IDK-IKtDD: Chapter Outlines
Some things have come up that I have to deal with, and I won't have time to write here anymore. However, I feel like a giant bag of shit for hyping some of you up for this third piece only to say it won't be getting written anymore. So what I'm going to do is give you the chapter outlines for all the chapters I was planning on writing so that you at least get the story, even without the creative writing. I'm still going to answer PM's and shit, but my activity will otherwise go dark after this.
Some sections are far less detailed then others because I had less of an idea of the specific aspects I was planning on writing – so if some of these points make no sense to you, it's because they were made with my imagined possible scenes and conversations; so while they make perfect sense to me, they might not mean anything to you.
FFnet people – the exact type of bullet points I used work on A03 but not FFnet, and I couldn't seem to fix it. So I'm sorry, but you're going to have to deal with this version where the '-' is both the first and secondary bullet point (relating to the bullet it's under). Trust me, I don't like it any more than you (it ruined my perfectly good organization system). If you want the proper organization, jump to my profile to click on my A03 account link - this chapter is MUCH better to be viewed there instead of here.
Now, on to the chapter outlines! (That I actually made ten times more detailed than I usually would have to make up for the lack of any more completed chapters [typically I just make them funny to amuse myself while I'm working])
Chapter 2:
-Start in Pryne; six weeks after Chapter 1. Shit is crazy with all the preparations, the population hype, all the foreign nobility, etc.
-Anna, just getting out of a room where foreign dignitaries and nobility wanted to speak with her (because of her connection to Elsa and Arendelle – a very hot, unnerving yet fascinating topic at the moment because Elsa's coming to the tournament). Arwyn finds her and pulls her into a side room, helping Anna get away from the pestering people. Anna: "Thanks." The two go to the window and look out at the city and ocean, and all the craze. Anna: "Is it always like this?"; Arwyn: "Pretty much, yeah. ...Though it might be a little crazier this year." Anna frowns, confused, but soon sees what Arwyn does – a proud Arendelle ice ship—about the same size as the Royal Grace—sailing towards the docks. Write about Anna's internal; "this is awesome"/"This is bad" dialogue.
-POV SWITCH. Talk about what Elsa hears, sees and feels as she watches her ship dock from her place at the helm. Elsa is wearing her formal military drab – very similar to her outfit in Chapter 1. There's already a gawking crowd of onlookers. Have a little side comment like; "Well, this should be fun" before Elsa mounts her horse and summons an ice plank to go down. With her demeanor as dark and dangerous as it is—even more so now that she's out of her natural element—the crowd splits in a scramble and Elsa has an uninterrupted path for her entire journey to the castle. When she's outside the castle, ready to dismount, she has the thought; 'I hope I can make it through this.'
-POV SWITCH. Anna and Arwyn are making their way through the halls of the second floor—Arwyn tactfully telling anyone who wants to talk to Anna to shove it—towards the entry hall. As they start getting closer they feel the temperature starting to drop and, when they're almost there, hear tense voices – as if people are trying to be nice but it's, in reality, a barely masked argument. Anna and Arwyn appear at the top of the stairs to see Elsa, King Phillip Prathian and a couple of Phillip's council talking with Elsa. Elsa does not look pleased. Anna—her blood pounding in her ears—only sees and hears the woman who she's not seen for almost 15 months. Anna (whisper): "Elsa?"
-Elsa looks up and their eyes lock. Anna feels suspended in time and—before she knows what she's doing—she's running down the stairs. When she reaches the floor, Elsa snaps out of her stupor and runs to meet the girl – they plow into each other with Elsa lifting Anna into the air and spinning her before setting her back down. The two adopted siblings cling to each other as if the world would crack and burn if they let go. Speak of Anna's thoughts and feelings (it's still in her POV) of finally having Elsa in her arms again. The temperature regulates. The two don't speak, content just being in each other's arms. After a minute or two, Arwyn clears her throat and says: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Queen Elsa. I'm Arwyn Prathian." Elsa goes stiff in Anna's arms, and—before Anna can stop her—Elsa pulls herself from Anna's embrace and glares daggers into the Prynian half-royal. The temperature plummets. Elsa (spits): "So you're Anna's wife." A tense, awkward, fucking terrifying conversation follows that Anna is barely able to dispel enough for Elsa to storm off towards her room. Shit just got real.
-TIME JUMP & POV SWITCH. Elsa's thoughts and emotions over the event in the castle entryway as she makes her way to the formal anyone-who's-anyone-is-invited banquet. She enters and the almost packed room goes deathly silent. Elsa ignores this and goes to her seat. Explain seating arrangement – point out how Anna is sitting closer to the king / the head of the table while Elsa is sitting further away, even though Elsa has more stature and should be closer than Anna. Pryne's trying to fuck with her. Elsa eats in silence, merely listening to the other conversations (note to self: mention an few of them). Someone tries to address Elsa; she glares at them, but doesn't otherwise do anything to tell them to leave her alone. They ask: "So, what's it like finally being in Pryne?" The temperature plummets. Elsa glares, working her jaw. Elsa (grits): "You don't want to know my answer to that." The crack of ice – everyone notices that she's starting to freeze over the room. Elsa abruptly stands and leaves. Anna calls out of her to stop. Elsa doesn't listen.
