"Sir? I think that's it, up there."
Ensign Gregrory looked in the direction indicated by Private Fredrick. "Yes, That's the ice palace. We will have to leave the horses here, it's becoming to steep for them."
The two Royal Guardsmen dismounted and secured their horses.
"You have been here before," said Gregrory. "Lead the way."
"There was quite a bit more snow then. Now we need to pick our way thorough these rocks," replied Fredrick, as he took the lead. The two climbed in silence for several minutes.
"What do you make of Captain Walcott's resignation?" Fredrick asked.
Gregrory shook his head. "A unfortunate turn of events. Walcott was a good man, I'm sorry to see him leave."
"Have you heard anything about his replacement?"
"Lars? Only that he is a real spit and polish man. He will demand the best from us. But he's also said to be fair and reasonable."
The two stopped at the edge of a chasm. "It appears we have arrived." Said Gregrory.
The two looked up at the massive palace, it's blue and green walls gleaming in the sun. They stood at the base of a broken stairway.
"When I was last here this stair spanned the chasm. It was somewhat damaged by the fight, but it still stood," Fredrick said.
"It's down now. Only a few steps remain at either end. We will have to climb around."
The two worked their way around the chasm, climbing up and to the right. After a short time, they gained the front door of the palace.
"There appears to be quite a bit more damage than just the stairs. Many of the spires are gone, and I see a few cracks in the walls," observed Fredrick.
"We will take this slowly. The Queen wants us to find her crown, but she also said she wanted us to return safe and sound. We will be taking no unnecessary risks." Gregrory pushed the icy door, finding that it opened easily. The two looked in.
They saw the first floor was littered by shards of ice and a few snowdrifts. A couple of piles of ice could be identified as the remains of ice sculptures, possibly fountains.
"I see no sign of that snow monster," Fredrick said.
"Queen Elsa said we should stay clear of him if we did. However, I doubt we will see him. The reports said he was defeated by Prince Hans, and fell into the chasm."
"Yes, that's what I saw. But I'm not sure that would finish him off."
The two slowly walked into the palace, looking about.
"The Queen told me that she discarded her crown on the upper floor," Gregrory said. "Given all the damage I'm seeing, it could have fallen down here. We will need to search both floors. Of the two of us, I am the lighter. I will climb the stairs, while you search down here."
"Yes, sir. Be careful."
Fredrick started shifting through the rubble and brushing snow aside, while Gregrory slowly made his way up the interior icy steps. After few a minutes, a loud Crack! filled the palace.
"Private! Report!" Gregrory called down from above.
"Sir! I am fine. Did you see what that was?"
"No. My guess is it was just the ice settling. The structure does not look excessively damaged. This palace has stood for weeks, I doubt it will choose the very moment we are here to collapse."
"If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer we find that crown and get out of here," Fredrick called back up.
"Understood. Keep searching."
Half an hour passed as the two looked about their respective floors.
Fredrick heard a gentle ping from above. He looked up in time to see a small piece of ice fall from the chandelier, crashing to the floor just a few feet away.
"Did you see that one?" Gregrory called down from above.
"Yes, sir. Just a small shard."
"How much of the lower floor have you searched?"
"I've given all of it a quick examination, and I am now about half way through a more thorough search," Fredrick replied.
"The upper floor is smaller, and I'm quite sure the crown is not here. I'm coming down. I'm considering terminating this mission."
Fredrick slowly moved to where he could see the grand stairway more easily, while continuing to look for the crown. He watched Gregrory come down the upper portion of the stair, reach the intermediate landing, and start down the lower set of steps.
When Gregrory placed his weight on the second step, it gave way with a loud crack. He quickly grabbed the railing, and managed to haul himself back up to the landing.
"Sir? Are you alright?" Fredrick asked.
"Yes, but I had better not try jumping the gap. If one step is ready to go, all the others could be too. I'll secure my rope to this support pillar, and climb down."
Soon, Gregrory joined Fredrick on the ground floor. "My initial evaluation of the damage may have underestimated the danger. We're leaving, now."
"But we haven't found the crown! What will we tell Her Majesty?"
"I'll report that the extent of the damage prevented us from locating the crown, and it may be best if she were to return and repair this palace first."
Fredrick looked down and shook his head. "I hope that works. I would hate to end up as an ice sculpture."
"I have never seen Queen Elsa use her Power in anger. As far as I know, she never has, except to defend herself. There is nothing to worry about."
"I cannot believe it has taken us this long to look over the Royal chambers!" Anna said, skipping a few steps as she walked beside Elsa.
"We have been busy these last few weeks. How are you doing on the invitations to the ball?"
"All done and sent out. We have even received one reply; form a local merchant. He said that he and his wife would be happy to attend, and asked if we would be holding it at the ice palace."
"The ice place?" Elsa exclaimed. "Why would he want to attend a party in an ice palace?"
"Oh, come on! That place is beautiful, and everyone knows it. He even said so himself, also saying his wife would so like to see it."
"The ice palace not that beautiful any more. I just got the report form the guardsmen I sent there to retrieve my crown. They said it's damaged, and they could not find my crown in all the debris. They searched fairly thoroughly, and thought the crown might not be there at all."
"You could fix the damage," Anna suggested.
