There were one hundred and twenty-seven letters scattered around the Elsa's desk. What started as a manageable stack of a dozen or so messages had quickly evolved into a hopeless mess that the young queen had no idea what to do with. The letters themselves were as varied in their tone and content as they were their origin. Some were confident, even boastful. Some were plaintive, borderline desperate. In spite of their superficial differences, they all shared a similar purpose. It seemed every available baron, duke, prince, king, and even one very bold princess in the region had a common goal. To wed the Queen of Arendelle.
Elsa wasn't quite sure what to do with this newfound popularity. She'd embraced the love and affection of her sister easily enough after the Great Thaw, and she was still amazed at how quickly her people had warmed to her, given the circumstances. The idea that complete strangers, people she'd never met from places she'd never even heard of wanted to marry her seemed absurd.
Elsa reluctantly sat at her desk, staring out the window as she tried to figure out a way to let down Prince What's His Name from Can't Remember Where easily. She hoped, guiltily, that Anna, Olaf, or some other distraction would take advantage of the kingdom's open door policy and pry her away from her imposing task. She stared intently at the blank parchment, blinking one, two, three times and then…
"Hello? Earth to Elsa?"
"Whoziwazgoinon?" Elsa mumbled incoherently. She recovered from her slump, cringing as she noticed waning light cascading over her parchment, still blank save for a rather unqueenly drool stain in its bottom right corner. As she turned she was greeted by a pair of auburn braids, which led up to a knowing smirk.
"More love letters?" Anna asked, making no effort to hide the massive grin on her face.
Elsa scowled as she stretched against the back of her chair. "That's a rather generous way of putting it. This letter," she said, pointing to the nearest scroll, "is from the Queen of Fenwick. Apparently her son Albert is a very nice, very handsome boy who is painfully shy and just the tiniest bit obsessed with flying kites, but I shouldn't let that stop me, because we'd get along oh so well and make such a beautiful couple."
"That doesn't sound so bad."
"The man is fifty-eight," Elsa deadpanned.
"Yikes," Anna whispered. "Well, at least he's young at heart, right?"
"Anna, what am I going to do with all of these? It seems so, cold to just dismiss them out of hand. But the truth is I have absolutely no interest in any of them," Elsa groaned.
"Even Princess Ellen?" Anna asked with a smirk.
Elsa laughed. "Even Princess Ellen," she replied.
She walked toward the window, gazing out over the sea as the sun began to merge with it on the horizon. Elsa had a habit of taking her time to find the right words to express herself and through trial and error over the last year, Anna had learned to oblige her.
"For a long time, I never imagined that I could…be with anyone," Elsa said quietly. "Hiding my powers from my sister and my people was hard enough. But a husband? Impossible."
She gazed out the window, watching the sun recede in the distance as twilight descended over Arendelle.
"I just assumed that love, any kind of love, was something I simply couldn't have," she explained sadly. "So I tried not to think about it. Tried to put it out of my mind, just like everything else that was important to me."
"And now?" Anna asked gently.
"I want what you have with Kristoff. Someone that will love me for who I am. Not for my powers, or in spite of my powers. Not for my title or my kingdom. Just…me," Elsa said with a small smile.
"I want that for you too," Anna replied warmly. She wrapped her older sister up in her arms, enjoying the warmth of familial affection she'd been denied for over a decade. Elsa squeezed her back, glad that for the first time in forever, she had someone to confide in.
"Well, Elsa it looks like you're going to break a lot of hearts," Anna remarked with mock sadness.
"I am the Snow Queen. I have a reputation to maintain after all," Elsa said loftily.
"Speaking of which. Do you want to build a snowman?" Anna asked, already knowing the answer.
"I thought you'd never ask."
##############################
Meetings of the High Council of Arendelle appeared to be a special sort of torture invented purely for the misery of its princess. Elsa led these meetings following her coronation, and while Anna's place there was purely ceremonial, she made a point to be both present and mostly awake in order to support the young queen.
"Queen Elsa of Arendelle," Kai announced as Elsa entered the room.
Everyone stood in unison except Anna, who was about a half second late on her cue and somehow managed to knock her chair down in the process. Either no one noticed, or they all made a point to pretend not to as Kai quickly replaced the fallen chair. The sisters shared a quick smile as Elsa entered the room clad in her trademark ice dress. She gestured for everyone to take their seats after taking her place at the head of the table, greeting the Prime Minister and the various other officials in attendance politely.
It took about three minutes for Anna's mind to wander as the conversation shifted toward trade prospects and tax policy. She recalled a recent excursion with Kristoff, one that included a surprisingly romantic picnic at the edge of the fjord. The man had a sentimental streak about him, no doubt a result of being raised by the self-proclaimed love experts.
The memory reminded Anna of the previous evening's discussion regarding her sister's romantic prospects. She was both amused and a little concerned. Elsa's self-deprecating attitude was certainly disarming, but Anna worried that hidden underneath it was a significant degree of residual insecurity. Old habits die hard after all and Anna knew that her sister still worried every day about what other people thought of her and her powers.
