Chapter Twenty-Five
An Open Door
"Anna," Elsa called from the other side of the door. "Please, open the door. People have already started arriving."
"I..." Anna yelled back nervously. "I'm just not ready yet."
Elsa sighed, she tried jiggling the door knob but as she presumed, it was locked. She rubbed her temples before giving in and walking back to her room. She knew Anna would be nervous, but this nervous? It just wasn't like her.
When she got to her room she released her long hair from her usual braid and brushed it thoroughly, trying to decide how she should wear it. She typically worn it down in her usual tight braid on an average basis, but she came to the conclusion that because today was such a special occasion, she would wear it up. It was Anna's big day after all. Like clockwork, she quickly curled pieces into place and rhythmically worked her fingers over each strand of hair, hiding bobby pins and clips like a professional. After it was all tucked nearly against her head, she quickly ran her fingers through her bangs and frosted them into place, keeping any frizz at bay. She looked over her work of art in the mirror and pursed her lips. It just wasn't right. She pulled a piece of her bangs out of place, causing it to hang over her forehead. Perfect, she thought to herself, smiling.
Lost amongst the satin and chiffon and taffeta of her wardrobe, she was trying to decide on what to wear. She had been trying to decide for days, but there were so many other things that needed to be done that trying to pick an outfit had been low on the to-do list. She ran her fingers along the forest of dresses until she finally stopped on one. It was green, which wasn't her favorite color, but she liked the style of it. It was slightly off the shoulder and the gown had an ombré-like quality to it, the top was light green, and fading into dark green towards the bottom. The bodice was beautifully embellished with threads and sequence. She figured she could tweak it to her standards. She quickly slipped into the satin gown and gave a twirl, admiring herself in the mirror. After traveling in pants for so long, she felt quite happy to be in a beautiful dress again. With a flick of her wrists, the dress began to transform from its spring green color, to icy blue. When the metamorphosis was complete, she smiled. The fabric hanging off her shoulders was as bright as the sky, and the bottom half do her skirt was as deep as an ocean.
She left her closet and stood before the mirror, brushing off any wrinkles in her dress and loose strands of hair. She looked down, her eyes resting on a small box on the table of her vanity. She inhaled and opened it, lifting a small silver tiara resting on a small pillow inside. It had been their mothers, who wore it on special occasions such as this. Slowly, she placed it on her own head, nestling it in her perfect hair.
Before she even had a moment to admire herself in the mirror, there was a subtle knocking at her door. "Your majesty," Kai's voice called from the other side. She grinned at the sound of his voice. He had been such wonderful help when she left. He kept trade going and replied to any letters or forms that needed signing, and assured all of the worried towns people that everything would be alright. She owed him so much and at her return she didn't even know how to begin to thank him.
She sauntered her way over to her door and opened it, stepping out into the hall. "Yes, Kai?"
He gave his usual bow at the sight of her, "You have a visitor." He gestured his arm to the side for her eyes to follow.
"Ida!" she trotted over to her, exclaimed at the sight of her friend. "I mean," she cleared her throat and curtseyed. "Queen Ida of the Southern Isles."
Ida rolled her eyes, and gave her own overly dramatic bow. "It is a pleasure to be in your presence, Queen Elsa of Arendelle," she said, her voice haughty and sarcastic.
Both queens stood straight trying to keep a straight face, but Elsa finally cracked a smile and Ida snorted as she began to laugh.
Once they finally stopped cackling, Ida held her side, now sore from all the laughing.
"You okay?" Elsa asked, a smile still on her face.
"Pfft," Ida waved her hand. "I'm fine. Hans really did a number on my ribs, but they're healing." Ida glanced at Elsa's dress. "You look like an icicle," she said, changing the subject.
Elsa raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips, "Well, that was the idea. I think your look quite lovely." Ida was in a long satin gown with a long burgundy skirt, and a black bodice with tons of sequence and crystals with silver detailing. The sleeves of her dress were orange and also off the shoulder, but there were red straps holding up the heaving embellished bodice. Her crimson hair was tucked and flattened against her head, giving her the appearance of shirt hair, and her new crown was resting upon it. It was larger than Elsa's tiara she was given when she was coronated, a complete circle that rested on her head. It was quite striking on her, and much more grand than anything Arendelle had, but then again, most things in the Southern Isles were. The crowns blue and diamond jewels glistening in the light coming through the hall windows, scattering light across the wallpaper.
