Finally, here is the third chapter. I couldn't wait to publish it for it is my favourite. Hope you'll like it.

Chapter 3:

An apprentice

When Viviana arrived with the sorcerer at his fortress for the first time, she was frightened like she had never been before. It was a dark, hostile place, full of dust and old strange things that she had never seen before. Just moments ago, she was standing in the courtyard of their castle in Arendelle and parting with her parents and now… This place was scary. And so was the sorcerer.

„Welcome home, dearie," he said mockingly, standing just a step behind her. „It's not a luxury you were used to, but it's a good place for your studies and no one will disturb us here."

'It's gloomy, I don't like it,' thought Viviana but she didn't dare to say it aloud. The sorcerer just chuckled as if he heard it. „I'll show you your room and you will have time to unpack your things. Then we will set into work."

„What? Right away?" asked Viviana a bit shocked.

„And why not?" he said. „Now, take your things. Your room is right upstairs," he waved his hand in front of him and the gate opened.

Viviana looked at her luggage. It wasn't very big, for she had packed just a handful of things, but… it was just too heavy for a small princess like her. She turned at the sorcerer in a shy voice. „Umm… Could you please help me? I cannot take it myself."

He looked at her as if he was surprised by the question. „Of course not, dearie. I'm not a servant, but your teacher. You cannot take it? So help yourself with your magic. That's why you are here anyway."

„But I'm…" she started, but he interrupted her roughly. „No, dearie. You are not a princess here. You are just a little useless girl and I'm here to turn you into an experienced sorceress. Nothing more. Do you understand?"

Viviana flinched, terrified by a sudden cold behaviour of the sorcerer. She bit her lip, trying her best not to burst into tears. „Yes, sir," she voiced in a tiny voice.

„Good," the sorcerer nodded, satisfied. „Now, take your things, so we can start."

Days were passing. Viviana got slowly used to the dark fortress. For the whole days she was learning how to use her powers properly, even the new ways of using it. She had never found out before that she could turn things into ice and back without damaging them and what's more, that she could change even herself into the snow cloud, which allowed her to travel long distances in short time or slip through solid objects.

As the time was passing, she found out, that her belongings that she had brought with her, shrunk into a few things that reminded her still of her home. She could no longer put on her pretty dresses, because she had already grown out of them, but the sorcerer always brought her new ones. They weren't to her liking, but she never dared to protest. Although he was never cruel to her and acted just strictly and coldly, the fear of him had never passed.

And the days slowly turned to years…

The sorcerer opened the door of his study and entered. Viviana was inside, reading a book about curses. She always wondered, why she had to learn about such things as curses, but dared not to ask. When she heard the sorcerer enter, she stiffened, as always.

„Congratulations, dearie, you have another sister," he said without even looking at her.

„I have… another sister?" she asked in disbelief. The thought of having a second sister filled her with thrills of joy. She always wanted a sister. Someone, who she could play with and who would be from the same social class as her, who wouldn't be bothered by eternal rules of proper manners. And now… she already had two sisters. First it was… Elsa? And now…

„Her name is Anna," he continued. „A pretty girl, just like her sister. But that's not the important message." He turned at her with his usual irritating smile. „Guess what? Elsa, the second one, has the same exact powers as you," he pointed at her.

„She has magic like me?" she asked again, excitedly. It had been five years already, since she had left her home and so many things had happened since then. She couldn't wait to come back.

„Oh, come on, dearie. When you'll just repeat things, I've just told you, we'll get nowhere," said the sorcerer mockingly. „Yes, she has magic like you. And your parents seem not to worry about it. For now."

„But... I can teach her, when I come back. I already know many things, I could…" she started with sparkles in her eyes.

„Oh, slow down, dearie. You are far from teaching anyone anything. But that can change in time. For now… do you want to see them? I can show you," he motioned towards a big oval mirror in a corner of the room.

„Oh, yes, please, I do!" she exclaimed in joy and ran towards the mirror. She already knew the magic of the mirror. The mirror was enchanted to allow a caster to see distant places and people. She knew, how to use it, but wasn't allowed to touch it without permission.

The sorcerer came to the mirror at a slow pace. Viviana knew that he was just mocking her and she waited patiently in front of it. He raised his hand and ran with his forefinger and middle finger across the runes at the upper side of the mirror frame and the surface of the mirror started to curl. Viviana focused on her parents and the surface slowly steadied and reflected the image of her family.

