Chapter 4: Calm in a Brewing Storm
Horses trot up the icy paths in the southern-more parts of the main city of Arendelle. Elsa said she was supposed to be resting over these past few days, but with the one thing she had to do in mind, she could not just get it out of her head while she sat around her chamber and meandered around the palace grounds. Although usually games of chess and getting around to reading some more books she has been putting off because of the demands of the throne would be a blessing on a day off, it can get somewhat boring after a while. Of course, Anna has been around and they gotten to spend some time together –within the palace grounds- playing in the snow like children with their snowman Olaf, but at the end of the day, it is nothing too... impressive... but she is grateful for the time she has had if she can spend it with Anna.
Instead, while she has the time since she is supposed to be on rest, she decided upon an outing and dressed appropriately for it even before her lady in waiting had come to wake her up. Nadia rides beside her and although the girl has ridden horses, as she would tell her mistress of how many times she would go on horse rides during her childhood, but she remains a little hesitant on the matter. Especially as she is carrying a small box, which Elsa had instructed her to bring, and only is using one hand to control the horse as it trots along.
"It's only a little fervour, Nadia, so don't freak out or anything." Elsa says to her lady in waiting
"I'll try, milady..." Nadia replies
They then arrive to their destination, Rose Blossom Manor, the home of the Brenan noble family for many generations. It is a seaside private estate, which also has their own vineyard on this large piece of land and makes their own wines, as well as a bit of a private dock where her uncle's yacht is docked most of the time. Her uncle is out, yes, as he has gone to make a briefing with the other ministers on what is going on and to make a long-awaited release to the press, but she has not come here to visit to her uncle. She promised herself she would visit the manor at some point, but instead of waiting for the summer to come around, she came to visit now. They come to the entrance, Elsa dismounts the horse and the house's servants take care of it. She then looks back as her lady in waiting is trying to get down before the captain of the guard, who is leading this tightly guarded escort, then helps her down, much to Nadia's embarrassment and Elsa looks on amused, trying not to laugh as her lady in waiting tries to gather herself.
"What is with you and horses, Nadia, I must ask." Elsa enquires, as her handmaiden comes to her side
"It has been a long while since I have ridden one, your majesty." Nadia replies, as they approach the doorway, "Elsa, you may want to-"
"Cousin Elsa, Cousin Elsa!"
Taking her by almost surprise, Elsa kneels down as a young child runs toward her and she positions her leg back a bit to make sure she stays stable as she catches this young girl's crash hug, "Elsie, it's so good to see you. You've grown so much."
She looks to the young child, six years old and dressed in a soft lavender coloured gown who has golden-blonde hair and her father's brown eyes, whom she knows as the little Miss Elsie Brenan, the second of her "cousins" and her good friend Petyr's younger sister. Now Elsa may have been barely even leaving her room six years ago when little cousin of hers was born, but she for the least had seen Elsie within the first few months of her life. Definitely at her mother's funeral, her mother being the one she had gotten her golden-blonde locks from died three years ago around the time of her parents themselves in the shipwreck.
"Are you here to see Petyr, Elsa? Are you, are you, are you?" Elsie asks hyperactively, as it is more seeing her cousin the queen that has her excited, "What's in the box?"
Nadia chuckles as the young girl approaches her, "Well aren't you an energetic little lady of the realm, eh. But I do have to remind you that you are speaking to the queen. Haven't you learnt etiquette by now, little lady?"
"Oh, I forgot didn't I?" The little girl says, with a guilty look on her face as she looks to Elsa before stifling a haphazard curtsey, "Your highness."
"It's not a big deal, Nadia, she's only a child and she's my cousin and if Petyr and I couldn't master the proper way until we were nearly three years older than her age then I think she's fine." The Snow Queen then says, still kneeling down as she touches the child on her nose, before getting up, "How about we find your brother together, hm? Where is Petyr by the way?"
"I think he's in his room." Elsie replies, looking up to the queen who near towers over her, "He changed rooms since you were last here. I will show you the way, I will. Follow me, Elsa, I'll show you the way."
The child takes her hand as she starts to drag her, Nadia having her turn to near laugh as her mistress is having a hard time even keeping her headpiece on as a six year old no less has her by the hand as they go up the stairs. Elsa herself laughing a bit as she goes up the stairs with this tiny tour guide pulling her along, all but reminiscent of when her sister would do these sorts of things when she was her age. They go down an upstairs hall in this large, spacious manor that is only a little smaller than her home at the Palace. They then come to a set of doors and Elsie then stops tugging her and faces her while reaching for the handle.
