Chapter 6: A Victim of Fear

It was nearly noon on New Year's Day. And Anna was still yawning.

Elsa was trying to sit still, trying not to fidget, trying not to stand up and begin to pace around the room. She and Anna were sitting in the red hall off the main balcony. A couple of chairs had been moved there for their convenience. Elsa was giving the notes for her speech yet another look, but it was no good. She couldn't focus on the words. It might have had something to do with the way her hands were trembling.

Just the thought of stepping out onto the balcony, with all of the people looking at her, was enough to make her quake inside. The chair she was sitting in had already grown a veritable menagerie of ice sculptures around it – anything to relieve the tension, release the bottled-up power before she had to go outside.

You'll be fine as soon as you start talking, she tried to tell herself. Just … try to relax until that point.

Besides, it's a short speech. You name the pardoned prisoners, and that's it.

Anna yawned again, and Elsa looked up. Her sister, already bundled up against the cold, was resting in an easy chair, staring dreamily at the ceiling. "Last night was the best, wasn't it?"

Elsa tried to chuckle, knew it came out sounding horribly forced, and hoped Anna would forgive her. "It was a great deal of fun."

"Who thought being a guest at a party would be almost as much fun as being the host?" Anna leaned back, resting her feet on the nearby footstool. She arched her back like a cat as she stretched. "How many parties did we crash, by the way?"

Elsa shook her head. "Technically, none. You can't crash a party you're invited to."

"… Point. But still, it was great, wasn't it? Dashing from party to party – getting to see all the people we liked best – I wonder if this is how other princesses feel all the time?"

"I doubt it," Elsa shrugged. "As much as it may look that way from the outside."

"Aww, come on, Elsa, don't pop my bubble on the first day of the year!" Unfortunately, the scolding was rendered less effective by the yawn Anna tacked on to the end of it. "But still. I say we should never host a New Year's Eve party. We should do this every year."

Elsa considered that. Even if the whirl had been exhausting, there was something to be said for not having the stresses of hosting on her shoulders. Plus, there was something also to be said for the brief rides from party to party, when it had just been her, Anna, and Kristoff in the sled. Elsa had gained many chances to lean back, catch her breath, and enjoy some time away from the pressing crush of people. She'd cast a few sidelong glances at Kristoff and guessed he might be feeling the same way.

Elsa's eyes narrowed and she looked at her sister. She wondered … had Anna planned it that way?

Anna was looking far too innocent for Elsa to assume that she was anything other than thoroughly guilty.

"I agree," she replied, softly, just as a discreet cough interrupted their conversation.

Kai stepped forward. "Your Majesty? Your Highness?" He adjusted his long, teal-green overcoat. "It's time."

"Goodie!" Anna leaped to her feet. Elsa wondered where she got the energy from. "Then it'll be lunchtime!"

Elsa rolled her eyes even as she tucked her notes into her muff. Not that she needed the muff. But it let her hold on to her notes without anyone knowing she had them with her, and somehow, just the feeling of the notes in her hand was comforting. "How do you manage to eat so much and keep your size?"

"Magic," Anna quipped. As Elsa tucked her hands into her muff, Anna linked elbows with her. "Ready, sis?"

As ready as I'll ever be, Elsa thought. She nodded to Kai.

Kai opened up the glass doors and stepped outside. A blast of cold air pushed back the hair and skirts of both sisters. Anna shivered, but Elsa took a deep breath and almost smiled.

"People of Arendelle," Kai boomed, "I present to you Queen Elsa and Princess Anna!"

The cheer that followed made Anna perk up and Elsa try not to shudder. Still arm-in-arm, the sisters walked onto the balcony, where they were greeted by another cheer.

"Long live the Queen!"

"Long live Princess Anna!"

"Long live Arendelle!"

Elsa smiled. It wasn't as bright and brilliant as Anna's smile. And unlike Anna, she had no friends in the crowd to wave to. But Elsa could nod, and smile, and bow her head to show herself pleased and honored by the attention she was receiving.

Inside her muff, her hands twisted and turned around themselves, and heaven only knew what was happening to her notes.

Finally the cheers had gone on long enough, and Elsa freed one hand from her muff to raise it for silence. The people listened, and a hush spread over the castle courtyard.

