Elsa ate her modest lunch alone and the silence was almost unbearable. The spacious dining hall had been intended to host lavish state dinners, and at the moment it seemed larger and emptier than ever. Every clink of her silverware against the china echoed off the walls, accentuating the emptiness. But Elsa feared that taking her meals in her room might start her down a slippery slope back to a life of isolation, so here she was, dining alone in an even bigger room.
Elsa kept thinking of something to say to Anna, but just as she was about to speak she would look up and see nothing but empty chairs staring back at her. She had grown accustomed to having Anna back in her life, and to having Kristoff and Olaf around. They didn't eat every meal together; Anna enjoyed finally having the freedom to leave the castle, Kristoff had a job to do, and Olaf liked to explore. But whenever they missed a meal, Elsa always knew that they would probably be back in time for the next one. This would be the first day that she hadn't shared at least one meal with her sister since...
Elsa didn't want to think about that. She knew she needed to focus on something else. She hoped that once she delved back into her paperwork she would be distracted enough to not keep dwelling on just how lonely she really was. Elsa sighed. At the moment, she couldn't forget that by the end of the day she would have to face another silent meal all by herself.
Elsa quietly finished her lunch and returned to her study. She hadn't gotten through nearly as much of the pile of correspondence as she thought she had. She sat down at her desk and picked up the next item. Slowly she settled back into her routine. The dull reports and mundane letters weren't captivating enough to keep Elsa from thinking about how quiet it was. She soon became bored, but she knew she it was important to keep working.
As the afternoon wore on, Elsa grew more and more disinterested in the correspondence. She was sitting in a very unqueenlike position, slouching with her elbows on her desk and her head propped up by one hand as she blankly stared down at a sheet of stationery, when there was a knock at the door.
"Yes? Who is it?" Elsa said as she straightened up and corrected her posture.
The door opened slightly and Kai poked his head in.
"I'm sorry to bother you, Your Majesty," Kai said, "but there is someone to see you. He says you're expecting him."
Elsa already knew exactly who it was that had come to see her. Though she hadn't been looking forward to their meeting, she now found that she was actually grateful for the distraction.
"Yes, Kai," Elsa said, standing up and pushing the pile of correspondence to one side. "Show him in, please."
"Of course," Kai said as he opened the door the rest of the way and entered the room with Lars behind him. "Queen Elsa of Arendelle, may I present Sir Lars Magnusson of Weaseltown."
As he bowed, Lars tried to hide his annoyance at Kai's deliberate mispronunciation of Weselton, but as he straightened up, he knew he could not simply let the insult pass.
"Thank you for seeing me, Your Majesty," Lars began, "but with all due respect, I would appreciate it if your staff would refrain from insulting my homeland in my presence. I am sure that if our positions were reversed, you would feel the same way."
Elsa had to admit to herself that not only had Lars made a brazen move, he was also absolutely right. He did deserve an apology and he knew that by making that point he was starting their meeting at an advantage. As annoying as that was, Elsa was more upset with Kai for giving Lars an opportunity to take the upper hand in the first place.
"Sir Lars is correct, Kai," Elsa said. "That was inappropriate."
"My apologies, Your Majesty," Kai replied.
Elsa silently stared at Kai. She quickly glanced at Lars and then back at Kai, hoping Kai would realize what she was waiting for. After a moment of awkward silence that seemed like it would never end, Kai eventually figured it out and turned to Lars.
"I am sorry, Sir Lars," Kai said.
"Thank you, Kai," Elsa said. "You may go."
Kai nodded and quickly slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him.
"Please, have a seat, Sir Lars," Elsa said, motioning to a pair of chairs separated by a low table as she stepped out from behind her desk.
"Thank you," said Lars. He went over to one of the chairs and waited until Elsa reached the other so they would sit at the same time.
Elsa sized up her visitor. He was barely taller than she was in her heels, and she decided that he was handsome in his own way. His dark blue suit was far more modest than the formal attire he had been wearing when they first met at the coronation ball, but he seemed more comfortable in it. They watched each other carefully as they sat down, and then continued to do so for a moment as they tried to determine if the other would make the next move. Elsa's patience ran out first.
