Wow, I can't thank you all enough for the responses so far! (Merci, vous êtes merveilleux!) I haven't been blessed with such exposure on any of my stories (as I've never had a tumblr base to link to) – so you have all truly made my day with your follows, favorites, and reviews. This whole story is playing out in my mind as if it were a number of episodes on OUAT and I figured we had better have a "fairyback" scene in here from time to time…. So we interrupt our scheduled story chapter to take you back in time to Arendelle…( I don't own any rights to Frozen or the characters within, please Disney, I'm poor…. ;)
…..Cause for the first time in forever
I won't be alone…..
Chapter 7: For the First Time in Forever
"Elsa?"
The young queen looked up from the pile of correspondence she had been slowly working her way through to find her younger sister peeking around the doorway. The look on the young woman's face, a cross between excitement and trepidation, piqued her sister's interest and put her on high alert at the same time.
Elsa waved her in. "Anna, what's going on?"
"Well," she slipped into the room with a swish of her green skirts. "I was, that is, I mean, I was wondering..."
Standing up from the desk, Elsa made her way over to where her sister stood, giving her a hug then holding her at arm's length, narrowing her gaze. "Please tell me you and Kristoff aren't getting married already."
Anna laughed, light and bubbly. "No! I mean, that would be just amazing, but," She shook her head, strawberry blonde braids swinging back and forth. "No. I was wondering if maybe we could all take a quick trip out to see his family? He's been missing them something fierce since the snows set in."
Elsa held back a small snort. "You mean the trolls."
"Well, yeah. I mean, they did practically raise him, and well, you know how they can be if he doesn't visit."
Elsa smiled. She certainly did. Practically had a full blown panic on her hands the last time they rolled up – quite literally- at the palace unexpected.
"I'd love to, but there are too many letters that I have to get through before I can even think about doing anything fun." At the crestfallen look on her sister's face, Elsa relented. "You two can still go though, the weather is perfect to take Sven and the sleigh out. Please send them all my love."
Anna's face scrunched up slightly as she looked over at the massive pile of letters on her sister's desk. "Being a Queen is a lot of work, isn't it?"
Elsa laughed. "Oh, it has its perks as well. Chocolate any time I wish it, being one of them. See if Olaf wants to join you? He's been a bit down lately; he misses summer much more than is healthy for someone made of snow."
Anna kissed her sister on the cheek before giving her a hug. "I will. Don't work too hard, ok? We'll be back in a few days, I promise."
"Ok Anna," she walked back over to her desk, picking up a sheet of stationary and her pen. "Have fun."
Had Elsa known it would be the last time she'd ever see her sister, she'd have never let her go.
They had been three days overdue for their return. A messenger sent on to the trolls came back with the frightening news that Anna and Kristoff had never reached The Valley of Living Rock. Pabbie, the Troll King, sent out search parties of his own and promised Elsa he would let her know as soon as he had any news.
She found herself pacing back and forth along the castle hallways, unable to eat or sleep while not knowing if her sister was safe. How could she have been so careless to just let her leave? It had been two years since the events which froze Anna's heart, and Elsa thanked the heavens every day that she still had her beloved sister by her side.
Certainly, someday she would marry and start a family of her own, but they had also been making up for so many lost years as Elsa had hidden away from the world, afraid of her own powers. Anna had helped her understand that magic born love was so much more stable, and still more powerful than that raised from fear and anger.
What Elsa lacked in training she had made up for in control. There were moments such as this one where a small trail of frost followed where she walked, but the castle staff learned to view it as a mere barometer of their beloved Queen's moods, nothing more sinister than that.
They understood why she was so very worried for her sister's safe return, but they also secretly feared what would happen to them all if she didn't return. It had only been two years, and the memories of a frozen Arendelle were still fresh in their minds and hearts.
A week later, the Queen had been pacing as she did every morning, waiting news of any kind that her sister was OK. Exhausted, she had finally collapsed onto her throne, leaned her head back against the cold unyielding wood and stared mournfully at the high vaulted ceiling.
Where are you, Anna? Please, please be ok. I can't do this without you.
"Your majesty! Queen Elsa!"
One of her advisors ran breathlessly into the room, eyes as round as saucers as he made his way across the great room to where she sat. Elsa gripped the arms of the throne tightly, a thin layer of ice radiating out from where her palms touched the wood. "What is it? Do you have news?"
