The Snow Queen and The Fire Prince
I. Spasms
Elsa the Queen of Arendale, was stressed out. She was up to her crown in royal decisions to consider for the welfare of her kingdom. She sat in front of the large desk her father once occupied, her fingers pressed to the sides of her head. The leather chair still smelled like him. It was a warm scent, like an oak tree in the summer. Elsa exhaled a breath of chilly air. A snowflake fell on top of a stack of starched paper in front of her, all diplomatic needs waiting for her approval. Since her ascension to the throne a year ago, and the crisis that befell the kingdom because of her fearsome ice powers, Arendale had become a hot spot. Various countries wanted to trade with the kingdom of Arendale after the Duke of Weselton and Prince Hans tried to overtake the throne in her brief absence. But instead of closing its doors, Arendale opened its doors wide to the rest of the world, bringing in revenue, popularity, and new challenges for Queen Elsa. The kingdom became an unusual tourist attraction for wanderers in the summer, as it was the only kingdom who's queen had the power to create an ice rink during the hottest months of the year. The now-infamous "Snow Queen," as bards and whisperers named her, ruled over a protected community snuggled in the snowy fjord of the far North.
Elsa tried to get used to the attention being a public and political figure brought her. She had little training in handling such pressure. There were so many questions that she needed to consider, and very few advisors that she trusted to help her delegate major decisions. With the kingdom of Arendale's doors thrown wide open, were her people at risk of invasion? Was she at risk of a political coup when she dealt with foreign mercantilists and other kingdoms? How would her kingdom survive another winter if the harvest yielded little from its crops? Did her image as "The Snow Queen" truly help or hurt her people? And just what was appropriate for a Queen to wear to a wedding? Oh, the wedding! Elsa thought suddenly. She felt a twitch in her hands, like an electric shock ran through her fingers and wrists. Elsa closed her eyes and winced in pain. She heard the sound of glass cracking. When Elsa opened her eyes, she gasped. The edge of her desk was coated in dark, jagged icicles. Elsa scooted back in the large chair. She didn't summon any power willingly. This wasn't her doing. It couldn't have been. No, not again, she thought.
Elsa was afraid, but she forced her mind to be still. She felt dark thoughts creep up on her from over her shoulder. "Your power will only grow," she recalled. Elsa thought of something else as fast as possible. Elsa thought of the moment she freed Anna from her ice prison, a year ago. She filled her mind with the sight of Anna's warm cheeks, her embrace, and her exhale of life, snatched from death. Love filled Elsa's mind and flooded her heart. The dark icicles melted to the floor in a puddle of water.
Elsa sighed again, and rubbed her hands. It's getting worse. What am I to do? What if Anna sees me like this again? She thought. Elsa tried not to think of her parents, or of the past. Her first instinct was to hide this problem until she figured it out. Perhaps Elsa could ask Grand Pabbie, but how would she, when she was almost always in the public eye? No, very likely the troll would tell her exactly what she already knew. "Fear will be your enemy," Elsa recalled. She needed help. But at the same time, how could she talk about this, when she felt like no one would understand her power? So much of her world depended on her mastery over her abilities. Just what…am I? She asked herself. Elsa bent over the floor. The first thing she could do was at least clean up this mess. She cupped her hands around the water. She thought hard of a flower made of ice. The water rippled. Elsa's head hurt, and her arms tightened.
Boom! The door to the royal study flung open. Elsa immediately got up. Her head hit the top part of the desk. Anna's voice carried into the room as jovial as ever.
"Elssaaaa! Are you done with your work yet?" Anna sang. Anna walked up to the desk, just in time to see her older sister rise up from under a mountain of papers, rubbing her head.
"Elsa? Are you okay?" Anna came up to her, concerned.
"I'm fine, Anna. I was just…stretching," she hesitated.
Anna didn't miss the lie in Elsa's voice. She came right up to her and grabbed her arm with a smile. "I think you need a break. And I know a room full of tasty chocolate-y treats that are just waiting for us!" Anna announced.
Elsa panicked. "Chocolates? You mean you haven't selected—" Elsa started.
Anna waved her worry away. "Yes, silly, I made sure everything's ready for tomorrow. I mean, it's my wedding, so of course I took it seriously. I'm just so happy you're letting me marry a man I got two days and a whole year to know!" She laughed.
Elsa couldn't help but smile. That was true. After tomorrow, Elsa wouldn't be the only one taking care of her anymore. Kristoff would take her place in a role she never could fulfill as Anna's husband and partner. Elsa wanted Anna's every happiness. She wanted to spend these precious moments with her sister like this, in bliss.
"Alright then, to the chocolate!" Elsa laughed. Anna cheered and lead the way out of the royal study, the puddle of ice water and numerous royal decisions, left behind.