I feel like being sad.
Warning: Major character death near the end.
Disclaimer: Disney owns Frozen
The clock was ticking quietly in the corner of the study as Elsa scribbled down a few new trade agreements, her signature a lazy scrawl across the parchment. Her eyes were aching by the flickering, dim oil lamp light. It was cool in the room— not that she minded— for winter was just upon the kingdom of Arendelle.
Elsa let out a long, tired breath and set down her quill for a moment to ease her wrist, a cramp slowly forming. She wondered how long it had been since she had her tea… the caffeine might be crashing down on her since her body was begging for a well deserved nap.
As she rolled her hand around and allowed it to crack and pop pleasantly, a joyful knock sounded on the door. Elsa smiled, knowing full well who was coming to call, and allowed entry.
"Mama!" the little girl giggled, opening the door fully and scurrying inside. "Mama, guess what I did!?"
Elsa turned in her seat so the girl could scramble onto her lap, the queen assisting her by hoisting her upwards. The girl situated herself comfortably in Elsa's lap, still grinning broadly.
"What did you do?" Elsa asked, brushing hair out of the girl's face.
"I helped Daddy unfasten Sven from the sled," she announced proudly, each freckle on her face popping. "He said he was proud of me an' gave me a piece of chocolate!"
"Look at my little girl," Elsa cooed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "She's practically a lady."
"Mama!" the girl squealed. "I'm still a kid!"
"I dunno, eight years old is pretty ancient," Elsa teased, tickling her stomach.
The girl let out a shriek, trying to avoid Elsa's tickle attack. "Stoppit!"
"Alright, alright," Elsa chuckled. "What else did you do today?"
"Olaf and I played in the snow. We built him a snow girlfriend."
Elsa laughed. "Did you really?"
"Uh-huh!"
"I bet he liked that." Elsa smoothed out a few wrinkles in her dress. "Maybe I should bring her to life."
"Awh, Mama, will you really do that?" Her brown eyes got big and her smile increased tenfold, the missing baby teeth leaving gaps in the row of pearly whites.
"I'll most definitely think about it," Elsa said.
"That'd be so romantic!" the girl cheered, clasping her hands.
"Was there anything else you wished to tell me? I do have much to do today."
The girl's face fell. "You're always busy."
"It comes with being a queen, my love. You'll understand that someday," Elsa reminded her with a wry smile.
"Don't you get lonely?"
"Sometimes. But I have you, your father, Olaf, and Sven to keep me company." Her pale hand combed through the light ginger locks of the princess. "I don't mind the loneliness. I've been through worse, after all."
The girl got quiet for a moment, looking very much like she wanted to mention something important. Elsa gave her a quizzical expression, egging her on to speak up. The girl sighed and nibbled on her bottom lip.
"My birthday is coming up," she said.
"Yes, it is." Elsa nodded. "Was there something you wanted for your birthday?"
"No… I just…" The girl blinked away a few tears. "You know what I like, Mama."
"Indeed I do."
She saw the tears shimmering in the princess' eyes and frowned, lifting her head up by her chin so icy eyes could meet chocolate brown.
"Don't feel guilty, sweetheart," she told her. "Don't you dare feel guilty."
"I wished Daddy was happier on my birthdays… you, too," the girl sniffled.
"I knew I shouldn't have…" Elsa sighed and pulled the princess into a hug. "I shouldn't have told you until you were older. But your father wanted you to know…"
The little girl curled her hand around the back of Elsa's dress, burying her face into her shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for, my dear. Besides, we should be happy on your birthday. It's a time of celebration of when you came into this world." Elsa rubbed genial circles in the girls' back. "And when you became the most important person in my life."
"Do… do you think she misses me?" She little girl hiccuped. "'Cause I miss her."
"I bet she misses you. I miss her, too. Everyday of my life I miss her." Elsa pulled back to examine the princess' face. "But I see so much of her in you, my princess. From your nose." She poked said facial feature. "To your hair." She tousled it playfully, eliciting a giggle from the little girl. "To your big heart." She rested a hand on her chest lovingly, her icy eyes sparkling. "Of course, you have more of your Daddy's eyes and cheeks." She pulled at the freckled cheeks playfully and the little girl squealed.
