Disclaimer: I don't own Frozen or any of its characters.
Lyanah: Thank you. I imagined that Elsa and Anna would be about the same age as they were in the scene in the movie where Anna got hit with Elsa's powers. It's never exactly stated how old they were at that point.
Fatat18: Thank you. And I am planning on revealing more about Anna's and Elsa's youth and their trek together in the woods through flashbacks and stories. I wanted the meeting between Anna and Elsa to be very simple and not that memorable, as most of the time when you meet an eventual friend for the first time, your meeting is not memorable. Also, Elsa was emotionally drained at that point, and was quite numb to events that were going on. Anna was also too young to really understand and grasp the situation.
Speech: " "
Thoughts: thoughts
Chapter 1
The sky was a bloody red, smeared with sooty black lines. Houses were on fire, yet they were warped and shaped weirdly. Screams and cries of pain filled the air as faceless soldiers destroyed the town, chanting "Weaseltown" over and over again as they marched down the streets. Elsa felt something wet and firm grab her hand as she stared at the horrific sight. Turn to look at what had latched on to her hand; she saw her mother's bloody hand intertwined with hers. Gasping, she tried to pull away, but Eva's grasp was too strong.
"Daughter, help me!"
"You're…. you're dead. I'm sorry, I can't."
"Why didn't you use your powers before we all died? Didn't you love us?!" roared Eva, and her face twisted in rage and anger. The wound in her side started to pour blood, splashing on to Elsa.
"I… I didn't know how. I'm sorry! I love you all!" Elsa sobbed as she pulled, trying to release her dead mother's hand.
"No…. No, you never loved us. You have a heart of ice, you don't feel. Look at what you have done!" stated Eva coldly, pointing with her free hand at the pile of frozen adults, all Weselton soldiers.
"They died because of you. Your blizzard killed them."
"no… No…. NO!" with a gasp, Elsa sat up in her bed, sweat clinging to her forehead, her normally perfect and pristine hair rumpled and tangled. She struggled to catch her breath, and waited for her heart to stop racing. Turning her head, she looked at the bed on the opposite side of the room. Anna laid there, with the sheets tangled around her; snoring, blissfully unaware of Elsa's nightmare.
Seeing Anna in such a peaceful and quite state helped calm Elsa as it sunk in that what had plagued her in her dreams was not real, and there was nothing to be afraid of. Nothing could harm Elsa here. She was safe.
After taking a few deep breaths, she leaned back until he head once again rested against the pillow. After laying there for some time, she finally drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
When Elsa woke up, daylight was streaming in through the window, filling the room with a cheerful yellow glow. Looking at the bed opposite her, she noticed that it was empty. Anna had, for the first time in months, gotten up before Elsa. Yawning, Elsa slowly stood, then proceeded to get dressed. She slipped on the white gloves that helped her conceal and reign in her power, wishing as she always did that she didn't have to hide who she truly was. Elsa longed for the past, where she was not plagued by nightmares, where she could be free to use her powers on a whim, and where her family was alive and well. But it had been over 10 years since those fateful months when her happy life had been destroyed by bloodshed and fire. Looking in the mirror, she saw a young woman whose face, though youthful, was worn and tired. Elsa had grieved for her family, and though she still missed them, their passing was no longer as painful as it had once been. It was the daily struggle to keep her powers locked inside her, bound by chains of her determination and will power, that caused the weariness and the exhaustion, as the struggle sapped her strength. I don't know how long I can keep this locked inside of me, she thought, my powers have only gotten stronger, and everyday it becomes harder and harder to keep this side of me hidden from everyone. The desire to let someone see the real Elsa, not the Elsa who keeps half of herself locked away, grows with my powers. Perhaps… Anna? No. She couldn't keep a secret. And she would probably want me to claim the title of the Queen of Winter, and go around making snow days in the middle of summer.
After gazing at her reflection a little longer, she made her way through the halls of the orphanage. Walking past a play room for the younger children, she noticed a flash of red hair through the cracked open door. She paused, then headed towards the room. Sure enough, Anna was there, sitting on a chair far too small for her gangly 15 year old frame, telling stories to the younger children. Elsa leaned against the door frame and listened in to Anna's retelling of the Ugly Duckling, smiling and chuckling softly when Anna hilariously spoke each character's part with a different tone of voice. Once Anna finished her tale, the young children cheered and clapped and called for another story while Anna bowed. Due to the fact that the door was behind Anna, she had yet to notice Elsa.
