Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Disney or characters of Frozen.
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A sense of urgency filled the air, much like the cold in the ballroom created by Elsa's ice snow. In the stable, the King readied two horses as the Queen monitored their youngest daughter. Both parents were worried about Anna. Elsa was also upset. Elsa hadn't meant to hurt her sister. Why wasn't Anna waking up?
"I'm sorry, Papa, I didn't mean to hurt Anna," said a worried Elsa. "Anna couldn't sleep so we thought we'd play. We were just playing. Anna started jumping from to snow mound snow mound. She was going too fast. Things were going too fast. I didn't mean to hurt her. I'm sorry. I'd never hurt Anna on purpose. I'm sorry."
"Enough, Elsa!" The King spun around and knelt down and shook his eldest daughter by her shoulders. He didn't shake her too hard, just enough to get her attention. "I don't want to hear you blaming Anna for getting hurt by you."
Elsa's blue eyes were wide with emotion. She was scared for Anna. What if she didn't wake up? Would her parents be mad at her for always? She was so confused and hurt. Her father had never been this angry with her before.
"I, I wasn't, I wasn't blaming …I was just trying to explain what happened," said Elsa.
The King sighed, he knew Elsa wasn't mean or unkind. He hadn't meant to hurt Elsa's feelings but he was worried about Anna; they all were. "I'm sorry, Elsa, I know it was an accident but we don't have time to discuss it. We have to get Anna to help."
"I'm sorry," Elsa said. Her voice so soft, she didn't think anyone heard.
"Where are we going?" asked the Queen, holding a blanket wrapped Anna.
"It's the only place where I know that has someone who can help; the Valley of the Trolls."
Queen Idun gasped. With worried eyes, she looked at her husband. No one went to that valley willingly.
"Don't worry," said Agdar, "We will find help there."
The King held his frigid daughter as his wife mounted her horse. He was very worried about how cold and motionless their youngest daughter was. He hoped that the trolls would be able to help. He hoped they weren't too late.
With heavy eyelids, Elsa glanced over at her sister sleeping in their mother's arms. Anna wore a grin while she slept and looked so peaceful. She didn't know of the trouble involving her. Elsa had never been more relieved than when that ancient troll made Anna better. It did sadden her that Anna wouldn't remember the past fun they'd had in the snow she'd created. But some forgotten memories were better than losing a best friend sister.
"Papa?"
"Yes?" Elsa bit her lip hearing the sharpness in her father's voice. Was he tired or still mad at her?
The King sighed, mostly annoyed with himself for his tone. He tried again, this time in a softer, kinder tone, "What is it Elsa?"
"I'm sorry."
"I know you are. This just shows that you have to be careful. No more accidents like what happened tonight can happen again."
"I know, Papa, and I'll make sure to be very careful."
The two fell silent again. The King was certain his daughter had fallen asleep. Elsa was tired enough to fall asleep but she couldn't stop thinking about what that troll had said. Never mind that they saw trolls. They were really real. That would have been enough to keep the young princess awake.
Her thoughts kept going to the ancient troll's glimpse at the future. Would that really happen? Would people become afraid of her? Would they really think she was a monster? Why would they think that? Maybe people would find out what she accidentally did to Anna? Maybe they would think she did it on purpose? Or maybe she hurt someone else when she got older? Why did she have to become a monster?
The King heard Elsa sniffle. He looked down at his daughter. Were those tears seeping out from under her eyelashes? Was she crying? "Elsa? What's wrong?"
"Papa, I'm scared. I don't want to be a monster."
Wanting to protect her, the King held his daughter tight. "I know you're scared. But you are not a monster. And I will do everything I can to prevent that premonition from coming true."
Else sniffled again. "Thank you, Papa." She yawned, "I love you, Papa."
"I love you, too. Now, get some sleep. It's too far past your bedtime."
Knowing that her father would take care of things, Elsa had little to worry about. She snuggled up to her father. It didn't take long for her to drift off to sleep.
Servants moved Elsa's furniture from the sisters' shared room to a room of her own. A sad Anna watched Elsa close the door to her new room.
Neither girl understood why things had to change. Elsa knew why but she didn't understand. The royal sisters had been inseparable since Anna was born. Elsa knew what happened to Anna was wrong but it was an accident. She'd never hurt her sister on purpose.
Elsa looked down at her hands and frowned. The two sisters were now separated because SHE had these strange powers. No one knew why or how Elsa had the power of ice and snow. No one knew if she'd grow out of it, her parents hoped that was the case. Or was it as that ancient troll had said; that her powers would grow, get stronger?