"May I offer you something to drink?" Elsa asked, and with a twist of her wrist a glass made of ice formed on a silver tray that was sitting on the table in front of Lars and filled with water that condensed out of the air.
Even though Lars had already seen Elsa ice skating in the courtyard, he was still suitably impressed by her demonstration, and he appreciated the subtle threat it represented. There was no doubt in his mind that, if Elsa were so inclined, she could drive an icicle through his heart from across the room. Without taking his eyes off her, he leaned forward and picked up the ice glass. It was cold, of course, but not so cold that his fingertips froze to it. He examined the flawless glass for a moment before lifting it to his lips and taking a sip.
"That was refreshing," Lars said, setting the glass back down on the tray. "Thank you."
Elsa had practiced that trick for months in order to consistently form the glass at the perfect temperature so that someone could comfortably pick it up and drink from it without it quickly melting, and then to fill it with liquid water without freezing it, to the point that she was sure that Anna had eventually grown weary of drinking from ice glasses. Elsa had even experimented with different shapes of glasses to find one that would initially melt into itself and would last the longest before leaving a puddle behind. The one she settled on was slightly wider at the bottom than at the top, with sides that were thinner at the top. She had never tried the trick on an unsuspecting stranger before, though, and she was relieved it had worked.
"Now then, Sir Lars," Elsa asked, "what did you want to talk to me about?"
"First of all, I am fully aware of what the Duke did the last time he was in Arendelle, and please allow me to apologize on his behalf," Lars began. "I won't insult you by trying to defend him because his behavior was inexcusable, but just let me assure you he is very sorry for what he's done."
"Well, thank you, Sir Lars," Elsa said, surprised to receive an apology. "I appreciate that, though it hardly makes up for what he did."
"Yes, I know, and I never implied that it did," Lars said. "That brings me to why I'm here."
"And that is?" Elsa asked, starting to get a bit impatient.
"Well, your decision to cut off trade between Arendelle and Weselton has had a dire impact on Weselton's economy," Lars said. "Many of our people depend on trade for their livelihoods, and they are struggling."
"Weselton's economy is none of my concern," Elsa replied dryly.
"But, I'm sure the situation has had an impact in Arendelle as well," Lars said.
Elsa didn't want to admit it out loud, but she knew Lars was right. Weselton had been Arendelle's closest trading partner. Arendelle had managed to maintain most of its trade, but it now had to conduct that trade through more distant ports, and the costs of shipping goods greater distances were passed along to the people. Elsa had tried to offset those increases by reducing taxes and tariffs and making up the deficit with funds from the royal treasury, but eventually the treasury would be depleted. She wasn't about to let Lars suspect any of that, however, so she pretended to ignore the issue.
"What is your point, Sir Lars?" Elsa asked.
"I would like to ask you to consider reestablishing trade with Weselton, under any conditions you would find acceptable."
"That's it?" Elsa asked in surprise. "That's all you're here for?"
"What else?" Lars asked. "Did you think I was trying to hatch some sinister plot?" He looked into her eyes. "You did, didn't you?"
"Well, what else was I supposed to think?" Elsa asked. "If you're not up to something, then why all the secrecy and sneaking around?"
"You've sent every one of the Duke's representatives back home without even meeting them," Lars said. "I knew my only chance was to ask you for a meeting in person, but if you had known there was someone from Weselton in Arendelle, you would have had your guards on the lookout for me, wouldn't you? If I hadn't been so secretive, I never would have gotten anywhere near you, and if I'd told you what I wanted earlier, you could have simply refused me then and there. I needed a chance to make my case."
"What case are you going to make?" Elsa asked. "Why would I even consider trade with Weselton after your Duke tried to have me killed?"
"Because the people of Weselton don't deserve to suffer for the Duke's mistakes," Lars replied.
