Chapter: 2 The Prince of Arendelle

Kristoff rode Sven as fast as he could and made for the Valley of the Living Rock. He came to a screeching halt and leapt off of his reindeer. "Everyone!" he hollered. "Wake up! Wake up!" At the sound of his voice, an entire horde of rocks came tumbling and rolling towards him. The enchanted rocks surrounded Kristoff and Sven before revealing themselves to be trolls. Amidst all of the eager trolls was the oldest of them all. The king hobbled forward with a grin, "Grand Pabbie!" rejoiced Kristoff before hugging him.

"Kristoff," he chuckled. "I've never seen you this excited before! I take it the baby was born?"

The mountain man nodded as if his head was about to fall off. Another troll stepped forward. She was Bulda, Kristoff's adoptive mother. "Well tell us, Kristoff! Was it a boy or a girl?"

"Yeah, Kristoff! Tell us!" yelled a troll.

"Please please pleeeeeaaase?" squealed a baby troll.

Kristoff paused for dramatic effect, "It's a boy."

"A BOY!" cheered all of the trolls in unison. Kristoff couldn't help but laugh as he was tackled by his rocky family. They congratulated him and shook his hand until he thought it would fall off.

One troll whom he remembered from last year's road trip, Ulfric Stonecloak, stepped over and said, "Send the word. A new day is dawning and the sun rises over Arendelle. Now if you excuse me, I've got a wager to collect." He nudged a gruff troll named Cliff, "You lost your wager. I told you it'd be a boy!" Cliff rolled his eyes. "Pay up! Or I'll use The Voice on you!"

"Shut your yap, Fus ro dork," replied the troll.

Cliff growled at him before plucking something off of him and placing it in Ulfric's hands. "Hey! This isn't a fire crystal!"

"Nope. It's my kidney stone." grumbled Cliff, causing Ulfric to fling it out of his hands and clunk another troll on the head.

"So tell me, Kristoff..." wondered Pabbie. "What is the boy's name?"

"Nikolas," he smiled.

"Such a dashing name for a prince...Say Kristoff...I don't suppose little Nikolas has...you know-"

"What?" asked Kristoff.

"Magical powers of any sort? Possibly inherited from her sister? No ice flurries...whirlwinds...perhaps other powers...fireballs or-"

"No, Grand Pabbie." laughed Kristoff. "He doesn't have any of those." Kristoff suddenly gulped, "Or...does he?"

"Just keep an eye on him, Kristoff." said Bulda. "See if he causes any eternal winters..."

"Or infernos!" added Cliff.

"Maybe he has lightning powers!" called a little troll.

"Allllllright that's enough," said Kristoff before giving the baby troll a noogie. He rubbed his sore knuckles afterwards, "Oh right...their made of stone."
He stood up, mounted Sven, and made his way back to Arendelle. Thoughts of his son with magic made his heart race, "Psssshhhhh Nikolas doesn't have powers. Right Sven?"

Sven groaned.

"Exactly."

Sven groaned in a deeper tone.

"Ugggh!" huffed Kristoff. "You had to say that, didn't you? Now I'm paranoid!"

His reindeer companion groaned with a hint of sarcasm.

"Alright, fine. I'll just have to inspect him...every day...for the rest of his life."

Princess Anna's bedroom was quiet and cozy. She sat up in her bed, exhausted from her labor and holding her baby boy. She gently cradled him and planted kisses on his head. "Oh Nikolas," she sighed. "My little Nikolas." The baby yawned deeply.

"Someone's getting sleepy," giggled Elsa. She was in a chair at Anna's bedside. She placed her pale, gentle hand on the infant's head. "Sweet dreams, little prince. Just wait until you're older." Elsa began to smile with thoughts of the future. "You're going to be so very handsome...and I'll be a very good aunt to you...and we'll play games...and-"

"Elsa," whispered Anna. "He's sleeping."

The Snow Queen composed herself and whispered back, "Oh my. I'm so sorry. I've been so giddy lately. This is so unlike me."

