I'm back… ;) So, how's everyone been recovering from the bombshell last chapter?
Saki-Rose Chan: Thank you for reviewing. I hope you enjoy this chapter. (: And FYI, I am still working on TtLA; it's just hard finding time…
CraigDogH: Glad to see your enthusiasm.
EllaPhaba: You've 'got it', have you? ;) Well I guess we'll have to wait and see…
Hand271992: Wow, really? Thanks :)
MrAndersIversen: And you wonder why I always look forward to your reviews… Thank you for always being so supportive of my work. :)
Trekrider: Let's just see what happens…
MysteryGirl7Freak: Exciting, isn't it… (;
DisneyMan: I know, I'm enjoying the Elsa/Kristoff bits too… :)
EndlessReign: Interesting guess… Let's push ahead then.
Ok, so a few of you seem to be having the same thoughts… No clues yet though; everything will be revealed in good time. ;)
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Chapter 7 ~ Storm's A-Brewin'
Hidden behind a stone pillar, Anna watched in silence as the platinum blonde pulled the back door of the cathedral shut. She hated having to imprison Kristoff in this huge cathedral; thankfully he had someone brave enough to free him.
Noticing the young bell ringer walking away, she took a step towards the girl, her heeled boots clicking on the tiled floor. The girl came to an abrupt stop as she turned around, and the captain cringed.
"Who's there?" Elsa demanded nervously, her azure blue eyes frantically searching the shadows. "Show yourself."
Regaining her composure, Anna stepped forward, letting the cloak of darkness slip from her shoulders. Her eyes widening in fear, she stumbled back, darting towards the cathedral's spiral staircase.
"Elsa!"
Ignoring the sound of her own name, Elsa raced up the stairwell, fleeing to the sound, secure safety of her bell tower, her fists clenched to restrain her powers.
"Elsa!"
The voice echoed from the stairwell. Spinning around, Elsa watched the young captain enter the bell tower. Her bell tower…
"Wait, please!"
Recovering from the initial shook, she shot some ice at the floor in front of the red-haired teen, "Stay away!"
Anna dodged the blast with ease, performing a perfect forwards-roll before spinning back to her feet, "Look, I just want to talk to you-"
"Sanctuary! Get out!"
Again, Anna didn't leave. With an upwards swipe of her arm, Elsa forged a huge clump of ice in front of her, separating her and the captain. Using all the magic she could muster, she pushed the block of ice across the bell tower's wooden floor, ushering the captain back towards the top of the stairwell.
Pushing herself off the ground, the captain leapt out from behind the ice block, holding her hands up in defence, "I mean him no harm..."
Not quite believing her, Elsa slowly stood upright, allowing her back to straighten in a threatening manner, "I strongly advise that you get out. Surely Hans has told you how dangerous I am..."
Anna scoffed softly, rolling her eyes at the idea, "Elsa, you're not dangerous, and you're most certainly not the monster they fear you are..."
The frightened girl stood in shock, subconsciously loosening up. The girl is front of her was the Captain of the Royal Guard, a good three years younger than her, and had seen first hand what she was capable of. And yet, still she stood there without the slightest trace of fear. Was this something else Hans had lied about?
Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked away for a brief moment, "Either way, you should probably go. You're not safe here..."
"Alright, I'll go," the captain replied calmly. "All I ask is this... Tell Kristoff that I didn't mean to trap him here. All I wanted was to thank him for saving you, but when Hans showed up it was the only way I could save his life..."
Elsa's face softened. She might not know much about the outside world, but she could see the gentle, honest nature that lived within her heart. She might work for Hans, but she at least could be trusted…
"Alright..."
"Thank you." Satisfied with the answer, Anna started walking away, but stopped to look back when she reached the top of the stairwell, "One more thing... Tell Kristoff, he's very lucky."
"Why?"
Anna smiled, "He has a friend like you."
With that, she made her way down the spiral staircase, leaving the sheltered girl stunned.
Far from the cathedral, King Hans paced the familiar floors of the Palace Library. Even then, at well past two in the morning, sleep continued to evade him. His mind was plagued with thoughts of the trolls, as well as that stubborn, good-for-nothing troll child. This was by far the closest lead he'd ever had, and he simply couldn't lose it.