That statement hit Elsa hard. Ever since that night when she nearly killed Anna, Elsa had spent most of her life trying to keep from accidentally hurting anyone, sacrificing her own happiness to keep herself isolated so no one could be harmed if she slipped up again. Even though she now had control of her powers, she still tried to make sure that any negative consequences from her actions would fall on her alone and not on her people. She didn't want any other lands to turn against Arendelle out of fear of her powers, so she had worked hard to improve Arendelle's foreign relations. She had never really thought beyond Arendelle, though. It had never occurred to her that in trying to punish the Duke of Weselton, she was actually punishing the people of Weselton for something they had no control over. She was dooming Weselton to the very fate she was trying to avoid for Arendelle. Elsa had no idea if the Duke of Weselton understood that, but it seemed like Lars might. Still, Elsa knew it was important that she project the image of a strong leader, and didn't know how she could possibly reverse her position on Weselton without seeming weak.
Before Elsa could think of a response to Lars, the door to the study suddenly flew open. Kai rushed in with a harried look on his face.
"I'm sorry for the interruption, Your Majesty," Kai said before Elsa had a chance to react, "but the tower lookouts have spotted something you need to see right away."
"What is it, Kai?" Elsa asked, concerned.
"Come with me and I'll show you," Kai said.
Elsa got up and quickly followed Kai out of the room. Unsure of what to do, Lars followed them out into the hallway. Snowflakes formed in the air behind Elsa and hung suspended overhead. Lars looked up at them in awe as he walked.
Lars followed Kai and Elsa up a spiraling staircase to a tower topped with stained glass and out onto the circular balcony that ringed the tower. Two lookouts and one of Arendelle's military advisors were there waiting. In the distance, a fleet of seven ships could be seen sailing in formation toward the fjord.
One of the lookouts handed Elsa a spyglass. It took her a moment, but she eventually focused on the largest ship which was at the center of the formation. It was flying a blue flag with a gold fleur-de-lis. Elsa recognized the flag immediately.
"The Southern Isles," she said with dismay as she lowered the spyglass and turned to her advisor. "What do you think they want? Could they be peaceful? Maybe they're bringing a wedding gift."
"If they were coming in peace, they'd have sent one ship, not an armada," he replied.
"May I?" Lars asked, holding out his hand for the spyglass. Elsa noticed for the first time that he had followed her and was slightly surprised but silently handed him spyglass. Lars looked through the spyglass at the seven ships from the Southern Isles. At the center of the formation was a barque that was one of the largest ships Lars had ever seen. It had cannons mounted on the top deck, but no gunports on the decks below. It looked to Lars to be a more like a cargo ship than a warship, but there were enough crewmen on the deck to handle the cannons. The six ships surrounding the barque were frigates with far more men on their main decks and open gunports below.
"Perhaps we should ask the Weselton spy," Kai said. "They're friendly with the Southern Isles."
"I'm not a spy," Lars said defensively, lowering the spyglass, "and just because Weselton is on good terms with the Southern Isles doesn't mean I know anything about this.
"Then give us your opinion," the advisor said.
"Well," Lars began, "I've never met any Southern Isles royalty, but from what I know of them, I find it hard to believe King Christian or Crown Prince Fredrick would approve an invasion of Arendelle. But, you're right that they wouldn't have brought a fleet if they were peaceful. I'm not sure what to make of the flagship, but I doubt it's carrying a belated wedding present."
"You're sure you don't know anything about this?" Elsa asked him.
"I swear I don't," Lars replied, looking directly into Elsa's eyes. "I haven't lied to you yet, and I promise I won't. You have my word."
Elsa considered for a moment whether or not she could trust Lars, but she believed he was being truthful.
"Can we ready our own fleet to stop them?" Elsa asked her advisor. "Or to send for help?"
"Against six frigates, with enough warning we might have had a chance, but the wind is with them," he replied. "They'll be in the fjord and have the harbor blockaded before we can get any ships underway."
"You must have shore defenses," Lars said.
"I've already ordered the cannons on the seawall to stand by to fire when the ships are in range, but those cannons are old and have limited range," he said. "Arendelle hasn't been at war in a very long time. We aren't prepared for this."
"What do you recommend?" Elsa asked.
"We have to close the gates and prepare to defend the castle," the advisor said. "With any luck, we can hold them off."
"Is that really the best plan you've got?" Lars asked incredulously.
"If they intend to invade Arendelle, I'm not sure there's anything we can do to stop them."
"I can stop them," Elsa said.
Lars noticed that the others seemed shocked when Elsa said that. He didn't know what she meant, but they all seemed to understand.