Ida scowled, "I'm telling you right now, this whole getup is coming right off after the ceremony. I am changing into pants."
Elsa put her hand to her mouth as she laughed, some thing were never going to change with Ida.
Ida shook her head. "I saw Kristoff on my way up here," she said. "He's a jittery nervous mess. Then he ran off into his room after we said hi to one another."
Elsa sighed, "I think Anna is too. She wouldn't let me in her room earlier, which was weird."
"Well they better get it together," Ida snapped, playfully. "A lot of people have arrived already, and I didn't spend all that time on a ship over here, getting seasick every twenty minutes, just for them to chicken out."
Elsa let out a laugh, "Alright, alright. How about this? I'll try and go talk to Kristoff, and since she wouldn't open the door for me, you can try to go talk with Anna. Her room is farther down the hall to the left."
"Deal," Ida concluded, turning her shoulders and sauntering down the rest of the corridor to Anna's bedroom.
Elsa did the same, walking in the opposite direction until she stopped in front of Kristoff's room. She put her ear to the door, trying to listen for his voice or foot steps against the wooden floors, but there weren't any. She pulled away and gently knocked. "Kristoff?" she called. "It's me, Elsa."
"Oh!" she heard his voice call from inside. "Uh, it's open! You can come in."
She slowly twisted the brass door knob and let herself in. The room was fairly tidy, most of his things were in Anna's room where he usually changed and slept, but he was given orders that he could not see his bride before the wedding. So he was stuck in his old room. She finally saw his large frame standing over by the window. He looked tired, and as Ida said, incredibly nervous.
She gave him a soothing smile and stood beside him. "Nervous?" she asked.
He let out a shaky chuckle, "I guess you could say that."
"It's alright," she assured him. "Anna is nervous, too."
"Why?" Kristoff asked, looking away from the window.
Elsa raised an eyebrow, "It's her wedding day. Every bride is nervous before they walk down the aisle."
"Hmph," he huffed. "Well that's nothing."
Elsa furrowed her eyebrows, slightly frustrated. "What do you mean?" she said, her tone a bit demanding. "What are you so nervous about, then?"
Kristoff turned his gaze away from her and looked at his hands, sighing deeply. "I don't know," he murmured. "It's just...everything is going to be so different. Well, for me anyways. It's not the wedding I'm nervous about, it's what comes after the wedding."
"The reception?" Elsa teased.
He chuckled at her humor, "No, not exactly. But I suppose I am afraid of the reception. Because then I'll be...a prince. And I'll have to act like a prince, talk like a prince...and what if I mess something up and completely humiliate her in front of some other kingdom. That just wouldn't be fair."
"So," Elsa pondered. "Yo don't want to marry Anna?"
Kristoff rubbed his face with his hands. "Yes...wait I mean no. No...I mean yes! Yes, I do want to marry Anna. I love her, and I don't want to go another day without her. I travelled halfway around the world to find her. It has nothing to do with Anna herself. It's...it's all me."
Elsa frowned and nodded, understanding him now. She realized that it all would be a big change for him, but she needed to assure him that everything will be alright. "Kristoff," she said, quietly. "I know a lot of things are going to be different, but that's just a part of getting married. Even for the average couple, they still have to make sacrifices and compromise with each other all the time."
"Like how you and Prince Ilias are an ocean away yet you still write to each other?" Kristoff glanced at her smiling.
Her eyes widened as her face turned bright pink, opening her mouth to argue, then deciding against it. She cleared her throat. "Yes," she replied, shortly. "Anyways, that is besides the subject. What I'm leading up to here, is that you don't need to conform to the typical prince standard. You are who you are, and that's a caring, mountain man who is going to harvest ice for the rest of his life no matter what, because that's what you love to do. Don't let the title of 'Prince' make you change who you are."
He looked at her for a long moment, letting her words sink in. Eventually he smiled and looked back out the window. "But what if the people don't like me being prince?"
Elsa glared at him, "Seriously? The villagers already love you, and you know it. Now you're just making stuff up."
