The Queen's Speech
The shades of evening were spreading across the sky as Elsa stepped out onto the balcony, charged with the unpleasant task of having to tell the citizens of Arendelle that they might soon be at war; something that the fair kingdom had not had to face for many years. For a pronouncement of such gravity she had opted for a more formal gown in a shade of navy, her hair now done up in a bun. William, the wizard that he was, had seemingly conjured up a speech for her out of thin air and, after the conclusion of the snowball fight with the children, she had spent nearly an hour rehearsing it. But as she beheld the sea of people in the courtyard below, the butterflies in her stomach fluttered madly, unused as she was to having to address the people of her kingdom with the solemnity that the present situation demanded. Elsa swallowed hard, and stole a peek at the notes she had clasped in her hand but somehow she found herself unable to speak. Looking down at the expectant faces below, she came to a sudden decision. Heart pounding, she turned on her heel and walked out of the balcony and out of sight of the people thronging to hear her.
A low hum of muttered exchanges began to move through the assembled crowd. Elsa's vanishing act had taken the people by surprise and doubts began to be raised as to their Queen's ability to lead them at such as time. As the hubbub rose in volume, the castle doors flew open and Elsa strode out. Walking down the steps, Elsa could feel all their eyes upon her and whispered conversations were switched off hurriedly. People bowed and cleared a path as she marched out into their midst. William and Kai, who had been equally taken aback by Elsa's sudden switch, now took up position at the castle doors while Captain Elias leaned against a castle gate, and they all watched the young Queen make her way through the crowd to the centre of the courtyard.
Elsa came to a stop in between the two fountains that adorned the courtyard. The people formed a respectful clearing around her, and then there were gasps, as without a word, she began to fashion a platform out of ice, with steps carved into its side. When she was done, Elsa walked up onto her icy stage and faced the congregation.
"As you all know, the Kingdom of the Southern Isles seeks to wage a war against us," she began, her voice ringing clear in the still evening air, "We have been told that they are mustering a force, both human and magical, to assist them in this attack. Their impending assault, we learn, is not a result of Prince Hans' imprisonment last year, but rather due to the hunger for power that burgeons within the hearts of King Henrik and his brothers."
Little murmurs broke out among the people, which fizzled out quickly. Elsa looked at the people gathered around her, all seeking reassurance that their monarch knew what to do. She gazed out through the open gates and wondered about Anna and Kristoff. She peered at the paper grasped in her hand which held lines of ringing confidence and encouragement; words that seemed incongruent to her true state of mind.
"I…" she faltered and paused. The words that she had practiced would not come any more, held back by the uncertainty and doubt that she was not supposed to feel or profess. She could say what her notes contained, but they would not be true, nor would they capture the helplessness that she felt. In the face of possible war, she knew that she needed all the help that she could get and with it came the realization of what she needed to do. Firmly crumpling the sheet in her fist, she let it drop to the ground. Taking a deep breath, she plunged on extempore, much to William's mounting horror.
"What you may not know is that King Henrik has also captured Princess Anna and her fiancé," she told the people. Louder remarks erupted at this revelation. "A team has been sent out to rescue them as we speak," she bellowed over the noise, which subsided immediately, allowing Elsa a few moments to gather her thoughts.
"But I am afraid," she proceeded, "I am afraid for my sister, out there in the clutches of a maniac. I am afraid for all of you, who face the prospect of a war that you are not responsible for. And I am afraid for me, that I may not be the Queen you need at a time like this."
"Oh dear, what are you doing, Your Majesty?" William mumbled softly, shaking his head. He had impressed on her the need to appear positive and reassuring and this admission of anxiety, he felt, would affect the people's impression of her. Already he could see people glancing around them, worry writ large on their faces.
"King Henrik seeks to use whatever weapons he can muster against us," Elsa continued, "But his greatest weapon is fear; the fear that would seek to weaken our hope and defeat us even before the war begins."
A hush had descended on the people who appeared stunned by Elsa's frank expression of distress, which found a reflection in the discomfort in their own hearts. People fidgeted, unsure of what Elsa's speech was leading to. Now and then a child would bawl, to be silenced quickly by its mother.
"I'd been a prisoner of fear for thirteen years," Elsa confessed, "I was shackled by it, and even though I tried to control it, it only grew stronger until it overwhelmed me entirely."
She stopped as the memories of the previous year's events came flooding back. "And then, in the depths of my despair," she pushed on, "I learnt of a power that even fear cannot stand against. It's the power of a snowman that would rather melt that abandon a dying girl. It's the power that can make a man ride through a blizzard to save a life, without concern for his own. It's the power of one who would die to protect her sister. And it's the power of a people who would forgive the girl who had plunged their country into an eternal winter and give her a second chance."
"There is a power that is greater than fear," her voice was stronger now, "It is the power of love that bears courage which cannot be shaken. Your love gave me the strength to overcome my fears; and that is your greatest power. I know it, I have felt it. You have it within you even now."
"And so I stand with you," a new confidence appeared to bubble out of her and spread to the people around, "And I say to the kingdom of the Southern Isles, that they may bring what they please, but they will not stand. For the people of Arendelle have a power within them that cannot be beaten. We find courage in each other. We find the strength to go on when the odds appear to be against us. We, you and I, have defeated fear and there exists no other power on earth that can bring us down from the heights that we stand on."