"He's in here, Elsa. This is my big brother's room." Elsie informs her, while trying to reach for the handle as she is all but a small thing, before rapidly latching onto it and pulling it down and entering
Elsa follows the energetic young girl into a brightly lit room far beyond any expectation she had in mind. She walks around taking in the scenery of a large, well-lit chamber. As she enters, she takes in the scenery as it is decorated neatly as on a second level a few metres up on the far left there is a study atop a platform with shelves of books extending to the ceiling with stairs connecting it to the ground level. On the walls are swords, both decorative and for even use and fine setting furniture around the room and off to the side, two connecting wings like at her chambers, one being for the bed where Elsie has gone off to.
"Petyr, wake up. Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Elsie demands as she climbs onto the bed and is poking her brother in the face, this sight indeed bringing back fond memories of her sister when she was the same age as this little one, "Elsa is here, Petyr. Elsa is here, wake up."
"Elsa...?" Petyr says as he sits up and then looks over to see Elsa and her lady-in-waiting Nadia standing in the main wing, before coming to realise that he is not wearing a shirt, the blankets sliding down a bit off his chest to reveal his upper body, "Elsie, why did you bring her up here? I am bloody topless... Hey it's not funny!"
Elsie is laughing, "Yes it is, you're funny when you're mad."
"Alright, how about we sort this out a bit." Elsa says as she looks to her lady in waiting, "Nadia, how about you and Elsie go, let her have one of the cookies too, and go look at the paintings."
"Did someone say cookie?" The little girl enquires, getting down from the bed and running over to Nadia, "Are they in the box?"
Nadia chuckles and then places it down on the coffee table and opens it, revealing a bunch of freshly made cookies inside the box, "Take one if you want, dear."
Elsa then watches as the six-year-old then takes a cookie and begins to eat it quickly and noisily, and she has a bit of a laugh as her lady in waiting is the one trying to make an effort in telling her to slow down. However, from her uncle has told her about his daughter is that whenever food is in front of her, the table manners are almost swept under the carpets because she is quite the junior connoisseur of her foods... even if she eats like a little piggy rather than a little lady.
"I guess she liked your cookies." Elsa says to her lady in waiting
"Liked is an understatement for the least, milady." Nadia then says as she rises from kneeling down, "Now I've heard that you're in a painting or something from that father of yours, would you care to show me?"
Elsie nods her head, "Um-hmm, I'll show you."
Nadia then walks to the door with the little girl following her and opens the door before the young girl then suddenly turns back and uses the skirt of her dress as a basket as she places a whole bunch of cookies in it and one in her mouth. Elsa rolls her eyes at such a sight as the young girl makes an effort to dash across the room without dropping any from her makeshift basket. To an extent of this, her stockings and undergarments showing as she awkwardly carries her load like a harvester with apples and she finally reaches her destination with a comical self-satisfied smirk that as much looks like the one her brother always had when he was her age. Nadia and Elsie then exit the room, leaving Elsa and the oldest Brenan child alone.
Petyr makes his way out of bed, not without a bit of wincing as the wound still hurts like anything even after a few days. Elsa looks on even if she would rather turn away for the sake of it being proper of her to do so, but the white of the bandages sticking out amongst the slightly bronzed complexion that he has draws attention to itself that she cannot ignore. Especially when he got this injury protecting her a few nights ago, taking the initiative to do so when they hadn't of seen each other in a long time before that night and are childhood friends back in those days of her uncertain powers.
"I didn't expect such a sudden visit." Petyr says as he approaches his dresser, which remains half-open and getting out a shirt before looking over
"I'm sorry if I am intruding. I just came over to thank you for the other night." Elsa responds, before going over to the box and closing it, "I brought over some cookies that my lady in waiting makes. They're actually among the best I have ever eaten and it seems like your sister can agree with me on that one."
"I don't really need thanks; I was just doing what I had to, to get you away from that madman." Petyr says, fragilely placing on his shirt with a few winces, Elsa getting up to come over and help, "I can do it myself, you know."
