Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen

The Contract

Chess

Anna looked down through half lidded eyes at the chess board placed between her and her sister. Elsa chose chess as the first activity they do under the sister contract. The Queen's decision had been very anticlimactic and voicing it caused Anna's enthusiasm to leave her like air escaping from a balloon. They just started playing, yet Anna's lack of interest gave the room a humdrum atmosphere. And it's not that she did not enjoy doing something with Elsa, it's just she expected more from her older sister; something more invigorating. However, Anna assumed that a game of chess would seem interesting to a girl who isolated herself in a room for so many years.

"Anna,"

The princess swiveled her head away from the window and looked back towards her sister.

"It's your turn." Elsa said.

"Oh," she had not paid attention, otherwise the girl would have realized she was in checkmate. Elsa watched her and sighed when Anna remained oblivious by moving a pawn instead of taking her king out of harms way.

"This is boring you, isn't it?" Elsa asked.

"Oh, no! Of course not!" Anna's fake enthusiasm didn't convince the Queen in the slightest.

"I'm sorry," Elsa apologized.

"No, no, no," Anna stammered. "It's not you, it's me. I just expected more from you, well no. That came out wrong. I meant I thought you would pick something more interesting to do..."

Elsa's face reflected how the comment stung her, and the princess hung her head.

Way to go Anna, you blew it! Now she'll never want to spend time with you.

"I'll have to redeem myself," voiced Elsa. She stood and walked over to the window, looking out to the courtyard.

"Come again?" Anna asked.

"I cannot allow my younger sister to think that I am boring."

"I don't think you're boring, I just think-,"

Elsa raised her hand to silence the prattling girl. "Come with me."

Anna bit her lip nervously before following after her sister who already departed from the room. Elsa led the princess to the courtyard and surveyed the area intently. Anna was about to ask what they were doing outside, but Elsa let out a breath followed by a look of serious concentration that quieted the girl before she could muster the question.

The Queen's icy heel rose in the air before colliding against the cobbled stone. Ice spread out in every direction from where her foot touched the ground, but instead of covering the courtyard, it made a large square about the size of the ballroom. Next, Elsa's hand rose in the air before it slashed once vertically then horizontally. Even lines carved through the icy platform, making squares all around. Anna gasped when she realized that she was standing on what resembled a checkerboard. Elsa brought both hands to her side, palms facing up, and with a great force lifted them towards the sky. A blue light illuminated the board as icy chess figures arose from their appropriate squares.

Anna's jaw dropped as Elsa turned to her expectantly.

"What do you think?" The Queen questioned.

"Oh, Elsa! It's beautiful. Simply gorgeous," Anna awed at the detail in the sculptures.

"You like it?"

"Like it? I love it. You have no idea how impressed I am right now! Let's start playing." Anna took off toward one side, but Elsa stopped her.

"Hold on," the Queen said. "You're actually going to play."

Anna raised an eyebrow, not understanding what her sister was getting at. Of course she was going to play. Why would she not?

Elsa raised her hand to the side that Anna chose and flicked her palm in the air like she was swatting a fly. The queen on Anna's side suddenly disintegrated into snowflakes, leaving an open space.

Anna pointed at herself with wide eyes. "Like I—me play? In an actual, live game of chess?"

Elsa giggled and nodded her head. Anna let out a squeal of delight as she hurriedly skidded to her spot on the chessboard. Elsa faced her sister the whole time as she retreated to her side, gliding across the ice like if she were a ghost. Anna watched her and shivered slightly when the Queen finally came to a stop, finding it eerie how Elsa was capable of such magic.

However, before it was decided would go first, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven clamored through the gates.

"Delivery," Kristoff announced. "I figured you guys would enjoy some ice..."

He grew quiet as he stared at the ice sculptures in front of him, amazed by their beauty. Kristoff about cried, but decided he would do that after examining them further.

"Why do you even employ me?" He wondered aloud.

"Oooh, ice friends!" Olaf exclaimed as he bounded towards the chessboard. Sven trotted to his stable, not phased by the magic in the courtyard. The reindeer's top concern was the unlimited supply of carrots in his trough rather than what Kristoff was drooling over.

"You're just in time!" Anna grabbed Kristoff's arm and guided him towards her side of the chessboard. "You can play with Elsa and I. That's okay, right?"

"Of course, except Olaf gets to play as my king." Elsa stated. "I assume Kristoff will be yours?"

Anna nodded her head and placed the mountain man in the now empty space. Kristoff tried not to let it show that he was disappointed by the disintegration of the king sculpture, but at least he was surrounded by other ice wonders.