"Tell us the story of the Winter Queen!" one girl demanded.
"Yah! Tell us! Tell us!" cheered the others.
"Haven't you guys heard that story a lot?" questioned Anna.
"No!" responded the children.
"Alright. Long ago, Arendelle and Weselton went to war. It was a fierce and bloody war. Many brave soldiers died trying to protect the great Kingdom of Arendelle. But, it wasn't enough. Weselton was winning! Weselton gained ground, forcing Arendelle's soldiers to retreat further in to Arendelle."
"Oh no!" lamented one of the children.
"Weselton soldiers started to burn and destroy the Arendelle towns that they passed while chasing the Arendelle army. After destroying many towns, the Queen of Winter took notice. She saw how the families and children were suffering during the war. Seeing their pain, she sent a blizzard to stop the Weselton soldiers. The blizzard killed many of the Weselton soldiers by burying them in snow, it caused the soldiers to get sick, gave them frostbite, and made it harder to transport supplies from Weselton all the way in to Arendelle. So, Weselton called a truce, and Arendelle and Weselton have been at peace every since." Anna
"But," she stated, pausing for dramatic effect, "It wasn't till after the blizzard that everyone noticed that the townspeople of the destroyed towns who had managed to escape hadn't been affected by the blizzard at all! Where the snow blinded the Weselton soldiers and the wind pushed them back, it helped the townspeople by covering their tracks and hiding them from the soldiers. Many of the townspeople claim to have seen a woman in the snow who showed them the path to the nearest town or city that had not been destroyed. "
"Elsa and I saw her when we walked to Stavanger together. She was beautiful! She had hair white as snow, and eyes as blue as icebergs. She wore a dress of snow and snowflakes, and her skin was flawless, like freshly fallen snow. She showed us the way here, to this city!" Anna exclaimed excitedly.
"Wow!" "Cool!" exclaimed the gathered children.
"Was she really that pretty?" questioned one child.
"Yes! She was the most beautiful person that I had ever seen." Anna said with a soft smile on her face.
Hearing enough, Elsa poked her head in to the room.
"Anna, can I speak to you? Outside?" questioned Elsa, polite as ever.
"Sure!" Anna exclaimed as she bounced out of her chair and followed Elsa in to the hallway.
"Anna, we didn't see anything on our trek here. You shouldn't lie to them." Elsa chastened.
"I know, but it's just a tiny bit of an exaggeration! Besides, other people saw a women, so why didn't we?"
"They didn't see a woman either, they, just like you, probably exaggerated to create this ridiculous fairy tale of the Queen of Winter."
"Well… If it isn't true, then explain why no one from Arendelle who escaped the soldiers died in the blizzard! Explain why the blizzard seemed focused on the soldiers from Weselton! Explain why the townspeople didn't feel the coldness of the snow! Explain how the blizzard came out of nowhere!" demanded Anna, her voice rising in volume as she became more and more passionate in her mini speech.
"It was probably just a coincidence, and you know how people can do incredible feats when their life is in danger. The adrenaline probably stopped them from feeling most of the cold, as well as their focus on getting away from the soldiers." Elsa calmly and rationally explained. That blizzard was my rage and grief, and my rage and grief was caused by the soldiers, so it targeted them, she thought guiltily.
"Of course you have an explanation for everything." Grumbled Anna.
"Why can't you just accept that maybe some things can't be explained, and that magic exists!" implored Anna.
"I can't accept it because it doesn't exist." Elsa stated in a final tone. Lies! A small voice inside of her cried as she said this.
"… Whatever. I see that you won't believe in the Queen of Winter. But know that I will always believe that she exists and that she saved us!" Anna retorted as she turned and stormed away from Elsa.
Elsa couldn't help the happiness that bubbled up inside of her at Anna's words. Shaking her head, she turned and walked in the opposite direction that Anna had taken.
Since it was the weekend, Elsa did not work have to work at the Seamstress's Shop. However, she did try to help those who ran the orphanage, as they often had more to do than they could fit in a day. Grabbing the grocery list, a basket, and some money, she walked to the market. The sun shone brightly on Elsa as she walked, filling her with warmth.