Anna perked up after receiving a gentle, pay attention Anna, nudge from Elsa. The meeting was about to come to a close. The princess sat up straight, trying to mirror her sister's grace and dignity as Prime Minister Andersen began to speak.
"There is one final bit of business we'd like to discuss before we adjourn Your Majesty. It is a bit, delicate if I may say so, but I fear it is of considerable importance."
"Go on," the queen replied.
"I understand that you have received a considerable number of courtship proposals from various members of the foreign aristocracy over the last several months," Andersen began.
Elsa sighed. She wasn't surprised that the subject had come up but she still didn't care to discuss it.
"That is correct," she said evenly.
"And I understand you have yet to respond to any of these proposals," he continued.
"Also correct," Elsa replied.
The Prime Minister nodded approvingly. "I am glad to hear it. The political ramifications of a possible union between Arendelle and any other nation are considerable to say the least. I am grateful for your discretion Your Majesty."
"What sort of political ramifications are you referring to Minister?" Elsa asked. She understood the typical geopolitical impact of royal unions, but she suspected that the Prime Minister wasn't referring to those.
"We are, to be perfectly honest, a nation of relatively little consequence to the rest of the world," Andersen explained. "We are small, prosperous, but not exceedingly so. We do not possess any territory of any strategic value, nor resources of any global consequence. In short, we are utterly unremarkable save for one respect."
With that remark, everything clicked into place. A year ago she might have said my powers or even, the curse. She no longer thought of them in those terms, opting instead to embrace her abilities as a part of her very person.
"Me," Elsa stated simply.
"Yes Your Majesty. Your powers have attracted a great deal of interest, for better or worse," the Prime Minister said delicately.
"I noticed," Elsa replied wryly. Anna tried, and failed, to keep a straight face beside her.
"Of course. However, what your would-be suitors may have failed to mention was how exactly your abilities are perceived outside of Arendelle's borders. You see, each of the dignitaries that were present for your coronation last summer brought back their own unique reports of the events that followed back to their homeland. Some were more prone to embellishment than others, Weasletown in particular."
"Naturally," Elsa replied scathingly. She was not under the illusion that the Duke's rather undignified departure from Arendelle the previous year would be without consequence, especially once she elected to cut off trade between the two nations.
The Prime Minister continued. "Reports became rumors. Rumors became stories. Stories became legends. As a result, half the world is looking to add the legendary Snow Queen to their arsenal and the other half is looking to…deny them that advantage," he said apologetically.
To her credit, Anna had remained quiet throughout the entire meeting up to this point. That was over. "Are you saying that people want to kill my sister?" she shouted.
"I am saying that there are people who are fearful of the notion of a sorceress queen, and that fear can cause people to do…terrible things," Andersen said gravely.
"Elsa would never hurt anyone," Anna protested.
"With all due respect Princess, it does not matter what we know, it matters what others believe. Perception is everything, and with Weasletown spreading all manner of nasty rumor, you can imagine how difficult it is for people from a distant land to separate fact from fiction."
"He's right Anna," Elsa conceded dejectedly. "I didn't exactly make the best impression at my coronation." Ice slowly crept from her seat at the table and coated the surface, proving her point.
"So make a new one. Show people that they have nothing to be afraid of," Anna insisted.
"How?" Elsa asked.
"You know, she might be on to something Your Majesty," Andersen said thoughtfully. "If you were to conduct a benign public demonstration of your abilities, that might dispel some of our neighbors' concerns. A goodwill tour of sorts."
"Yeah! Something fun, like the skating rink you made in the courtyard. Or ice sculptures! Or a snowball fight! Or Olaf! You could show them Olaf! No scary ice witch would ever create a summer-loving, warm hug-giving, living snowman," Anna cried enthusiastically.
"He would make an interesting ambassador," Elsa mused.
"A bit of harmless fun could go a long way. Might even win over a few hearts and minds in the process," Andersen added.
It could work. It was a little bit crazy, but it could work. Elsa managed to win over her own people with such a display. Perhaps others could be persuaded in a similar manner.
"It's settled then. Kai, please prepare a ship. Prime minister, ensure that my sister receives all the required documents and materials after we adjourn. By the authority vested in me as Queen of Arendelle, I hereby name Princess Anna, Queen Regent in my absence. She will rule in my place until I return," Elsa pronounced.
Anna cheered happily, overjoyed that she had finally managed to contribute something useful to a council meeting and utterly failing to internalize the implications of this plan until Elsa's announcement. Somewhere between, "Queen Regent," and, "return," it came to her.
"Wait, what?"
##############################
The prospect of traveling by ship was not one either of the royal sisters were particularly happy about, although Elsa was slightly more rational about it. Overland travel was statistically more dangerous than travel by sea, not to mention considerably slower. Still, the queen's departure had taken on a particularly solemn tone. Arendelle's former King and Queen were lost only four years prior and this would be the first time another monarch set sail since their passing.
