Chapter 7

Breaking Through

"It's the Queen!"

"The Queen?"

"Queen Elsa! She's returned!"

Elsa looked around at each of the trolls as she slid off of Magnus. The sight of the stones coming to life still unnerved her slightly and didn't bring back the best of memories. But she needed their help.

She had to protect Arendelle.

An older looking troll (though Elsa wasn't really sure if trolls aged or not) wearing a grass cape wobbled up to her and Anna. "Greeting Your Majesty. We were wondering when you'd come back to visit."

Elsa smiled slightly and kneeled. "I've come to seek your… guidance. Arendelle is in danger and it is my responsibility to protect my kingdom and my people."

"You wish to unleash the full extent of your powers," the Troll rasped. Elsa nodded. "But I am unsure how."

"Elsa, you have great power within you. But with this power also comes great responsibility. It can be beautiful, but also dangerous. You must be sure to never use it fueled with bad intentions… fear is your enemy."

"I understand," Elsa replied. "But I will not stand aside and watch as my kingdom is taken from me."

"I do not expect you to," the Troll answered with a small chuckle. "We have foreseen your victory Elsa. But you must not count on your powers alone."

"Who else can I count on when I am unsure who to trust?" Elsa asked desperately.

The Troll smiled and looked to Anna. "Those who are closest to you."

Elsa turned and smiled at her sister, then turned back and said "I know that I can trust Anna. But what of my men, my soldiers? Arendelle needs an Army."

The Troll nodded. "There is another force, one that matches your own. This one shall be the savior of Arendelle."

"Who? Who is it?" Elsa asked.

The Troll turned and began to fill the night sky with sparkling images. The silhouette of a young boy riding a dragon formed and the Troll began to speak. "Legend tells of a warrior born of ice and snow, one that shall ride the winds and bring peace and prosperity to his kingdom."

"A boy?" Anna asked. "A boy is going to save Arendelle from a war?"

Elsa wasn't really accepting of the idea either.

"Don't be deceived by appearances Your Highness," the Troll answered. "This is no ordinary boy. He harbors the powers of ice and snow, as our Queen does. And once he realizes his full potential, he shall be a great asset to Arendelle."

"And how do you know this boy will help us?" Elsa asked, still slightly skeptical.

The Troll smiled. "He seems to be slightly infatuated with you Your Majesty. He shall prove to be your greatest ally and a most loyal friend."

Elsa was slightly taken aback by that. "Who is it? Have I met him?"

"Oh my goodness!" Anna exclaimed happily. "It's Liam isn't it?"

Elsa turned back towards the Troll, who simply smiled and nodded once. She was shocked. Her greatest ally had been literally sitting under her nose this entire time. Elsa then remembered the connection she had instantly felt with Liam. 'I knew there was something about him…'

"Your Majesty."

Elsa snapped out of her musings and turned back towards the Troll. "Liam's time to unleash his potential shall come. Yours has already arrived. To reach it, you must let go of all fears and inhibitions and remember always that love will thaw."


"What do you think he meant by love will thaw?" Anna asked as she followed her sister through the dense woods.

"I think it means that the one way to control my powers… is through love," Elsa replied pensively. "It would explain why they react to you in the way that they do Anna."

Anna nodded. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"I need to go somewhere to… practice for a bit," Elsa explained as they came up to a small log tavern. The sign read 'Wandering Oaken's Trading Post'.

"Why are we stopping here?" Anna asked as she watched Elsa hop off of Magnus and tie the reigns to a post.

"We need to pick up something a little warmer for you than what you've got on," Elsa explained with a small smile. "If I'm going to be experimenting, it's going to get a bit… chilly."

Anna smiled and nodded in understanding. She hopped of Callie and tied her up next to Magnus, patting her neck gently before following Elsa into the tavern.

"Woo hoo!"

Anna turned to see a rather large, mustached man sitting at the counter. "Big summer blowout! Half off swimming suits, clogs, and a sun balm of my own invention, ya?"

"Sounds marvelous," Elsa replied with a kind smile. "But for now, I'll need boots, winter boots and dresses."