"It's nothing to apologize for," giggled Anna before tucking Nikolas in the crib and kissing him good night. "But I must ask..." She took her sister's hands in her own. "How are you feeling...about Marco?"

Elsa bit her lip, "I still miss him dearly, but I must realize that he's not coming back... and I need to move on with my life."

"You don't know that, sis...You have to have faith."

"That's easy for you to say, Anna." snapped Elsa. "You have it all...a loving husband...a child...a-" Elsa felt her eyes tearing up. She tried to fight back the tears but a single one dripped escaped her eye. "I'm...I'm sorry." She dashed for her room.

"Elsa wait!" sharply whispered Anna as she chased after her.

"Leave me alone," replied the queen before hastily shutting the door behind her.

Anna shook the locked knob, "Elsa, let me in!"

"Go away, Anna!" she barked back.

"Ohhhhhhh no," Anna put her foot down. "Not this again...Nohohonononoooo not this shutting out nonsense. Elsa, you open this door right now! Talk to me!"

"Please go away...Please." replied Elsa.

Anna pouted as her faced flushed with red. "Don't make me go for the keys!" There was a long pause as the redhead huffed, "You're totally gonna make me go for the keys...That's it! I'm going for the keys." She stomped her way downstairs, muttering, "Go away Anna...she says...Go away she says...Why does that sound so gosh darn familiar?! Oh right...she did it for my entire childhood!" Anna angrily grabbed the keys from their hook and trudged back up the castle's spiral staircase. "Just wait until I get in there!" growled Anna as she unlocked the door. She opened it and snapped, "Why do you still shut me..." Anna gasped as her eyes widened. "Out..." The entire room was coated in a sheet of frost as snowflakes slowly...yet sadly drifted and fell to the floor. Her sister was kneeling at her bedside and burying her face in the covers. Her back pulsed rapidly and she could be heard sobbing. "Else...Elsa?" Anna fell to her knees and carefully placed a hand on her sister's back.

"Just go away, please. I don't want to hurt you."

"Elsa, you can control your powers. You'd never-"

"Not with my powers." said Elsa as she slowly lifted her head and turned. Her blue eyes were puffy, red, and filled with tears. "With my words."

Anna felt herself about to cry upon seeing her sister so sad. She brought her hand over and wiped a tear with her finger. "What are you talking about?"

Elsa sniffled as her lower lip trembled. "I'm lonely, Anna."

"But you have all of us. Kristoff...Olaf..."

"Not like that." she sighed. "I see you with Kristoff...you two love each other so much. Now you two have a little baby...a beautiful baby. I am so happy for you, really I am. But also...jealous." Elsa wiped her tears before continuing. "I wish I had it all like you. I know it's wrong to say so and I'm sorry. Please...forgive me." Now Anna was crying too. "I'm so sorry I hurt your feelings."

"Elsa...you could never hurt me..." Anna shook her head and embraced her sister. "I'm here for you. I love you."

The royal sisters shared a soft cry with one another. "I love you too, Anna. I can only act so strong." She stood up and began to fiddle with her magic. "But snow queen or not, I still long for love." She conjured up an icy sculpture of a man and rested her head on it. She proceeded to caress the sculpture's smooth face and sighed. "You're building your future. I'm stagnating."

"No you're not,"

"The servants all gossip about me," frowned Elsa. "About how I'm too cold to find a man."

"Pay no mind to them, Elsa. They have no right to judge anyone...especially the queen of their kingdom! If you wanted to, you could plunge it into another eternal winter! That'd show them!...just...please don't."

Elsa smirked, "Thanks Anna. And don't worry, I won't. It's just...so hard sometimes."

"Keep the faith, sis." She clenched Elsa's hand tight. "Marco will return before you know it."

The queen began to smile again, "You're right! Marco WILL return before I know it! I know he will!"

"That's the spirit!" cheered Anna. "I can just see you two reuniting in less than...hmmmmm...four months!"

"I'll wager three!" contested Elsa enthusiastically. "Three months...how exciting!" she squealed.

FOUR YEARS LATER...