The queen was lying on a bed in her room and cuddling a new-born baby. Right next to her, there was her husband, sitting on the bed with his arm laid around her shoulders and watching the baby with a joyful expression on his face. „She's so beautiful. My sweet Anna," he said softly and stroked the baby's cheek with his free hand.

„Ohh… mama, I wanna see her too," there sounded a tiny voice and from behind the other side of the bed, there appeared a top of a head with platinum hair. A little girl grabbed the blankets, trying to climb up the bed.

Both the king and queen smiled upon the little girl's vain efforts. The king was watching her for a while and then he got up, went around the bed and then, lifted the girl up. She laughed happily.

„Shh," gestured the queen to the girl to lower her voice. „You will wake your sister."

„My sister," said the girl quietly and leaned towards the baby, so she could see its face. „I have a sister. She's so beautiful." She smiled happily and caressed the baby.

Viviana smiled upon the peaceful scene in the mirror. 'There they are. My family. I wish I could be with them right now.'

Her mother drew her closer and embraced her. „You both are beautiful, my little Elsa."

„Do you think she will like me?" Elsa looked at her mother with an excited expression. „I can't wait to show her my snow. It will be fun. We will enjoy so much fun with that!"

„Shh," sounded the queen again.

Elsa put her hand over her mouth and chuckled quietly. „I know. I'm sorry."

The king knelt next to the bed. „Of course, she will like you, Elsa. You are sisters. And that bond can never be broken," he said with a smile. „And what's more, you are her older sister. You will be her example. And that is an important role. You will have to protect her, Elsa." He grabbed her hand gently.

„I will," she nodded with a smile. Then she sighed. „Aww, I wish I had an older sister too."

The king chuckled. „I'm afraid, that there is nothing, we can do about it, Elsa. But I'm sure, you will handle this. We will be helping you all the time."

For some reason, at the same moment the queen averted her face and closed her eyes full of sadness.

„But…" Viviana whispered, shocked. „But she does. I'm here." She stretched her arm towards the mirror but the image suddenly melted away. „What did he mean?" she turned at the sorcerer. „Elsa has me."

„Oh, I haven't told you yet?" the sorcerer chuckled. „Your sister doesn't seem to know about you. Your parents have never told her. The king even forbade the people of Arendelle to talk about you. It looks like they don't want you to come back."

„No!" shouted Viviana in a shaking voice. „You're lying! Mom and dad love me!"

„And why would I lie to you, dearie?" he asked with an innocent smile. „I get nothing from you being here." The sorcerer leaned closer. „Maybe they still think that you're a threat to your family and to the whole kingdom. And they're right. You can't still handle your powers."

„But I can! I use it the whole time and nothing bad has happened! You just don't want to let me go!" she clenched her fists. Viviana was close to tears. She wanted to believe that her parents loved her, but of all things she remembered her mother's frightened face, when she had accidentally frozen the corner of her bed.

„They are afraid of you," said the sorcerer quietly as if he read her thoughts. „For them, you are nothing but a monster."

„I'M NOT A MONSTER!" she shrieked in a voice full of pain. And in that moment, her powers burst to all sides, covering everything around her in ice. Viviana was watching the ice in horror. Something like that hasn't happened to her since she was here. She had hoped that she could return home soon. But now, her hopes got ruined in a blink of an eye. Viviana fell to her knees and covered her head with hands, crying.

The sorcerer looked around and laughed loudly. „It seems that you don't have your powers under control as much as you would like to, dearie," he said mockingly. Then he turned around and crossed the room. He stopped at the door. „Emotions are the greatest weakness of every human. You cannot learn to control your magic until you learn to control them. Think about it when you calm down. And make sure to clear that mess, you've done." He laughed and then he left the room.

Another five years passed and Viviana grew into a young, beautiful woman. She was already sixteen. Her powers were unbelievable, as well as her control over them. She learned how to control weather. She was able to create a snowstorm over the entire kingdom without an effort, she learned to conjure magical creatures of snow and ice, which obeyed her will… but although she never gave up hope to return back home, after all those years spent in the sorcerer's company, she became bitter…

Viviana was playing in her room with a small snow dragon she had just created, when she heard footsteps approaching the door. The door opened without a warning and the sorcerer came in. „Get up, dearie, we have another lesson. Meet me in my study. I want to teach you something… very interesting. I wonder myself, whether you make it, or not." Without any other word, he came out and closed the door behind him. Viviana sighed. The sorcerer had been gone for almost five days. It was nothing unusual for him to disappear for a few days and leaving her alone in the fortress. She didn't mind. At least she had time for herself, although there was nothing much to do. But she had to admit, that the sorcerer had an impressive library and she enjoyed reading stories of faraway kingdoms. She even got used to the sorcerer's lack of manners, when he just dashed into her room without knocking. Her fear of him had already dissipated.

