Chocolate
Elsa rubbed her temples in frustration, a headache setting in, promising another sleepless night. She was surrounded by the councilmen and women of Arendelle who sat in their high backed chairs with thick glasses and sallow skin. These people were ancient, educated villagers from the four corners of Elsa's small kingdom, here to advise and inform her of the goings on around her.
Seeing as she'd just plunged the land into an eternal winter and thawed it back out in a matter of days, there were some problems. Some of them horrifically small and unimportant, like missing sheep or still frozen lakes, but others required her full attention. Unfortunately, Elsa didn't have the energy to start the battle against her own mistake just yet. She just wanted to lock herself in her spacious room and bury herself in the memorable silky duvet. Such luxuries weren't provided in her ice castle, despite its beauty and mass.
"'-And in conclusion my fields have been ravaged by the Snow Queen's storm and all crops destroyed by the sudden frost. Expect the next shipment of vegetables and fruit in 3 weeks' time; Signed, the good farmers of Gord.'" The head of the council, Cyrus, read out from a letter sent in from the western fields of Arendelle. Elsa sat a little straighter, trying to shake the sleepiness from her limbs. Just a little longer.
"Do we have enough to hold us 3 weeks? Including the emergency stash? If not I want to send a message to the Southern Isles and ask for help," the council looked around doubtfully, "I'll need a full inventory of the livestock in the town and a new census taken," Elsa ordered. One man at the end of the long table full of people wrote everything she said down. She hated to think anyone could have died from the sudden freeze, but the possibility weighed heavily on her mind. She had frozen over a town full of poverty ridden people. Not everyone had a home or shelter to keep them warm, "And we should get an expert out to look at the irrigation pipes leading into the farms surrounding Arendelle," a couple pens scratched at paper, almost driving Elsa insane, "Is that all?"
Cyrus looked down at his 'list-of-problems-I-caused' as Elsa liked to call it. He began nodding sagely, his big eyes connecting with hers. "I believe so your majesty," she didn't even deserve the title, "We'll have the things you request in 2 days' time."
"Well I'll be in my room if you need me then," Elsa stood to leave, trying not to show too much relief, but before she could sweep from the room Stylus called her back.
"Would you like a guard to be posted at your bedroom door your majesty? The Prince of Southern Isles is still locked away in the building and if it makes you feel unsafe, we can get round the clock soldiers at your door in minutes." The way Cyrus said it made the question seem a challenge; like he was questioning her bravery. She turned to him, glaring daggers at the man who, surprisingly, didn't back down.
"Let him come," she hissed before turning and slamming the heavy wooden door with a blast of cold wind. Dramatic, but effective.
Elsa would have gone back to her room, but she realized halfway up the staircase to her floor that she was very hungry. There hadn't been food in the ice castle and she'd barely eaten at the party. With the feeling her stomach wasn't going to quiet down she sighed heavily and turned to make her way to the kitchens.
It wasn't very late in the day. Hopefully some cooks were still roaming the castle instead of out with their families celebrating the thaw. The hot sun was still visible over the ocean, making beautiful colors dance across the Queen's fair skin as she descended the castle stairs. Of all things Elsa envied, the sun was her greatest enemy. The great fiery ball brought so much joy and life to her people, while she only brought destruction and pain. One day of snow and she had almost ruined everything her father and grandfathers before her had spent their lives working towards. The sun never had to worry about hurting people with its rays. Elsa couldn't even interact with her own sister in fear she would freeze her to death with a single touch or misplaced feeling of anger.
The thought of Anna brought another round of painful memories that put a strain on her headache. She had put the poor girl through hell in the last 24 hours and more so in the last 13 years. Anna never deserved anything Elsa had thrown at her, yet she took it like a hero and still loved her through it all. Mother and Father had been right when they said Anna would forgive her for the seclusion, but it would never make it easier. Even when she'd hugged her brave sister earlier after thawing the land, there was still a twinge of guilt, a feeling that was brought about through years of isolation. Human contact still felt odd. Their parents trusted her to keep Anna safe and Elsa was spitting on their memory by ice skating with her and forming a new bond. What if the past repeated itself? She still couldn't control the magic enough for it to be remotely safe and Anna's blind faith that everything would be fixed didn't help.
