"Elsa," Elizabeth called out in another attempt, a layer of amusement admist all the concern within her tone, "I know you're there. Please let me see you."
It was more than likely the heir of Arendelle would do as asked from her best friend, with how well the sixteen-year-old knew her.
The two teenagers had gotten acquainted and developed a strong friendship for seven years now, knowing each other well. Sharing secrets, their lifestyles, favourite foods, favourite activities, the histories of their respective kingdom and city.
And most importantly, their gifts.
Well, in Elsa's case, a claimed curse, despite Elizabeth repeating herself in those conversations how Elsa was born with a beautiful power. It was by accident on the princess's part; the error of forgetting her gloves during one of their meetings and revealing her uncontrollable power, a flutter of snow created and falling from her pale right palm, right in front of her friend. Having apologizing to Elizabeth profusely and expecting her to be freaked out, the younger girl instead smiled in awe and wonder at the gift, and in return, introduced the surprised and perplexed Elsa to her own gift: opening tears.
"How... How are you doing that?" A younger Elizabeth breathed out in wonder with widened memorized blue eyes, watching the dazzling sight of clear beautiful snowflakes fall from the palm of a panicking princess.
Having realised her errors and cursing herself inwardly for making the mistake of forgetting to put on her gloves after getting changed in the morning, Elsa kept on muttering "No." to herself. This was not good- no scratch that, this was terrible. Now Elizabeth will never want to be friends with her again. "Elizabeth... I'm so sorry-"
"That's amazing!" Her friend burst out in excitement, her widened eyes never leaving the glittering flakes even as they melted away on the carpet of the room. The princess was taken aback by the loud excited statement. "How did you do that? That's incredible!"
Blinking rapidly, Elsa asked slowly, "You're... not afraid?" The other girl shook her head, looking at the heir enthusiastically. Elsa saw nothing in those innocent eyes but awe, curiosity, and genuine happiness. And that alone released a large amount of relief inside the princess. And here she thought Elizabeth couldn't surprise her anymore, never mind shocking her to the core. A small smile made its way to Elsa's lips in return, glad there was no fear coming from her friend. "I don't know how I can do all this; manipulate snow and ice like that." The princess replied in answer to Elizabeth's own inquiries.
Her friend nodded slowly, "So you always had a special gift too?"
A gift. If she only knew. "Since I was born. But I wouldn't call them a 'gift' exactly, more of a... Wait, what do you mean by 'too'? Elizabeth... what are you doing...?"
Without answering the confused question in words, the younger girl instead decided to demonstrate what she could do in return. As Elsa observed with widened eyes at the spectacle, Elizabeth opened up a tear that was within eyes sight of them both, revealing another location unfamiliar to the princess but was obviously somewhere else than the library Elizabeth was in. The young princess had her jaw agape, improper for someone of her stature, but around Elizabeth she never usually acted like a royal should anyway. Elsa slowly said quietly, "What... how...?"
Taking a deep breath and exhaling to avoid exertion, Elizabeth gave a smile to the young heir and said enthusiastically, "You're not the only one born with something unusual, Elsa. May I introduce you, to an opened tear."
A conversation had lasted for hours about how they were born with these unusual miracles, neither having any idea about it, what they can do and to what extent. Elizabeth, to Elsa's bemusement, had also slightly complained about how the latter's powers were better, even if that statement was just to cheer her friend. Elsa appreciated it though, despite thinking her curse was exactly that, a curse.
And, since then, Elizabeth started encouraging the doubtful reluctant heir to use her abilities often, even offering a hand (despite being separated by glass from another time period) in helping her friend by figuring out a way to control this type of power. To say the young princess back then was shocked how loyal and kind her friend was would be an understatement, and Elsa had finally realised Elizabeth was exactly the friend she needed her whole life; someone who could understand what she was going through and not get hurt by her curse at all.
Plus it was admittedly funny at Elizabeth's reaction to the "Conceal don't feel" lesson Elsa's parents taught her.
And for seven years now, their bond had strengthened tremendously.
Even to the point where the younger teenager knew her best friend was upset.
