"Elsa, please, you have to understand how serious this is."

He stood there, mere inches away from her pale, worried face, his steady breathing creating a beat for her heart to follow. His warm brown eyes melted her icy ones into a pool of swirling blue, and she wondered, not for the first time, how a man with so much warmth could create a girl as cold as her.

"I know, Papa. I really know. I'll do whatever you say, I promise."

She looked right back at him, gripping his hand in hers as if her life depended on it. As he had spoken, he had knelt down in front of her to accommodate for his own towering height, and now the two stood face to face. His expression was very serious, his mouth very stern. These unnatural characteristics of his terrified her.

"You said that before, remember? You said you wouldn't play with your ice powers anymore, and yet look what happened to Anna! How am I supposed to believe you after that?"

At the lecturing words, Elsa yanked her gaze away from his, her eyes suddenly and inexplicably filling with chilled tears. She sucked them back up, determined not to let him see her weakness. She would not cry. If she was going to show him that she could do it, she needed to be strong.

"I'm sorry," she murmured between blue lips. The image of the event that had occurred not even three days before bounced around and around in her head, a nightmare that she could never escape. "I didn't know how dangerous I was back then. But I know now. I can control it."

Her father nodded, but his stern expression did not falter.

"I know you can, Elsa. You're strong, and you always have been. I know you can do this… but we're going to need to work on it. Things may get a little tough for you from here on out, I may start to get very harsh, but that doesn't mean that I don't love you. In fact, it means the opposite. It means I love you enough to do anything to help you get better. You understand?"

The eight-year-old nodded, trying to hold back her whimper. She didn't know what was coming up next, but it couldn't be good. Not from that look on his face. Suddenly, she feared the worst.

"Yes, Papa. I understand. I trust you."

At this, the man finally smiled. The golden twinkle returned in his eye, and slowly he leaned forward and pressed his lips on the girl's temple. All the fear drained from her body in an instant, and she couldn't help the wave of unrequested warmth that rushed in to take its place. It wasn't real warmth, she knew. Because of her 'disability,' she was incapable of feeling any temperatures. This feeling now of safeness and soundness was as close as she ever came to it.

When her father pulled back, he was looking her deep in the eyes. She could sense his sorrow. He was ready to tell her something, but she could not guess what. It looked bad.

"Your mother and I… have decided to close the gates today. We're reducing our staff number, blocking all the windows, and you and Anna are to stay inside at all costs. We feel that this is going to be the best way to keep your secret hidden. "

At this, Elsa's eyes went wide. This was not something she expected. Nor was it something she wanted.

"But… Anna," she began, confused as to why her little sister had to be pulled into all this, "I know I'm not supposed to talk to the other children, but why her? If you won't let us play together, and she can't leave, what is she going to do all day? She'll be all alone…"

"I know," he whispered sadly, eyes flitting towards the ground and back again. "Anna doesn't deserve to be isolated, but it's our only choice. We all have to make sacrifices today, Elsa. I'm sorry it has to be that way, but I can't stop it."

Elsa looked down at her feet, her soft, blue slippers standing out against the red, carpeted ground. She couldn't help the overwhelming wash of shame and guilt that spread through her chest as thick and heavy as blood. Everybody in her family had to pay… all because of her. What had she done?

"What are you telling Anna?" she whispered, still not daring to look up. "How are you going to explain this to her?"

"I told her it was to keep her safe," he said, his eyes burning into the top of her head. "That there are bad things in this world, and that this was the only way to protect her from them."

Elsa nodded. How ironic, she thought to herself. Anna thought that they were keeping her safe by locking out the monsters of the outside, but in reality, all they were doing is locking her in with a monster. And she'd never even know it.

"Okay," was all Elsa managed to choke out, remembering the conversation they had had with the trolls earlier that week. "I'll make sure not to talk to her at all, just like you said. I won't build a snowman with her ever again… I promise."

Very slowly, her father stuck out his hands and lifted her chin with the tips of his fingers. Once again, the two were face to face.

"I'm proud of you today," he said strongly, firmly. "You're being very mature for a girl of your age. And I'll be even more proud of you once you learn to control yourself. Trust me, you'll get the hang of it soon enough. The gates will be open in no time."

At this, Elsa couldn't help the smile that bloomed across her face. "Really?" she asked. "You really think I can do it?"

He looked at her lovingly. "Of course, and these will help." From the back of his pocket, he pulled out a pair of beautiful, icy-blue gloves. Elsa stood stock-still as he pulled them over her fingers. They fit perfectly, every curve of her palm accounted for.

"I had these specially made," he told her, his eyes glinting. "They're created from a special fabric. As freeze-proof as clothing can be. As long as you have these on, you'll be fine."

Elsa looked at them, awestruck at their beauty. They were the most wonderful present anybody had ever given her in all of her life. She wanted to hug her father, she really did, but she restrained herself. She needed to look like a poised, mature grownup. And grownups didn't just hug their daddies whenever they felt like it.

"See," her father continued, his eyes kind, "Conceal it…"

"Don't feel it," Elsa finished, already knowing their signature phrase.

Together, they chorused, "Don't let it show."

Elsa looked up at her father, staring at his eyes. They were so warm. They made her feel so at home. She couldn't imagine ever going through this all without him.

"I love you so much," she whispered, ready to begin her new adventure, so long as her dad was at her side.

"Love you too, my little Ice Princess."

This is just a short intro to what is going to be a fairly long, multi-chapter fic. It's going to retell parts of Elsa's sad, isolated childhood, mostly stuff that I make up, and let me just warn you now, it may get very depressing and disturbing at times. For example, though this chapter shows her the positive sides of her father, I'm also going to show some extremely negative sides of him.

It won't necessarily go in chronological order for the chapters, but I figured that this would be a good place to start. I hope you liked it, please read and review!