She looked at the small dragon, which was sitting on her knees and nestling against her, trying to draw her attention. She smiled. „I'm sorry, Fantus. There's always next time." She waved her hand above the dragon and it disappeared in a cloud of snowflakes.

Viviana stood up and straightened her simple blue dress. Then, she set out to the study. When she opened the black door at the end of the hall, the sorcerer was already waiting for her in his chair. Right next to him, there stood a woman.

Viviana froze for a moment. It was for the first time, she had ever seen the sorcerer let anyone enter the fortress. If he did now and it had something to do with her, she could expect nothing good to happen in the next minutes. She took a cautious look at the woman. The woman could be in her twenties. Her brown hair came down to her shoulders and one could say that she was pretty even in her simple peasants' dress. But her face was tense from fear and her whole body was shaking. However she got here, she didn't come at her own free will.

„Ah, good that you've come, dearie," said the sorcerer, when he noticed her. „This is…" he pointed at the woman next to him and hesitated. „Never mind, I've forgotten her name. The important thing is that she… volunteered to assist me in today's lesson." He chuckled. „It's a very interesting magic, I'd like to show you. I'm very curious whether you master it or not. Not that I wouldn't believe in your abilities, but this magic isn't related to your ice magic."

„But…" Viviana hesitated. „You've told me that I cannot use any magic except mine." She had a bad feeling about this. Whatever was he up to, it couldn't be anything good.

„That's true, dearie. But this magic needs no special abilities but a strong will." He stood up and started pacing slowly there and back across the room with his fingertips clasped together. „You already know much about curses. This spell is not the curse, but it is similar. And stronger than any curse could be. It allows you to gain control of whomever you want, if you use it properly."

„But I don't want to control anyone," said Viviana, upset by the sorcerer's speech.

„What will you do with your abilities is up to you, dearie," he said with a mocking smile on his face. „But if you want me to let you go, you must prove that you've gained full control over your magic. And this is the last step."

Viviana opened her mouth in shock. It took her time to get her voice back. „You… you're telling me that if I can cast your spell, you will let me go?"

„Correct, dearie," he chuckled again. „But you must do it as I say. Until the very end." He turned to the young girl and slowly came to her with a nasty smile. „Now, let me show you."

The girl backed away from him, shaking her head slowly, but she was too frightened to run away. „No. Please, don't…" she tried to say. But the sorcerer stopped just a step in front of her. Then he raised his hand and thrust it into the woman's chest.

Both the woman and Viviana yelped in shock. She couldn't believe that he could do something like that. But what he did next shocked her even more. The sorcerer turned his head to her and smiled. Then he ripped the woman's heart out of her chest. The woman was standing paralyzed in front of him and watching her own beating heart in his hand.

Viviana was watching him, horrified, as he approached her with the beating heart in his hand. She looked at the woman and noticed that her chest was untouched. No injury or even a damaged dress showed any signs of the fact that she should be already dead.

As if he did nothing unusual, the sorcerer smiled. „See? A human heart. If you hold someone's heart, you can control him completely. He couldn't resist you even if he was willing to give up on his live. There are not many, who can do that, because in order to do that, you must have a strong will. But I'm sure that you can do it." He showed her the heart just a few inches before her eyes. He chuckled, when he spotted disgust in her eyes. „Now, it's your turn." He turned back and shoved the heart back into the woman's chest.

Viviana shook her head. „No, I… I can't…" she was trying to suppress an urge to vomit. Or run away. Or both.

„Oh, come on, dearie. You want to get out of this place, don't you?" he smiled. „This is the only way. See? There's nothing dangerous about it." He pointed at the woman, who was gasping for breath, but was unharmed. „If you do it right."

Viviana took an indecisive step forward. She gazed at the woman worriedly. It must be a terrible feeling, having your own heart ripped out of your chest. But she was all right, wasn't she? If she can do it right, then she can come back home, to her parents… and her sisters. But if she doesn't…

She approached the woman and raised her hand, but then, she halted. „Come on, dearie, just one step to your freedom," said the sorcerer behind her back. „Just focus on your goal and you will be able to do it."