Elsa smiled adoringly at her as the girl recovered from her giggling. She took in a long breath and leapt off of Elsa's lap.
"Will you tuck me in tonight?" she asked as she padded over to the door.
"Of course I will," Elsa assured her. "And we'll finish the story of Heracles tonight, too."
Her eyes lit up with joy. "Okay!"
"See you at dinner," Elsa began, waving her goodbye as the little girl skipped out of the study. "Anna…" Elsa finished, choking up. "My little Princess Anna…" She sniffled and shook her head before returning to her paper work.
Nine years ago...
There was a blizzard raging outside but not because of the winter weather. Queen Elsa was pacing anxiously in front of the door where her sister's cries were coming from, muffled and pained. Elsa bit down on her thumb, casting a weary glance outside and silently apologized to her kingdom for having them endure her emotional roller coaster.
Kristoff came huffing and puffing up to her, his Ice Harvesting garb covered in snow and his face pink from the cold. He shed the heavy coat and threw off his hat.
"How is she?" he gasped, clutching a stitch in his side.
"You tell me," Elsa said hoarsely. "It's been two hours into her labor… I really want to go in there but I'm afraid I might freeze the child."
The corners of his mouth twitched. "I'm just glad I got here in time… ah, should I?" He gestured at the door helplessly.
"You're the father," Elsa said, the snow easing outside, thankful her brother-in-law was finally here. "Go ahead."
He nodded breathlessly and entered the room, Anna's shouts louder for half a second before the doors shut behind the mountain man, muffling them again. Elsa took in a deep, shuddering breath and stood stalk still in front of the doors, waiting for news of the delivery.
The minutes ticked by, Anna's whines starting to fall. There were a few frantic words tossed back and forth and Kristoff's voice followed shortly afterward, concern heavy in his tone. Then there was silence… then a baby crying. Elsa held her breath.
Her name was called.
The snow picked up outside.
She entered the room, shaking, to find the nurses rushing around in a frenzy, whispering to one another. The doctor and Kai were mumbling by the water pitcher, grave expressions on their faces. Another nurse was swaddling the crying child in the corner, soothing it with soft coos. Kristoff was at the head of the bed, talking quietly to Anna.
He caught her eye and beckoned her over, his brown eyes sparkling but not with a fatherly joy. The meaning behind his desperate stare hit Elsa hard and she realized that Anna was… that she was going to…
Elsa hurried over and sat next to Kristoff, searching her sister's pale face.
"Elsa," Anna croaked, managing and exhausted smile.
"Anna, stay with me," Elsa whimpered, surging forward and placing a cool hand on the sweaty cheek of her baby sister. "Stay with me here, okay? You're gonna be…" She choked on her words.
"What… what is it?" Anna asked, swallowing hard.
"It's a girl," Kristoff responded, his voice shaking. "A beautiful baby girl."
Anna sighed, closing her eyes. "Wonderful. My little baby girl."
"Anna, open your eyes," Elsa begged. "Please… You haven't even held her yet!"
"I'll hold her when I wake," Anna replied distantly.
"No, you have to stay awake," Elsa said, her voice straining. "Anna… please. What should her name be? C'mon, you had a whole list. Where is it? I could go fetch it for you. Remember how we're gonna take her out to the Ice Palace when she got old enough? Play games in the ballroom? Throw tea parties? Make sure she was loved no matter what?"
Anna didn't speak, her face relaxing but her smile remaining on her face. Kristoff and Elsa watched in unspoken sorrow and horror as the life was sucked away from the princess. Her breathing halted and Elsa felt her pulse die down until it came to a stand still.
The nurses bowed their head and Gerda let out a sob, Kai patting her back with a quaking hand. Kristoff rose to his feet and stormed out of the room, his hands grabbing at his hair. Elsa winced as she heard something break in the hallway and Kristoff's mangled shouting fade as he ran further and further from the room.
Tears flowed freely down her face as she leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on her sister's forehead, taking the lifeless body into an embrace.
"Your Majesty," the midwife spoke up gently, "what of the child?"