-POV SWITCH. Anna seats back down at the table, rubbing her eyes. The temperature starts regulating itself again. Speak of Anna's reaction to Elsa's outbursts, and her internal monologue because of it. Arwyn (whispers): "Are you alright?" Anna (grits): "No. I am far from alright."
Chapter 3:
-Beginning of tournament – three days later.
-Elsa in room; internal monologue about how she signed up to be a fighter, and trying to think about how she's going to play her absence. She doesn't fight until the third round—that's right – all she has to do is flip out on the first bout and leave, never returning as a spectator for the remainder of the fights. Also mention her poor sleeping habits – how her regular work-till-you-drop method would not serve her well for the tournament and made a couple trips to her ship to fight herself into a dreamless sleep, just enough times to feel mentally prepared for the coming battles.
-POV SWITCH. Anna in room - her thoughts about how the last three days have been going: Elsa avoiding her, etc. Talk to Arwyn.
-POV SWITCH. All sitting in the royal booth – fairly big, holds at least 40 people. Elsa sits on the end at the top – again, the furthest away from the king as she could possibly sit. He's trying to pull rank / embarrass her. Write Elsa's reactions as she watches the first bout; she freezes her chair and storms off when the fight is finished. Anna stares off after her, helpless to stop her.
-Elsa in her armour (heavy leather plate armour with a grated helm – you can't see her face, hair, or any part of her skin) waiting in the back with the other contestants. She worries as she sizes up her opponents, wondering if she trained enough to withstand against these people. She believes her mixed brute/dextrous fighting style will give her an edge, but it's hard to say until she's actually facing them in the sand. She and her opponent are called out – they exit the waiting area and go out to the cheers of the crowd. She is announced as the; 'mystery knight' who will only be revealed upon defeat or upon being crowded the tourney victor.
-Fighting starts. Elsa analyzes his fighting style – very, very good defense (he wields a shield and sword – Elsa is duel wielding Spartan style swords); looks very trained in counter attacks and only makes very precise strikes. The two dance around each other and exchange blows. Elsa injures her shoulder when the man hits her with a shield bash, but she disarms the man and breaks his kneecap, then levels her sword at his neck. He yields. King Phillip stands and, after waiting a few suspenseful beats, declares that the man may live. Elsa sheaths her swords and leaves. This was the only fight she had today (it's only round 1 elimination).
-Several hours later. Elsa is sitting in a secluded area of the castle gardens, chilling the area enough for it to be comfortable for her. Write about her passing thoughts – what must Anna think of her because of avoiding her since she got here, the slight throb in her shoulder (which is more bruised than injured and will be perfectly fine) and how things back home are doing – she half imagines Gerta, Kai and Kristoff rooting for her as her personal cheer squad. Then again, the rest of Arendelle is probably right behind them.
-Anna: "Hey." Elsa starts – didn't see the girl approach. Elsa: "Hey." Anna fidgets for a moment before sitting beside Elsa on the bench. Beat. Anna starts talking small-talk, something Elsa allows herself to engage in – she needs some moments of peace. Eventually, Anna says: "It doesn't snow here, you know. It's such a stark difference from Arendelle that I just . . . gods, I just miss it." Elsa stares at Anna's worn, weary face and her heart breaks a little. Elsa turns back to the little open area they occupy and covers it in snow. Anna's eyes light up, and she beams. Elsa smiles, and says: "Good thing I'm here then, huh?" Anna jumps in the snow and starts playing with it, goading Elsa to join her. After a while Anna's attempts lift the weight on Elsa's heart enough for her to accept, and she joins Anna in building a snowman. The two laugh, play and throw snow at each other. When Anna hits Elsa in the face with a snowball, Elsa starts chasing Anna around – that said girl squealing in excitement as she dodges the older girl. Elsa eventually tackles Anna, summoning a bank of snow for the two to fall into. The two laugh. Elsa pushes to her elbows. The two stare into each other's eyes and, even though Elsa knows she shouldn't, she leans in and presses her lips to Anna's. Her brain shorts out.
-POV SWITCH. Anna's thoughts as Elsa leans in and the feeling of bliss when they kiss. She didn't realise how much she missed this – needs this; she loves Elsa so much it physically hurts – how was she able to stay away for this long? Thoughts continue like this until Elsa slowly pulls away and they look into each other's eyes. They stay like that for a blissful, beautiful couple of seconds until reality crumbles in and guilt punches Anna in the stomach – but she's still not strong enough to push Elsa away. She grits her teeth. Anna: "Elsa . . ." Elsa hears the tone and winces, her features cracking in heartbreak at the rejection. She pushes to her feet. Anna's insides go cold at the sight and she stands, as well. Anna: "Elsa, don't— I can't— I'm with Arwyn now, and, as much as I love you, I can't cheat on her." Their words against each other steadily get harsher until they practically break each other's heart all over again. Elsa storms off, Anna tries to follow but Elsa puts up a barrier of ice – leaving Anna helpless as Elsa walks away. Anna's heart cracks and she sinks to the ground weeping. She's hit with an anxiety attack and she's helpless to fend it off as it grips her.
-POV SWITCH. Elsa storms into her room and slams the door, practically hyperventilating. She freezes over the room (making it sound proof) and wails as loud as she can – no longer able to hold back the raging pain that's built up inside her chest. She's hit with an anxiety attack and, just like Anna, she is helpless to stop it as it takes over her and leaves her helpless to do anything but ride the pain.