Elsa gives him a look as he tries to get his shirt over his left shoulder without moving it, to no avail is he getting it on without it falling off. Giving up he just gives her a 'get it over with' look and the Snow Queen all but amusedly rolls her eyes, as even when he is all grown up as he is and is a few months older than she is, she always is the one who has to look after him after all these years. Elsa approaches him; she picks up the shirt and is about to put it on when she notices the bandages being a little soiled.
"Now we gotta change those bandages." Elsa says, taking the shirt off his shoulder
"They're fine, Elsa." Petyr demands, before looking over to her as she is looking for fresh bandages, "Leave it be, it'll be right. It's actually not as bad as when they changed the first bandaged they put on a couple days ago, now they were actually worse than this, this is nothing compared to that."
"I'm only trying to help." She says as she looks for bandages among everything she finds in baskets and boxes around the room, before noticing them in a basket, "Knowing that I'm responsible for that... The last time someone got injured because of me I didn't live that down for thirteen years and look where it got me."
"So you'd spend another thirteen years avoiding everyone because I got injured because I was saving your life and you wouldn't be able to live that down because I got one little scratch?" He then says with an amused smirk of his own
"Huh, what?" The Snow Queen replies, confused as she is trying to make sense of what he said, "Okay, you just got me confused. Hey, wait a minute! Thirteen years pass and you're still as immature as a five year old."
"Okay, I admit that was a tasteless joke, but... It proves my point." Petyr then says in a somewhat apology
"And what point would that be?" Elsa enquires
"That you haven't changed at all over those thirteen years, fear of powers holding you back or not." He then replies, before walking over to a chair, "If you're going to be on me like you used to be over the simplest nothings like a shirt not tucked in as 'properly' as you said then... Change the bandage."
Petyr then takes a seat as Elsa comes over with the bandages and yet she then remains paused for a moment. Although she knows how to control these powers, and she can touch people and objects now without the threat of freezing them and vice versa, her main problem here is the wound itself and its significance to the other night's pandemonium and her near death. She only got a small bump on her head, which hurt yes, but this young man here had gotten that of a savage swipe diagonally upward from fifteen centromeres off from the middle of his back. She can only imagine that it bled plenty and as she had heard, he supported her limp, unconscious body with his left arm wrapped around her on the horse and it took all of his strength to carry her, especially when going up those flights of stairs. She then shyly takes the end of it and Petyr raises his arm to rest on the top of the chair as she unravels the long strand of bandages that are around his left side. She comes down to the last layer, revealing that of his wound that has scabbed over and she herself winces as she looks upon it and how many stiches they had put in, it is ugly and horrifying to say the least the words that come to her mind, but that of she feels as though it was her fault.
Petyr then looks back to Elsa and places his right hand over the one she had placed down on the frame of the chair, "You okay?"
"It's... It's..." Elsa barely manages out
"I know, an ugly bastard for battle wound, but it'll heal in no time to nothing but a mark. But at least I'll be able to say that I got this scar defending the Queen, may not be much to say, but I'd consider it a honour I suppose." He muses, trying to sound at least positive about it before noticing the guilty look she has on her face, "Don't look so guilty about it, Elsa, It's not your fault and no one can say otherwise."
Elsa then gets the end of the bandage and then places it against the end of the wound, he winces from both the slight pain as well as how cold her hands are, as they being releasers of her powers, when she gets nervous her hands get cold.
"Sorry." Elsa mutters
She continues, although a little hesitantly as this first layer ravelled around his body over the bandage, the only covering between her, her powers and the wound itself. It becomes a little less daunting as per every layer that goes over it, as if the sight is being repelled away even though the memory may stick because of how ghastly it is to look at. She then comes to the end of it and finishes it up, and from her counting there is twelve layers between her hand and the wound, and with these bandages being somewhat thick, it comes as a bit of a relief as she is all but trying to get the image out of her mind before she loses her breakfast. Elsa then helps him with his shirt to put it on and he then does the buttons, as she wouldn't need to do that part, as he just needed help putting the shirt over his left shoulder is all.
"Thanks." Petyr then says as he rises from the chair, "I see you like my chambers."
Elsa then takes a walk around, "Well, the thing about it is that second story where you have the study, structurally it is brilliant to be honest and looking at it as a designer, it really ties the room together."