Hans sighed, turning to face his brother's portrait. He knew nothing about the lost royal, but he did know one thing; in just a couple short days, his niece or nephew would be roughly 21 years old, and surely it wouldn't be long before they came knocking.
His thoughts were interrupted by a desperate knock at the door, and he quickly composed himself, "Enter."
The door opened, and Kai appeared in the doorway. However, he refused to enter the room, a look of terror consuming his almond-coloured eyes.
"Well…?" Hans urged, his tone dripping with frustration.
"I just received word from Captain Anna. Your Majesty…" the servant gulped, hesitantly concluding, "The ice harvester's escaped…"
"WHAT?!" the king fumed, dark, angry flames burning within his cold green eyes.
The desperate urge to flee – or at least hide himself – overtook the servant, but he stood his ground, fearful what would happen if he didn't, "She and her men searched the entire cathedral; he's gone…"
Hans glared at him, his gaze sharp and pointed like newly forged draggers. Somewhere deep inside he knew that the man had nothing to do with the issue, but he needed someone to take it out on, and unfortunately for the servant, he was that someone.
"Have the captain and her guards meet me in the morning. Now get out!"
Kai wasted no time in leaving, and the cold-hearted king was again left alone in the dark. His pure, black hatred boiling over, he slammed a tight fist down on a nearby table, creating a small dent in the thick wood. "IDIOTS!"
Turning back to the painting, he pointed an accusing finger at the man as he glared into his chocolate brown eyes, "Just couldn't wait, could you? Just had to go and spread your wretched blood before I could get rid of you..."
Of course, the painting didn't answer. But in his madness, he took its silence as a mocking gesture from his late brother.
"Mark- my- words, Andreas, my reign isn't over, not by a long shot," the corrupt king hissed evilly. "I'll frighten Elsa into freezing the whole kingdom if I have to, but I will find your child, and then I'll give you two a little family reunion..."
In the hours that passed after helping Kristoff escape, the beautiful young bell ringer's confined world seemed to move at a snail's pace, so much so that Olaf had to remind her to ring the bells every hour.
Heaving a heavy sigh, Elsa walked out onto the balcony, not noticing her loyal friend's eyes on her. The sky – despite still being littered with large storm clouds – had noticeably paled, and she could just make out a few small beams of light reaching out over the horizon. The sky seemingly recognizing her presence, soft white snow fluttered from the clouds, falling down to meet the kingdom's floor.
Elsa watched the gentle snowfall, softly singing out to the twilight, "Snowflakes fall on the kingdom tonight, but my prison goes unseen."
"A fortress of isolation-" Looking over her shoulder, she stole a glance at her silent bell tower, her head drooping as she turned back to the sky, "- and it looks like I'm the Queen…"
The winds themselves howled, pained by her sorrow.
"The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside. Couldn't keep it in; Heaven knows I've tried…" Pulling off her gloves, Elsa held them in one hand as she leaned against the edge of balcony, her master's constant demands not far from her mind.
"Don't let them in, don't let them see, be the good girl you always have to be… Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know…" she cried out, allowing her hands to slide along the stone railing. Standing upright, she held out her open hands, letting the wind steal her gloves and carry them into the twilight, "Well now they know…"
"Let it go, let it go, can't hold it back any more…" Delicate snowflakes formed in her outstretched hands, dancing away on the winds that blew through the streets of Arendelle, eventually fluttering to the ground. "Let it go, let it go, turn away and slam the door…"
"I don't care what they're going to say…" Finally shaking off the emotional chains that held her back for nearly 21 years, she let her magic burst from her fingertips, sprinkling snowflakes over the kingdom rooftops. "Let the storm rage on, the cold never bothered me anyway…"
Tightly gripping the stone railing, she leaned as far as she could over the edge of the balcony, so that she was looking straight down at the kingdom below, "It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small, and the fears that once controlled me, can't get to me at all…"
Bolting upright so fast she almost made herself dizzy, she raced inside, sitting down at the wooden table.