Kristoff laughed, "Alright, alright fine. But on a serious note..." he walked over to the king sized bed in the middle of the room. Laid out ready to be put on, was his custom tailored red dress shirt with a white and good sash, and white trousers. "...do I really have to wear this?"
Elsa raised an eyebrow. "What did I just mention about compromises?"
He groaned, "Fine. But I'm going to look like an idiot."
She cracked a smile. "You'll look fine," she assured him. "It's nice to dress up once in a while." She picked up the articles of clothing from the bed and shoved them in his arms. "Now go out them on! I'll wait here."
He grumbled inaudible words as he walked into the closet and closed the door. Elsa shook her head and sat down on the soft bed, brushing her hands along the swirls and squares of the comforter. She smiled, taking a few seconds to appreciate such a minuscule act. She had missed home so much when she was journeying to the Southern Isles, and she couldn't have been more elated to be back. Though she missed home, she learned so much on her trip, and met so many new people and created bonds that she knew would last a long time. She met Ilias, and Ida, and she even found new friendship in Kristoff. He was about to become her brother-in-law after all, it was only fitting that she create that relationship with him.
"Ok," she heard him call from the closet. "What do you think?" He opened the door and stepped out into the light.
Elsa couldn't help but stare a bit at his transformation. His wedding attire fit him like a glove, making him look tall and strong. "Kristoff," she said, standing to her feet. "You look incredible."
He walked over to the mirror above the dresser. "Hm," he said, inspecting himself. "I suppose it's not too bad." He tried patting his disheveled hair down, without much luck.
Elsa giggled and shook her head. "Here," she said, standing beside him. "You have to have good hair too, you know. At least for today." She picked up a jar sitting on the dresser and handed it to him.
"Ew," he said, opening it. "This will take weeks to wash out of my hair."
"Oh, it will not!" Elsa exclaimed. "It's just hair gel. Put some on your fingers and run it through your hair."
He grumbled more inaudible things and did as he was told, pushing his hair back. For a split second, it stayed in place, showing off the muscles in his face and framing his strong jawline. Then, it suddenly sprang forward, becoming the blonde mess it was before.
"Well, that's just great," he said, trying not to laugh.
Elsa laughed along with him, "Here. Let's try this." She out a hand on his shoulder, sitting him down on the chair in front of the mirror. She quickly rubbed her fingers together, the friction causing tiny ice crystals to appear.
"What in the world are you doing?" he asked as she swiftly ran her icy fingers along his scalp, pushing the hair back.
"How do you think I always get my bangs to stay in place?" she giggled, pulling away from his heads and inspecting her work. "Ice is the best hair product."
He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror once more, touching his hair. It wasn't stiff like he assumed it would be, but it was a bit cold. "Wow," he said. "It's like magic."
Elsa rolled her eyes, placing a gentle hand on his arm, "You look great, Kristoff. Anna will be really excited."
"You think?" he smiled.
"I know she will," Elsa returned his expression. "Now come on, let's get you downstairs." Together, they left the room.
Ida casually walked down the hall like she owned the place and quickly found the door that lead to Anna's room. Swiftly, she raised her hand and knocked on the door.
"Elsa!" she heard Anna's voice yell from inside the room. "I told you! I'm not ready yet!"
Ida raised an eyebrow, annoyed. Without saying anything she lowered her head to the keyhole to take a look at the lock inside the door. She grinned, standing back up straight. She took her forefinger and stuck it inside the opening of the hole, curving her finger upward into the lock mechanism itself. In an instant, she allowed a blast of fire to rocket from her finger, completely obliterating the lock. Not even bothering to lift the skirt of her dress, she kicked the door in the rest of the way.
Anna shrieked at the blast, her disheveled hair flying about.
Ida stepped in, rubbing her hands together then tucking a loose hair behind her hair, maintaining her flawless appearance. "Olaf was right," she huffed, smirking. "Those pieces of tin you guys call locks really are easy to open."
"Ida!" Anna exclaimed, excitedly, seeing who had so kindly let themselves into her room. She leaped up and ran to Ida, embracing her in a tight hug.
Ida gasped slightly at the sudden display of affection, but then accepted it, hugging her back. They had become quite close, and in the weeks after the ordeal with Hans, Anna frequently responded to the letters they received from Queen Ida and her brothers. At Ida's coronation, the two of them did nothing but cause mayhem at the ball after the ceremony itself. They pulled pranks and managed to dump an entire bowl of punch on a group of snooty representatives. They couldn't remember a time when they had had more fun than that night.