He gives a stunned look as he walks over to the hanger in the corner and retrieves a jacket, "I never knew that the same Elsa who would conjurer up a winter wonderland when we were kids in the middle of hot summers in a ballroom would be the same Elsa who has an eye for design."
"Well... I dabble in a bit of design sometimes when I have the spare time and I love geometry, built an ice palace using my powers, designed a dress of ice and I do a few dress designs here and there as well as stuff I could create with my powers." The Snow Queen replies as she looks to one of the designs of the scabbard of one of his swords he has hanging on the wall that has a wintery theme of metallic blues, silvers and white gold, "But... I don't have much time for those things sometimes. Father never told me how demanding being a Queen is."
"Neither mine told me how sharp a sword really is, but look where it got us." Petyr quips, getting a soft laugh from his friend, "Well what do you know, you still have that same laugh then."
"And yet I have to ask if you're really are trying to do a comparison to when we were kids to now." Elsa says with an unimpressed look
"I'm just curious, I suppose." Petyr says with a half-shrug –half being that he can't raise his left shoulder, "You've really changed since a long time ago, and I'm not just saying because of growing up, a change of titles and this persona change since learning control."
"If it's any consolation, you've done the same when it comes to change." The Snow Queen says as she then approaches him once more and helps him with his winter coat, "You're not that little rascal anymore who steals cookies, climbs trees and plays in the mud. The boy who would make our fathers say to our mothers when you would encourage me to climb trees with you to say 'Petyr's a boy, Idun, Ella, and boys will be boys and Elsa's a fierce little girl if she's following him up that tree'."
"That's because we grew up." Petyr responds, before taking her hand and beginning to lead her to the door, "But that doesn't mean we have to act our age. Do you wanna climb a tree?"
"You can't even use your left arm properly, how are you supposed to climb a tree?" Elsa responds with an inquisitive look and a voice of reason as she follows him
"I've got enough thread through my body at the moment I'd rather be a tapestry than a man if I were to be anything." He replies as he opens the door, when looking back receiving an amused roll of eyes from Elsa, "And I'm strong in my right arm anyway as it's my sword hand. Yet, I'd ask you how'd you climb a tree in a dress and slippers like those, but you'd be able to do it either way when we were kids."
"Alright then if you insist..." She says in a playful tone, relinquishing her hand from his grasp as she walks out the door with a spirited smirk on her face, "And I still bet I can beat you up there in a dress and slippers."
"Oh you're on." He replies, closing the door, "Race you to the oak tree in the back garden?"
Elsa dons a confident smirk as she runs ahead in an unfair head start, "Like a queen could say no to a challenge. Well, come on then!"
"Oh that is not fair, you're already ahead..." Petyr then says, himself getting into that childlike playful spirit, "But not for long!"
The two young adults then head down the hall as fast as they both can run and in starting fits of laughter. Now, normally Elsa would be the one who is composed, regal and majestic, true to her nature as the Queen of Arendelle, however underlying all of this, she is playful and sometimes a little mischievous within her own reason. Namely, like the time she redirected the dancing duty that the Duke of Westleton offered her at the coronation ball to her sister, Anna. Nevertheless, she can be this playful young woman as she was when she was a child before the troubles started from nine upwards.
Lord Amadeus is at the Palace and after giving his update to the press, the ministers and even the ambassadors over the investigation, he had gotten an immediate message given to him about the blade he had sent off to be analysed. Without haste, he exited the palace and then mounted his horse with the other commanding officers that had to be present during this briefing to go to the forge of one of the finest blacksmiths in all of Arendelle.
Riding through the city streets now that that assassination attempt made on their queen's life happened only a few short winter nights ago, Amadeus has noticed the change in attitudes that has come. Everyone seems a little less cheerful as the people usually would be, not just affected by this cold snap that is coming through the kingdom either. Some are seemingly fearful as they walk about, darting their eyes back and forth in watch for anything that may seem to be out of the norm. –Bearing in mind it was more than just the Queen and Petyr Brenan who affected by the events of that night as many in the Kingdom are now in fear to go out at night. Most indeed are a little shaken from the events of that night as some were injured because of things such as trampling and trips and falls and then there was some poor man who had copped an injury because of the daggers the man was throwing, as they had gotten one on the shoulder.
Lord Brenan arrives to this meeting at this smith's forge and greeted with a respectful bow from the man as he dismounts his horse with other commanders of the police and the royal military behind him.