Side note: Anxiety attacks and panic attacks are virtually the same thing, and they're painful as hell. Here's a quote from the internet that I think describes it well:
"Many who experience a panic attack, mostly for the first time, fear they are having a heart attack or a nervous breakdown. ... Experiencing a panic attack has been said to be one of the most intensely frightening, upsetting, and uncomfortable experiences of a person's life and may take days to initially recover from."
Chapter 4:
-Several days later – the final day of the tournament.
-General overview about the state of the city (excited with only three bouts left to go, etc), the state of the castle (with tensions rising – Elsa, ever since the incident with Anna, has been less and less able to hold her tongue or her temper), and the mental state of Arwyn, Anna and Elsa.
-Anna and Arwyn talk softly as they enter the dining room – which is already filled with King Phillip and all the other royals. Everyone's stiff – something's going on. Anna and Arwyn take their irregular spot near the head of the table—a spot they usually never have—and spy one empty seat near the end of the table, yet all the royals are already here. Elsa enters. The colour drains from Anna's face and her stomach fills with dread. The dinner commences in eerie silence.
-Near the end of the main course, Phillip finally breaks the silence. Phillip: "Say, Elsa – I hear you've been becoming more hostile towards my people." Everyone stiffens. The temperature drops several degrees. Elsa glares, her jaw clenched painfully, but doesn't respond. Phillip continues by giving vague examples, all while staying aggravatingly calm. Eventually, Phillip says: "You obviously hate it here, and you make sure that everyone knows it at every step and turn." Elsa (grinds): "What's your point?" Phillip calmly sets down his utensils and gives Elsa an even look. Phillip: "You never should have come here if you believed you couldn't handle it, but still you did and now everyone is paying the price. I get that you're fond of Anna, but she belongs to Pryne now,"—frost starts creeping across the table—"and if that fact bothers you so bad, why don't you leave before your temper snaps and you start a conflict you can't win?" A spark lights in Elsa's eyes and the crackle of ice freezing the table solid slices through the air. Everyone except Phillip jumps back, but even his nerves seem to be fraying. Elsa: "'Start a conflict I can't win'?"—She slowly stands, snarling like a rabid dog—"No – you started a conflict you couldn't win when you continuously decided to dangle Anna over my head like a goddamn prize, because you thought it would be a brilliant fucking idea to provoke the queen of ice and snow with the faux idea that having Anna made you immune to my wrath. Well, I have a news flash for you, King,"—she slowly walks around the table, approaching Phillip—"I would have razed your kingdom to the ground the moment I received news of Anna's betrothal if I didn't think she would despise me for slaughtering hundreds of thousands of innocent people, even when I myself could care less."—She stops right beside him as he scrambles to his feet—"But if you're so eager to die,"—ice forms around her fist—"I'm more than willing to fulfil it." Anna: "No!" Anna sprints and jumps over the table, leaping in front of Phillip to take the blow just as Elsa's fist is about to land. Elsa is able to pull back enough force to not crush Anna's ribcage, but she still fractures a few ribs. Anna connects with the floor, groaning and clutching at her chest. Elsa's heart sinks to her stomach and she pales. She dispels the ice and goes to Anna.
-POV SWITCH. Anna's chest and lungs burn. She's gasping and choking for air. Through the black dots in her vision, she sees Elsa near before her, saying things that she can't quite hear over the ringing in her ears. When the ringing fades she hers; Elsa: "Anna, are you okay? Please, say something."—Her voice gets choked on emotion—"I'm so sorry, Anna – I didn't have enough warning to pull back the force. I didn't mean to hurt you." Anna, bitter, spits: "You never do." Her muscles instantly halt as dread fills her chest and her heart grows cold. She glances up to Elsa's face just as it recovers from wounded shock into something much more harsh. Anna pales. Anna: "Wait, no – I didn't mean that." Elsa stands. Elsa (roughly): "Yes. You did."—She turns to Phillip—"I'm leaving. Never contact me again." She turns heel and starts to leave. Anna struggles to her elbow – pain flares in her chest. Anna: "Elsa, please! I'm sorry!" Elsa doesn't listen. Anna forces herself to a knee, no matter how much her chest protests, and wails: "Please Elsa! You're all I have left!" Elsa, her hand on the door knob, goes rigid – in the same instant, her emotions get the better of her and the huge double doors shatter into thousands of pieces. After a beat, Elsa throws down the knob that's still in her hand and, without turning around, says: "That's where you're wrong. You were the only thing I had left." She leaves. Anna: "No, come back! Please don't leave me!" Anna breaks down into sobs and her chest constricts painfully from something other than her fractured ribs, and her body floods with emotional agony. She takes one glance at the shell-shocked king, and white-hot hate flares in her chest – but what shocks her is that, with it, comes an urge that she hasn't had in over three years. The urge to kill. She's regained her will to kill.