"Give her to me," Elsa said quietly, brushing back Anna's bangs. "I'd like to see her."
Elsa lifted her eyes away from her sister as a little bundle was passed over to her. Elsa tenderly took the baby in her arms and moved the blankets back so she could see the face of her niece.
"My princess," Elsa whispered, her fingers dancing softly across the tiny face of the new born. "Welcome to the world…" She offered the child a small, weak smile. "I promise you, I will protect you with every fiber of my being. As will your father… and when you grow, I'll have so many stories to tell of your mother…" Elsa kissed the baby's nose and felt life thrum through her veins again, though it was just for a fleeting moment. "Your mother, yes, whom you have been named after. Princess Anna… the second."
"Queen Elsa?" Kai said, moving closer to her. "Should we… begin burial preparations?"
"Yes," Elsa said, wiping underneath her eyes. "And find Kristoff before he tears the castle apart. I understand his grief but… he has a daughter to tend to."
"As you wish, your Majesty," Kai said, bowing. "My condolences."
Elsa held the new Anna close to her heart and the baby cooed, closing her fist around Elsa's extended finger. The queen swallowed back her tears and allowed herself to be taken away by the innocence that was the baby.
But her heart felt like lead, broken in twain by the death of her sister; her best friend. Someone she was never going to see again.
She swore it to Anna, however, to love her child as her own, to protect her from harm, to give her a wonderful life. Just as she did to Anna when she had been born, the three-year-old Elsa vowing the same to her new sister.
The new Princess Anna had fallen asleep in Jason's journey on the Argo to contain the Golden Fleece, her tiny snores drawing the queen away from the book. She marked the page and closed it, stifling a yawn. Elsa then leaned forward and kissed the child goodnight before resting the book on the bedside table and bringing the blankets up closer to her chin.
"Goodnight, princess," Elsa whispered, tiptoeing out of the room, closing the door behind her.
She made her way down the hallway, rubbing one of her eyes sleepily. She wished a few of the staff members goodnight as she continued on. Halfway to her room, she found Kristoff staring at the wall— no, a portrait— in the middle of the walkway.
"Hey," he greeted, smiling lopsidedly at her.
"Good evening," Elsa replied, stopping to stand beside him. "Anna tells me she helped you out with Sven."
"Yup. She was very insistent," he chuckled.
"She's like her mother in that sense, isn't she?" Elsa said with an adoring smile.
"Oh boy, you're telling me."
They shared a short laugh before he recovered first, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well, anyway. I was just wishing her goodnight," he said, nodding at the portrait. "Before I go wish squirt goodnight."
"She's asleep so be quiet," Elsa warned him gently. "I don't want her crying to me in the middle of the night for a glass of water again after you woke her up by accident."
"That was one time," he argued.
Elsa snorted. "Whatever."
He rolled his eyes but his smile was still there. "I'll see you in the morning, Elsa. Have a nice night."
"You too," Elsa said, watching him pass her by and head toward his daughter's room.
Her eyes turned up to the ever smiling portrait of her younger sister, teal eyes shining with joy and her arms behind her back in a pose of regality. But her teeth were showing, indicating that the painter must have had a hard time keeping a straight face of his own. She looked as if she were moving… still alive and well and wandering the halls like a firecracker.
"Goodnight, Anna," Elsa said, blowing the picture a kiss. "I miss you."
Elsa folded her hands in front of her and continued her route back to her room.
"Oh, Elsa, please," Anna scoffed playfully as she walked beside her sister, a mere spirit among the world of the living. "I'm not going anywhere until you kick it, too." She snorted ungracefully, her hands behind her back and ghostly body drifting in tandem with that of the queen.
Elsa felt a small smile tug at her lips for some reason but she let it linger there, feeling very much like the old Anna was still with her.
Not as depressing as the Elsa dying chapter but… I reasoned that if Anna had a lost sister chapter, so should Elsa.
I wanted to get this out there before I forgot about it. I thought Elsa would love her niece and treat her like her own daughter so… and Kristoff is a loyal daddy and friend and sticks around because hell yeah that's why.
Send in prompts! Almost to 300! Whoa!
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