"It's good to see you, Anna," Ida laughed, as they pulled away from one another.
"What are you doing here?" Anna asked. "Well, I mean I know why you're here, we invited you, of course. I mean, what are you doing like here here. In my room."
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, jutting out her hip in a sarcastic manner, "I'm here because Elsa couldn't get you to open the door." She glanced over at the door, now scorched and with a giant hole where the doorknob used to be. "Clearly I figured out that problem real quick."
Anna punched her shoulder, "You owe me a new door."
"Hey!" Ida exclaimed. That punch actually did hurt a bit. "Don't worry about the door. Now, tell me what's going on? You nervous?"
Anna's face went from lit up to somber. "No," she said. "I mean, I am a little bit you know, after all I am about to get married. Being a little nervous is normal, I suppose."
Ida laughed, "True. But then what's got you locked up in your room?"
Anna turned around and sat on the stool in front of her vanity. It was cluttered with brushes and clips and makeup products that had obviously been recently put to some major use. "I don't know," she finally uttered. "I've been trying all morning to make myself look somewhat decent! But I'm just no good at that sort of thing. I'm not...I don't know."
Ida sighed, and pulled her friend to her feet. "Come on," she urged. "Let's go back to Elsa's room. Her and I will help you out. Grab your stuff."
Anna quickly smiled and began to collect her things. Her brush, her shoes, jewelry, and a bag that was laid across her bed, that Ida assumed was her dress. Together, they left the messy room and quickly went back down the corridor to Elsa's room.
Anna let herself in the neat and tidy space and quickly threw her dress onto her sisters bed, and scooted herself into the seat in front of her sisters giant dresser mirror. "Okay, okay," she bounced up and down excitedly. "I'm ready."
Ida couldn't help but roll her eyes and smile. "Alright, Squirmy," she teased. "Hold on just a sec. She took one step in the direction of the door when it suddenly emerged, Elsa's pale figure slipping through the opening.
"Elsa," Ida said, a bit surprised. "I was just coming to look for you."
Elsa smiled, and then looked over at Anna. "Anna!" she exclaimed, happily. "I'm glad to see you finally left the cave."
"Hey," Ida sneered, as they both stood behind Anna. "There's nothing wrong with living in a cave."
Elsa giggled, putting a hand to her mouth. She cleared her throat, composing herself.
"Anyways," Ida continued. "Sitting here before us is Project Bride. How would you like to tackle this?"
"Hmm," Elsa thought, pursing her lips. "We'll split the work. I'll do the hair, and you could do her makeup?."
Ida side glanced her, her black eyes peering through her perfectly winged black eyeliner. "I thought you'd never ask." Quickly, she pulled another stool in front of the princess, and quickly went to work, Elsa doing the same, brushing out Anna's snarls and holding bobby pins in her mouth.
"So," Ida said, brushing a blush brush across Anna's face. "Tell me all about this 'troll' wedding you had. You wrote to me about it, but you should tell me more."
Anna grinned, and excitedly explained everything about her wedding with Krostoff and the trolls in the mountain. She went into great depth about each trolls name, and the crazy moss outfits they had to wear, and the songs that were sung. It was a lot more fun than Anna had anticipated, and Ida and Elsa exchanged smirks while Anna was on her rant. Before long, they were both done, tweaking and admiring their masterpiece.
"The hair," Ida nodded. "Looks good."
"Yes," Elsa agreed, crossing her arms after pulling a single strand of hair from the side of Anna's face, allowing it to hang down. "Her cheek bones look great too, how'd you do that?"
"Ugh!" Anna scowled and pushed them out of the way of the mirror. "I want to see!" She saw herself and lost her breath for a moment. She could hardly even recognize the woman that was staring back at her. It was all quite simple really, her makeup was light, only a tiny bit of liner and pink eye shadow for her eyes, along with a bit of blush that made her cheeks seem to glow. Her hair, on the other hand, was a little more intricate. The majority of her hair was tucked tight against her head, solid as a rock. No amount of dancing would move it. Other strands of hair were hanging down more freely, giving the illusion of a loose bun at the side. Her hair was shimmering, Elsa had used a bit of her ice to make it shine and sparkle in the light. There were a few crystals selectively placed among the curls, dancing with light coming in from her large bedroom windows.