"Elsa, please; I can hear you." Elizabeth tried for the third time, looking over from her window to the side in vain hope of seeing her friend. It was evident to her that the heir was no doubt sitting on her bed and crying her eyes out, the former hearing the sobbing that incited concern and worry within her.
Eventually, when the young princess did finally reveal herself with Elizabeth hearing the approaching footsteps, the latter's worry increased exponentially at the sight of the teary-eye deeply upset Elsa. She had never seen her like this; the first time Elizabeth had ever seen her friend cry was at this moment.
"Elsa...? What's wrong?" The younger teenager asked gently, waiting patiently for the answer. It was evident whatever made the young princess in her window upset like this was huge... uh oh, Elizabeth thought back to her knowledge about kingdoms of the past. She wasn't getting married in an arranged fashion was she?
"Elizabeth... I... I don't know what to do... this all happened so fast..." Elsa choked out before covering her face with her gloved hands, more tears pouring from her saddened eyes.
"Shh, shh... it's alright Elsa." Elizabeth let out an assuring smile, wishing she could go in there and comfort her best friend in person. "Take your time. Whatever it is, I'm here for you."
Sniffling a little, Elsa managed to finally wipe her eyes and took a deep breath, speaking out in short sentences, "Mother and father... it was so sudden... the ship they were on... attacked by a storm... they're gone... They're gone..." That was all she could muster out before covering her eyes again in sorrow and pain, the fountain of tears turned on again.
That was all that needed to be said, for both knew Elizabeth would understand the implications immediately, covering her mouth in shock. No... it can't be... the younger teenager stared at the broken princess in sympathy, desperately wishing she could reach out and embrace her best friend so she wouldn't have to be all alone; Elizabeth had learned long ago of the accident Elsa had done to her own sister as a child and knew there were so few people the young heir could connect with but her.
God forgive her for saying this: but damn this glass that separates them!
"Elsa... I'm so sorry." Elizabeth said with the biggest amount of sympathy she can put in her soft tone. Though she never had any parents of her own, the younger teenager can imagine the pain and sorrow one would feel upon losing them so suddenly. She placed a palm on the cool window, the right hand with the top of her pinky that was missing since she was an infant, in hopes of at least comforting her best friend this way.
After what felt like hours had passed, the heir of Arendelle finally let her tortured expression be shown once again, looking at her best friend with a hint of gratefulness in her voice, "Thank you..." Elsa sniffled again and wiped her left eye. "I just... need to be alone right now. Do you mind...?"
"You don't have to ask." Was Elizabeth's understanding response, removing her hand from the glass and smiling in sympathy and reassurance, though it failed to reach her eyes. "I'll always be here for you if you need anything. Don't hesitate, okay?"
The young princess nodded, not having enough energy to muster a small smile for the kind words of her only friend and slowly pulled the blanket over her mirror once again, and Elizabeth was greeted by the bright colourful morning sky once again.
Looking down at the floating city below in sadness, Elizabeth wondered if fate would ever cease its cruelty on her and the grieving princess.
A few days after the conversation with Elizabeth had blown away like the wind; the news of Arendelle's ruler's passing hitting the kingdom like a tidal wave. A merciless storm had swept up and destroyed the unsuspecting ship carrying the two monarchs and so many other innocent lives, swallowing up the unfortunate corpses whole and the survivors of this mess drowning shortly after. A fleet of Arendelle's ships set out in rescue when they received the word their king and queen had yet to arrive to the friendly kingdom of Corona for the wedding of its own heir to the throne.
The boats had returned with the lifeless bodies of men and women to the shocked Arendelle, and its citizens wept as their loved ones and monarchs have been victims of a detested storm.
The funeral of the king and queen had been painful and filled with many saddened people, the residents of the kingdom already mourning enough for the loss of friends or family, and now the kind beloved rulers who had mysteriously locked themselves away within their castle for almost ten years now. Other envoys and monarchs from far friendly lands had arrived and expressed their condolences and sympathies to the pained Arendelle.
But for their own protection, the older depressed sister kept her distance from any visitor attempting to offer his or her sympathies to her in person during the funeral.
The young future monarch had to at least feel some slight happiness at the fact despite her mother and father isolating themselves from the kingdom for years, they were still beloved by the people.