"My lords." The blacksmith says with his bow, "It is good you have all come quickly."
"If it has to do with trying to get this assassin who threatens the life of my beloved niece to justice for his crimes, then quickly is what we're aiming for." Lord Brenan replies as they then enter this workplace, "So about the dagger, what is it that you have found."
As they go inside the blacksmith's forge, Lord Brenan looks around to see weapons half-finished and horseshoes by the dozen as things always seem to be busy in these places, especially if you have quite a large clientele. They then come over to a bench where the dagger, this dagger they had found the least bit troublesome to retrieve as they cleaned up the scene, was turned over to be looked over by this craftsman who works with metals.
The blacksmith takes the dagger in their hands as they give an analysis, "The dagger, answering your question, Lord Brenan, is one of the finest crafted daggers I have ever seen. Its individual style is akin to that of a creator who would be from the Southern Isles as it is made of a special sort of metal they have there. Light in weight for the use in blades and agile, but this metal is that of being very sharp and very strong."
"Lord Brenan, propose we have an envoy take this dagger example to the Southern Isles and try to find a possible lead there." The captain of the royal guards proposes to the head of this investigation, "If we do I'm sure we will find a lead as to whom is this assassin who is looming about Arendelle and makes threats to the Queen's life. Then it may be easier for a manhunt then when we know who they are."
"You make a point there, I cannot argue." Amadeus replies with a nod of his head, "Send an envoy down to our embassy in the Southern Isles as soon as possible, I'll make sure that they have an order so if the Royal Family asks, they'll know that Arendelle sent them on important business to do with the same Queen that their youngest almost usurped. You may be dismissed."
"Yes, my lord." The few other commanders say with a respectful nod of their head, meaning that they are dismissed
Following this duty done, Amadeus can only bide his time until they could get answers now. Becoming to a slow process, yes as by the time that the weather will be best for sailing again and give or take some time for their investigation will take place in the Southern Isles... Give or take it a few weeks, maybe even a month or so just to get the vital link that could lead to more information about this fellow. Already, as he has heard from the tabloids and the people alike in their frantic whispers about the town, the assailant is already getting a nickname for himself as "The Winter Swordsman"... Yet it seems fitting when you come down to the definition, as he is a swordsman, yes, who attacked the Winter Festival celebrations.
At Rose Blossom Manor, despite often being this mature and civilised ruler, her playful side has somewhat overwhelmed her as in the snow covered backyard of the Brenan family's manor, she and her childhood friend Petyr are climbing the large tree in the backyard. Thirteen years on, it's the same tree they used to climb in those nine summers they spent together and even in those thirteen years since her last visit here, it's always something that Elsa and Petyr would do. Despite how old they are getting as they are both twenty one years old, the both of them nearly twenty two, in some eyes, too old to be climbing trees like children, they're still doing it anyway as it is some unconventional tradition. Elsa, although wearing her dress and heels, has a bit of a lead despite going easy for Petyr as he is basically climbing with the use of one of his arms to support this weight, however, the injured nobleman is catching up.
"How are you doing this when you can't use your left arm properly?" Elsa asks as she is making her way up, pulling herself over one of the strong branches of the tree
"Like I said, my right is my stronger arm as it's my sword arm and you'd be surprised of how much I can do with it." Petyr replies as he is rapidly catching up to Elsa, pulling himself up to an opposite branch next to her with his right arm in a pull up, with the left only just supporting what it can, "Besides, I'm the one who wonders how you're beating me up when it's been thirteen years."
"As the physician said to me the other day, I'm fit as a fiddle and as strong as a mountain." She says, rolling her eyes at the use of those silly idioms
They continue climbing to a strong, sturdy tree branch they always would call the "Perching Point" when they were kids. These childhood playmates would climb up the tree most times to sit and watch the summer sunsets when waiting for dinner. Even watch as their fathers would be fencing while their mothers had tea by the setting over yonder near the slight cliff that overlooks their vineyard or when all their parents were playing croquet or badminton it was indeed a good place to sit most days. And to those little things they once were those years ago it felt good to be up there as it was very high to them, given that they were barely a metre high when they started climbing the tree. Elsa then reaches there and pulls herself up to sit on the sturdy branch before looking down to Petyr who is following close behind.