"Are you sure?" Kai asked.
"It's the only way," Elsa said reluctantly, "but I promised I would never do this again."
"This is different," Kai said reassuringly. "You're in control now, and you're protecting Arendelle."
Elsa took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The clear blue sky suddenly began to fill with gray clouds, and the temperature began to fall rapidly. Snowflakes began to fall from the sky, quickly becoming larger and more numerous as they began to coat every flat surface. Lars shivered in the sudden cold. He looked around at the others. They seemed no more concerned than they had about the approaching fleet, and he realized that they had all seen this before.
Elsa opened her eyes and looked out at the ships in the distance. She glanced down at the harbor and Lars followed her gaze. A layer of ice began to spread across the water from the shore. It covered the harbor and extended out into the fjord and beyond toward the ships on the open sea. Just before reaching the ships, the ice ended its advance in a barricade of sharp spikes jutting out to prevent the ships from safely approaching the edge of the ice sheet.
"Why did you stop there?" Lars asked. "You could have trapped them in the ice."
"I don't want to trap them," Elsa replied. "I want them to leave."
They watched for a few minutes to see what the ships would do. The fleet stopped its advance so as not to collide with the spikes of ice, and then held its position. Eventually, five of the ships began to turn, and for a moment Elsa thought she had warded off the attackers. However, instead of turning around, the five ships set a course parallel to the shore, leaving two of the frigates behind to watch the entrance to the harbor.
"They've set a course for Lillehaven," the advisor said.
"Where is Lillehaven," Lars asked.
"It's a village on the next fjord, on the Arendelle frontier," Elsa replied. "My ice doesn't extend that far."
"Why not?" Lars asked.
"Because I can't see Lillehaven from here," Elsa said, "and I don't want to hurt anyone."
"If they land at Lillehaven, they can launch a ground attack from there," the advisor said.
Elsa sighed. She stretched out her arms with her palms up. As she slowly started to raise her arms into the air, a wall of ice began to rise out of the middle of the frozen fjord. Elsa turned her palms outward and the wall began to extend itself onto the shore in both directions, spreading until it completely encircled the city as far as could be seen from the tower.
"A wall will only slow them down," the advisor said.
"Gather the other senior officers," Elsa said to him. "We need to come up with a plan."
"Yes, Your Majesty," he said and then disappeared into the castle.
Elsa considered what to do about Lars. He seemed to have some useful knowledge, and she was beginning to think she could trust him. Even if she couldn't, she reasoned it was better to keep him close.
"Sir Lars," Elsa said, "I would appreciate any assistance you can provide, if you're willing."
"Of course, Your Majesty," Lars replied. "It would be an honor."
"Thank you," Elsa said. She turned to Kai. "Kai, I want you to take everyone we can spare and spread the word about what's happening. I don't want the people to think I've lost control of my powers again."
"Certainly, Your Majesty," Kai said, "but first, may I ask: what of Princess Anna and Kristoff?"
In dealing with the crisis, Elsa had forgotten that Anna wasn't safely inside the castle. By now, she and Kristoff were certainly far beyond the perimeter of her wall of ice, on their way to the secluded home of the trolls that Kristoff called family.
"The trolls' valley is almost impossible to find unless you either have a map or you know the way as well as Kristoff does," Elsa reasoned out loud, though she was clearly worried. "Anna and Kristoff will be safe as long as they stay there, and hopefully this will all be over before they come back."
Kai nodded and went inside and was followed by the two lookouts, who weren't dressed for the sudden cold and now had little to watch for due to Elsa's icy defenses. Elsa stepped up to the railing and rested her hands in the accumulating snow as she stared off in the direction of the trolls' valley. Lars noticed that she was oblivious to the cold. He stepped up next to her. For a moment he forgot she was a queen, and he instinctively reached out and put his hand over hers. She looked down as his hand in surprise but didn't resist. He had somehow expected her skin to feel cold to the touch, but she was actually warm. His fingers curled around her palm and she looked up at him.
"I'm sure your sister will be all right," Lars said, looking into her eyes.
Elsa turned back and resumed her gaze into the distance, but Lars felt her tighten her grip on his fingers.
"I hope so," she whispered.