-POV SWITCH. Elsa is in a daze as she gallops to her ship, hardly caring about the people she almost tramples along the way. Her thought process is scrambled. Time eludes her. Explain what she's feeling, how she's dealing with it (not very well – trying to 'conceal, don't feel'), along with her detrimental thoughts that are steady getting worse until— Moira, seeing Elsa's approach from the Royal Grace, exits the ship and races behind the Queen to Elsa's ship, quickly climbing up behind her. Moira: "Elsa, what's wrong?" Moira continues to ask questions—alerting the rest of the crew to the trouble—but Elsa doesn't answer. Instead she locks herself inside the captain's cabin. She wails, screams, and angrily sends spikes into the wall. Life isn't worth anything without Anna. Life isn't worth living without Anna. Life isn't . . . it isn't— Elsa falls to her knees, suddenly holding her emotions in check except for the tears burning in her eyes. With an angry wail, she summons an ice dagger and presses the tip against her throat. She only ever lived for Anna, so without her . . . Elsa presses in the dagger, drawing blood, and prepares to slice across—
-POV SWTICH. Anna watches Elsa's ship sails away from her vantage point at the medical center's picture window. Explain her thoughts, feelings (numb except for the angry fire burning in her chest) and how she blames Phillip for losing Elsa forever. Continue these thoughts until Arwyn gently clears her throat from behind her. Arwyn: "The final bouts are about to begin – if you want to see them we have to head down to the arena. If not, well, we can stay here or, you know, whatever." Anna turns her harsh, calculated gaze to Arwyn, who stiffens under the scrutiny. Eventually, a cruel, vindictive smile slides over Anna's lips. Why would she miss a prime opportunity to stab King Phillip in the back while everyone is distracted? Anna (oily): "I think I could do with seeing some heartless bloodshed."
-TIME JUMP. For the entire first bout, Anna was planning on how exactly she would be able to get from her seat to behind Phillip's without getting noticed, then about exactly how to kill him. She didn't bring any weapons with her—they would have been taken from her, anyway—so she'd have to rely on the strengths of her own body. Before she can think of a viable plan, the announcer is already announcing the next bout, making her grit her teeth at her slowly fading amount of time. Her attention is distracted, however, when the announcer calls a second time for the mystery knight. The crowd begins to murmur. Anna frowns. If the knight fails to show up, then she'll have even less time to—
-The crowd falls silent as the mystery knight, swords already drawn, stocks into the arena practically radiating danger. Despite herself, Anna finds her interest taken – through all the other bouts this knight had fought in, they had always been calm and collected – nothing like the raging chaos she sees now. The fight commences, and Anna is shocked to see all the knight's style thrown away in favour of a barbaric urge to slaughter. The knight's opponent struggles to keep an upper hand, but he is greatly overpowered and he soon finds himself screaming 'yield!'. Everyone holds their breath as the mystery knight, seconds from killing her opponent, roars in the man's face but lets him be, not even waiting for Phillip to choose if the man is to live or die. As much as Anna wants to continue plotting her revenge, there is a dangerous air amongst the arena and she gets the feeling that something bigger than her is about to go down.
-The third bout starts. Everyone watches with baited breath and in near silence as the two knights brutally duke it out. Armour plates shatter, the opponent's shield cracks – one of the mystery knight's swords severs. In a strike to the head, the mystery knight's helm flies off, revealing— Anna (jumping to her feet): "Elsa?" The whole crowd gasps (after seeing Elsa for themselves – only the people in the royal booth hear Anna) and everything turns into an uproar of sound as Elsa spits out blood, turns back to her opponent—now reeling—and bellows a roaring war cry before charging him. With her heavy attacks, she smashes her opponent's shield, half slices off his sword arm at the elbow, and stops before shoving her sword through his neck when he yields. Throwing down her swords, she stocks towards the royal booth, stopping when she's a good four meters away. Elsa: "I win! Now grant me my wish and give me Anna!" The crowd ripples with surprise. Most of the royal's push to their feet, shock on their faces. Anna struggles through them to get to the front. Phillip: "You entered this contest illegally." Elsa: "What? No I didn't! I followed all your rules!" Phillip: "We have no proof that you didn't use your powers to cheat." Elsa: "Are you calling the Queen of Arendelle a cheater?"—Elsa glares and snarls, the temperature dropping to just above freezing; her tone takes on a venomous edge—"I played fair and square so that there would be no possible way to despite my winning claim, so if you continue to deny me what is mine, I will declare war on Pryne!" The crowd cries out. King Phillip sets his jaw. Phillip: "How could Anna ever forgive you for slaughtering innocent people?" Anna: "Fuck you, you selfish ignorant bastard! If she wants to declare war on Pryne I'll help her kill every last one of you!" The crowd goes quiet. The royals stare at Anna, chest huffing, with wide eyes. Arwyn: "Anna—" Anna: "No! I've had enough of this bullshit, and I want to go home. If that means I have to slice his head from his shoulders than I am more than willing to!"
-After another page of threats and bantering, of which includes spikes of ice and Elsa supplying Anna—who is thankfully wearing gloves—with two ice swords and a couple pieces of armour – King Phillip agrees on the term that Arwyn goes with them. Elsa agrees a little too quickly for normal liking. Anna suspects Elsa is planning on killing Arwyn once they're out of Pryne boarders.
-Anna tries to convince Arwyn not to go later on when they're packing—she still cares about Arwyn, after all—but Arwyn says that she'd be under just as much fire if she didn't go than if she did. They pack in silence. After a while, Anna—overwhelmed, stumbles and sits on the bed. Arwyn: "Anna? Are you alright?" Anna nods vaguely, and huffs a laugh. Anna: "I . . . I'm going home."