Viviana looked in the woman's green eyes full of fear. „I'm sorry. I will not hurt you, I promise," she said sympathetically. The woman nodded and closed her eyes. Viviana thrust her hand into the woman's chest with all her might. The woman hissed in pain and even Viviana closed her eyes in disgust. She couldn't believe what she was doing right now. A few moments later, she found something solid with her hand. Trying not to think about what she was doing, she gripped it and ripped it out. The woman yelped.

Viviana heard a silent clap behind her. „Well done, dearie. At a first try, I'm impressed." She slowly opened her eyes. In her palm, she was holding a heart. A human heart. It was really an unsettling thought.

With her mind focused on trying to convince herself, that she was holding just a rubber ball, she turned to the sorcerer. „Is that all?" she said.

„Not exactly, dearie. I want you to do the last thing." He gave her a cruel smile. „Now, crush the heart."

„What?" Viviana yelped and backed away from him. She bumped into the woman behind her and almost dropped the heart. „No! I will not do it! I can't!" she shouted, when she got over the shock.

„See? You still cannot control your emotions," said the sorcerer, still smiling. „You are the only step from achieving you goal. No one would ever find out, what happened and you would be free. Just crush the heart, that's all." He stepped closer.

Viviana looked at the heart in her shaking hands. If she does it, she will be allowed to return home. She had hoped for that day ever since she had come here. She pressed the heart a little without even realizing it. The woman behind her let out a yelp. Viviana regained consciousness and loosened her grip.

The sorcerer made another step closer. „Just one strong squeeze and you will be free." He was watching her with an impatient gaze.

Viviana turned around and shoved the heart into the woman's chest. „No!" she shouted and turned back, angrily. The woman gasped and collapsed to her knees. „I will not do such a thing!"

„Such a pity, dearie. You were so close," he chuckled. „You were so close…"

Viviana inhaled deeply to calm herself. „I wouldn't be able to look into my family's eyes if I did it!"

„So that's the reason?" he smiled again. „Do you still believe that they want you to come back? After all those years?"

„Yes, I do!" she responded in a determined voice.

The sorcerer watched her for a while with a strange, entertained look in his eyes. „Then how about we find out?" he pointed at the mirror in the corner.

Viviana looked at the mirror surprised. What was he up to now? The sorcerer gestured her to come closer and she approached the mirror slowly. Then he raised his hand and ran across the runes with his fingers. On the surface of the mirror, there appeared an image.

Queen Idun was sitting on the floor in an empty room, just a few steps next to her bed. She was holding some small book in her hands, reading it with a sorrowful expression. Suddenly a door opened and she looked up to see the king enter the room. „How is she?" she exclaimed.

„She's all right, you don't have to worry. She's sleeping. They both are." The king came to her and sat down on the floor right next to his wife. Then he put his arm around her shoulders.

The queen was watching him for a moment and then she lunged at him and embraced him. „Why?" she asked with despair in her voice. „Why does it have to happen again?" she sobbed.

The king embraced her back. „Anna is fine, my love. Don't worry." He stroked her hair. Then he noticed the small book on the floor. He raised it. „Your diary…"

The queen nodded. „I was just… remembering."

King Agdar took his wife's head in his hands gently and kissed her on her brow. Then he looked in her eyes. „I will not let any misfortune happen to Elsa, I promise," he said. „We will deal with it. But you should stop thinking about the past, my dear. Viviana will never come back. We have two daughters that we must protect."

The queen leaned against his shoulder. „You're right," she said after a while.

They were sitting on the floor in a mutual embrace for a few precious, peaceful moments. Then the king stood up. „I should talk to the people in the castle before any rumours occur about the incident. Will you be fine?" he smiled at her.

„I will," the queen nodded and smiled back. „I love you."

„I love you too." The king gave her one more loving smile and then he left the room.

The queen looked at the diary on the floor next to her. Led by a sudden impulse, she lifted it and browsed through it, until she picked several pages. She gripped the pages in her right hand and then, she tore them out of the diary.

Viviana was watching the whole event in concerns. When her mother tore the pages out, she knew what the pages were about. They were about her. When she saw the torn-out pages she felt like her own heart was torn apart. The image in the mirror faded away. „ No. No!" she screamed and fell on her knees. She raised her hand and touched the mirror's surface desperately. Then she turned to the sorcerer. „You're lying! This never happened!" she shouted at him with her eyes full of tears.

