Chapter 2: Before Daylight

Elsa paced along the gloomy hallways of the castle; her slim figure, almost hidden amongst the shades of the early morning sky. It's like a silver lining to see the faint moonlight penetrating through the closed glass oriels along the walls, illuminating the corridor with its soft yet helping glow. Though the hallway was a bit lighted up, she couldn't paint a mental picture of the path ahead as if it leads to an unpredictable destination of nothing but darkness. However, despite the thirteen years of locking herself from everyone, she very knew every inch, every passage of the castle floors; from the towers up to the open court yard, making it possible for her to roam around her home even with her eyes closed. But of course, Elsa wouldn't risk a skin trying to do such nonsense.

She was totally lost in thought when she heard the grandfather clock struck four. Moments ago, she was awoken by the cool morning breeze that entered her window, sending a few chills to climb up her spine. Albeit the cold never bothered her, it made her feel that she was about to give another blow not until she saw her sister Anna peacefully dozing beside; her head laying on top of Elsa's covers, softly snoring like a little princess and sleeping on the caring arms of a mother. Well, she was indeed a princess herself.

She pushed a clean piece of cloth toward her nostrils, concealing any form of sound that may attempt to escape when she blows. The sound muffled across the room, fortunately undisturbing the sleeping princess in her deep slumber. It was then when she noticed a light mass landed on her pillow followed by a soft squeak. The mass slid down to her side, just above Anna's head. Coal black eyes greeted her followed by a wide smile, revealing a single tooth made of snow. The little critter resembled the appearance of Olaf, only palm-sized. Its body is composed of only four small snowballs, compared to Olaf's five medium-sized ones. Unlike her childhood snowman, it lacks stick arms and hair, but its smile made it obvious that it is a happy soul like Olaf, like Anna.

"Snowgie..." she thought to herself after seeing her tiny sneeze ball.

The tiny snowman blinked twice before jumping up and down on Anna's head, losing some locks in her bun and slightly annoying her heavy sleep.

"Elsa..." Anna murmured, still asleep. "...stop bouncing on my head, will you." She started snoring again.

Elsa managed to hide a giggle after hearing what her sister had just said. Even the snowgie too, halted its jump upon hearing the princess's words. It smiled for a few seconds, gave a squeak or two, and then bounced up again. But this time, Elsa placed her forefinger in front of her lips. The hushing sound follows.

"Ok, I don't wanna interrupt your jolly moments right now but you, springing up and down on my sister's temple, might as well wake her up this time". Her voice, almost a whisper, quietly delivered with a touch of concern, made the critter ceased its action and listened to her. "Please just stop bouncing on her head. Anna's very, VERY exhausted", she finished, emphasizing the second 'very' in her statement.

It was a request, not a command, full of and love concern, yet it made the little snowman bowed its head and, accepting defeat to its creator. It got off Anna's head and waddled underneath Elsa's pillow like a child, locking himself in his room after being scolded by his parents.

The queen attended some of the loose locks of Anna; untangling the knots and replacing it in a bun before flipping her pillow over, revealing the once happy snowgie, sitting on her bed, not a smile to be seen. She scooped the now sad critter and placed it on top of the drawer on the other side of the bed.

"I'm sorry", she began. "I just didn't want my little angel to be bothered in her slumber, especially this time around. She's tired, you know, because of following the string around the town." She looked at the sleeping princess, still snoring, drool starting to flow from her mouth.

"ANNA!", Elsa screamed but still managed to hide the high pitched screech, grimace beginning to be visible on her pale face. "Do you always droo... never mind. I'll just get Gerda to handle it tomorrow. Anyway, as I was saying, just don't wake her up. I'm not mad at you."

A big smile crept on the snowgie's face, resuming the happy personality of the snow creature.

Elsa got off her bed, carefully so that she doesn't wake up her sister. The snowgie jumped off her side drawer, preparing to follow its life-giver. But Elsa stopped the little sneeze ball.

"Snowgie", she began, her voice always full of love and comfort, "I need you to stay here and look after Anna so she doesn't get worried when she wakes up. Am I cleared?"

The snowgie jumped happily as if it agrees to its master. Queen Elsa placed the snowman back on her side drawer where it sat up and patiently watched the sleeping princess doze in her own dream land.

"Good boy", Elsa remarked as exited her chambers, disappearing in the blackness of the hallway.

Back in the dark corridor she stood, still unable to decide her destination, albeit it had been almost an hour since she left her room. Her thoughts made it possible to somehow flee the ideas of running a kingdom. The stress and pressure of being a queen always made her head explode after a day's duty. It's a good thing that they have a library inside their castle to keep her company when things get a bit shaky.

But then, she continued pacing down the hallway, still hasn't able to make a final conclusion. She paused by a closed window and took a view of the fjord before advancing to the next room, once again vanishing in the shadows, a smile visible on her face

At last, she HAD finally made a decision...

Beyond the outskirts of the castle gates, the crystal clear water from the fjord, reflecting the image of the great circle rising on the eastern horizon of Arendelle which will soon replace the darkness of the night, began to sparkle as the morning rays kissed its surface. Citizens of the kingdom started to come out of their homes, ready to start the day. The glittering stars in the night sky, one by one disappearing in the gloomy heavens, were being replaced by the golden glows of the break of dawn. Bright raindrops from the sun, engulfing the shadows of every alley and shinning through the windows of every home, kissed the peaks of the northern highlands revealing its ever winter summit; the snow glowing in its pure white colour.

Another day has come as the daylight slowly creeps upon the face of Arendelle.