"Friends and citizens of Arendelle," Elsa began. She knew how to project her voice so a crowd could hear it. Her father had taught her this skill since she was a child. That wasn't the hard part. Keeping the quaver out of her voice? Keeping her head up, poised and regal, that small smile on her lips? That was the hard part. "It gives me great pleasure to stand before you and wish you the happiest of New Years!"

Another cheer. There were actually hats being thrown into the air. Anna cheered too, and while Elsa was relatively sure that wasn't protocol, she was extremely sure that seeing Anna cheer helped her to relax just a little bit.

Once again she freed the hand from her muff to signal for quiet. Once again she got it. "As we all know, the New Year is time for new beginnings. It is a time to put away the old and open ourselves up to the new. It is a time for forgiveness, and it is a time …" She took a deep breath. "It is a time for second chances!"

It wasn't meant to be an applause line, but just this once, Elsa was grateful that it drew applause. She was going off-script here, so to speak. The fact that what she was about to say was in her notes and had been rehearsed a hundred times didn't matter. It still was not by any means part of the usual program.

"But before I announce the prisoners who have been pardoned – the men and women to be granted a second chance on this day – I want to thank all of you. For giving me a second chance."

This time there was no applause, only gasping. Even Anna gasped. Elsa hadn't mentioned this part of her speech to her. Possibly the only person who knew about it was Marte, and that was because she had once walked in on Elsa when she was practicing it.

"I know that none of us have forgotten the events of six months ago," Elsa swallowed. "I know that my actions … were not one that any monarch would be proud of. But you gave me a second chance to prove myself. With the help of the gods, I will not fail you." Again.

She was too nervous to give them time to react. "And – and without further ado, let us learn the names of the others who will be given a second chance this day!" After that line she fell silent long enough to earn a ragged cheer. Perhaps the crowd was still recovering from her admission. Elsa knew that she was.

Kai handed her the list – it was purely for the sake of ceremony, she had the names memorized – and she began to read from it. "The first is Nora Helmer of Rosen, the second …"

It was tradition to not read off the crimes of the people being pardoned – it helped to make the second chance more real. Elsa continued to rattle off the names, only pausing long enough to let people cheer if they heard the name of a friend or loved one. The cheers were loud, but she didn't dare to look at any one particular face. She had pardoned a dozen people this year, but many more had family members hoping that they would be one of the lucky few.

Elsa took a deep breath, folded the list as well as she could, and handed it back to Kai. "This list has already been forwarded to the prison wardens throughout the kingdom and to the families of the pardoned. I henceforth decree that all the people named on this list are officially pardoned, their slates wiped clean, and they are ready to rejoin us!"

Another cheer. Elsa took a deep breath and allowed herself a small smile that was mostly genuine. "Thank you. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I must—"

"Wait!" The cry came from below. Elsa blinked. She could never remember a speech of her father's being interrupted like this.

It was not hard to discover who it was – someone was pushing his way through the crowd. When he finally tumbled to the forefront, Elsa could make out that he seemed to be a man in his late fifties or early sixties, of average height and with beige curls streaked with gray. His clothes hung off his frame, as if they had been made for a larger man or as if he had lost a great deal of weight in a short time. On his head was a hat that, if Elsa remembered correctly, had been the height of fashion last year, but which nearly no one was wearing this year.

The man looked up at her. His eyes were narrowed, but even at this distance Elsa could see the hard glint. "What of Prince Hans? Where is his pardon?"

Gasps. And Elsa could feel Anna heating up beside her. There would be steam coming out of her ears in just a minute.

But that wasn't what concerned her most. No, what concerned her most were the teal-coated Arendelle guards, their tall kepis sticking up above the crowd, zeroing in on the man. "Halt!" Elsa glared at them. "Everyone in Arendelle is free to ask questions of the monarch. Everyone."

Besides, what can he do to me from down there? Except shoot something, but we've all learned that I'm more than capable of defending myself from that.

She could feel the ice beginning to rise within her, but for once she did not try to tamp it down or thaw it with love. She kept it just behind her fingertips, ready, waiting … just in case.

"Your Majesty …" Kai murmured from the corner of his mouth, but Elsa shook her head at him.