"Oh," she managed to whisper. "Elsa, Ida. It's...it's..."
"You're beautiful," Elsa said, putting a sisterly hand on her shoulder.
Small beads of tears began forming on her lashes, she quickly turned and hugged them both. "Thank you so much," she exclaimed.
This time, Ida gladly accepted her embrace. Resting her warm hands on each one of Elsa and Anna's shoulder. It was a pleasant moment for her, she didn't even feel this close with her brothers. She assumed this is what it would be like if she had sisters, and she was beginning to like it.
When they released one another, Elsa looked down onto her little sister. She could see her sisters life from toddler to the beautiful woman she was now flash right before her. She looked so much like their mother, and was so charismatic like their father had been. Elsa smiled, tears of her own consuming her eyes. She took a deep breath, and reached for the little silver tiara on her own head, gently removing it from its spot, and placing it among her sisters auburn curls.
Anna's eyes widened, both with shock and sadness. "Mom's tiara?" she said, amazed. "But, it's yours."
Elsa managed a smile, "It's yours now. I...I want you to have it. It's your day."
Anna touched the tiara atop her head and squealed with delight before embracing her sister again.
Elsa giggled, "Okay, okay. Now come on. Get your dress on. Before everyone starts to wonder why were late."
Anna carefully wiped her eyes, trying not to ruin her fresh makeup. "Okay, I'll be right back." She trotted over to the bed and collected the large bag in her arms before going into Elsa's closet. Carefully, without touching her hair or face, she slipped into her gown, which was tailored to fit her perfectly, and slipped her shoes with red detailing on her little feet. When she emerged, even Ida couldn't help but break out into a huge grin. The dress wasn't overly dramatic, in fact it was quite simple. It wasn't a-line like Ida's and Elsa's dress, but straight down to the ground, covering her feet. The front was detailed with the same red color Kristoff was wearing that reached all the way down the skirt. From the beginning she never wanted a crazy extravagant dress like other girls wanted on their wedding day, and she knew Kristoff wouldn't be impressed with a giant bedazzled ball gown either.
"Ten pieces of gold Kristoff cries," Ida said to Elsa.
"You look wonderful, Anna," Elsa smiled.
Anna beamed from ear to ear. "Really?" she squealed, clasping her hands together.
Elsa shook her head, "Of course. Now come on, it's time."
Anna squeaked and quickly checked herself in the mirror before prancing out of her room, her mood completely changed over their time spent together.
Elsa glanced over at Ida as they walked behind in her steps, "I'll take that bet."
Before Elsa knew it, she was slowly making her way down the aisle, Anna's arm hooked through her own. She glanced up atop Anna's head where the tiara gleamed in the light filtering in through the stain glass windows of the same room where Elsa was coronated. She could feel her parents walking with them, and it made Elsa smile. Anna's eyes were shining, her gaze dead locked on Kristoff, Sven at his side with his own red bow tie, who looked just as incredible as she did. And Ida was right, Kristoff was indeed crying. They passed the rows of people, both Anna and Elsa exchanged a small wave with Ida who was sitting in the second row. Elsa's eyes widened when she saw Ilias, sharply dressed in a blue uniform, sitting at her side, along with Leander, and the twins with him. They exchanged blushing smiles before she looked away, and handed her little sister off to Kristoff. Even Isen was there, placed in the row behind them. She took her seat in the front row, glancing back at Ida and Ilias, her face wide with a smile.
The ceremony was light and sweet, Anna and Kristoff never tore their eyes from one another. Both of them simply couldn't believe they were marrying the love of their life, and Elsa couldn't be more proud to be witnessing it. At the end, Anna and Kristoff exchanged their rings and shared a long, passionate kiss, the people surrounding them exploding in applause and love. Elsa followed behind the newlyweds out into the ballroom, the parade of people filtering in behind them.