Slowly entering her darkened bedroom, instinctively locking the door behind her, the curtains blocking the unwelcome yet fitting night sky, Elsa immediately rested her back against the barrier from the outside world and sunk down, own arms wrapping around her knees in self-comfort, her heart feeling like a barren wasteland right now without the love and support of the parents who Elsa had mostly shunned away her whole life for their own protection.
Now they were gone...
And the mourning princess was far too tired to spring any more tears. Even at the quiet funeral Elsa did her best to appear like a true royal and wouldn't cry in front of the grieving hundreds of people. The fountain of sorrowful tears had died out after the last few days over the news. Elsa had heard about it during breakfast the morning after mother and father departed, and her entire insides had frozen all over from just that. Without even thinking about what she was doing, the princess had departed the dining room in a hurry, refusing to allow anyone to see her in that state but her best friend. The one who was not her own sister...
Elsa felt the door faintly moving as a slow knock was heard above the pained princess from the other side. She didn't need to speculate who it was.
"Elsa?" Came the hesitant voice of her sister, Anna. And she shut her eyes tightly, having absolutely no desire to feel any more guilt right now. Please Anna... not now, She thought desperately. The voice continued in a tone that sounded like, to her lowest pit feeling of disbelief, singing.
"Please, I know you're in there..."
She wished she didn't.
"People are asking where you've been..."
But they just saw her at the funeral, right?
"They say 'have courage', and I'm trying to..."
Elsa slowly opened her eyes again, feeling the approaching tears she worked on getting rid of earlier. Why Anna...? Why would you do this?
"I'm right out here for you, just let me in..."
"Please Anna... just go." The young princess replied in barely a whisper, but her younger sister evidently heard nothing.
"We only have each other."
Elsa side-glanced at the tall mirror feet away, remembering nothing was covering it. Maybe she was...?
"It's just you and me."
You can have the guards and servants to rely on; there's only one person I can ever find comfort in right now.
"What are we gonna' do?"
The voice felt close then and she resisted the urge to sniffle at that question. What were they going to do? More vitally what could Elsa do now without the love and support mother and father had given her over the curse? Fate was far too cruel to her, and Elsa just wished if destiny was a person; she would freeze him solid. It would feel like poetic justice... The young princess knew it would do no good to think such things. They would be disappointed otherwise.
"...Do you wanna' build a snowman?"
That did it. Elsa felt the fountain turn on once more. And sunk her heard into her legs to hide the shame, guilt and sadness from mother and father it they were watching above. Her powers had relished in her sorrow and ice covered the entire bedroom completely. It would have been beautiful to anyone else's eyes but Elsa's own. Why must Anna unknowingly torture her like this? It wasn't fair for the younger girl to be grieving alone and the future ruler knew it. A part of Elsa yearned to go outside and find any possible shred of comfort within her only sibling. But the consequences prevented it and stamped the fleeting thought out immediately after thinking it.
It must have been an hour before finally the younger sister, who Elsa knew had laid against the opposite side of the door, sighed in sad defeat before standing and departing, and the older future monarch had the unconscious thought that Anna gave the bedroom door one last look before leaving. And time passed after that when Elsa looked up and pursed her lips in saddened detest at the sight of her unwilling handiwork. But that wasn't why she moved her reddened face from her hiding.
Her blues sorrowed eyes moved hesitantly towards the mirror, ignoring the icicles idly hanging from the top of it, and mist covering the reflection.
"Elizabeth...?" Elsa attempted to speak, before clearing her throat after that awful whisper and tried again. "Elizabeth?"
"Yes?" Came the instant reply and Elsa had to blink, not imagining her friend to currently be within there.
"The funeral's over now." The young future monarch stated, and felt a lump in her throat just after saying those painful words.
An understandable pause. "...Are you alright?"
Honestly, Elsa had no clue. "I... don't know." She admitted quietly, but no doubt the attuned younger girl heard her anyway. "I don't know what I'm suppose to do now..."
No doubt Elizabeth was dwelling on the words and considering the right response; she always was good with that, despite sometimes being impertinent. "If it helps, I'll be right here if you need someone."