She took a few steps closer to the railing and looked down. "Sir."

The man stared up at her, his hands on his hips, glaring. "Well—Your Majesty? If citizens are allowed to ask questions, they ought to get answers!"

Was it just Elsa's imagination, or was the crowd visibly edging away from him? It was most certainly not her imagination that the guards were shuffling closer. She took a deep breath and focused her gaze on the man. "To answer your questions most succinctly, it is impossible under the laws of Arendelle to pardon someone who has not yet been found guilty of any crime."

"If Prince Hans has not been found guilty of any crime, then why is he sitting in prison?" the man challenged.

In the safety of her muff, Elsa twisted her hands together. Her face, however, remained composed. "Is it not usual for individuals whom the government considers to be dangerous to be held in prison—"

"Without trial?" the man interrupted, glaring.

Elsa let one eyebrow rise and fall. It was a look that her father had often employed on errant Councilors and servants. It had managed to express a great deal of displeasure without saying anything that could be regretted. Whether it worked on this man or not, Elsa could not be sure. He only scowled, which could mean anything.

When she was sure he would stay silent, Elsa continued, "As I was saying, is it not customary for individuals whom the government considers to be dangerous to be held in prison before trial?"

Another set of gasps from the crown. "Prince Hans is going to be tried?" called out a woman, who instantly slapped her hands over her mouth and looked mortified for having said anything.

Elsa glanced sidelong at Anna. Anna was still glaring at the man. At least I told her, Elsa thought. Then she turned back to the questioning woman and said in her calmest voice, "Yes."

If she thought the cheers that had broken out in reply to her speech had been loud, they were nothing compared to the sudden volley of exclamations, shouts, and questions.

Elsa stumbled backward, if it were not for Anna steadying her, she might have tripped over her cloak and ended up on her behind. As it was, one hand shot out for the railing, which instantly and completely iced over under her grip.

More gasps. "She's doing it again!" someone cried out – Elsa couldn't see who and didn't care to look. "She's going to curse us again!"

"ENOUGH!" That was Kai. "Ladies and gentlemen, this audience is over. Any further questions or petitions can be addressed to the Queen in writing!" He glanced at Elsa. "Your Majesty?"

A Queen did not run from her people. Never mind that Elsa had already done so on multiple occasions. With all of the dignity she could muster, she bowed her head to the crowd, waved, and walked back into the castle with Anna. Kai walked behind them and shut the door with perhaps more force than was strictly warranted.

That was Elsa's cue to let it go. She stumbled against the easy chair she had rested in so little time ago and held onto it like it was the last thing keeping her on earth.

It turned to ice under her hands.

"What you need," Anna said some time later, tucking a heavy fur blanket around Elsa as she rested in the armchair in her bedroom, "is a nice glass of wine."

"Anna, no," Elsa shook her head.

"Come on, it'll make you feel better." Anna kissed her cheek. "You did great out there, by the way."

"I did not."

"Sure you did. Ok, maybe you were a little flustered at the end there—"

"I froze the balcony. And the chair."

"Pssh, so what? The balcony's been through worse. Remember that big hailstorm five years ago? And you thawed the chair as soon as you caught your breath." Anna grabbed the other chair and dragged it closer to Elsa's. Once again, Elsa wondered how Anna packed so much strength into such a small frame. When did her sister ever break a sweat, or even get winded? Then Anna flopped into the chair and reached for Elsa's hand. "You ok, sis?"

Elsa did not like lying to her sister. She did not like shutting her out. But at this particular moment, she didn't like the idea of telling the truth, either. So she said nothing.

"That's it, I'm getting Marte and we're getting you wine." Anna popped out of the chair and marched for the bell.

"Anna, no!" Elsa half sat up, and Anna turned to her with two raised eyebrows. "Tea. Tea instead."

"What's wrong?" Anna asked. "You drink. How many glasses of champagne did you have last night?"

Elsa shook her head. "Not when I'm upset."

"Why not?"

"It …" Elsa shuddered. "It doesn't help. Trust me."

Anna was silent. "… Ok." She put a finger against her lip and thought. "How about a full tea? Crumpets, sandwiches, the works? We can call it lunch."

"You can have lunch sent up if you like," Elsa said. "I know you're hungry."