For most of the evening, Elsa was making her way through the sea of people, accepting dance offers and discussing the wedding and trade, getting warm from everyone else's heat and the warmth of the hot summer night. After dancing with a spritely representative who stepped on her foot a few times, she quickly made her way to the side of the room to catch her breath, but she felt warmer than ever. She glanced to her left, and Ida was now standing beside her, heat radiating off her like a fire. She had changed out of her dress, just like she had said she would. She was not in skin tight black pants and shirt, but she had an extravagant jacket on. It was the same color as her hair, and it was short in front and long in the back. Extremely long at that. It reached all the way to the floor, training behind her a good four feet. It was bedazzled with red, white, and black crystals, giving the illusion of an extravagant gown. Her crown was still elegantly placed in her head, but her hair was now in her long side braid. Her hand was stretched, palm up, out in front of her.
"I do believe you owe me ten gold pieces," she said, flatly, trying now to smile.
Elsa sneered, but gladly. She dug into the small pocket of her dress and pulled out the money she wagered against Ida. "I thought he would be able to hold it together," she admitted, gently placing the coins in his warm hand.
"Please, Frostbite" Ida said, pocketing the coins in a pocket on the inside of her jacket. "I knew Blondie wouldn't be able to keep it together."
"Whatever you say...Sunburn," Elsa said, half under her breath.
Ida glared at her from the corner of her eyes, slowly flaring red, before she snorted and started laughing, Elsa along with her. "You work on that," Ida said between gasps. They watched the people in the ballroom dance their hearts out. Leander was flirting with all of the eligible bachelorettes that had attended. Adrian and Alexander were dancing with each other absorbing all of the laughs they were receiving. Ida put a hand on Elsa's shoulder, "Wait right here." Pulling her large jacket behind her, she swiftly sauntered off into the crowd, disappearing among the ocean of faces.
After a minute, she saw Ida reappear. She grinned, but her smile was quickly wiped away by the blush that swept across her whole face. Ida had Ilias by the arm, who was just as flustered as Elsa was. Ida took him by the shoulders and placed him directly next to Elsa, and stood back with her hands on her hips.
Elsa glanced in Ilias' direction, and took half a side step away, tucking her hair behind her ear.
Ida scowled and rolled her eyes, she stepped towards them and took their hands, placing Elsa's into Ilias'. "Ask her to dance!" she exclaimed, trying to hide her smile, before disappearing again amongst everyone.
Elsa's face was as red as ever, a slight fear racing through her. Oh no, I'm not that good at dancing. What if I accidentally freeze him? Think about Anna...you love Anna. When she turned to his face, he was looking at her, half smiling. All of her fear completely washed away.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked, timidly.
Elsa's allowed herself to smile, "Yes." Charmingly, he pulled her onto the floor, the sea of people parting to make was for them. His expert moves were enough to cover any of her missteps, and they were the most graceful couple in the palace, beside Anna and Kristoff of course, who were dancing beside them. Elsa doesn't know how long they were dancing, hours maybe, but she didn't care. She never tired, and she could have done it all night.
Ida watched them for a while, leaning up against a column, the smile never leaving her face. Anna and Kristoff, Elsa and Ilias, she couldn't have felt happier for them. It was only at that moment when her face did turn to a frown. She tilted herself straight onto her feet with her shoulder, and walked out of the ballroom onto one of the patios overlooking the town of Arendelle. She walked for a while along the long patio that wrapped around the castle, watching the towns people who were celebrating with each other among the streets. Bands of their own playing their used instruments and couples dancing together. She leaned her forearms against the railing and blew a stray hair out of her face. She watched the people for a while, couples dancing together, children skipping in a circle and singing away. She thought of Anna and Kristoff, Elsa and Ilias, Adrian and Alexander, Elsa and Anna. She sighed deeply, they were each other's other half, they were family, they were lovers. She looked up at the black sky that stretched endlessly across the fjord into the horizon. Her eyes rested on a star that laid just above the water in the distance.
She felt a tear start to leave her eye, but it quickly evaporated on her hot skin. "Oh, Hans," she muttered to herself. He had been her other half. Her own flesh and blood, and she ended him. All of this time she tried to convince herself that it had to be done, that there was no way around it. But she couldn't help the nagging feeling that had begun to consume her that there was something, anything she could have done. Neither Elsa, Anna, nor Krisroff would ever understand. They knew him as a monster. But every night, she dreamed of that little boy with the big green eyes and that face that you just wanted to pinch all the time. Their little games they would play around the palace grounds. The crown on her head suddenly became extremely heavy as her thoughts switched to her mother. Why did I ever leave? She thought to herself. It was a question she had asked ever since her mother passed. Maybe if she had stayed, even if it meant risking the safety of her family, maybe she could have somehow saved her mother.