"That would be in a our winter department," answered the large man with a polite nod. Anna followed Elsa to the area where the man had gestured and found and array of boots and dresses for winter. Elsa motioned for Anna to pick one and she stepped forward, picking up a pair of boots and a blue dress with a magenta cape, mittens and hood included.

After changing into her new attire, Anna met Elsa by the counter. "Where are we headed Elsa?" Anna asked as she adjusted her mitten.

"The North Mountain," Elsa said as she placed a few gold coins on the counter.

"Only one crazy enough to go up there is you dear," Oaken said with a small chuckle. Before Anna could ask why, the door swung open and revealed a large form, covered in snow.

"You and this fellow," Oaken said. "Woo hoo! Big summer blowout!"

"Princess Anna?" said the figure in a muffled voice. Anna turned to Elsa and shrugged.

"It's me," said the figure, removing the cloth over his mouth. "Kristoff. From the orphanage?"

Anna smiled. "Of course! Good to see you again," she said brightly, watching as the large man made his way over to the counter then reached bowed his head in front of them both.

"What brings you this far into the woods?" asked the mountain man, reaching down in front of the counter to grab some carrots.

Anna looked over to Elsa for any indication of how to answer that question and the blonde nodded once before replying "We're headed to the North Mountain."

Kristoff walked over with a pickax and some rope, a puzzled expression etched across his features. "Really? Well then I suggest you bundle up Your Majesty. There's a bit of a blizzard raging out that way."

"The cold never really bothered her anyway," answered Anna with a small smile in her sister's direction. Kristoff nodded once and then set the pickax and rope on the counter next to the carrots.

"That'll be ten," Oaken replied in his cheery tone of voice. Kristoff reached into his pocket and tossed some coins on the counter before sticking the ax, rope and carrots in his sack.

"Well, I bid you well on your journey," before turning to walk out of the tavern.

"Elsa, we should ask him to come with us," Anna suggested softly. "He knows his way out here a lot better than we do and, we can trust him."

Elsa was contemplative for a moment before sighing. "Very well. We'll ask him to come with us. But Anna, until I am absolutely positive that I can trust him you are not to discuss anything pertaining to our… situation. Understood?"

Anna nodded once. "Understood." She then smiled and pulled Elsa into her arms, humming when she felt the tension leave her sister's body. "It's going to be ok Elsa. We're going to get through this."

Elsa pulled away and nodded. "Together."


"Where are the Queen and Princess this morning?"

"I heard that they snuck out, mounted their horses and rode off into the woods."

"Where could they be going?"

"Not sure. But if there's one thing I know, it's that the Council will not be pleased. It is almost breakfast time and yet no sign of them."


"Where are those blasted females?!"

"How should I know? Weren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on them?" Hans replied.

Vik growled, allowing his magic to flow through his body and swirl around his tightly clenched fists. "Don't get snarky with me boy. You're lucky that empty-headed Princess still finds you attractive or I would've finished you off decades ago."

"You need me! And besides, I am going to be King of Arendelle!" Hans shot back.

"I need no one!" replied Vik, his magic flaring. He took a deep breath and calmed himself, turning to gaze at the horizon. "Have you spoken to Weselton?"

"This morning. His best warships are being filled with soldiers as we speak," Hans replied. Vik nodded once. "And Captain Aksel?"

"Has his loyal troops ready as well," Hans replied. "What a surprise it will be for the Queen to see that her Royal Guard isn't as loyal as she thought."

Vik tensed at the mention of Elsa. She was a good woman… just so young. So naïve. "Hans, our agreement was that you would take Arendelle as your own. And I am an honorable man. I never go back on my word." He paused and turned, meeting the redheaded princes' eyes dead on. "But when the time comes for you to ascend to the throne… no harm should come to the Queen."

"What? But what if-"

Vik summoned a bolt of his powers that crashed into Hans and threw him across the room. "Am I understood?" he asked softly, watching the Prince scrambled to his feet.

"Understood."

Vik turned to gaze at the horizon once again. Soon, soon everything would fall into place.