"The Guardsmen suggested the same thing." Elsa shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I want to put that place behind me. Besides, we cannot be taking the guests up the North Mountain. It's a long hike up some rather steep terrain. Can you imagine everyone trying to get home at the end of the ball? Walking down from the mountains in the middle of the night?"
Anna was quiet for a while, as the two walked toward the Royal Chambers. "I know! Make a new one!"
"What?"
"Make a new ice palace. You can put it much closer to Arendelle, so anyone can visit."
Elsa stopped in front of an ornately decorated door. "That's an interesting idea. Also, if I made a new one, I could make it more suitable for visitors, and holding events like a Royal Ball."
"That's the thinking. Also the tourists can visit it. Did you know we have tourists?"
"No. Why would we have tourists?" Elsa asked.
"That would be because of you, and the ever growing fame of the Snow Queen."
Elsa rolled her eyes. "I hope they aren't expecting me to put on shows. I have a kingdom to run. Now, where would we put a new palace?"
"How about that field to the west of town?"
"The one used as a practice area by the Royal Guard?"
"Oh, I didn't realize that." Anna thought for a moment. "The fields to the east are used for cattle. Where else is there? Oh! How about at the top of the cliff above the town? There is this one hilltop up there that's fairly flat."
"I've never been there. How do you get to it?"
"Well, you take the road out of town for about half a mile, then there's a horse trail that leads off to the right. It goes right to it."
"I'll have to take a look. It sounds like a long walk."
"Sure. We don't have to walk, we can ride up there anytime."
Elsa looked Anna in the eyes. "Actually, I never learned how to ride a horse."
"What? How could you not learn how to ride a horse? We both had all these tutors come in and teach us everything."
"I just didn't do it. I was worried I would get scared and my Power would hurt the horse. I don't even have a horse."
"Sure you do. There is this black mare in the stables that's yours whenever you want her. The stable hands have to keep a horse for you, after all. What if one day you ordered 'bring me my horse', and there wasn't one?"
Elsa drew her head back in surprise. "I had no idea. I guess it's time for riding lessons. But for now, shall we go in?"
Elsa opened the door, and the sisters entered the Royal Chambers. Windows on the right looked out over the fjord. Before them, on the far wall, was a large canopy bed. Several dressers, bureaus and closets lined the walls, along with a few paintings.
Anna walked over to one painting showing her mother sitting in a chair by a window, holding a strawberry blond baby. Elsa followed, taking her sister's hand. They stood there for a moment, remembering.
"Alright," Anna said. "Lets look at what we have." She started for a door on the left the entrance. Elsa instead went to one of the bureaus, sat, and started looking through the drawers.
Anna went into the next room. "I think this was the servant's quarters. There are no windows," she called out.
Elsa found her mother's jewelry collection. After a short time, she came across an antique crown.
Anna had gone to another door, and looked in. "Oh, this is much nicer! It looks like it was a nursery. There is even a crib in the corner. That can be moved. But there is a window, and a separate door leading to the hall. Can I have this room?"
"Sure," Elsa said distractedly, still looking at the crown.
Anna walked over. "What have you got there?"
Elsa handed her the crown. "When the Guardsmen could not find my coronation crown, I decided to see if mother had an spare."
"Looks sort of old. This is a style from, what, two generations ago?"
"Still, I am the Queen. Johan recommended I should wear my crown."
"It doesn't have a comb. Don't tiara's have combs? What holds it on?"
Elsa took the crown back. "Think of the it as a hairband. It holds onto the sides of the head. My coronation crown was the same way." Elsa looked at her reflection in the mirror above the bureau, and set the crown on her head. It fell forward. She adjusted it, until it stayed in place, but did not look very stable.
"That crown doesn't fit very well," Anna observed.
Elsa frowned, took off the crown and set it on the bureau. "Help me put my hair up."
With Anna's help, Elsa wound her hair into a roll above her forehead, and wrapped her braid into a bun. She set the crown back on her head, placing it behind the roll.
"You look like mother," Anna said.
Elsa frowned at her reflection. "I look like I did before I accepted my Power." She turned her head side to side, examining herself. "It reminds me of that time, a time of fear. Still, this is the look Johan recommended."
"Johan gave you fashion advice?"
"He said looks are important, and as Queen I should look properly regal."
"Alright, stand up." Anna walked across the room to a chair, and turned it to face Elsa, who looked back questioningly.
"Stand up," repeated Anna, gesturing.
Still confused, Elsa did so.
"Now, be the Queen," Anna requested.
Elsa understood. She walked to the center of the room, faced the chair, and adopted her royal poise. Gracefully, she walked to the chair, turned and sat. Moving just her eyes, she looked sideways at Anna, raising her chin just a hair. She followed this with a gentle smile and a slight cocking of the head.
"Wow. He's got a point. With that look, you dominate the room," Anna said.
Elsa sighed, stood, walked back and sat before the mirror. "Still, it just doesn't feel like me."
"You are the Queen. You can wear what you want."
"I know. But that just makes it harder. I can wear what I want, but there are good reasons to look like this, reasons I agree with."
"One day one way, next day the other?"
Elsa had to laugh at Anna's suggestion. "How about I dress for the occasion? I think I can live with that," Elsa said, as she stood. "Shall we move in?"
"Sure!" Anna agreed. "I'll go find Kai."