The light from the star glinted off her black irises and she felt the tears pressing against her eyes once more. "I love you, Hans. I'm sorry." she whispered under her breath.
The star against the horizon was sparkling even brighter than before, and she managed a smile.
"Ida?" she heard a small voice behind her. She quickly stood straight and spun around to see three figures walking towards her.
"Hey, guys," she said, as Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff walked out of the shadows and into the starlight.
"Are you okay?" Kristoff's gruff voice cut through the night air.
"I saw you walk out," Anna piped in, a grin dancing upon her face. "We just wanted to make sure you were alright."
Ida was quiet for a moment, not really knowing what to say. It was only in this moment that she realized that she may have lost a brother, she may have lost her half, but she gained three other family members in the process without intending it. Instead of being a half, she was one of four, one of a quarter. She nodded, slowly.
"I'll be alright," she said.
Elsa went and stood beside her and placed a sisterly hand on her shoulder, she smiled, understanding. Anna joined in and hugged her, squeezing her tight. Even Kristoff gave her a wink. Through all of her loss, she gained. And now that Princess Anna was safely home, they could all take a well deserved break from action adventure.
"Thank you," Elsa said, as if reading her mind.
Ida shook her head. "No," she replied, gratefully. "Thank you." She was grateful to them. Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff freed her without even fully realizing it, and she would never be able to repay them. She felt a small tap on her hand, she looked down, and Olaf was standing at her feet smiling at her. He had been lost in the crowd of people himself having a good time, she nearly forgot he was even there.
"And thank you too, Olaf," she smiled down at him.
She turned around, her new family standing by her side, as she faced the fjord. The happy sound of glasses clinking and cheerful chatter and music playing in the palace and in the streets filled her ears and made all of their hearts swell.
Ida's hair began to glow a brilliant orange, and her eyes set ablaze as she threw her hand up into the air. Flames danced from her fingertips and shot far into the sky, exploding mid flight in an assortment of brilliant colors. Elsa threw her blue and white ice into the sky along with it, crystals and frost mingling among Ida's bright sparks. The people in the palace filtered outside to spectate the fireworks, and the towns children crammed onto the docks to get just that much closer to the colors now falling into the water of the fjord.
Their colors kissing the star as it dipped below the horizon, it's chapter in this night, reaching its end.
Fin.
Authors Note: Hello, everyone! I wanted to make an "end of the story" summary to thank all of you who have read and enjoyed "Melted." I never in a million years thought the ideas swirling around in my head would be so well accepted among the fanfiction community. This story has reached almost 16,000 views, and I couldn't be more proud. I've had more than one people PM me and tell me that I should submit this story to Disney Animation Studios to be considered to be an actual sequel! I have even found the link to my story on a YouTube account saying how amazing it is and how it needs to be a reality. That is just the most incredible compliment I could have ever received, and to those who have supported this story so magnificently like that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You guys mean everything to me. I have also gotten many questions about another sequel to this sequel. It is quite a tempting possibility, but if I were to create another sequel, it probably would be for a short time. I have a couple ideas, but nothing of real substance that could support an entire plot worth 25 chapters like "Melted." I have, however, that I will be writing a few short stories that relate back to "Melted." Stories such as Ida when she was young and growing up with Hans and her brothers, Ida's isolation in the mountain, maybe go into more detail about how Kristoff proposed to Anna (because I know I didn't go into great detail about that, and other things of that nature until I rack up enough ideas to create a new sequel. Again, I thank you so much for all of your positive feedback and reviews, you all have no idea how much it means to me that you took that ten seconds to review my story, it makes me so happy! If any of you have any ideas for a fic, or that I could possibly include in another sequel, dont be afraid to PM me here and tell me about it! And if you're a guest and you don't have an account on fanfiction, I'm on tumblr (love-will-thaw-a-frozenheart) and you can send me an ask on there if you want! I love hearing everyone's input and ideas!
Thank you all!