„You know, dearie, that the mirror reflects only the truth," responded the sorcerer cold-hearted. He turned to leave. „Tomorrow, I'll give you another try. I hope you will not fail me again. Come here tomorrow at the sunset. Maybe you will be more reasonable. Come, dearie," he pointed at the woman on the floor. „We will leave her alone for now." The woman stood up. She was shocked by what she had just witnessed. She had never seen someone as cruel as the sorcerer. Whatever might happen to her, she was now too concerned about the young girl to think about it. But she could do nothing. She gave Viviana a pitiful look. The sorcerer smirked and touched her shoulder. In the moment, they disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

Queen Idun was still sitting on the floor of her room. What happened to Elsa and Anna today, was terrible. It awakened too many memories in her. She looked at the torn-out pages in her hands. She couldn't allow letting her daughters find out the truth about Viviana, but there's no way, she could forget her first daughter herself. She still loved her. The queen squeezed the pages in her hands and pressed them against her heart. „Oh, Viviana, my darling, I miss you so much!" She burst into tears.

Viviana was lying on her bed, still crying. „How could she do that to me? I'm her daughter!" she cried out aloud. Since the day, she had come here, she had always dreamt about her return home, but now, there was nowhere, she could return to. The hole in her heart, created by the vision, she had witnessed in the mirror, was filling slowly with pain and anger…

Viviana raised her tearful face from the pillow and closed her eyes. „I will never let anyone hurt me, ever again."

The next day before sunset the sorcerer was already in his study with the young woman, when he heard the door open. „Ah, finally. I thought that…" he lifted his gaze towards the door and froze in surprise. Viviana slowly walked in the room. She was no longer dressed in the simple dress, he gave her. The close-fitting dress, she wore now, was made of ice of azure colour, girded with a dark blue corset, reaching from her waist to her low-cut neckline. Her arms were covered by loose, white, almost transparent sleeves. On her back she had a long train made of the finest ice crystals, decorated with a motive of snowflakes and ended by a thick, white, tip-shaped collar, reaching almost the tip of her hair from behind and over her shoulders to her neckline level in the front, bordered with a simple blue line. On the top of her head, there was a small diadem of the purest ice, matching the shape of her black hair.

Viviana closed the door behind her and fixed her eyes with an emotionless expression on her face at the sorcerer. „Ah, a dress fitting for the Snow Queen," observed the sorcerer, when he finally pulled himself together. „A bit flashy for my taste, but still… wonderful. Now, if we may proceed to our business…"

„No," said Viviana in a cold voice.

„Excuse me?" he put on a dangerous smile and approached her.

„No," repeated Viviana calmly. „I will no longer obey you, sorcerer."

They both gazed at each other. The sorcerer was angry, but also uncertain. Never before Viviana had dared to disobey his order, and now, she was standing just a step in front of him and showed no sign of fear, nor even any other emotion. Something was wrong with her. The woman was watching the scene from the distance in fear. She didn't dare to even let out a sound.

The sorcerer leaned closer. „It seems that I must give you a little different lesson before we get to the real work. I don't know why you resist so much. But I will show you, how it is, when you have no choice." In one quick move, he raised his arm and thrust his hand into her chest.

Viviana closed her eyes as if in pain for a moment, but then, she looked up and smiled. The sorcerer's expression slowly turned from the angered into a shocked one. „What have you…?"

Viviana's smile grew wider… and evil. „You said yourself. The human's emotions are his greatest weakness. I got rid of them. I froze my heart." The sorcerer was trying to pull his hand out, but to no avail. Viviana grasped his hand with hers and it slowly started to turn to ice. „You see? I am even stronger than you now, dearie," she imitated his voice, mockingly. „I am no longer your apprentice. From now on, I am the Snow Queen."

The sorcerer pulled with all his might and his arm broke. The rest of the arm, stuck in Viviana's chest, shattered into small pieces and vanished. He looked at the stump of his right arm. It was broken just above the elbow. He turned his angered face to her. „Don't overestimate yourself, dearie. I might have lost my arm but that will not weaken me for long. I will recover quickly and then, you should watch your back carefully." And with that, he disappeared.

„We shall see." She said into an empty place in a low voice.

The woman, who was standing silently on place until now, cried out in relief and flung her arms around Viviana's waist. „Thank you! Thank you, my lady, you've saved my life! I will never forget that!" she burst into tears.

Viviana broke free from the woman's embrace without a word and slowly crossed the room to the only window. „Go," she said in a cold voice, not even bothering to look at her. „Before I change my mind."

Hah! That serves him right. So this is it for the chapter. Thank you for reading and until the next week, bye.