Fire and Ice
Ch. 1 A Not so Ordinary Day
Elsa, the Queen of Arendelle, sat in her study going over many documents, bills, trade agreements, and new laws signing them as she saw fit. But eventually her mind wandered as it often did when she spent hours on end cooped up attending to her duties as Queen. In recent months the Royal Court had started suggesting that it was time for Elsa to find a suitor from one of the neighboring kingdoms. A few potential suitors had come to try and win the hand of the beautiful queen but they had all been turned down. Elsa wasn't as prone to believe in love at first sight as her sister was but if she was going to marry she did want it to be for love. There were some suitors she had taken a real interest in but it was hard for Elsa to let herself fall in love for one particular reason. She still had trouble with her powers of ice and snow.
The townspeople had been accepting of her and her gift but it was still hard to control, especially when she got emotional. She was still afraid that she might hit someone's heart if her powers got too out of control and it was that fear that kept her from taking a suitor. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little jealous of Anna, who had gotten married to Kristoff within a year of meeting him. Elsa wished she could one day experience the love the two of them shared but was doubtful if that day would ever come.
After trying to read another complex bill that seemed more and more incomprehensible the minute Elsa finally groaned and put the parchment down. The Snow Queen got up from her chair and walked over to a window that overlooked the town that surrounded the castle. People were bustling about their business, chatting with one another and children ran around playing. Elsa smiled as she watched the scene below her, thankful that she was accepted as she was. Just as she was about to return to her work she heard a metallic crash outside her study.
"Oops, sorry!"
Elsa rolled her eyes and a small grin tugged at the corners of her lips. She could always tell when her energetic and free spirited sister was about to interrupt her work. Sure enough not even a minute later the doors burst open and the chaos that was Anna followed.
"Hey Elsa, you wanna build a snowman?"
Now Elsa was really smiling. A little while ago when Anna had asked that question Elsa asked if they weren't a bit old for that now. Anna scoffed and said that you were never too old for a snowman.
"I can't, Anna, I have all this work I have to get through."
"All this? How long have you been working?"
Elsa glanced at the clock and was shocked at the time. It was nearly one-o-clock.
"I've been working for… three hours?"
"That long without a break? Come on Elsa, you are getting out of this study for some fresh air and fun, and no arguments, it'll do you good."
"When did you become my doctor?" asked Elsa with an amused look on her face as allowed her sister to drag her out.
"Since you became queen and often need telling when to stop and just have a good time."
"Can we stop by the kitchen? I'm a little hungry."
"Oh, sure! We can get something chocolate!" Anna exclaimed and practically ran towards the kitchen.
If there was one thing guaranteed to get Anna out of the bed in the morning it was chocolate. The young woman was practically addicted to it and there was no doubt in Elsa's mind that if she could, Anna would have chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
An hour later the sisters were walking back to the castle laughing and accompanied by Kristoff and Sven. Elsa and Anna had run into the two as they were on their way back to the palace after making their deliveries and the women had invited to come along and have a snowball fight. Said fight had ended when Elsa had used her powers to bury the ice mason and his reindeer in a small pile of snow.
"I still think using your powers is cheating," Kristoff said as they approached the gate.
"You're just sore because you lost," Anna teased as she batted her eyelashes at her husband.
"Next time I'm bringing Olaf."
"I guess that's fair," laughed Elsa. "Sven isn't much use to you in a snowball fight."
"Don't you listen to her, buddy," Kristoff told Sven.
The trio were about to walk into the palace when they heard an explosion somewhere in the distance.
"Close the gates!" someone yelled as soldiers immediately began hurrying the royal family inside.
"Please stay here your majesty, you'll be safe," said a lieutenant before leaving to join the men assembling to go confront whoever was causing the explosions.
"What do you think is going on?" Anna asked immediately.
"Well obviously we're under some sort of attack," said Kristoff.
"Then it's unlike any attack I've seen," Elsa commented. "The explosions started in the town square and it looks like they're staying there."
"We can't see anything from here, though," the younger sister complained.
"We're not sneaking out so you can get a better look," Elsa said before Anna could even form the question.
"You're no fun," she pouted.
"Fun? Anna, I'm your sister! I'm trying to keep you safe!"
Anna sat in a chair but still looked pouty as her elder sister returned her attention to the fight happening outside. Suddenly from the middle of the town a column of energy erupted into the sky followed by a shockwave that rattled every stone in the ancient palace.
"What was that?" asked Kristoff as he regained his balance.
"I have no idea," said Elsa
"Come on, I don't hear any more explosions, let's go take a look," Anna said as she ran for the door.
"Anna wait, we don't know if it's safe yet out there!"
"Oh come on, we'll have Kristoff with us and there are already soldiers out there! Now come on!"
"Where does she get it from?" asked Kristoff as the two blondes followed the redhead.
"I have no idea."
As Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff made their way to the town square they ran into the returning soldiers who were carrying someone on a stretcher with them.
"Sergeant, what happened?" Elsa asked immediately.
"We don't rightly know, your highness. All we know is that it seems this man in the stretcher was in some kind of fight with another one like him."
Elsa took a look at the man in the stretcher. He had wild hair that stuck up at impossible angles, a rather handsome face, and was wearing a waistcoat, a fine white shirt, black trousers, and a black frock coat.
"Where is the other one?" she asked after a moment of staring.
"Done, your majesty."
"You mean he got away?"
"No, I mean he's gone. He… exploded somehow. This man said that we should evacuate the town because everything within a four mile radius would be destroyed if he failed."
"Failed what?"
"We don't know. We've never seen anything like it before your majesty."
"Well what are you going to do with him?"
"Lock him in the dungeon until he comes around for questioning and for safety. We don't know how dangerous he is and if he poses a threat to us. He was part of a battle that destroyed part of the town square. Until we know that I believe it is in everyone's best interests that we keep this man contained."
"Very well, but inform me when he wakes up. I'd like to ask him some questions myself."
"As your majesty wishes," the sergeant bowed, and led the troops back to the palace.
"Who do you suppose the stranger is?" asked Anna.
"I don't know, but it sounds like he just saved the kingdom. We'll have to wait for him to wake up before we learn anything else about him."
Over an hour later the stranger had still not woken up and the sisters were trying to find things to do to fill the time with. Anna was on her fifth mug of hot chocolate and Elsa had tried to return to her paperwork but couldn't concentrate as her mind kept wandering back to the stranger. Eventually she had given up and had started making small sculptures using her powers. Kristoff sat in a chair next to the fireplace and stared into the fire.
After what seemed an eternity they heard footsteps and the sergeant entered the room.
"Your majesty, the stranger has woken up."
"Thank you, sergeant. I'd like to talk to him first."
"Of course, though I must ask a guard be inside with you for your own safety."
"If it makes you comfortable…" Elsa acquiesced as she stood from her seat.
"Be sure to tell me all about it after you're done!" Anna asked with a large grin on her face.
"I know you'll badger me about it all day if I don't so I don't really have a choice do I?" Elsa laughed as he followed the sergeant to the prison cells.
It was time to find out who this stranger was and what he was doing in Arendelle.
IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: Should I continue this? Seriously, should I continue this? I don't know if I should because it's been on my computer like this for a while. If you think I should, I might need a beta reader if the person I have in mind already turns this down. If you're interested in beta-reading this please tell me through a PM. Please read and tell me what you think in a review, I need to make a decision on this. If this is continued then we'll see the cause of the fight in the square next chapter. Thank you to all who read and review and even those who just read.