"Told you, I told you I'd beat you, Petyr." Elsa grins with a cheerful chuckle, happy over her victory as she sits on the branch, "After all these years, even when you're a little bigger than me, I'd always beat you up."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Petyr shrugs off as he comes to join her with a pull up of his right arm, Elsa extending him the curtsey of helping him up as she always did when they were kids, but now being due to having difficulty in using his left arm, namely because of his shoulder and the wound that leads up to it, "Thanks. If it weren't for my arm then I would be a little more competitive."
Elsa looks on the view, although not much to see since it is the middle of winter, the weather being a little gloomy as of late, the view not being as great compared to that of the summer, it's still something.
"I remember it being higher..." Elsa says as she looks to her feet that dangle over the branch and looking down to the ground
"Yeah, true... but we were little back then." He replies while making himself comfortable, leaning against the trunk of the tree with his feet in front of him, "And you thought that it was so far to the ground if you fell that you could use your dress as a parachute."
"Coming from the boy who was afraid of ducks up until the age of nine, it doesn't sound as silly." She then retorts with a smug smirk
Petyr then rolls his eyes, "Yeah sure... Hit me with the low blow, but you know that those things can be bloody vicious when they want the bread and when your mother says 'feed the ducks, Petie, feed the ducks' and they end up bloody chasing me half the length of the park... I had a reason to be afraid of them when I was a kid, alright."
"My sister can be vicious when it comes to chocolate and I don't see myself or even Kristoff running from her whenever there is something with chocolate in it on our person." She then says with a bit of a laugh
"Alright, I'll let you have that one." He laughs with a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head, "You know, I've missed this, sitting up here when we can be free to talk about stuff have a laugh over things. Of course, as kids, we just talked about the petty things they talk about in the innocence of their youth."
"Yeah... And back then we were young, carefree and had our whole lives ahead of us." Elsa says before breathing a bit of a pained sigh, "Not someone threatening your life, a whole kingdom resting on your shoulders and everyone looking to you to lead them through the times good and bad..."
"Life is what we make of it, Elsa, that's all I can say of it." Petyr says as he looks out on the horizon with her, "Just go with it as it comes, that's all I can say. Find a man you love, not some poser thrown at you in some sort of arranged marriage, settle down, have kids, and make sure to be happy with it, Elsa. We don't want another... mountain excursion and a literal cold snap hitting us again."
She then looks to him, "You know, you can make the most... bizarre of words make sense sometimes in advice."
"I call it a side effect of being too darn smart for my own good." He says with a cocky grin plastered across his face
"God, it's like speaking to that nine year old, except that he's now a twenty one year old, going on twenty two in a couple months who has spent half his life away from home and his life in suitcases while his father represented by father to the Isles." Elsa says with a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes
"It's called being a child at heart, and sometimes we sorta have to be in touch with that inner child." Petyr replies
He then moves his hand over a bit at the same time as she does and her hand ends up on top of his and they then look each other with a bit of a smile, although being in the premise of being a little awkward. She then looks again as her hand has not frosted anything as of yet, and his hand remains perfectly fine, which is reassuring that she can still control her powers. She then looks to her other hand as it begins to defrost a bit of the snow around it, which is a little odd, as she would only do that when-
The back doors come open, "Your grace, I have a-"
They quickly remove their hands as looking down to Elsa's lady in waiting Nadia, who is accompanied by the giggles, later herself in person, of Petyr's younger sister, Elsie. Nadia is looking around for a moment while Elsie giggles in the background, is standing by the base of the tree and she looks up, and winks to her older brother. Petyr then winks back, Elsa then looks to him with an unamused look and he then shrugs, as if telling her that it is just what they do.
"Elsie, you said they would be out here." Nadia says, turning around to face the six year old
"They are, Miss Nadia, they are." Elsie replies, acting natural before breaking into giggles as she then says in a sing-songy voice, "Keep looking."
Nadia then paces around the backyard looking around trees and everything and Elsa, although reluctantly, is playing along as she and Petyr remain silent on the tree branch. Elsa goes to move her foot onto the main branch when her slipper comes off and despite her trying to grab it; she is pulled back by Petyr as she nearly falls off the branch. The slipper falls to the ground behind Nadia before she then walks back to pick it up before looking up to see her boss and the eldest Brenan child up in the tree. Then it hits her like a knock to the head as Petyr and Elsa look down with amused stares, she remembers being told on several occasions that they used to always climb the tree when they were young in those summers they spent with their families together here.