"It'll be ok Anna. It's just a few weeks," Elsa said emphatically. She was no longer certain who she was trying to convince.
"That's what they said," Anna replied in a small un-Anna like voice.
Elsa sighed. She was dangerously close to freezing the entire pier, but she knew how desperately her sister needed her to be brave for both of them. She owed Anna that much. "I know. Anna, listen to me," Elsa said, taking Anna's hands into her own. "I am coming back to you. I promise. Even if I have to freeze the entire ocean and walk home, I will come back to you. I promise."
Anna choked out something between a laugh and a sob. "Ok, I believe you," she said, wiping her eyes.
Elsa pulled her into a deep embrace, trying to draw in enough sisterly warmth to sustain her through the journey. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too."
Reluctantly, the royal sisters released their grip. Elsa resumed her queenly posture, offering her hand to Kristoff. It was a bit formal for them, but it seemed appropriate under the circumstances. "Take care of my sister," Elsa said simply as she shook his hand.
"Always, Your Majesty," Kristoff replied earnestly.
"Olaf, keep an eye on Elsa," Anna instructed.
"Ok! Just one eye, or two?" Olaf asked eagerly. "I should probably do two, since I tried looking at a butterfly and a flower at same time the other day and it was fine for a while, but then the butterfly flew away from the flower and it kept going farther and farther and then I got all cross-eyed and dizzy and I lost track of the butterfly and fell down on the flower…"
As entertaining as The Tale of the Butterfly and the Flower was, it was time to get underway. Elsa got it one last squeeze with Anna for good measure and even went as far to give Kristoff a friendly hug as well. She gave a quick look back as she boarded the HMS Sherwood and was pleased to see that there was only a little worry in Anna's eyes. She closed her eyes as she felt the ship shift under feet, only opening them when she felt a few sticks gently grasp her clenched fist.
Olaf. Elsa was glad Anna talked her into bringing him. Olaf had the uncanny ability to embrace any new experience with a childlike wonder and enthusiasm. It was downright infectious, enough so that Elsa was able to open her eyes and see that the ship was still on top of the water.
She looked back at the docks, which were quickly shrinking into the distance. Elsa watched with amusement, waving demurely as Anna waved back with growing enthusiasm. Her humor gave way to alarm as she watched Anna lean precariously off the pier as she waved, but she couldn't help but laugh as Kristoff swooped in at the last second to keep her sister from tumbling head first into the water.
"Don't ever change Anna," she said with a smile.
##############################
"I spy something…blue," Olaf said.
"Is it…the ocean?" Elsa asked, trying to suppress a grin.
"It is! Wow. You're really good at this game," Olaf replied with awe.
Elsa giggled. Olaf had spied the ocean dozens of times over the course of their journey, but Elsa didn't have the heart to the little snowman that the game was wasted on the ocean. The repetition was a little tedious, but it helped distract her from her own concerns about travel by ship. She nearly slipped back into her, "Conceal, don't feel," mantra as Arendelle disappeared into the horizon and ice started creeping into the deck, but playing games with Olaf and other such distractions kept her from dwelling on darker thoughts.
The trip turned out to be pretty uneventful, downright boring at times. Elsa wondered what Anna and Kristoff were up to, how Kai, Gerda, and the rest of the staff were getting on, and whether the Council was maintaining some semblance of decorum with her sister playing referee. It occurred to her that this trip was the first thing she had embarked upon resembling a vacation since her coronation, panicked flights to the North Mountain notwithstanding. She resolved to enjoy herself, get to know the people she met along the way, and maybe even make a friend or two.
"I spy something…blue," Olaf said again slowly.
"Ocean," Elsa replied quickly.
"You got it. You know, we might have to find a new game. This one's getting kind of old," the snowman lamented.
Elsa secretly agreed. She was starting to get a little stir crazy. At least she had books during her years of isolation, but she had foolishly forgotten to bring any with her. She tried chatting up the crew, but one of the more pervasive drawbacks of being a queen was the fact that her subjects found it nearly impossible to talk to her like an actual human being. Not one sailor had managed to say anything more insightful than a variation of, "Beautiful weather, Your Majesty. Should be smooth sailing." Elsa wondered if non-magical monarchs had to deal with the same issue.
It wasn't like they had nothing to say. Every now and then she'd hear an uproar of laughter, even singing from time to time, which never failed to go quiet the moment the young queen approached. A year ago Elsa would have assumed the men were afraid of her. She knew better of it now, but along with that knowledge came the understanding that her people looked at her with a certain degree of reverence, one that her powers served to magnify. They were devoted to her, took joy in her presence, and even loved her in their own way. But when it came down to it, she wasn't one of them and they never forgot it.
"Ooh, ooh! I spy something…red!" Olaf announced with glee, shaking Elsa out of her reflections.
"Red?" Elsa wondered. That was new. She conjured an icicle identical to the frozen telescope she'd given to her snowy companion and peered through it. Sure enough, a set of rust colored stone spires peered over the horizon. Elsa had never seen them before, but she knew them by reputation alone.
"King's Landing."