With tears in her eyes, Elsa slammed her small fists onto her lap. "I hate these powers. I wish I'd never been born with them." Never before had the young princess felt like that. She'd never been so ashamed of her ability. She'd always thought of her powers as a gift, not a curse. She'd always thought it was special and magical, but now, now she had doubts. What if having these strange skills made her something horrible? What if it was like what that ancient troll said, she'd become a monster?
The next day, the young princess was still upset by the previous night's events.
"Elsa?" said five-year-old Anna through the door. "Do you wanna come out and play?"
"Go away, Anna."
Anna was hurt and confused. Elsa had never pushed her away like that before. "Okay, bye."
A few days later, outside her sister's door Anna took a deep breath, "Elsa, Elsa, Elsa, Elsa, Elsa?" She took another gulp of air to begin again. "El…"
Queen Idun came up to her youngest daughter. "Anna."
"Yes, Mamma?"
"Enough, Anna. Come, let's leave your sister alone. Didn't you want to help make cookies?"
"Yeah, but what's wrong with Elsa? She won't come out of her room. Is she sick? Is she in trouble? Is that why she had to get a room by herself?"
"No, Elsa's not sick nor is she in trouble. She just needs some quiet time to herself."
"Why?"
"She just needs some time."
As Anna made her misshapen cookies, she was deep in thought. "Mamma?"
Queen Idun expected her little girl to show off her creative cookies. "Yes, honey?" The queen's heart broke with what her youngest daughter asked next.
"Mamma, why doesn't Elsa like me anymore?"
"Oh, Anna, your sister still likes you. Why do you think she doesn't?"
"She doesn't play with me anymore. We used to play ALL the time and now we don't. I never see her anymore. What's wrong? Did I do something to make Elsa mad at me?"
Oh, sweetie," the young mother gathered her daughter onto her lap and hugged her. "Elsa's not mad at you. She's just growing up and needs some time
Anna's brow furrowed, "I don't wanna grow up if that's what it's like to grow up."
Queen Idun tried to smile at her daughter's innocent expression, but wasn't successful. She couldn't remember how many times she had that same thought when she was a girl.
Anna was bored. Ever since Elsa decided to stay in her room, there was nothing to do. Even if there was something to do, there was no one to play with. The little girl couldn't even go outside and play. Even though it was the middle of winter it didn't snow. It was just cold and rainy.
Anna did discover a game she could play by herself, sliding in stocking feet on the bare floors. She'd tried different speeds. She tried to see how far she could go. The best place for sliding was in the ballroom. The floor was incredibly smooth and there was plenty of space. However, the ballroom was often closed off. Anna didn't understand why that would be, but it didn't really matter to her. She only wished she had someone to play with her.
That's why she picked the second best place for sliding, the hallway outside hers and Elsa's bedrooms. Anna hoped that Elsa would hear her having fun and come out of her room to join her.
As Anna was sliding by a bank of windows, she noticed something was different outside. She ran to the windows and got excited.
Snow!
It had snowed overnight. Why hadn't someone said something about it? The young princess figured the adults thought the show was bothersome. But that wasn't the case for Anna. She thought the snow was almost magical. It was definitely extremely pretty.
Excited, Anna got an idea. Mamma and Papa had told her not to bother Elsa. But certainly they didn't mean for something like this to be ignored. The first snowfall of the new year was very special. Anna could think of no one else she'd rather celebrate it with than with her sister. Of course, Elsa wouldn't turn her away. Anna's older sister liked snow as much as she did.
Without hesitation, Anna ran to Elsa's room. Anna playfully knocked on her sister's door, inviting her to come out and play.
Disappointment and sadness filled the youngest princess as Elsa told her sister to go away.
Elsa frowned as she heard Anna's sad goodbye. She didn't like hurting her sister but she had no choice. She had to turn her away. Elsa couldn't risk physically hurting Anna again. The young princess hadn't been truly alone for five years, not since Anna was born. It felt so strange being alone, but right now, she had no other choice.
Elsa wondered why Anna asked about building a snowman. The only time they talked about snowmen was when Elsa used her powers. She'd make enough snow in the palace for the two sisters to play. Could it be that Anna remembered what happened?
If her sister remembered, then that might mean that Anna remembered about Elsa's powers.
Elsa smiled. This was exciting. If Anna knew about her powers, then they could be close again. They could go outside and build a showman,
Imagining the two sisters playing again, Elsa looked out the windows. It had snowed over night. Maybe that was what Anna was talking about. Elsa frowned. Maybe Anna wasn't remembering that her sister had powers.
Placing her hands on the window sill, Elsa leaned against the windows. An idea formed and she smiled. Maybe there was still a way for them to play. If there was already snow on the ground and Elsa promised not to use her powers, couldn't they play? Couldn't they go outside and build that snowman that each sister desperately wanted to build?
Excited about her idea, Elsa didn't notice the cold at first. Feeling the icy cold under her palms, Elsa looked down and gasped.