"Your majesty!" hollered Kai from downstairs. Elsa was up in her room, frustratedly braiding her hair while brushing the front of it. "YOUR MAJESTY!"

"WHAT?!" barked Elsa.

"We need you downstairs to oversee the preparations!"

"I'M COMING!" she growled with a yawn. Elsa looked at her mug in the mirror, "Hello beautiful." she scoffed. She glared down at Marco's yellow feather, grabbed it, and flung it across the room. The queen quickly did her makeup and trudged out the door with some paperwork. She mumbled to herself, mocking Anna's voice, "Marco WILL return before I know it! I know he will! Tehehehehehehee I'm Anna. I have a loving husband and adorable little-" Someone yanked at her dress, making her huff. "Boy..."

The queen looked down over her shoulder to see Anna's four-year-old son tugging her cape. "Auntie Elsa!" he cried eagerly. "Auntie Elsaaaa!"

"Good morning, Nikolas." she smiled, only to cringe at the sound of Kai bellowing her name.

"Good morning," he replied politely. He was dressed in a coat similar to his father's. With it being winter in the kingdom, the little prince loved joining Kristoff on his ice harvests. "Let's play hide and seek, Auntie Elsa!

"Auntie Elsa's got to get some work done," she replied. "Maybe later."

"Oh please? Oh please can we play now? How about tag instead?"

"Why don't you play with Olaf?"

"I could, but I wanna play with you!" He hugged her legs tightly, "I love you so much, Auntie Elsa!"

"And I love you too, Nikolas." she ran her fingers through his scruffy red hair. "But remember how your auntie is the queen and all?"

"Yeaaaah," he pouted while staring at the ground.

"That means I am very busy now."

"I knooow. I wish you didn't have to work."

"Me too, sweetie." sighed Elsa. "Now go find your Momma and Poppa. They'll play with you." She stood up and continued to walk down the hall. Suddenly, she felt Nikolas tug at her cape again, "What now?" she huffed.

"Just one game, Auntie Elsa? Pleeeeeeeeease?"

Elsa knelt down to get at eye level with Nikolas. "I don't have time for a game...but now that I think of it, I do need a little helper."

Nikolas' light brown eyes lit up at the words. He gave his aunt a salute, "Prince Nikolas of Arendelle, at your surface!"

"Service," corrected Elsa with a giggle. "Alright, little one. Let's get to work." She took her nephew by the hand and made her way downstairs. As pestering as he could be, Nikolas always brightened Elsa's day. She believed he was the closest thing that she could ever have to a child of her own. Oh how she loved him. They'd play all sorts of games on Elsa's off time...like tag, hide and go seek...and pin the tail on the never-returning, Spaniard. The third was the queen's personal creation. Elsa did her best to forget about Marco. Her mind would play tricks on her and fill her head with thoughts of him, lavishly wooing dozens of Valencian women. After all, he returned a hero. Surely he could get any woman he wanted.

Elsa shook off the thoughts and entered the ballroom with her nephew. Kai turned, "There you are, your majesty. The ball preparations are coming along nicely."

"Excellent," nodded Elsa.

"Excellent," nodded Nikolas.

"We've brought in the finest dishes from around the world, and we've even hired entertainers from Agrabah of all places!"

"How exciting!" Elsa smiled.

"How exciting!" mimicked Nikolas. She looked down at him with a raised brow, "Sorry, Auntie Elsa."

"Let's make sure everything is in order by tonight, Kai. We're having a big turnout and I want everyone to feel welcome!"

"Yes, your majesty." said Kai.

Elsa began to lighten up, "Well this'll be exciting! Won't it, Nikolas?"

"Oh yes yes yes yes yes!" he hopped while holding her hand. "How can I help? How can I help?"

The queen looked around the ballroom, "Hmmmmmm here!" She grabbed several bouquets of flowers from a basket. "Put one at every table." Nikolas was about to dash off when Elsa stopped him, "Ah ah ah... Let's make this fun, shall we?" The child's grinned and cheered as she stomped and coated the ground in ice. She then dazzled a pair of skates onto his shoes. Together, Nikolas and Elsa gleefully skated across the ballroom, placing flowers at each table they zoomed by. As they ended their skate, Elsa scooped Nikolas into her arms and tickled him uncontrollably.