Chapter 5:
-Morning. Three weeks later. The kingdom is a flurry of motion as they see both Elsa's ship and the Royal Grace rolling into port (Elsa's ship only sailed a short distance away from port on the final tourney day to give the illusion of leaving, but didn't actually).
-Elsa stands at the bow of her ship, watching the approaching shore with narrow eyes. Her eye catches motion on the Royal Grace and looks. Seeing Anna dragging Arwyn out from the lower desks and pointing energetically to the shore, Elsa growls and turns heel, walking back to the captain's cabin.
-POV SWITCH. Anna catches Elsa entering the captain's cabin of her ship and frowns, but turns most of her attention to Arwyn, who regards the land with awe. Describe the icy reinforcements, the amount of golems, etc. Anna frowns. Write how she notices the difference between how it is now to when she left – it feels like it's always calculating an assault. Arwyn gushes over it, but notices Anna's concern – Anna willingly shares her thoughts of the militarized Arendelle. She tells Arwyn to be careful and stick very close to her when they land.
-The Royal Grace docks fully first. Anna and Arwyn exit. Anna grins and waves at the crowd as they cheer for her return. As they cross the threshold from the docks to the cobblestone (the crowd is held at bay by golems), Anna is wrapped in a crushing hug by Kristoff. When he releases, she sees that Sven, Gerta and Kai have also come to greet her. Talk. Eventually; Kristoff: "So, who's this?" Anna frowns and her and Arwyn share a wary glance. Before they can answer, however, Elsa comes up from behind them. Elsa (frigidly): "Anna's wife." The shoulders stiffen on all three who came to greet Anna, and even Sven tenses. Anna sees Elsa's cold, harsh eyes and her bulging jaw muscles. Elsa: "Don't worry, though."—Elsa's eyes slide to Arwyn, her dark gaze promising death—"She won't be for long." Anna's insides grow cold, but Elsa turns to Kai before she can say anything. Elsa: "Does the council have any pressing issues?" Kai: "No, your majesty." Elsa: "Good."—She turns heel, facing the way you'd go if you were headed out of town, and snaps her fingers—"You'll see me in three days." Elsa's horse comes and she mounts. The crowd, almost eerily less enthusiastic than before, parts. Elsa gallops off. Anna pales. Anna: "The people are scared of her." Gerta (frowning): "They have every reason to be."—Turns to Anna—"She's not the same person she used to be, and not in a good way."
-The next three days pass with Anna getting settled, learning about what's changed in the kingdom (including the hostile foreign laws, the aggressive military defence stance, Elsa's working schedule, etc) and is approached by the council – they want her to consider rejoining their meetings, vaguely hinting that they need someone to cancel out Elsa's aggression. Anna meets up with Gerta in the woman's room, and Gerta explains how her position changed after the Iloa-Pryne peace talks fell through. Gerta also explains Elsa's slowly degrading system, and how her morals are crumbling as fast as her sanity. She says that they have to put a protection plan in place for Arwyn before Elsa comes back or else the girl will end up dead – she also urges Anna to leave the practical, logical talk to Gerta because she's been dealing with situations far worse than this, and was still able to talk sense into the Queen. Anna and Arwyn have a talk about all of this in their room. Arwyn talks about her thoughts about all this, and also admits that she's scared out of her mind. So Anna, Arwyn, Kai, Gerta, Kristoff and the council work together with the little time they have, trying their best to create a plan and roles for each person to keep Elsa in line when she returns.
-On the morning of the fourth day, Anna watches from a second story window with trepidation as she sees the citizens part in fear as Elsa trots through the town, making her way to the castle. Anna lets out a slow, anxious breath. Anna: "So it begins."—She turns to the maid beside her—"Send out the warning."
-POV SWITCH. Explain how Elsa's body feels after the three days of constant fighting, then the fire that burns hot through her veins, screaming for vengeance. She can tell the citizens can feel her ire by the way the scramble away from her. A dark, self- decrementing voice scolds her for punishing her people for something that is hardly their fault, but the white-hot rage in her veins dulls it out. As she trots over the bridge to the castle, she glances up at the castle. A dark look of resolve crosses her features and her lips pull into a tight line. Arwyn is going to die, and it's going to be tonight.
Chapter 6:
-Elsa is on edge. It's been a full week, but she's made no progress in offing the Prynian half-royal. When Gerta had her 'be reasonable' talk when she'd first returned, Elsa had taken it with a grain of salt, and never promised anything. Now, though, she gets the clear impression that people are purposely working against her, trying to keep her in place. It grates her, but she will continue fighting against them until Arwyn's blood stains her hands.
-A council member breaks her from her thoughts, and Elsa grunts in response. When they wait for more, Anna—who has taken to joining in on the council meetings like she used to—clears her throat and answers the inquiry. Elsa grits her teeth. What if Anna and Arwyn are plotting against her, slowly replacing her in her duties to prove that they can be more competent to throw Elsa out of power? Elsa (growls): "Everybody out." All eyes turn to her in shock. Elsa clenches her jaw and points to the door. Elsa: "I said out!" Elsa grabs Anna's arm as she tries to leave, and the council members send the girl anxious looks as they pack up and go. When the last one shuts the door, Elsa talks without ever turning to her adopted sibling. Elsa: "I don't know how many strings you've pulled to keep your little pet safe, but her blood belongs to me. Mark my words, Anna – Arwyn will die, and I don't care how much it will hurt you." Before Anna can recover from her shock, Elsa stands and exits the room.
