Loved - Faces

"Good morning, Elsa. Did you sleep well?" Asked King Maurice as his heir and daughter came into his office.

"Yes, Papa."

"Good." he said as he gave her a hug. Elsa was feeling slightly cool to the touch but not really cold like she was sometimes. She was controlling her powers well today. There were times when it was difficult to hold her because she became so cold.

"Your mother is going to visit her sister in Corona and will be taking Anna with her. How does that sound?"

He watched as she thought about that.

"Okay. I wish we could go with them." She turned those huge eyes up at him.

"I know, I expect that we will someday. So I think it is time to get ready for that. You are doing much better so I think it is time to try something. You'll be with me as a princess to help me manage the kingdom."

"...manage the kingdom?" Elsa asked in a small voice.

Maurice smiled gently, to try and reassure his little girl, it was suddenly colder now in the room. "You are the heir and someday you will be queen, but not soon. I'm not going to have you do everything all at once. We are going to start simply. You are just going to shadow me as I do the business of the kingdom, so you can see how it is done."

"But I have an appointment with Mrs. Glover."

"Yes, I know and you can do that too. Just leave when you need to, the meeting should be over before then."

"Okay."

"Elsa. You've done so well controlling your powers the last few weeks, and we also need to you to begin preparing to become queen someday. We are going to start doing that now. All you have to do is stand nearby and watch." The father reassured his young daughter, who relaxed and the room warmed.

# # #

Later Elsa was trying to stand quietly next to her father's throne. It as getting near time for her hand appointment with Mrs. Glover, but the English delegate just wouldn't stop talking. Elsa needed to go to the bathroom too.

Elsa knew she wasn't supposed to sigh or fidget but just staying awake was hard with this pompous old man droning on and on and on.

Kai had introduced everyone and she had curtsied as she was supposed to and then she had just had to stand there. But after opening statements the Englishman just kept talking.

The delegate would occasionally glance at her but tended to ignore her. Father was politely listening but she could tell he was bored as well.

She wished he would just get to the point, but she wasn't exactly sure if he had one. He had told many stories of the English colonies but why? It's not like they could colonize Arendelle, they were already here.

Finally, when it felt like her bladder was going to burst and she would be late for Mrs. Glover, she curtsied and walked away as regally as her mother did. Once the doors closed behind her she dashed off down the corridor to relieve herself.

Then she ran to the sitting room where she found Goody Glover waiting patiently.

"Sorry, I'm late." The princess apologized, panting.

Mrs. Glover smiled as she rose, "You're a princess, Your Highness. You are never late, I was merely early. How are you doing today, dear?"

"Mama and Anna are going to Corona and I'm shadowing Papa so I can learn how to manage the kingdom. But the delegate wouldn't stop talking, so I almost wet myself. The meeting was supposed to be over an hour ago." Elsa said in a rush still trying to get her breathing under control and contain her excitement and annoyance. She had to keep her feelings under control, that's all, but her gloves felt crunchy inside, she was leaking a little.

Elsa needed to buy some time, "So what is happening out in the kingdom? How are the Wolff's?"

"The Wolff's are doing very well, they are cautiously optimistic. They have been loving that changeling that replaced their little boy and he's finally started talking in ways they can understand. They are hoping that they can find their real son once they can really communicate. It has taken an enormous amount of love and patience and care to get to this point, but there is hope now, finally."

"Oh good." Elsa was happy for them, she wished she could do more, but she didn't know how.

Sometimes she wondered if she was like the changeling child. They didn't know where her powers had come from, but it was a gift to help people with, as long as she could control it.

"The market is all abuzz though. The wives of the English delegation were there this morning and their clothes are so interesting." And so Goody Glover talked for several minutes about the fashion ideas she had gotten from the Englishwomen. By the time she was done, Elsa was feeling much more relaxed.

"Now then, how are your new gloves fitting?" Goody held out her hands and Elsa showed her gloved hands.

"Quite good, you are the best." Mrs. Glover smiled at the compliment.

"Shall we take a peak at your hands, princess?"

"Of course." Elsa carefully took off her gloves and slowly turned her hands. She didn't want to hurt Mrs. Glover by letting her touch her hands but looking was fine.

"They look good. Now, Your Highness, since you are taking on more duties, I think it is time you had something special."

Elsa cocked her head, wondering what the royal glover was talking about as she reached into her bag. Elsa gasped a little as her glover lifted out a beautiful blue pot with crocus rosemaling.

"A pretty princess should have something that smells pretty too."

Elsa quickly pulled on her gloves and held out her hands for the balm pot, she opened it and inhaled. A wonderfully delicate crocus scent filled her nostrils.

Elsa closed her eyes and took several calming breathes as she felt her emotions spike and frost begin to line her gloves. The sweet smell helped to calm her.

"Thank you Mrs. Glover, this is a wonderful gift."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

# # #

Elsa was standing in front of her stand mirror trying to look like a princess or more closely her mama, the queen. She was trying to get her face to settle into a small, pleasant, inoffensive smile like Mama always had.

She had been good about controlling her powers lately so Papa had suggested she join him in some of his official functions as befitted a princess.

But now Elsa had to keep checking her face. There was so much to worry about, keeping her powers under control was most important. That was always the most important thing. She had to keep everyone safe from her powers, especially Anna.

Elsa wished she could control her powers or have them go away, so she could play with her sister again and not worry. She just wanted to be ordinary. Her insides twisted up some more.

Elsa saw her frowny face in the mirror and made sure to fix it.

Her princess duties right now were pretty easy, just stand near Papa and pay attention, and not look so dower. It was okay to be serious but a princess should not scowl at foreign emissaries. That had come up at dinner that Papa and she shared together in his study while Mama and Anna took theirs in the dining room.

So it was just another item on her never ending list of things the Crown Princess of Arendelle had to be. Put on a show so people wouldn't be afraid.

Elsa sighed, at least that was something she could do in her room. She wanted to be the best princess she could, maybe it would make up for her powers, a little.

But it didn't help that she worried that someone might attack her if her powers leaked out. What the troll had showed her was so scary. She wanted to help people, her powers were so pretty and beautiful, she wanted to share but not if they would hurt her parents, or Anna, or herself.

She was frowning again.

Elsa decided to stop practicing for a while and read. She needed to escape for a little while, and the books helped that a lot. She picked up the book from her bedside table. She flopped down on her belly and started reading a fun tale about far off places, an ogre and a prince.

As she read the sun moved across the room and she noticed weird shadows and lights moving on her book.

She looked up.

There was a large snowflake floating and spinning above her free hand sparkling in the sunlight.

She flung it into the fireplace where it melted on the warm bricks.

She flopped back on to her bed, trying to slow her heartbeat. She needed to focus, not get lost in anything.

She needed to control it.

Always.

She could never put it down.

Ever.