The two laughed away when Anna came in with Kristoff. The princess leaned in the doorway, smiling at her sister and son. "There you are, Nikolas!" she called.

Nikolas exclaimed through Elsa's tickling, "Hi Momma!"

"I've been looking everywhere for you." replied his mother. "Well no more pestering your aunt, you need to get ready for the ball!"

"Ohhhh!" groaned Nikolas. "Do I have to?"

"Yes." affirmed his father.

"Bathtime...now," added Anna.

"Okay..." He grabbed her tiara and dashed down the hall. "But you have to catch me first!"

"Hey!" gasped Elsa.

"Nikolas!" hollered Anna before giving chase. "You give that back to your aunt!" Elsa and Kristoff joined in.

"Honey, cut him off outside! Elsa take the stairs!" yelled Kristoff. "I'll cut him off in the lobby." The sisters did as he ordered and ran. Kristoff turned the corner and backed up against the wall. He listened in for the patter of little feet, and dove forward, "GOTCHA!"

He gasped, realizing that he was holding Olaf. "Got who?" wondered the pudgy snowman as Kristoff facepalmed.

Anna dashed outside just as Marshmallow picked her up. She squirmed in the snowmonster's grasp. "Let me go!" Her blue eyes widened when she noticed Nikolas sitting atop the snow monster's shoulder.

Marshmallow looked to him for orders. "Don't let her go!"

"No! Let me go!" retaliated Anna.

"Don't!"

"Do!"

"Don't!"

"DO!"

"DON'T!"

"Me confused!" worried Marshmallow.

Anna glared up at her clever son. "Prince Nikolas Bjorgman...you tell this gigantic snowman to put me down this instant.

"Do I have to take a bath?" wondered Nikolas.

"Yes."

He looked at Marshmallow, "Don't let her go!"

Elsa peered down at the sight from the balcony. She scolded her monstrous creation, "Mr. Marsh M. Mallow, you put my sister down this instant!"

"Yes Momma," he bellowed while releasing Anna.

Anna fell hard on her bottom. She gasped as she watched Nikolas sneak up through the balcony. "ELSA! Nab'em!"

Elsa peered down just as the prince scurried between her legs and out the other side. The gust of wind from his little dash caused her dress to flip upwards for a brief moment. The queen forced the dress back down and blushed. She heard a catcall whistle and glanced behind her at a royal guard. She stared at the young man as he scratched the back of his head. "Ummmm." He whistled again, "My my...look at all this dust! I uhhhhh need to get a servant up here quick! You know...to dust...and stuff..." He gulped and nervously saluted before reciting the Arendelle national anthem.

"That's what I thought." Elsa rolled her eyes and sprinted after Nikolas. The soldier waited for Elsa to leave before swooning with a smile from ear to ear.

She created a clump of snow for him to run into, and pulled him out of it. "Got you!" she said while putting her tiara back on.

"Awwww man," he snickered and pouted.

"Looks like it's bathtime for this one!" Elsa said while handing the prince over to Kristoff.

"Thanks Elsa." nodded Kristoff before playfully swinging Nikolas over his shoulder like a sack of carrots. "Say goodbye to your, aunt."

Nikolas peered up through his father's shoulder, and looked at Elsa with his adorable stare. "Bye bye, Auntie Elsa."

"Bye bye..." she sighed. The queen was about to head to her room when a woman approached her. She was the kingdom's chief messenger. "Hello Erika."

Erika was a slim, fit woman with blue eyes and short blonde hair. She bowed to Elsa, "Greetings your majesty. I have returned from my mission to Valencia."

"And?"

"Well I was a little upset because I didn't get to use the Tai Chi I practiced in China...you know..." She began to assume fighting stances, "The leaping tiger! The viscous dragon! The feral honeybee! BZZZZZZZ HAYA!"

"Erika...focus. Did you deliver the invitation to Marco?"