Once Elsa reached the market square, she grabbed her list and started going stall to stall buying what was needed. After she had finished and filled the basket, she made her way to one of the many town bulletin boards spread throughout the city. Skimming over them, one caught her eye. Unlike the others, which were written on paper, this one was written on parchment, and it had two red wax seals on it. Looking closer, Elsa noticed it was the seal of the Kingdom of the Southern Isles, as well as the seal of Arendelle. Perplexed as to why an announcement with the seals of the Southern Isles and Arendelle was doing on the bulletin board, she began to read.
The announcement stated:
Hear ye, Hear ye, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles will be passing through the city of Stavanger on his way to the capitol. He is an ambassador of the Southern Isles, and will be staying in this great city for five days before continuing his journey. The city of Stavanger will be putting on a play for his majesty's entertainment on the first day of his visit. On the second day, he will be going on a boar hunt in the woods neighboring the city. A feast will be held on the third day of his visit, and all citizens are invited to attend. On the fourth day after his arrival, Prince Hans will be touring the city. And a ball will be held in his honor on his last evening in Stavanger. All citizens with proper ball attire are allowed to attend the ball.
A Prince visiting Stavanger? How odd. Elsa thought as she walked home. Although this will probably increase my workload at the shop, as many people will need new clothes for the ball.
After she dropped off the groceries in the kitchen, she made her way to the large backyard that the orphanage had. Elsa stopped when she saw Anna sitting near the pond, feeding and talking to the ducks.
"- known her forever. I don't really remember much before I met her, and I don't like fighting with her, but we're just so different! I mean, it's bound to happen sometimes, right? We can't always get along, but I wish we could get along more often, like when we were kids. I feel like we've been drifting apart for some reason, and no matter how hard I try to close the gap, it just gets bigger and bigger! I feel like the older she gets, the more closed off she becomes. If growing up means that I'm not going to be open and fun, then I don't want to grow up! I-"
"Ahem."
"AH!" Anna shrieked and jumped, startled by Elsa's sudden appearance. The ducks, frightened by Anna's shriek and sudden movement, left in a flurry of indignant quacks.
"Oh, hi Elsa. What are you doing here?" Anna asked once she had calmed down.
"I wanted to talk to you."
"Oh good! I hate fighting with you, you know. It's just so easy to argue with you though! It's like we don't agree on anything. How about we agree to disagree on the whole Queen of Winter thing, okay?" Anna said in a rush, smiling hopefully at Elsa.
"Uh, sure, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh, it isn't?"
"No."
"… So what did you want to talk about?" Anna asked curiously.
"Well, I wanted to talk to you about an announcement I saw on the bulletin board-"
"I already told you, I don't want to get a job yet, I want to continue to help out around the orphanage. Besides, I'm being taught how to cook right now by-"
"Anna, that's not what I wanted to talk about either."
"Oh. Well then, spit it out Elsa! What's on your mind?"
"The one of the Princes of the Southern Isles is coming to Stavanger. There is going to be a lot of celebrating, and the announcement said that there will be a play on the first day, and a ball on the last day of his visit. I was wondering…"
"Yes? Yes? Elsa! Don't leave me hanging! What were you wondering about?"
"Well, I know we haven't really done anything together as sisters for a while, and so I was wondering, if we could get tickets to the play, would you go with me? And I know I can make a pair of dresses in time for the ball, so we can go to that too if you-"
"Elsa, did you hear me talking to the ducks?"
"Yes, but what does that-?"
"Yes! I'll go with you! I've missed spending time with you Elsa!" Anna exclaimed as she jumped up and hugged Elsa, nearly knocking her over.
"Oh, um, good. You can let go now." Elsa said awkwardly. Once Anna let go, she straightened out her slightly rumpled dress.
"Elsa, you don't always have to look so prim and proper," Anna giggled as she watched Elsa fix her dress, "no one will care if a few of your hairs are out of place, or if you have some wrinkles in you dress."
"Maybe not, but I do care."
"Alright. Come on! Let's go have some fun!" Anna yelled, grabbing Elsa's gloved hand and dragging her along.
AN: I suppose you should review. It would be nice of you.
