making sure he drank it all. The medicine helped the price to relax and soon he was back into a deep sleep. His shivering had stopped and he slept soundly.
With a sigh of relief, Elsa place Erik in his crib. Anna gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead and looked at her sister. The two shared a glance and smiled.
"I don't know what I would do without you." Elsa said.
"You have enough on your mind, Elsa. It's nothing to feel bad about."
"But I wasn't even sure how to take care of my own son."
"Elsa, you are a wonderful mother. The fact that you worry so much shows how much you care! This will all come in time."
The two sisters shared a hug. Elsa knew she worried too much from time to time and was glad to know that her family was there for her. Being both queen and mother was no easy task. But in her heart her duty as a mother came first. As Erik began to learn the wonders that the world had to offer, Elsa herself would learn the wonders of raising a child. It is a wonderful adventure that stood in front of her. And she was ready.