-Elsa collected all the paperwork regarding today's meeting and any other documents that she needs to address and she works on them in her study. As much as she wants to rip Arwyn's throat out, the kingdom still comes first. She needs to be competent and capable, or who knows what the council would do. On a more private note, though, she's also taking this time in seclusion to drawn out the world; make her problems less complicated – make them hurt less. Knock on the door. Gerta comes in. Elsa doesn't stop doing her paperwork, but does offer Gerta to take a seat – she doesn't. Gerta: "I heard what you said to Anna." Elsa: "Hasn't everyone by this point?"—Gerta blinks in surprise, but Elsa merely starts on a new document—"Since everyone seems to be conspiring around me, I would assume that everyone would know what I say no matter who it's to within an hour, if that."—Elsa signs the document and moves it to the side, and starts to read the next one—"If you've come to scold me and re-direct my path I can assure you that your effort will be in vein, but you're more than willing to try, if it so pleases you." So Gerta does – she tries to convince Elsa with very solid political and emotional logic but, in the end, Elsa merely sighs and finally looks up to meet Gerta's eyes. Elsa: "I understand what you're saying, really – I do, but I've had to spend far too much time waiting with seemingly no solution in sight and I'm sick of it. I'm going to do this my way whether it's the right thing to do or not. Now, if you are able to get another solution to me before Arwyn is a mere hunk of bloodless meat then I will be more than willing to listen but, until then, Arwyn will be in my sights – and I won't stop until she's eliminated."
-POV SWITCH. Anna: "Damn it." Gerta has just finished relaying what Elsa said to Anna, Arwyn, Kai and Kristoff. They discuss possible plans of action (from secretly evacuating Arwyn to poisoning Elsa just enough to make her bed-ridden), until Kristoff finally comes up with the idea of the trolls – they could alter Elsa's memory. Anna: "We're not mess with Elsa's brain. Fuck, it's screwed up enough as it is – who knows what the added element of troll magic would do to it." Kristoff: "Well, it doesn't necessarily have to be her memories, Grand Pabbie could erase the thing that's been the constant reason for her disintegration." He shifts uncomfortably and sends Anna a sorrowful look. Catching on, Anna's eyes widen and she shakes her head. Anna: "No, no – definitely not." Arwyn: "I don't quite think I follow." Kai gives the woman a tortured smile. Kai: "They're proposing erasing Elsa's love for Anna." Arwyn pales, thinking about how she would feel if she was forcibly made to lose her feelings for Anna. Arwyn (chokes): "You can't do that." Kristoff raises an eyebrow. Kristoff: "Funny, I thought you'd be the first to jump on board with this." Arywn glares, a sneer tracing her lips. Arwyn: "It's not right to crave a hole into someone's soul, making them feel like they've lost something important that they can never get back. No – I won't allow it." Anna watches Arwyn with a frown, before nodding, allowing her statement to stick. They talk for a while longer. Arwyn is looking out the window and out of earshot when Anna escorts the other three out of the room. under her breath, she addresses Kristoff. Anna: "I want you to go up the mountain, get Grand Pabbie and bring him back." Kristoff turns to her in shock. Kristoff: "You . . . you want to do it?" Anna's eyes harden and she clenches her jaw. Anna: "No. I really don't." Anna shuts the door on him before he can question further.
-POV SWITCH. The sun has just finished setting. Elsa, after practicing with her golems for the past three hours, renters the castle and makes her way back to her study. She sits down behind her desk and stares down at the paperwork, but her will to work on it has snapped, so she merely finds herself staring at it with a frown. Write about her thoughts. With a sigh, Elsa pushes up and makes her way to her room. She meets a few servants along the way, but the trip is unhindered. When she makes it to her door and her hand hovers over the handle, Elsa freezes. Flashbacks of waking up from dreams of horror flood through her brain and she pales. What's wrong with her? She doesn't have the will to work, or sleep, or fight herself into a stupor. She's just . . . dead inside. The emptiness in her chest screams more painfully than anything she has ever experienced and, in that moment, her desire to be hold and told everything will be all right grabs her with chains of steel. Before she can register what she's doing, Elsa finds herself wondering the halls and, to her surprise, knocking on Anna's door. There's a moment of silence before she hears a muffled, tired: "Who is it?" Elsa swallows her nervousness – swallows her pride, and chokes: "It's me. Elsa." Beat. Elsa hears hissed voices and shuffling, then the door unlocking—Anna never used to lock her door, and it makes Elsa's heart hurt knowing she does now—and then it opens halfway with Anna protectively guarding the entryway – baring Elsa from entering. Anna forces a smile. Anna: "This is a pleasant surprise." Elsa: "If it were pleasant for anyone then they're sick fuckers." Anna's smile falters and she regards Elsa with a frown. Elsa shifts uncomfortably. Elsa: "Can I come in?" Anna: "No." Anna's quick response makes Elsa wince, but Anna doesn't stop. Anna: "Seriously Elsa, what do you want?" Elsa pauses for a moment, a spike spearing in her heart. She tries to smile, but it comes out as more of a pained grimace. Elsa: "Nothing, I suppose."—She turns to leave—"Sorry." Elsa goes to take a step when the same steel chain pulls at her, wanting comfort. Sighing in defeat, she turns back to Anna. Elsa: "Can I sleep by your door?" Anna's eyes flash with surprise and she blinks. Anna: "Uh, I suppose?" Elsa nods and sits down, leaning down against the wall beside the door frame. Anna frowns, but shuts and locks her door nonetheless. Elsa shifts her position to be leaning against the door and lays down with her back against it, using her arm as a pillow. She hears some whispered voices from inside the room and shuffling fabric, but her eyes flicker shut—
-Elsa wakes up reeling with strangled, tortured moans ripping past her throat. She's clammy and covered in a cold sweat, her head spinning with the faded images of her dream still screaming at her from within her skull. This seems to last for an eternity until a soothing warmth surrounds her, coaxing away her violent shivers and the devils gnawing at her brain. Elsa buries herself in this warmth, silently praying that, whatever it is, it will stay with her. Soon her exhaustion takes over and she falls back into darkness.