"… You know, that might be a better idea. Much faster than making all those tiny sandwiches." Anna nodded and rang the bell.

Marte, Elsa's lady's maid, poked her head in the door before Anna could even make it back over to the chair. Marte was a little taller than Anna, blonde and blue eyed like so many Arendellians, and while her round face with its rosy cheeks and pert little nose was very pretty, it also looked worried far too often for Elsa's liking. It couldn't be easy, serving the Snow Queen. "Your Majesty? Your Highness? What can I be getting for you?"

Anna opened her mouth to speak, but Elsa sat up. "Marte, could you please have Cook send up our lunches? With some tea?" She glanced at Anna. "Would you like some wine?"

"Nah. I probably had too much champagne last night." Anna easily flopped back into the chair. "But I could go for some hot chocolate."

Marte giggled. "Oh, Your Highness, Cook knows better than to send up food without some chocolate!" Then she cast a slightly panicked glance between the sisters. "Er—that is—yes, of course, Your Majesty, Your Highness. Is there anything else I can be getting for you?"

Elsa shook her head. Marte curtsied and ducked out of the room, barely giving Elsa enough time to call, "Thank you!" after her.

As soon as the door was closed, Elsa leaned back and rubbed her temple. Anna, however, spoke first. "She's nice. I'm glad I made Gerda assign her to you." Anna gently poked Elsa's arm. "You could use a few more friends. You're almost as bad as Kristoff."

Elsa let her eyebrow do the talking. "Almost?"

"At least you hang out with people—well—human people. Before Kristoff had the excellent good fortune to run into me, it was him, a reindeer, and a bunch of trolls."

Elsa chuckled. "True."

"Oh, good, you're laughing." Anna beamed. Then her face grew serious. "So …"

"… Yes?"

"You want to … talk about it?"

Elsa stared at the blanket draped over her lap. Her finger stroked the soft fur. It felt … so wonderful. She sighed. "Not … particularly …"

"All right. We don't have to talk about it now if you don't want to. Though …" Anna reached for her sister's hand and held it her own. "When you want to talk about it, you're talking to me about it first."

Elsa smiled. "Deal."

The sister sat in silence for some time, Anna still holding Elsa's hand as Elsa stroked the blanket with the other hand.

"You're doing a good job, you know," Anna finally blurted out. Elsa looked up. "With this whole … Queen … thingie. You are."

The smile Elsa gave in reply was soft, slow, and perhaps more than a little sad. "I know you believe that. Thank you. It … means a lot."

I just wish more people than you did believe that.

As far as Olaf was concerned, the Priest and Fish was the best tavern in Arendelle.

The little snowman waddled inside behind a tall man in a dark cloak. It wasn't hard for him to sneak into the tavern. Most of the time, if he kept quiet, people didn't often notice he was there. When in an "adult" space, most adults weren't focusing their attention three feet off the ground. Besides, most adults didn't see him until he drew attention to himself anyway. Kids did – but there weren't any kids in the tavern. A pity, Olaf could have used someone to play with.

But the kids were all in bed at this hour. So were Elsa and Anna. That was why he'd left the castle. When everybody went to sleep, the castle got quiet, and dark, and more than a little scary. And boring, too, which was worse.

Things were never boring at the Priest and Fish.

Even now, the air was filled with music. That pianist from Corona must have finally arrived. People had been talking about him for weeks. There was an accordion player, too, and Olaf spent a brief minute wondering why there was an axe embedded in the plaster above his head. Then he shrugged and waddled forth to the main attraction.

The fire.

Olaf's eyes still went wide when he saw it, and he had been coming here now and then since autumn at the latest. He hurried to his spot, which was underneath a table right in front of the fire.

Olaf sat himself down and clapped his hands. The fire was, simply speaking, huge. It was in what Anna called an ox-roasting fireplace. The only other fireplace that Olaf had seen that came close was the fireplace in the castle kitchens, and Olaf hadn't had a good look at that; Cook always chased him away when he got into the kitchen. Maybe it was because it was warm down there. Olaf could already feel his personal flurry straining to keep up with the heat being given off by the huge fire in its stone fireplace.