"It's time to see what I can do - to test the limits and break through." As she swept her hands across the table, the thick dirty tablecloth transformed into a shimmering blue fabric as thin and elegant as gossamer. Tapping on end of the table, she created a thin piece ice and slowly raised her hands, allowing it to shape itself to match the grand cathedral, "No right, no wrong, no rules for me; I'm free!"
"Let it go, let it go, I am one with the wind and sky…" In each hand, a block of solid ice formed, each molding itself into an intricate figurine. She set one – the one made to look like her – on the table, but held on to the other, smiling at the brave, handsome face of her friend and saviour, "Let it go, let it go, you'll never see me cry…"
"Here I stand and here I'll stay…" Placing Kristoff's figure beside her own, she stood up, looking around the room. It was still so plain. A smile soon tugged at her lips, an idea forming in her spinning mind, "Let the storm rage on…"
Running to the centre of the room, Elsa moved her hands round in a circle, creating a ball of ice blue light in front of her. Continuing the action for a few moments, she let the ball get bigger and bigger, before finally throwing it high above her head. The moment it hit the ceiling, the ball of light exploded, dispersing icy magic in all directions.
"My power flurries through the air into the ground…"
Frost rippled across every beam, finding its way to every one of the cathedral's prized bells.
"My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around…"
Soundlessly spreading over the smooth, polished metal, the frost crafted elegant patterns on each of the bells, similar to the traditional designs the young bell ringer had seen the people of Arendelle use time and time again.
The sight was beautiful in Elsa's eyes. Kristoff was right; her powers were a gift, a gift she was fully entitled to use. No longer would she allow her corrupt master to hold her back, regardless of his social status.
"And one thought crystallises like an icy blast… I'm never going back; the past is in the past!" Reaching back behind her head, she ripped her hair from the perfect hairstyle she put so much effort into that morning. Every pin that once held back her platinum locks fell to the floor – some slipping through the gaps in the wooden floorboards – her thick braid falling over her left shoulder as she brushed her hands over her hair, small snowflakes dotting throughout the soft strands.
"Let it go! Let it go! And I'll rise like the break of dawn…" Flicking magic up her skirt, she almost strutted towards the balcony. Morning sunlight flooded into bell tower, travelling up her dress in synchrony with her ice powers. When the magic faded, her jade green gown had been replaced with a beautiful light blue dress made entirely from icy fabric, and her shoes were now slippers made of blue transparent ice. All that remained of her previous outfit was her gold and ruby snowflake pendant, which hung proudly from her neck.
"Let it go, let it go! That perfect girl is gone!" Elsa twirled on the spot as she stepped onto the balcony. The rising sun had painted the lingering snow clouds with magnificent shades of pink, orange and purple, just for her. "Here I stand in the light of day! Let the storm rage on! The cold never bothered me anyway…"
High above the kingdom, the sky rumbled in excitement, the morning light growing dim as the storm clouds began to knit together. Elsa smiled, almost sensing the brewing snowfall. At last feeling free in her own soul, she turned her back on the glorious kingdom, walking back into her bell tower, seeing no longer a prison, but instead a beautiful ice palace.
"Whoa... Elsa…"
A familiar voice broke her thoughts, and she turned to see a certain snowman behind her.
"You look... different," Olaf breathed in awe, quickly adding, "It's a good different, and this place- it's amazing!"
Elsa gave a soft chuckle, looking down at her exposed hands, "All those years of keeping it in... I never knew I was capable of all... this!"
"So..." the snowman started, moving to stand in front of her as she knelt down on the floor. "Does this mean you're done with the gloves?"
"Absolutely, and I promise you Olaf, I am never going back..." she replied, hugging him close.
Unnoticed by the girl and her snowman, a figure cloaked in shadow listened from the stairwell. A small smile tugged at his lips. All her life, he'd prayed that God would one day free her from the emotional clutches of her corrupted master.
Taking one last look at the relieved smile on her face, the figure turned, and the priest made his way back down to the cathedral.
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*o* Wow… Hans sounds so evil in this chapter! Did I actually write that? But yeah, I'm happy with this chapter. So much drama… ;) And oh my Disney- that Let It Go scene! I spent so much time on that scene and I could not be happier with it!
Anyway, keep the reviews and guesses coming. :)