"I think you should start with something simple."

Elsa gnawed on her bottom lip as she looked around the snow covered space surrounding her. She turned to Anna, who gave her an encouraging nod and then took a deep breath. She felt the familiar tingling of her magic flowing through her as she shot it into the sky, sparkling snowflakes falling around her.

"There ya go!" Anna called out with a giggle.

As she began to let go, Elsa felt an immense release in her chest, almost as if she had been holding her breath for a long time and finally was able to inhale. She continued to 'play' with her magic until a thought came to mind. Concentrating on the snow, she flicked her wrist and watched with a smile as a familiar shape began to form.

"It's Olaf!" Anna called out happily, running over to join Elsa. "I figured it was about time we built that snowman," Elsa replied with a small smirk.

"Your magic is so beautiful Elsa," Anna murmured.

"Yeah, it is beautiful isn't it?"

Elsa jumped slightly at the unexpected voice and looked over to Olaf. "Olaf?"

"Hi! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!" answered the snowman with a wide smile.

"And you're alive?" Elsa asked softly.

"Um, yeah. I think so," Olaf replied.

"Woah!"

Elsa turned when she heard Kristoff's shocked voice and cringed. This was probably not the best way for the mountain man to find out about her powers.

"And you are?" Olaf asked.

"That's Kristoff and Sven Olaf," Anna replied, walking over to Kristoff's sled and grabbing a carrot from one of the sacks. Elsa watched as her sister approached Olaf and stuck the carrot in the center of his face. She wince when it went straight through Olaf's head.

"Woah! Head rush!" Olaf exclaimed

"I'm so sorry!" Anna squealed. "Are you ok?"

"Are you kidding me," Olaf answered. "I… am wonderful! I've always wanted a nose!" Elsa giggled. "Look at it. It's so cute. Like a little baby unicorn."

Anna giggled as well and pushed the carrot forward a bit.

"Oh! I love it even more!" Olaf said happily.

"Would someone care to explain how the snowman is talking?" Kristoff asked, still visibly shaken.

Elsa sighed and walked over to the ice harvestor. "Kristoff, I'm not entirely sure if I can explain it myself. This has never happened before."

"Maybe it's because you built him entirely with your magic," Anna suggested.

Elsa nodded. "Possibly."

"What else can you do?" Kristoff asked, sounding less terrified and more curious.

"I'm not sure," Elsa replied honestly. "That's why we're here. I'm sort of… experimenting, so to speak. I've held bac my magic for so long…"

"Now's the time to let it go," Anna said softly. Elsa smiled at her sister and nodded.

Channeling the positive thoughts of freedom, acceptance, love and happiness she associated with finally releasing her hold on her powers and with Anna, Elsa began to let loose. Letting the brisk wind wrap around her body, she let her power flurry through the air and through the ground, feeling as if her soul was spiraling in frozen fractals all around her as her thoughts crystalized and materialized with icy blasts of magic. She was free. No more crying. No more hiding. No more concealing. This was who she was. And she was never going back to the way it was before, living in fear.

The past was in the past.

Once she had finished, she was a bit out of breath. Looking around her, she could feel the tears begin to form in her eyes at the sight of what she had created.

And what a sight it was.

"Woah," Anna breathed, coming to Elsa's side and intertwining their fingers/

"Now that's ice," Kristoff murmured, his voice breaking slightly. "I think I might cry."

"Go ahead," Anna replied. "I won't judge."

The three friends approached the palace made out of ice and Elsa smiled as she heard Kristoff murmur "Flawless" as they walked up the stairs. Once they entered, they all gasped.

"Elsa, this place… it's amazing," Anna breathed.

"I- I never knew what I was capable of…" Elsa replied softly.

'Your time to reach your full potential has already arrived.'

Elsa felt a new sense of empowerment as she gazed at her creation.

This was it.

This was how she would save Arendelle.


Don't kill me! I know it's super short, but I really needed to get Elsa discovering her full potential out there before the more critical stuff begins! It's about to go down people!

FOR ARENDELLE!

Thanks for reading!

E.N.