If Olaf had been human, or if his proportions had been closer to human, he would have hugged his knees to his chest as he watched the flames dance. As it was, he didn't have knees. So he rocked back and forth on his behind and grasped the bottom of his feet in his hands.

He heard footsteps come near him; then there were suddenly two pairs of feet sharing his space underneath the table. Olaf scooted a little to one side so he wouldn't get kicked. Getting kicked didn't bother him, but when he got kicked he tended to get discovered, and that tended to lead to him getting thrown out of the bar, in pieces no less.

The pianist was just starting a killer show tune medley when the two men (Olaf figured they were men, women generally didn't wear pants) started to speak.

"So," said one, "how did it feel to nearly cause another eternal winter, Roahl?"

"Shut up," grumbled the other – Roahl. "The only one causing any winters is her."

"She."

"Whatever." A thunk shook the table above Olaf. "Gods, this is good stuff."

"Easy now, friend." The other man's voice was concerned, wary. "Not too fast. Not too much."

"You're not my mother, Knut."

"Well, someone has to look out for you." Olaf watched the second man stretch out his legs under the table. Olaf scooted again. "How are you holding up?"

A snort. "You could look into my account at your bank and find out."

Silence. Then, "I saw you made a deposit today."

"I sold the Ringhorn," Roahl muttered.

Knut gasped. "In winter? Who buys a ship in winter?"

"Bloody speculators and cutthroats, that's who!" The table thunked again, but it was a softer, fleshier thunk. "I barely got half of what she was worth!"

"Roahl, I could arrange a loan –"

"I don't want charity."

"A loan is hardly charity."

"It is when you're giving it out to a man who you know won't be able to pay you back the principal, never mind the interest."

"You will." A slight creak in the chair and Knut's legs stretched out further. If Olaf scooted any further, he would be banging right into Roahl's legs, and that wouldn't be good. "Remember, there's another delegation from Weselton. If she accepts their offer—"

"Ha! You mean like she accepted the offers from the last five delegations?"

Knut was silent. Then, slowly, "Perhaps … perhaps Cicero ought to sharpen his quill again."

"Because Cicero did so much good last time."

"You don't know that. People are talking." Olaf heard tapping on the table above him, like the summer rain, only more rhythmic. "That's always a good first step."

"You can't even get Arud to bring it up in her council. What does it matter if people in the street are talking if the right people aren't talking?"

"Patience, friend—"

"Don't you 'patience' me, Knut. I ran out of patience three months ago." Roahl sighed. "What I need is for this bloody embargo to end!"

"And it will. As I said, patience. Whatever else you can say about Her Majesty –"

"Don't get me started."

"Roahl. Patience. She's sensitive to public opinion, isn't she? As long as we turn up the pressure …"

"And how long will that take? I've got two ships left! Selling the Ringhorn barely got me enough to get myself through the winter. If the embargo isn't lifted by spring, I'm finished!"

Another sigh, this time from Knut. "What you need, Roahl –"

"What I need is for someone competent to take the wheel of this bloody country! What I need is for someone in charge to realize that cutting off trade with Weselton is worse than cutting off your nose to spite your face! What I need," one of the tankards suddenly flew off the table and went skittering along the floor in front of Olaf, spewing glogg across the floor as it turned, "is for that ice bitch to go back to her bloody mountain and leave someone with a brain in charge!"

The whole tavern went silent for a moment.

The next sound Olaf heard was a chair hastily being pushed back, then heavy footsteps stomping away. "Roahl – wait!" A few metallic clinks rung on the table above Olaf; then the other chair was pushed back and a faster, lighter set of steps hurried away from Olaf.

The door opened – Olaf felt the blast of arctic air. The door slammed shut.

Within a few moments, the faint hubbub of conversation resumed and gradually worked its way back to a roar. The tavern seemed to forget about Roahl's display almost immediately.

However, Olaf didn't forget. He sat under the table, rocking back and forth and chewing his lip with his buck tooth.

He stayed there until the pianist got everyone caught up in a rousing rendition of "I've Got a Dream." Then, and only then, did Olaf crawl from his hiding place and make his way to the door.

And so the plot thickens ... read, review, tell me what you think! And thank you to all of the people who have read, reviewed, followed & favorited so far. I grin from ear to ear whenever I get an alert e-mail!