Olaf giggled and danced as he joined Elsa's side.

"I like to consider myself a chess expert." He said.

"Have you ever played before?" Elsa questioned.

"Nope!"

"Alright, well just go where I instruct you to. Okay?" Elsa looked to Anna. "I'll go first since we're the white side."

"Says who?" Anna looked at the all the chess pieces and noticed they were all exactly alike until the sculptures on Elsa's side began to glow. With a bright flash of light, white iced pieces stood in front of Anna.

"Cheater!" The princess called. "And show off!"

Anna grumbled as a smug grin grew across Elsa's face.

"Pawn to space C-four," the Queen began. The ice sculpture did as Elsa commanded, sliding across the board to the desired location.

"Knight to C-six." Anna countered. Though Anna did not have the gift to move ice, Elsa moved them for her.

"Pawn to B-three."

"Knight to E-five."

"Bishop to B-two."

The game would not last long. Anna relied on impulses rather than thinking through her decisions which hastily left her without many pieces. The princess only managed to possess two of Elsa's pawns where as the Queen striked without mercy. Anna was left with only a rook, two pawns, herself, and Kristoff. The mountain man constantly reminded Anna how these sculptures were pieces of art and in order for her to win, she needed to preserve and protect their existence.

"Be quiet," Anna hissed. "I'm concentrating."

"Clearly," he mumbled while crossing his broad arms. The princess shot him a glare.

"I'm just going to tune you out."

Gerda, Kai, and some of the other servants had stopped to watch the chess match. Even a few of the townspeople had poked through the gates. Not only did Anna believe that this was going to be a humiliating loss, but the castle staff and the townspeople are also here to witness it. Kristoff will probably never let her live it down, so Anna was actually 'concentrating' in order to not make the loss as bad.

Elsa watched her from afar, noticing the crinkle in Anna's forehead. The Queen felt bad for placing her younger sister in this position, but she assumed Anna had played some chess. However, she could see where Anna avoided the game like the plague during her childhood; she was very easily distracted and chess probably did not hold her interest.

The Queen thought back to when she first started playing, a time before there were secrets. On rare occasions, Papa would allow her to stay up with him and enjoy a rousing game of chess. Some nights he would let her win and other nights he would take out every piece she had within two minutes. After the 'incident', however, it was hard for Elsa to touch the pieces without freezing them, even with the gloves on. "Perhaps another time," Papa offered. Elsa then created her own chess set out of ice; it was not as grand as the one in the courtyard. In fact, it was small and pieces were fashioned with haste, giving them a crude appearance. Elsa use to practice by herself every night until Papa gradually lost interest. 'Another time' became 'not today', and Elsa would retreat back to her room with tears in her eyes.

One of the few times Elsa dared to go in Anna's room was after her father had disappointed the little girl yet again. Elsa slinked into the bedroom, remaining far away at first, but gradually crept closer to her sleeping sister like the girl possessed a gravitational pull.

"I know you would play with me." Elsa half whispered and half sighed.

But just as Anna began to stir, Elsa was out of the room and behind a closed, white door.

"-move."

"Pardon?" Elsa blinked, coming back from her nostalgic break.

"It's your move, and check." Anna said.

The Queen looked over to Olaf who had not left his space the entire game. He was in the path of Anna's rook, so Elsa commanded that the snowman switch spots with the Queen's own rook.

"Pardon me," he giggled while sliding pass the chess piece.

Anna then moved her rook out of the line of fire before sighing.

"Giving up?" Elsa asked.

"Never!" Hollered the princess.

The Queen proceeded to let Anna move a few more times until she pounced. Kristoff swallowed as Elsa slid in front of him. A rook prevented him from retreating back a space, and he could not remove Elsa from the game either because the white knight protected her. The only thing Anna could do was take out said knight, but that would still leave Kristoff in danger.

"Check and mate," Elsa called.

With a groan of defeat, Anna hung her head. The townspeople and staff clapped at the Queen's victory. She bowed to their applause before letting the board and remaining pieces to disintegrate into snowflakes. Elsa was about to go apologize to Anna until she felt the girl collide with her. The princess embraced Elsa with a tight hug, leaving the Queen slightly confused.

"That was fun!" Anna exclaimed. "Good game! I will have to practice, so I can beat you one of these days."

Elsa placed one hand on Anna's back and the other behind her head. "Perhaps another time then?"

"For sure!" Anna affirmed.

Elsa, unlike her father, would be sure to hold Anna to that.