Frost formed on the window and sill. It was spreading to the wall next to the window. It was almost as if the window was open, but it wasn't. The frost wasn't creeping in from the outside. It came from Elsa.
The frost shocked Elsa. She wasn't trying to use her powers. Now that she was aware of what was happening, she forced herself to stop he frost. It stopped growing but stayed in place.
How could she fix this? Elsa took a moment to think. Papa. He'd know what to do. He knew to go to the Trolls before. He was very smart. 'He's a king after all and you have to be smart to be a king,' thought Elsa.
Elsa peaked out her door. Not seeing anyone, she hurried to her father's library. She knocked on the door and entered before the King could speak. "Papa, I need …"
"Elsa, you're old enough to know you can't come running into a room without being invited in."
"I'm sorry but Papa, I need your help."
The King softened at the hint of panic he heard in his daughter's voice. "What is it? What's wrong?" He wasn't sure what an eight-year-old girl's problem could be, but he doubted it'd be very serious. The King realized he was wrong about he seriousness of Elsa's problem, as he listened as she told him what happened.
"Papa, I wasn't even trying to use my powers when the frost formed. Before, I had to think about making snow. What's wrong with me?"
The King's heart ached for his daughter. He knew how much she wanted to be normal, like everyone else. He wished he could take away her strange ability, but he couldn't. Instead, he'd do what he could. He'd help her conceal her powers.
"I have something to show you." The King pulled from a drawer child-sized gloves. "Here, put these on."
Elsa eyed the gloves with a mixture of hope and confusion. "Gloves? How will wearing gloves help me?"
"You produce the snow through your hands, correct?"
"Yes?" said the young princess, uncertainly. It didn't occur to her that she'd made ice with her feet that night Anna was hurt .
"I have a theory. It seems to me, that your ability is driven by your emotions. Am I right?"
Elsa thought about it for a moment. Her father could be right. "You mean, my powers happen because of my feelings? If I stop having feelings, then I'll stop having these powers?"
"Elsa, my dear, you can't stop having emotions, feelings, but you can control them some. You have to make sure you don't get too excited or too upset. The gloves will be a physical reminder to be careful of your emotions. Also, he gloves will help you conceal your powers."
"What does conceal mean?"
"Conceal means hide. You'll hide your powers, conceal your powers."
Elsa's brows furrowed as she thought about what her father said.
"If you conceal your powers, don't feel your powers and never let your powers show, you shouldn't have a problem with them. Do you understand?"
"I, uh, I, I think so. Conceal it? Don't feel it? Don't let it show?"
"Yes, yes, that's right. Repeating those words daily and wearing the gloves should help. Let me know when you start out growing these. I'll get you more. Maybe someday, you'll grow out of your powers and won't need the gloves anymore."
The eight year old studied the gloves in her father's hand. Elsa had mixed feelings about losing her powers. Her parents didn't know how desperate Elsa was to please them. She knew they were worried about her. She wanted her parents to be proud of her.
However, SHE was BORN with this ability. There must be a reason why she had these powers. A part of Elsa wondered if this would really work. Wasn't it a little like wishing she'd wake one morning with brown eyes instead of her blue ones? She didn't know if it would work but she was willing to try. Elsa nodded her head, granting her father permission to put the gloves on her.
"The gloves will help, see? Conceal it."
Elsa said, "Don't feel it."
Together, they said, "Don't let it show."
Elsa sat on her bed, looking at her gloved hands. A few months ago, she would've run off to show her mother her new gloves. Today, the blonde princess couldn't. She was too ashamed.
She wasn't ashamed of the gloves. No, they were lovely. They were the softest kid leather imaginable.
Elsa was ashamed that she needed the gloves. She was ashamed of her powers. She hated that she made her parents worry. She was ashamed of herself for feeling self-pity. Wasn't that what her father had warned her about?
With a sigh, Elsa said her new mantra, "Conceal it. Don't feel it. Don't let it show."
That night, the King and Queen checked in on their daughters. Anna was sleeping peacefully. It took awhile but she seemed to be used to being by herself.
In Elsa's room, they were glad that she too had adjusted to the changes. When Elsa stirred in her sleep, the Queen gasped when she saw the gloves.
Queen Idun eyed he small gloved hands, then her husband she mouthed the words – the gloves?
King Agdar motioned for his wife to follow him out of their daughter's room. He waited until they were in their chambers. "I told you about the gloves, remember."
"Yes, I know about the gloves and I know why she has the gloves, even though she didn't tell me. I just didn't think she'd wear them to bed. Did you tell her she had to wear them all the time?"
"No, of course not, but she must feel that she needs them." Agdar told Idun what he told her daughter. "I want what's best for both of our girls. I love them. I wouldn't do anything that would intentionally hurt them."
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