Elsa shut down the downpour of emotions realizing her anxiety was getting to her again. A trail of frost was seeping from her feet into the concrete floor, reminding her of a slug's slime trail. She just needed hot food and a long nap.
When she pushed the small door into the basement opened she groaned at the darkness. No one was here. If Elsa really wanted to she could call for her handmaid, but the thought of people almost physically sickened her. Even after all that time alone she still relished the silence of the snowy mountains. Their stone cold faces devoid of judging eyes. The freedom of being finally normal despite the fact she would never be again. Reaching for the torch on the wall, Elsa lit the room with its dull fire and started searching the cabinets for something quick and easy.
In a small oven room off the main kitchen, a lamp had already been lit. Curious and ready to accept the fact that she couldn't cook anything stored, Elsa tip toed over and peeked inside to see who had stayed behind.
It was Anna.
He sister was covered in a white powder, her normally chestnut hair caked with it. From the lamp light, Elsa could just make out her pursed lips and scrunched eyebrows. Feeling frozen herself for the first time, Elsa swiftly backed away from the oven room… and straight into a mop.
The mop fell with a crash and Elsa with it. She landed in the bucket where it had rested, ultimately trapped. Anna emerged from the room a second later only to trip on the mop and go crashing to the floor in a shower of flour and flailing arms.
"Wha- huh? Elsa?" Anna stood up, shaking the hair from her eyes and peering at her sister. Elsa was still trying to save her dignity by struggling to come loose from the bucket. "I thought you were with the Council. What are you doing down here?"
"Right now I'm trying to get out of this bucket," she growled, trying to stand. She felt heat flood her face in embarrassment.
"Oh! Sorry," Anna grabbed her hand, shocking Elsa a little, and pulled hard. With a pop and a crash Elsa was free. She rubbed her sore bottom and scowled at the ground, refusing to look Anna in the eyes. "I've fallen into way too many buckets over the years. You know me," her sister giggled nervously, dragging her feet.
"Yeah well I was just leaving." She said a bit harsher than she meant. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Anna flinch at the tone and swiftly decided against her learned reaction of pushing the younger girl away. She asked with a sigh, "What were you doing trying to cook? I didn't think you could."
Anna blushed furiously and ducked her head. "I got bored and hungry and I was craving some chocolate and I happened to know there was some chocolate chunks down here I could use. I looked up the recipe for cookie dough and it didn't look too hard. But the bag of flour was super heavy and I dropped it on the floor trying to pour it and as you can see it got everywhere and I'm so sorry I made such a big mess and-"
"I think I understand." Elsa interrupted. If allowed Anna would never stop talking, that much hadn't changed. There was an awkward silence as Anna tried wiping the white dust off of her clothes to no avail.
"I was going to bring you some cookies when I got them done." Anna said breaking the quiet. Elsa opened her mouth to say thank you, but the words caught in her throat.
Here was her sister. The only close relative she had left. She was a goofball and was constantly getting into trouble with her silly antics, but this was Anna. It was easy to imagine life without her when she wasn't there, but Elsa could feel the tightness in her chest when she thought about all those years she had ignored this sweet, innocent girl. Her parents may have had the best interests at heart, but that wasn't something you could just get back. It took time and hard work.
"How about I help you make them and we'll eat them together. You know how much I love chocolate." Elsa offered. She shakily reached out to take her sisters hand. The warmth of the oven still clung to them. "After you get cleaned up." Anna's cheeks lifted in a big smile and started rapidly talking again as if the last couple years or even days had never happened. Elsa could still feel the guilt deep in her chest, but the smile on Anna's face started to melt the sadness she had carried for far too long.
A/N- I'm sorry for the poor quality. I had written this quite some time ago and just finished the ending today. I'm going to start routine weekly chapters as I try and get back into writing slowly. Merry Christmas to all of you and make sure you hug your family.