All's Fair
On August 4th, 1843, the first instance of written rumors concerning the newly coronated Arendellan queen's supposed ice powers appeared in an evening newspaper article, penned by an irate dignitary who had left the instant the "frozen fjord" had been thawed. The article was quickly picked up the next morning, buoyed by the whispers of the previous few days. It was merely a matter of time before it came to royal attention.
The High Empress Elsa of Jortun, Queen of the Ice and Snow, Royal Bearer of the Divine Gift, Commander of the Winds, Ruler of the Storm, the conqueror of lands far to the east and west of her own Ice Palace, Realm of Winter, was intrigued. It had been a long time since she had met another with any magical power, let alone one who controlled ice like she did. And to think their parents had settled upon the same name, too! Not only did there appear to be another of her kind, but this Elsa's power may even match her own, even, perhaps, exceed it. And so she reacted accordingly.
On September 27th, a courier with a letter bearing the Snowflake Seal stomped his snowy boots outside the office of the queen of Arendelle, brushing aside the overprotective butler, adamant that Queen Elsa be given the missive directly and with the greatest of haste, refusing any and all attempts by the concerned servants to calm him down. When Elsa was informed of his presence she waved him forward, and he deposited the letter into her hands and left before he could receive payment. Disturbed, she opened the letter.
"They're declaring war."
She dropped the letter on the council table, where she had hastily convened the noble members, and looked around at her assembled men. Some appeared nervous, others frightened, while some merely looked hard, eyes staring into the distance as hands rubbed old war scars. The ones that disturbed her had sick lights in their eyes.
"No representative at our coronation, no formal gift, no attempt at trade, hardly any contact at all, and their first official interaction with us is to declare war. What are we to make of this?"
One of the men ventured an opinion that perhaps Weselton, which had been nearly pulverized when the Snow Queen's war barges, enormous icy contraptions that shot bolt after bolt of icicles at ships and buildings alike, crushed multiple trading ports along its coast before their master decided that maintaining an island outpost would be more trouble than it was worth, had decided to turn in with an old enemy in the face of a new one.
Another suggested that perhaps the empress's lust for power and land had reawakened after years of slumber at the thought of vanquishing a more powerful foe than the minor countries surrounding her own native one.
Elsa was most interested when the captain of the guard, usually a quiet bystander, who did not even have a seat on the council, chuckled softly and said, "Why your Majesty, if I didn't know any better, I'd be silly enough to think that you'd scared her."
Others immediately disagreed: the power of the empire was a tidal wave that could wreck Arendelle with one blow; the tentative alliances between nearby countries would go up in smoke if they had reason to believe their partnership with Arendelle would endanger them; the Snow Queen being ten years Elsa's senior and clearly in full command of her powers was unlikely to be threatened by a shut-in who had had an admittedly violent but brief spell, no offense meant.
On October 3rd, the Snow Queen's personal scribe examined the crocus seal and then tore open the envelope, pulling the paper out. He read to the queen as she stood by the window, watching the way the winds shook the massive trees. He sneered as he put the letter down. "The fools actually mean to negotiate for peace."
The Queen nodded thoughtfully, already crafting her response.
On October 8th, Elsa bit her lip and slowly drew the folded parchment open. She stared at the words, sinking back into her chair, and sighed. She closed her eyes and smiled.
On October 13th, the scribe waved the envelope triumphantly above his head before handing it to the queen with a bow. She smirked as she sliced it open with a thin ice blade, thinking back to her demands.
…and you will find you have two options. You may allow my plunder of your lands or of you. Whichever of these choices you decide upon…
Well, they were not really demands, seeing as she knew there would only be one outcome. She was already dreaming up new plans for armored ships, and could almost taste the sea air. She smugly pulled the letter open and began to read. It did not take long; the message was short and to the point.
Your terms are agreeable. Between which dates should we expect her Royal Highness to be missing?
And so the High Empress Elsa of Jortun, Queen of the Ice and Snow, Royal Bearer of the Divine Gift, Commander of the Winds, Ruler of the Storm, the conqueror of lands far to the east and west of her own Ice Palace, Realm of Winter, looked down at the words and said thusly, "What the fuck?"
"I wish you had told me before; I would've been gentler."
Elsa nodded as she stared at the ceiling. The ceiling tiles were utterly mesmerizing.
"…although admittedly, if I had been paying attention, I suppose I should've known."
Elsa inhaled shakily. Her legs were still trembling.
"You'll have to forgive me; I just…got a little excited. I suppose it was a first time for me, too, in a way."
Elsa's gaze roamed slowly over the ice coating that had shattered several bookshelves, though the heavy oaken wardrobe had survived the onslaught, over the walls, where the wallpaper was peeling, over the bedposts, which had frozen designs swirling up their luxuriously carved pillars, and up to the mattress. The sheets had long since been kicked down, but the bed was still blanketed, this time with snow.
"If it's anything to you, I quite enjoyed myself."
"I know," Elsa whispered. Her throat felt raw.
There was a chuckle by her side, and then the mattress dipped, and she closed her eyes and shivered at the cold press of lips to her cheek. Her voice came again, this time soft and yet so close.
"If I may ask: did you enjoy it as well?"
Yes, she screamed internally. "It was an experience," she managed.
The queen beside her sighed and sat up. Elsa would have done the same, but she found herself unable to move. This probably should have disturbed her.
"Well then, I suppose this…partnership is finished."
Just a few minutes before she'd been held in a crushing embrace, her defenses completely obliterated and body forced into close quarters with another. She missed it terribly. "Quite finished."
The queen arched her back and Elsa bit her lip. Gorgeous ceiling tiles.
There was a soft rustle, and then footsteps. The bedside table's drawer crackled and squeaked, and then a book slid into Elsa's hands. She barely had the strength to grip it.
"I think you might take a look at this, if our…negotiations are to continue. It's an easy read; the pictures help, so even if you don't have any Indian scholars I'm sure you'll understand it."
"All right," Elsa breathed. Her core ached wonderfully.
The footsteps headed toward the door, and it dragged open, shut, and Elsa was alone.
She drew a trembling hand over her eyes.
She was definitely going to declare war again.