"I ask you today," she said, turning to face each and every one of them, "Will you stand with me? Will you share the power that I know that each one of you have within you? For when we stand together, united in love and in courage, then we will not yield. We will not buckle. We will win."
Cheers erupted through the crowd interspersed with applause, as the people threw their weight behind her; now secure in the knowledge that they now had one that they could rally behind; one that they could call Queen. Elsa had been rendered short of breath with the intensity of her elocution but her heart was buoyed by their response. She looked around the throng and every face held an encouraging smile.
"Are you ready?" she asked, and the people left her with no doubt that they were. Her hands and arms began to glow with an unearthly white light. Throwing her hands up, the light shot towards the heavens and then burst into a shower of snowflakes. The cloud grew larger and larger, as snow began to fall over all of Arendelle.
"Queen Elsa," a voice broke through the cheering. A young man, by all appearances a farmer, forced his way through the crowd till he was right by the platform.
"Yes?"
"My Lady, I will stand with you," he said, "And I volunteer to fight for you. I'd like to join the armed forces in defense of our kingdom against this threat."
"So will I," came another voice. "Me too," someone else piped up. Similar offers of services rippled through the assemblage. Somewhat disconcerted by this unexpected show of support, Elsa glanced over at Elias, who left his post at the wall and began to make his way through the crowd towards her.
"Thank you," she told the people who were now eagerly planning their counter-attack, "Perhaps you should meet Captain Elias who can advise you on the assistance we need."
"Well, we need all the help we can get," Elias told the new recruits, his gimlet eye piercing each one to assess their ability, "How many of you are volunteering?"
A mass of hands were raised in response. Elias tried to count them but abandoned the quest upon realizing that he had counted the same person three times in the first two minutes. "Very well, report to the barracks once we finish up here," he informed them, "But first, do you pledge to give your all in service of the monarch and of Arendelle?"
"We do," they chorused in reply.
"Do you promise to fulfill your responsibilities as a member of the armed forces to the best of your ability till such time as your duty ends?" Elias pressed.
"We do," was the responding cacophony.
Elias looked around the faces that were staring determinedly at him. In all his time as head of the armed forces, the army had not been required to do much since the kingdom had always been on good terms with their neighbours. When informed of the gathering war clouds, he had confided privately to his wife that though he loved Elsa as a daughter, he wasn't sure she was ready for the responsibility of leading a country on the verge of conflict. Now he knew he could proudly tell his wife that he was wrong, a confession which he did not lightly make.
"Very well," he said, "I now commend you to the service of protecting Arendelle, and its people. You do not back down. You do not surrender. You will give your all, and then some. For Queen… and country."
The resulting roar of agreement made the welkin ring. Elias helped Elsa off the platform and, flanked by the crowd, she walked out through the side gate and headed down to the steps to the fjord. At the edge of the water, Elsa concentrated her powers and crystals of ice began to form on the ground around her feet and spread out to the fjord. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and as her foot touched the frost on the surface of the water, it solidified in a flash. Elsa took another step and a few more, her powers flowing out across the fjord. The people watched in awe as a sheet of ice spread rapidly across the water till only moments later, the fjord was completely frozen.
The crowds on the bridge suddenly parted as a company of men marched through in perfect synchronization, heading out towards the borders of the kingdom. As Elsa watched them go to patrol Arendelle's frontiers, an idea popped into her mind. Her hands swirling with wintery power, she fired a blast at the ice-bound fjord. From the impact began to grow a massive snow-beast, which rapidly expanded till it towered nearly fifteen feet high. There were exclamations of astonishment and much pointing as people caught their first glimpse of Marshmallow. Elsa continued to conjure up more of them till ten hulking and aggressive monsters stood before her.
A brief nod from their creator, and they turned with one accord and stomped off after the soldiers to provide them with a measure of protection as they guarded the boundaries of the kingdom.
"Good idea," Elias observed as he came up behind Elsa, "You were pretty amazing today, Your Majesty."
Elsa smiled gratefully, happy to know that she had been able to gain the trust and admiration of the commander. She had seen a flicker of doubt in him during their earlier discussions; a flicker that, she was glad to note, appeared to have been quenched. As the people began to disperse to return to their homes and prepare for the cold weather, Elsa found her eyes drawn to the darkening horizon as she sent up a silent prayer for her sister.
A/N: Alright, so I'm a sucker for big speeches (Henry V, Aragorn et al), and so I tried to write out what I hope is an inspiring speech for Elsa. I wasn't satisfied with Elsa being loved just for being able to make a nice skating rink, but rather I wanted her to be recognized as a leader. Not sure if I've succeeded but it was a fun chapter to write. We do get back to the action soon.
For the guest reviewers of my last chapter, I unfortunately couldn't PM you, but thank you so much for your kind words. There was a time where I was updating twice or thrice a week but work's snowed me under (pun intended) so those heady days are gone but I'm definitely going to get a chapter up every week. Also, thanks 'AL' for your feedback on the Elsa back story; glad you liked it. How did you like Elsa's evolution in this chapter?
A big thank you to everyone who's been reading and to those who have faved/followed/reviewed. Your encouragement keeps me going.