"Just now, your majesty, the reindeer and the, ah, snowman, they have entered the gates." He bowed as he spoke the words, but backed slowly away from his queen as he added: "They returned alone."
She sprang from the dais, running full out down to the courtyard, her silver skirts training light, and ice, in their wake.
"Olaf!"
The snowman heard his name called and spun around. Well, at least his head spun around, his body was a little slow to catch on. It had been a long journey, after all. "Elsa!" He waddled over to his beloved Queen, reaching out to her as she nearly tackled him in a fierce hug.
"Careful, I've lost my middle bit three times today already riding with this guy." He gestured back at the reindeer behind him, who snorted halfheartedly.
Elsa reached out a hand and touched his muzzle. "Thank you Sven, for coming back." He snorted gently into her hand, his big eyes sorrowful. "Where are they? Where are Anna and Kristoff?"
Olaf took a step back. "It's hard to say. I spent a good deal of the fight with my head on one side of the clearing, so I didn't get a great look at them."
"What?" She stood up, a small flurry of snow beginning to dance around her. Sven shied away, backing up a few paces. Control. She took a deep breath and the flakes disappeared. "What happened, Olaf? Start at the beginning."
"Well, you had told Anna that it was okay for her to go visit the trolls…"
"Not that far back, Olaf, tell me about the attack."
He nodded. "We had just reached the other side of the North Mountain when they came upon us. It was late, and dark, so they must have hidden along the valley road for hours waiting for us. Kristoff and Anna put up a good fight, but they managed to sneak up on her and carry her to their horses. Kristoff continued to fight, but…" Olaf trailed off, a sad glance at Sven before looking back up at Elsa with a tear in his eye, "he didn't make it."
She gasped, hand rising to cover her mouth. "No."
"He…" Olaf paced in a circle, "I didn't see everything, but he and one of the soldiers got too close to the edge of the cliff and…" He hung his head for a moment, then raised it again, "at least he took out one of the prince's soldiers with him."
"So, he's….gone?"
"After the battle, I looked over the edge of the cliff, but it seemed to go on forever, I didn't see him."
Elsa ignored the tears rolling down her face and stopped Olaf. "Wait. You said the 'prince'. Olaf, did you recognize anyone?" She watched over Olaf's shoulder as the reindeer nodded his big head up and down.
"Well, yeah, Hans was there."
Hans. The bastard.
She stood up abruptly, the look in Elsa's eyes hard and cold as the glaciers on the tops of the North Mountain itself. How dare he, she thought quickly. A journey to the southern edge of her kingdom would take about a week and then she would have to find someone who knew the seas surrounding the Southern Isles. A memory from one of the many letters of state came to mind. Yes, she would send a note to them immediately, perhaps they would help.
"Olaf, you and Sven need some rest. I have to prepare our men for a journey and send out a few letters."
"Where are we going?"
"To get my sister back."
"But, that means."
Elsa nodded slowly, not bothering to control the small blizzard that swirled around her skirts.
"Yes, it means we are going to war."
It took longer than Elsa wished to prepare everything for their journey. The Arendelle army would follow at a slower pace, through the fjords and on to the seas, it would take them a few weeks to reach the Southern Isles, giving her and an advance search party time to rescue Anna. She had a favorable response to her letters, and Pabbie sent three of his strongest trolls to journey with them as scouts. They were as ready as they would ever be.
As the flames of the torches surrounding the courtyard illuminated the small party gathered around her, Elsa raised her head and spoke clearly:
"We set out tonight for the southern shores. I've arranged passage with a man who knows the seas better than anyone, a prince of one of our neighboring kingdoms. He will meet us at the southern coast of Arendelle with his fastest ship, and will guide us to the Southern Isles." She looked at those around her. "I cannot tell you that this journey will be anything but dangerous, and I will not judge those who choose to stay here in Arendelle. Speak now and you will be free to stay."
Silence met her statement. A small glimmer of a smile crossed her face as those before her stood true.
"Thank you. I will never forget the kindness and loyalty you have shown me today."
She took a pair of leather gloves from a maid standing beside her, pulling them on one at a time, then turning to mount her horse.
"Let's remind those who wish to challenge our kingdom what power they find themselves up against."
They rode into the night, Elsa using her magic to clear a path for them through the deep winter snow.
I have such respect for how the writers of OUAT can juggle both the past and the present in their stories, and I'm glad I took some time this weekend to map the whole thing out. Even when I'm making this up, it's confusing me! I really hope you're still enjoying the story. - Caillean
