obviously i have no idea who elsa is in this story like how does she feel about her powers? people? she has some control because she still lives in fear? hmm
Despite asking Kai, Elsa was still unprepared for when he brought the girl to her chamber, carrying a small bundle of cloth. The girl was holding his hand, looking absolutely exhausted. She seemed to have woken up a little, though, and was glancing around the room with a curious eye.
A quick glance to the clock told Elsa that she had only been asleep for perhaps half an hour – just enough time for Gerda to prepare a bath and for dinner to be cooked.
A maid followed closely behind him, carrying a tray with two large bowls of soup, and some bread and butter.
Elsa watched as the girl's hand left Kai's, and she took a few tentative steps forward. The maid placed the food on Elsa's desk and retreated from the room as Kai handed her the cloth. It was… well, it was her clothes. Her old clothes.
He sat the girl on the seat across from Elsa – the seat reserved, usually, for businessmen or nobles when they came to discuss some trifling matter. He gave a small bow.
"Gerda has drawn a bath in the eastern guest bathhouse, Your Majesty. If that will be all…" he said. Anna let out a gasp, little hands flying to her mouth as she looked at Elsa with wide eyes.
"You're the Queen?" she asked, voice laced with awe. Elsa smiled at her and nodded, but turned to Kai to answer.
"That's fine, Kai," she said. "Could you please send in a maid to show Miss Anna the way?"
In her peripheral vision, she saw Anna look down at her rags, tugging on them self-consciously. Kai just looked confused.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but all the maids have retired to bed. I can, of course, wake one, if you feel you need someone else to help?"
It was a dig at her, she knew, but before she could speak up, Anna beat her.
"I can dress myself," she said proudly. "Papa always made me put on my nicest dress when we went to church!" She grinned at Elsa, who returned the expression weakly.
"That's all, Kai," she said finally, and he left the room, bidding them good night.
Elsa's fingers curled in her gloves. She could feel the magic thrumming there, waiting patiently below the surface. Rousing herself, she pulled the tray of food over.
The maid had given them spoons for the soup, and some knives and butter for the bread.
Anna ignored them completely.
Grabbing a piece of bread, she tore it into little chunks and used dunked it in the soup. In this way, she'd finished a good portion of it before Elsa had even been able to take a sip, the hot liquid too close to burning her tongue. She could have used her powers, but that would mean she'd have to show the girl; no one knew she could control and create ice and snow, and she wanted to keep it that way.
Another strange thing was that Anna didn't speak. She ate as quickly as she could, eyes glancing to Elsa's plate every so often. At first, Elsa thought she was merely still hungry – but when she slowed and stopped, a good third of her soup left, that thought went out the window.
"Full?" Elsa asked, for lack of anything better to say. How does one speak to children? But Anna shook her head.
"Papa said that children shouldn't finish their meals," she recited. "It has to go to adults because they're bigger."
Elsa frowned, spoon coming to rest in her soup. "The cook gave me an extra-big portion," she lied. "So you don't need to leave any. Eat as much as you want, Anna."
The way the girl's eyes lit up had Elsa's heart breaking, and she finished her soup with gusto. Elsa found she'd completely lost her appetite.
After they'd both finished and wiped their faces, Elsa picked up the clothes Kai had picked out for Anna, and led her down the hallway. She'd seemed to have found her voice, because she kept talking. Talking to Elsa, to the pictures; she'd asked about an especially well-done piece of art on Jeanne d'Arc, and Elsa had given her the less-violent story.
The bath was still hot, and after ensuring that Anna knew how to bathe, Elsa sat to the side and began looking through the clothing, trying to find the most suitable outfit. She wasn't expecting the scream that echoed through the chamber.
"Anna?!"
Anna looked at her, standing on one step, eyes wide in wonder. "It's hot!" she cried, smiling.
Elsa couldn't help but smile along with her.