"You're mostly there if not always." Elsa said, threads of relief and appreciation welling up in her cold heart. "And you may not be able to see me right now... my powers have been out of control recently."
"That explains why I can't see anything on your side." Elizabeth replied not unkindly, sounding slightly humoured as well. The young princess would have smiled if the energy was there. "But even though you're not within my line of sight, I know when you'll be here, just as you know when I'm here too." Elsa had to agree, but she didn't voice as such. Elizabeth continued after receiving no answer, "We're best friends, Elsa, okay? You never have to be alone in this."
"No Songbird visiting you recently?" She had to ask, knowing all about Elizabeth's so-called 'protector' that visits her best friend but never granting freedom.
She imagined a half-heated shrug in reply. "Just just left a while ago, thankfully. So don't worry about being alone in all this."
"I'm not." Elsa instantly replied without realising it. But she did not chide herself. "I'm glad you're always there for me, Elizabeth. Thank you: you are the bestest friend one could ask for." She spoke the words with as much sincerity as she could muster, but smiling evaded her yet as other negative feelings stubbornly stuck to her.
"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me." Was Elizabeth's touched reply. "And I think that's the first time I've ever heard you say 'bestest'. I had no idea it was a word back in your time." That was usually a subject Elsa never got much sense out of; different time periods speaking to one another like this. But she had no intention to getting a headache about it right, and instead let Elizabeth humourously continue, "But you are just a important to me as I am to you, Elsa. I'll just read a book until there's anything you want to talk about, but I sincerely hope you get better soon."
"Thank you..." The young princess said quietly, imagining the kind smile sent her way from the younger girl and felt the comfort she desperately needed.
Even though she couldn't connect anymore with Anna, Elsa mentally thanked the heavens that at least she was able to connect with someone like this.
At least some light was returning to her aching heart.
Unbeknownst to the two teenagers, however, a certain pair of scientists had been listening in on this conversation with expressionless looks, outside the princess's door and sharing a curious glance with one another, walking down the hallway so they can have their unheard conversation about these recent developments.
"Quite the same, are they not?"
"In all our studies, this was something not even we could anticipate."
"You mean, you could anticipate."
"If there's any implication you saw this coming."
"Whose to say I didn't."
"I did."
"Valid point."
"But I do wonder brother, why this and only this version speaks to the gifted heir among others."
"And perhaps more importantly, how simple reflections communicate past the boundaries of multiple universes."
"I can concede with that."
"Who are you two?" An unexpected feminine voice cut off their exchanges as the scientists looked behind to the confused mourning princess staring at the two with evident suspicion. "And how did you get inside the castle?"
"The sibling of the future monarch." The taller man simply noted.
"Your perception is to be applauded for its accuracy, brother."
"I will take that as a compliment."
"How any other way would I mean it?" The other fancy-designed sibling looked at the frowning Anna eye-to-eye, and it was obvious the young princess felt unnerved by it. "We are not intruders, your highness, in attempt to steal what riches there are within this aged castle."
"Than who are you? How did you get in here? What do you want?" The young royal asked with a tone that suggested she was in no mood for games. The recent passing of loved ones will do that to you.
"Simple passerbys and researchers."
"We apologize for bumping into you during your mourning, your highness."
"Rest assured the same thing will never occur again."
"A tragedy about your parents, young one."
"Our condolences."
"Good day."
"Wha-?" Anna blinked rapidly as the twins simply vanished... into thin air. Now it was just her among the darkened hallways once again. The young princess looked around her in shock. Was she just... imagining things? Anna had no clue what to think; there was enough going in within her mind already without the help of hallucinations with clothing and attitudes she never saw before in her life. Shaking her head, the princess continued down the path to nowhere, grief slowly returning form the pit of her stomach amongst the confusion.
Why did Elsa shut her out like this, even now...?
Did you enjoy this chapter? Did I nail the quips and exchanges between the Lutece twins, who were inevitably going to be in this story somewhere, right? Did I do the mourning of parent loss to Elsa right? I leave that for you to decide, my friends. Please review; all criticism welcome. Next chapter will be out sometime in November, and the last one in December. Have a nice day!