Author's Note: My hope is to make this a shortish story (less than 15,000 words) as a little glimpse of a possible epilogue to conclude the movie Frozen. I became a huge fan of Frozen since I heard the song "Let it Go," and then watched the movie. It is a great story for anyone of any age and I can't recommend it enough for any Disney fan. I, of course, own nothing.
Please read, review, and enjoy!
I sprinted furiously and dug my feet hard enough to make grooves in the snow. I quickly took cover behind the stone wall in an attempt to catch my breath. Icy tears stung my eyes and I quickly wiped them away with the wool of my mittens.
I ducked down and crouched in the snow. My eyes automatically began to squint against the harsh cold and I could just make out the outline of the iced over lake. I gave the area a sweeping glance, took a deep breath, and clenched my hands into fists as I thrust my body forward.
I keep my eyes straight ahead as I dashed across the piles of ice and snow. I slipped twice; ripping my skirt the first time and then cutting my hand the second. I barely wasted a glance at either injury, instead just cradling my hand to my chest protectively as I leapt.
I dug my heels in still, gaining speed even as the freezing air nipped my cheeks. I took a gasp of icy air and didn't even notice as my feet passed from the hills of ice and snow to the pristine glass-like surface of frozen water. My boots began to slip underneath me until I fell, hard, on the iced ground.
"Ow," I muttered, even as my body continued to slide. My body skated across the ice as I tried to catch my hands on anything. Suddenly, I heard the heart-dropping 'crack' I had been warned about since childhood. I cried out desperately and attempted to dig my heels into the ice, even as I felt the ice cold water rush against my boots and socks.
The lower half of my body began to sink into a crack in the ice just as I felt a push against my bottom. Before I had time to even turn my head, I was screaming as I flew through the air.
I spluttered as I lifted my head out of the giant snow bank I had somehow landed in. I heard giggling behind me. I rolled my eyes as I shook the snow out of my hair.
"Elsa!" I shouted. There was more giggling behind me. "Thanks a lot," I grumbled as I finally stood and spotted my sister.
"Hey," she said indignantly, her hands on her hips. "You should be thanking me. I just saved you from a watery grave." She pointed to the lake, where the crack was replaced with a giant mound of powdery snow.
"Your grand highness," I turned and solemnly curtsied. "My most sincere and desperate apologies to you, the Great Ice Queen of Arandelle. Thank you so -" Suddenly, Elsa leaned over and pushed, and I toppled over into another pile of snow.
I looked up at her, shocked, to see her eyes filled with wondrous disbelief at her own daring. I snorted with laughter and Elsa bent down to help me up, chortling herself.
I sighed lightly and brushed off my skirts again. "Like I wasn't already wet!" I mock protested, pointing to my soaked boots.
"This was your idea," Elsa said knowingly. She pointed to the igloo on the other side of the water. "You had almost made it," she smiled. "Let's call it a draw this time."
"Okay," I agreed easily. "Even though I almost drowned."
She shook her head at me and turned her head toward the water. "Spring is coming early this year. The water is already thawing," she sighed and turned back to look at me. "But you would not have drowned. I would never let anything happen to you, Anna," she said sincerely, reaching for my hand.
"I know," I told her as I grabbed her hand. "Let's go home."
Elsa made sure we took our time heading back to the castle, despite my frozen toes. She graciously smiled and waved at every person she encountered, so desperate to please every citizen of Arandelle. The majority of people gave her warm smiles back. Elsa was a gracious and fair queen; between her poverty driven policies and saving a year's worth of crops from an unexpected blizzard the spring before, her transgression with freezing the kingdom was all but forgotten.
"Elsa," I grumbled, after a few feeble waves on my part. "I know that you don't feel the cold," I nodded pointedly at her simple blue gown brushing the piles of snow at our feet, "but I'm numb. Can we please hurry?"
"Anna," she said without breaking her queenly smile, "you are a princess of Arandelle. Please –"
"Act like it. Yeah, I know." I blew at my bangs in frustration.
"Princess! Princess Anna!" someone called out.
I smiled and waved my hand like I wasn't uncomfortable at all. Both Elsa and I watched in surprise as a drop of blood fell on the white snow.
"Oh! What's this?" Elsa took my other hand in hers. The cut I had received from the ice had bled through my glove. She touched it lightly with concern. "Why didn't you say something?" she asked me in surprise.
"I didn't feel it," I told her honestly. "I suppose I forgot."
She frowned at my hand and hurried me along the path. "Next time we are building a snowman like I wanted."
"I think one Olaf is enough," I joked.
"Elsa, could you please calm down?"
She was pacing around the room while my maid wrapped my hand with sterile cloth. I rolled my eyes and stretched my feet closer to the fire. I smile fondly up at the picture of Mother and Father and sigh when snow brushes my sleeve.
"I'm fine Elsa! And besides – let's leave the snow outside this time," I tried to say gently.
"What?" She snapped her head up like she hadn't heard me at all. I nodded above her head where flakes of snow were beginning to flurry.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Her face dropped even more. She turned on her heel immediately. "I'll leave."
"Elsa! Come here. It's fine. You're not going to freeze me." I held out my hand to her. The maid bobbed her head and left the room.
Elsa was hesitating, but after a moment she came over and put her hand in mine. She looked warily at the snow above us. It was more than two years later, but was still afraid of turning me into ice. The slightest negative emotion sent her sprinting to her room.
"What's wrong, Elsa? It's not just my hand. I've had worse than this."
Elsa sighed and sat behind me. I smiled as she began to unravel my two strawberry blonde braids.
"Do you think," she sighed and glanced up at the ornate portrait behind us. "Do you think Mother and Father would be proud of me?"
"What?" I whipped my head around despite her hands on my hair. "Of course they would, Elsa! You're a great queen. Everyone in Arandelle adores you," I added.
"Thank you," she replied formally. "I'm glad you think so. It's just –"Her hands paused in my hair. "They worked so hard to try and help me conceal my powers. And now . . ." Elsa sighed.
"You control your powers now, Elsa."
"Well, mostly." She glanced up at the few flakes falling from the sky. She sighed. "It's silly. I just hope I would have made them proud."
I turned and grabbed her hands. "They would be so proud of you. You help the kingdom every way that you can."
"And what about you?" Her blue eyes looked at me with concern.
"What about me?" I asked, taken aback.
"I was supposed to look after you. Be a good big sister and protect you."
I groaned and flipped back on the couch, throwing my arm over my eyes. "I will survive from this cut Elsa, trust me."
She smiled slightly and stood up, dusting off her skirts. "I know, Anna. I was referring to freezing and almost killing you," she said with a slight wince, despite her nonchalant tone.
"Well, I'm not frozen now," I said smartly, and got up myself.
She sighed and reached up to touch the portrait of our late parents. She closed her eyes and turned away. "I'm just not sure this is who they wanted me to be."
I walked over and hugged my sister tightly. "Well, this is who you are. And I think you're great in every way."
She was quiet though, as she hugged me back gently. I pulled back and told her frankly, "You're too serious, Elsa. But don't worry – Kristoff will be back soon. And then nobody can be serious for long." I grinned.
She laughed and pulled away. "You and that mountain man make me sick. When are you two going to get married and get out of my hair?"
"Soon." I grinned at her impishly, but her smile turned slightly sad. I jumped up and kissed her on the cheek. "Love you, Elsa," I shouted back as I leave the room.
She chuckled behind me. Elsa shook her head with a smile. "I love you too, Anna," she called back.