-Elsa blinks herself awake in a manner she hadn't experienced for almost a year and a half. Calmly. Smoothly. Peacefully. Elsa glances at the window and notes that, just like she used to, she's waking up shortly before sunrise. Looking around in the dull light, Elsa's heart freezes when she realizes . . . she's in Anna's bed. With Anna. And Arwyn. A conflicted look passes over Elsa's face as she notes she woke up holding Arwyn to her chest and that the woman holds her back. Anna, spooned against her back, is also holding her gently with her head buried in Elsa's neck. With a sickening feeling, Elsa notes how good it feels. Glancing at Anna's wife, Elsa notes that this is the opportunity that's she's been waiting for . . . only she can't bring herself to do it. Arwyn, despite knowing Elsa's murderous intentions towards her, voted to staying and helping Elsa deal with her PTSD instead of moving to another room for the night. It's a selfless action that Elsa can't overlook, despite the demand for blood pounding in her chest. With a sigh, Elsa gently detangles herself from the two women and quietly exits the room. Arwyn is allowed a pardon; for now. Neglecting to glance back at the couple when she leaves, Elsa misses the affectionate smile that spreads over Anna's lips.
Chapter 7:
-The council is mystified by the calm aura radiating off the Queen – something they haven't seen in a long, long time. Anna notes their reactions with a sense of pride as she glances over to her adopted sibling. She remembers that morning, when she woke to Elsa working her way out of bed and leaving the room with Arwyn still alive and well. She recalls waking in the middle of the night to Elsa's strangled cries of pain, the sound cutting to her heart deeper than any knife. She'd immediately gone to the elder's aid, and Arwyn insisted on helping, despite Anna's protests. When they'd got Elsa to the bed, Anna instantly curled around her, trying to calm her down while telling Arwyn to leave before Elsa hurt her. The argument died when Elsa grabbed Arwyn in her despair and held the Prynian tight against her chest, openly weeping against the half-royal's shoulder. She had no trust that Elsa would have the same heart in the morning, but she was pleasantly surprised to have herself proven wrong.
-The day continues to go pleasantly, and most of the staff are shocked speechless when they see Elsa's soothing appearance, and some even found their mouth agape when Elsa flashed them a barely-there smile. Anna, Arwyn, Gerta and Kai discuss it with enthusiasm – ecstatic about their progress. Gerta asks where Kristoff is – she hadn't seen him since the last meeting. Anna (shrugs): "I sent him up to Elsa's ice castle." Gerta frowns and says: "That place is guarded – without Elsa's say-so he wouldn't even be allowed within a meter of the stairs." Anna hums and says: "I have a theory." Gerta and Kai frown, but don't push it – they continue talking about other things. Arwyn, however, eyes Anna with suspicion. When Kai and Gerta leave, Arwyn asks: "Where did you really send him?" Anna glances at Arwyn for a second before shrugging. Anna: "You'll figure it out." Arwyn narrows her eyes. Arwyn: "You sent him to get the troll." Anna hums softly. Anna: "Perhaps, but not for the purpose you're thinking." Before Arwyn can question her further, Anna flashes her a smile, a 'later' and leaves.
-Anna stands outside Elsa's study posed to knock when she hers Elsa humming quietly to herself on the other side. With an affectionate smile, Anna knocks. Elsa: "Come in." Anna enters and shuts the door behind her. Elsa surprises her with a slight smile, and Anna returns it broadly. Anna: "I see you're looking happier."—She sits on the armrest of one of the chairs on the other side of Elsa's desk—"It suits you." Elsa huffs a vaguely amused laugh, glancing back down to her paperwork. Elsa: "I don't think anyone is outfitted to look good in . . . whatever I've been." A frown traces Elsa's lips and her eyebrows furrow just enough for Anna to notice. Anna hums thoughtfully. Anna: "Perhaps. But even while you let it define you, it never really took over."—She smiles kindly—"Arwyn's still alive this morning, isn't she?" Elsa's frown burrows a little deeper and her eyes flick from the document she was reading to an empty part of the table. Elsa: "Her actions gave her a temporary pardon, but I haven't given up on getting her out of the picture." Anna (shrugs): "Neither have I,"—Elsa looks to her in surprise—"but I care about her too much to approve of your method."—She shrugs—"That being said, I came here because I have a possible solution that will make everyone happy and no blood will have to be spilt. Probably." Elsa quirks a curious eyebrow. Elsa: "Do tell."