Erika gulped, "I...I did. It's just..."

"It's just what?"

"He wouldn't take it."

"What do you mean?"

"I handed it to him...and he threw it back at me. He said he wanted nothing to do with Arendelle or its queen, because after all, he now had enough money to buy a kingdom and queen." Elsa gasped at the words. "I'm sorry, your highness."

"No...please. That's alright. I just need to be alone." Elsa shut herself in her room and stomped on the ground. Ice covered the ground as she growled, "That no good...rotten...inconsiderate...prideful...cowardly fool! He wanted nothing to do with Arendelle or me? Just like that? After everything we went through together? He had the gall...the audacity to throw the letter I wrote for him at my servant? URGH!" She conjured up an ice sculpture of Marco and stared it down, "Oh how I wish you were real. I'd clobber you!" Elsa let out a groan and fell to her knees. "I waited for you...and waited...and waited!" She looked at the ground with worried eyes. "Well no more waiting...Since when do I of all people care about having a man? No. Nuh-uh. Not me! I'm the Queen of Arendelle for heaven's sake!"

Solo

Elsa

On my own again.

Seems like loneliness,

Is my best friend.

No one to hold,

No one who's there.

To be brave and bold,

When I'm in despair.

Elsa: Anna is lucky, her relationship with Kristoff is so strong and beautiful…Is it natural to be envious?

When it comes to strong feelings

For another,

Should not the eldest sibling

Feel it first?

Am I destined to be

The queen

Who could not find

Her king?

Elsa: No, I'm happy for Anna. She and Kristoff were meant for each other.

No one to call my own,

No one to share my heart.

Love leaves me alone,

Like an actor with no part!

I am the only one to blame,

For this lack of brightening dawn.

I deserve my shame!

For now my love is gone.

Marco did not return.

Why did he not come back?

Did I really mean so little to him?

Well then I suppose then...THAT'S THAT!

Elsa shoots an ice beam at the sculpture of Marco, blasting it to bits. She proceeds to conjure up a gorgeous, icy ballgown**

*Music rises with her newfound confidence*

I may be alone,

But at least my heart is free!

I have no one to hold me down.

All I have is me!

**speaking a bit more than singing**

Who needs a significant other?

And corny romance?

Why do I need a lover?

I don't need a man!

I'm happy now

Being single is the best!

I don't need so-and-so,

Watching over me.

I can let it go,

Let my spirit run free!

I am alone,

It's the best thing to be!

I can live by myself,

I can finally be meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

"Nice solo," complimented a voice from behind, startling her. She spun around to see a Jack Frost sitting on her windowsill.

"Jack? What are you doing here?"

He smirked, "Ummmmm your royal ball? You invited me, remember?"

Elsa took a minute to compose herself. "Oh...oh right! Apologies. I'm just everywhere today."

"I didn't mean to scare you," assured Jack. "I just heard that beautiful voice of yours, and had to come see!"

The queen played with her braid, "Thank you, Jack. I'm glad you could make it."

"Of course! After that last adventure of ours, its good to reunite under better circumstances."

"Did Prince Michael make it too?" wondered Elsa.

Jack scratched at his icy hair, "Uhhhh about that..."

In the kingdom of DunBroch, Michael sprinted for his life. His uniform was torn to shreds as he climbed the nearest fence to escape. "Alright! I get it, sweetheart!" he called back. "You're not looking for a relationship! I just thought Micherida would work! I ship it!" He was almost through when an arrow struck him in the rear. "YEEEEEEEEEOW!" He screamed before falling over.

Princess Merida jeered from the distance, "AND STAY OUT!"

"That's awful," gasped Elsa.

"I know. But, his loss," shrugged Jack. "I'll let you finish freshening up and do so myself."

"See you at the ball," nodded Elsa.

Jack was about leap out the window before he said, "And Queen Elsa..."

"Yes?"

"I hope that song of solitude was just a song...Cause I'd really like to share a dance with you."

"But I don't-" Jack was gone. "dance..." Elsa thought on his words, and found herself blushing.