Kingdom of Isolation

"Solitude, isolation, are painful things, and beyond human endurance,"

- Jules Verne

If there was one thing Elsa loved, it was books. The bookshelf in her office was loaded with books on all sorts of subjects. She didn't prefer one genre over the other, she just enjoyed whatever she could learn from what she read. During her years of isolation, Elsa had read a lot of books on monarchy, and the history of Arendelle. These books could get tedious at times, but she knew that they contained important information for her to know. Even though she enjoyed reading, Elsa wasn't much of a writer, outside of writing letters and other important documents regarding the kingdom, but she often thought about the idea of writing a book one day. When she told this to Anna, her younger sister was thrilled at the idea.

"I'll buy your first copy!" she said.

However, who knew when that day would come? In all honesty, Elsa didn't know what she would write about. She didn't have the creativity to come up with fictional stories like Charles Dickens or Daniel Dafoe, so it would have to be nonfiction. What would she write about? It had been two years since she and Anna reunited as sisters, and so much had happened in that time. Her life was vastly different from the one she knew for so long; locked behind a closed door. She and Anna didn't often talk about her years of isolation, insisting that it was best to leave the past in the past, and look to the future. Nevertheless, Elsa still thought a lot about her years of separation from Anna. They were cold, lonely years, but still a part of her life. Whenever she thought about them, her mood instantly changed to sadness as she reminisced on how alone she was during those years. Her parents visited her every day, but she rarely saw Anna or anybody else. There wasn't much to do inside her room, besides reading books, sleeping, and looking out of the window. For most of the time, she just sat in her room with her thoughts. Would that be worth writing about?

Elsa opened the drawer to her desk, pulling out several sheets of paper, along with a quill, and a bottle of ink. She dipped the quill into the ink, before beginning to write.

Over the next several months, Elsa continued to write her autobiography about her thirteen years in isolation. She wrote for three hours every day, sometimes even longer, if her hand didn't get tired. It amazed her that she had so much to say, but then again, she had thirteen years to write about. As persistent as Elsa was with the project, she had to admit, that it was unnerving at times, confronting her past head on like she was doing. With every word that she wrote, Elsa felt like a piece of her soul was being ripped out, and thrown onto the paper. It hurt at times, but she knew that confronting her past was the only way to overcome it.

Around September, Elsa put the finishing touches on her manuscript. She gathered the hundreds of pieces of paper together, wrapping them in a piece of twine. She had to admit, writing about her years of isolation was very therapeutic. After it was finished, Elsa felt like a heavy burden had been lifted off of her shoulders. Maybe it was something about writing that gave her solace.

A knock came at the door, and Anna walked inside.

Elsa put the manuscript down to greet her.

"Hello, Anna. What can I do for you?"

"I was just stopping by to say, hi. I know you're probably busy," Anna replied.

"Oh, no. I was just finishing up a little project I've been working on."

Elsa hadn't told Anna about the book yet.

"Oh? What is it?"

"It's nothing, just writing about the years when we were separated."

Anna's expression changed. She looked concerned at her sister.

"I see. That's a pretty unpleasant thing to write about, Elsa. What made you want to do that?"

"I've been wanting to write something for a long time, but I didn't know what to write about. I'm not creative enough to write a fictional story, so the only thing I knew about was my life. The grim parts of it anyway. I was hoping that once I wrote it, I could finally put that unpleasant chapter of my life behind me."

"Could I read it?" Anna asked. She was curious to see what Elsa had written. They hadn't talked much about those years, so Anna was interested to see what exactly went on behind that closed door.

"Sure," Elsa said, handing the bundle of papers to her. "Let me know what you think."

"I will," Anna said.

She left to go to her room, eager to read what her sister had written. Upon reading the first page, which was the introduction. Anna felt a wave of emotions overcome her.

There have been many secrets regarding the Kingdom of Arendelle. Why did the gates suddenly close one day? Why did the king and his family become so reclusive? Questions like these, and more have no doubt lingered in the minds of the citizens of Arendelle for many years. Even though things have changed, and the gates have reopened, the questions remain as to what exactly went on in the castle during those thirteen years of solitude. I have chosen to write this tale to not only reveal the truths that have been hidden for so long, but to also put to rest the fears and troubles that have haunted me for most of my life. This will not be a pleasant tale, but I hope that people will finally understand the mistakes that I and my parents made, and hopefully, come to forgive us. My name is Queen Elsa of Arendelle, and this is my story.

When Anna finished reading the manuscript, she was astounded. The tale was so powerful, so engaging, that she couldn't even speak. She knew that Elsa had had a miserable time being locked away for so long, but never did she imagine that her sister's thoughts and feelings during that time were so deep. The one part of the tale that made her cringe was the part of Elsa considering suicide, so she could end the agony she suffered. It was heartbreaking to think about, but she understood why the thought crossed her mind.

Anna immediately went to Elsa's office to tell her how much she enjoyed reading her autobiography. The younger princess encouraged Elsa to publish it.

"I don't know, Anna. It was pretty hard to write, so I think it would be even harder to publish," Elsa said.

"I understand, Elsa. If you don't want to publish it, that' fine. I just think that the people of Arendelle would want to hear your story. Once they do, maybe they'll understand why things were the way they were."

Elsa looked at the manuscript in her hands. It was no secret that she poured her heart and soul into it, but was Anna, right? Would the people of Arendelle appreciate hearing her story? Once the sisters said goodbye to each other, Elsa picked up the manuscript, and went into town. She went to a printing shop, one that she had used frequently. Inside the shop, she made a request to publish her autobiography.

A few months later, the book was published. Elsa decided to call it: "Kingdom of Isolation: My story of Heartache and Redemption." The book received glowing reviews from critics, and citizens alike. Whenever Elsa came into town, she was flattered by the many people telling her how much they enjoyed her book. Anna was also impressed. One night, while the two sisters sat by the fire, enjoying a cup of tea together, Anna pulled out a copy of "Kingdom of Isolation."

"Hey, Elsa," she said.

"Yes, Anna?"

"This is kind of cheesy, but I was wondering if you could sign my copy of your book?"

Elsa smiled. "I'd be happy too, Anna."

And at the bottom of the first page, written in black ink, were the words:

"To my lovely sister, Anna.
Thank you for everything.

I love you more than I can say.

Love,

Elsa

A/N: This was a fresh idea I had. Let me know what you think.