"Very funny." Nadia says with slightly amused, slightly disapproving look up to them, "Now could you both come down, please."
"Yeah, yeah, alright, as you wish Miss Rose, the Queen's Lady in Waiting." Petyr says in a slightly sarcastic voice to the orders
As he begins to move, Elsa then stops him with her arm, shaking her head before letting some ice magic begin to swarm in her hand. In a flash and a wave of her hand, a slide is made out of ice and with a courteous gesture for her to go first, Elsa then slides down to the ground and then moves aside as Petyr follows on behind the queen, taking much care though so he does not injure himself any more. Elsa then begins to clean up the mess she has made by the same way she was able to defrost Arendelle during the Great Thaw, thinking about love and in no time, the ice is gone.
Petyr feels a sudden tug at his non-injured arm by his younger sister, "Can I have a go? Can I, can I, can I please, Petyr, please. I want to go on the slide Elsa made like you and Elsa did. Can I have a go on the slide?"
"Maybe we should leave it for another time, Elsie." Nadia then interjects, much to the child's displeasure as she lets out a disappointed moan
"Don't worry too much about it, Elsie." Elsa says to the young girl as she kneels down to her level, "Maybe I'll ask Anna if she can take you sledding one day, she loves to play in the snow. I am sure my sister would love to take her favourite little cousin sledding. Would you like that?"
Elsie nods, "Ah-huh."
"How about we go inside and get out of this cold, eh." Petyr then says, taking his sister's hand as they then walk toward the back doors to the manor
Elsa then rises as the Brenan children then head off and she looks to her lady in waiting before beginning to walk inside as well, "Nadia, what did you want to tell me?"
"A couple messages have come from the palace." Nadia says as follows the queen in the usual fashion, "Firstly, your uncle has left a document on your desk that he wants you to co-sign in order for the investigation to go offshore to the Southern Isles. He says that they have to take one of the blades that they found at the scene, which they had enquired with the proper trade person about, and it is said that they must take this blade to the Isles to find a the possible creator to find some leads on it."
"I'll be sure to sign it then." Elsa declares as she and her lady in waiting then enters the manor and the doors close behind them in order to keep the manor warm, "What's the other thing you wanted to tell me?"
Nadia then looks to the Snow Queen with much a serious look, "Your sister has asked for you, Elsa. She says that you must see her as soon as you can."
Somewhere up in the North Mountains, not as far up as the summit, there being the site of where Elsa's Ice Palace still stands today with Marshmallow inhabiting it and the Snow Queen letting him have this home to watch for her, but pretty far up, there is something indeed out of place. We come up to a side of the mountain where suddenly we come across a cave.
Entering this cave within the mountain, it comes to be not a cave but the entrance to some large underground cavern that is decorated as if it is some sort of rustic, underground palace among other things you could call it. A figure walks in through the cave up at the top and then pulls rope with much force and a door with an icy pattern on the front as camouflage comes down and sealed into place as they tie the rope to a heavy counterweight to hold it down. By when it comes to the ground, torch that this person is carrying lights those other torches that are at this front entrance before they walk to a ladder affixed to the side of the cave wall when come to the edge of this platform. They slide down it with much ease even one handed, holding the torch still in left hand while the right grasps the ladder. They reach the ground level of this underground home and light another few more torches around the area before lighting the fire in a small, carved out part of the wall before putting the torch in a holder.
They sit by the fire, breathing a deep breath as they feel the well-desired warmth of the fire on their body. After sitting by the fire for a couple minutes, they then go to taking off their gloves, one after another and with a flick, the first glove comes off the right hand, revealing a perfectly normal hand of course. They then come to remove the second...
Very carefully...
Once taking it off the left glove, it reveals a hand that is far from normal. Their hand slightly frosted by the top, especially by the fingers which are blued and this running down to the palm with a snowflake pattern on them (Think of when Anna's hands began to freeze over in the movie) and even when held by the fire... it does not change anything. They then lower their hood, and from the view at the back, it is only wispy, collar length dark black hair with a white streak through it from the middle of their hair down to the side and they raise their snow-blasted hand.
"Elsa will be finished..." They say with a clench of that hand