-GENERALIZED POV. Elsa and Anna are chatting quietly on the castle stairs. Kristoff approaches from a distance – crossing the bridge. Gerta shows up, asks what's going on – the two won't explain. Kai shows up with Arwyn. With the new addition everyone eyes Elsa warily, but the queen not only doesn't flinch – instead she sends Arwyn a small, twitch-of-the-lip smile. As Sven nears, Kristoff jumps off his back. On the little sled being towed behind Sven, Grand Pabbie exits and follows Kristoff to the collection of people – who walk down the stairs to greet them. Grand Pabbie bows to the Queen. Pleasantries are exchanged. Grand Pabbie: "So if I may get to the point, why am I here?" Everyone except Elsa and Anna look lost. Anna glances to Elsa, who gives the 'go head' nod. Anna turns back to the troll. Anna: "I'll get to that. I just have a couple of questions for you that I want to ask first, to see if the option is even viable before I start getting anyone's hopes up."—Grand Pabbie curiously tilts his head, but otherwise says nothing.
-Anna: "Can you see the past, present and future?" GP: "I can see some things more clearly than others, but yes." Anna: "Can you see what would have happened depending on if we make one choice instead of another?" GP: "Yes, but again – I can see some things better than others." Anna: "Can you see alternate realities of our own?" Kai, Gerta, Arwyn and Kristoff frown and give each other questioning gazes. Where is Anna going with this? GP, thinking the same way, frowns. GP: "Yes." Anna nods decidedly. Anna: "Are there any of these that Elsa is dead?" Suffocating silence. GP's frown deepens. GP: "Yes." Anna: "In those realities, are there any in which Arwyn is dead or doesn't exist?" The silence stretches longer this time. GP: "Yes." Anna: "In the realities of those two criteria, are there any Anna's with a personality that, a; Arwyn will like, and b; won't try to kill Arwyn or not except her?" Now everyone knows exactly what Anna is asking and, one by one, all heads turns to GP in question. GP frowns, his eyes faded as he thinks. GP (slowly): "There is one, but it's not with an Anna that would readily accept Arwyn." Anna (shrugs): "So? I didn't readily accept her at first, either. Last two questions: one; can you open up a line to which we can explain our situation to that reality's Anna, and two; can you actually create a portal for Arwyn to step through?" Three seconds pass. GP turns to Arwyn. GP: "Before I answer, I believe the more pressing question is whether or not you agree to this solution." Arwyn's eyebrows furrow in thought. Arwyn: "I'd actually have to see what this other Anna is like before I decide, but I'm more than willing to test it." GP nods his acceptance of her answer. GP: "Very well."—He turns to Anna—"I can do both of those things." More talking and chattering – figuring out the details.
-Possibly write the scene where Anna, Elsa and Arwyn talk with the other universe's Anna – each explaining their different circumstances and whether or not the alternate Anna would accept Arwyn. This reality's Anna tells how she personally feels about the half-royal, then explains why she's not happy with her – because she already met her true love. That reality's Anna explains how Elsa died at the hands of Hans, and that she's been on a military rampage ever since. Alternate Anna and Arwyn (oddly the rational, cooling one in the pair) decide they'd make a good pair. Anna offhandedly remarks that she needs more good officers. Arwyn offhandedly states that what that Anna needs is a slap of reality upside the head (but oddly still agrees to help in her conquests).
-Three weeks later – Arwyn is gone into the other reality. Elsa and Anna sit on the high hill outside the city, looking down at Arendelle. Talk. Fluffiness. The two have a lot they have to work through, and it will take more time than either of them can hope to imagine, but at least now they have each other. Write at least 1-3 pages for this scene, and make at least half of it happy fluffy shit that'll mend some of the heartbreak the readers experienced over the course of the story. Possibly have Elsa mention getting married so that she can change Anna's last name back to Arendale. But, remember – make everything really fluffy. Heaven knows the poor bastards deserve it (this includes Elsa, Anna and you lovely people).
FIN!
Side note: Characters I neglected to mention (May, Lila, Leo, Thayne, etc) and characters I did mention but may not of focused on much (Moira, Arwyn [near the beginning], the Prynian royals, etc) would have made a notable appearance in the story. For the sake of my sanity, however, I just stuck with the straight, through-and-through story arc instead of put attention on the little side stories. It'd be too complicated and a pain in the ass.
Anyway – hopefully this at least curbs your curiosity, even if it doesn't meet your expectations for a full-blown story. Again, I apologize for the sudden screeching halt, but there's not much I can do about it. For those of you who like to re-read stories, I will not be pulling down my writing – so you can go wild with that.
If any of you feel the intense urge to actually write this series out based on my outlines and believe you can do it to justice, you are more than free to PM me to ask for permission (mainly so I know who's writing it and so I could possibly aid you). Otherwise, this is it. Ta da!
(If it amuses any of you as much as it amuses me, note that this outline is about as long as an actual chapter would have been [8 558 words]. Tells you how massive this stupid thing would have ended up being.)
Farewell, dear readers – it's been a pleasure writing for all of you.