Elsa blinks at the face hovering over hers; she stares into those blue eyes betraying its owner's hurt, before examining the rest of her outfit: the tousled red hair, the tattered dress, skin drenched in seawater...and what is that smell? Is it...blood?
The Queen's lips curl into a frown. Elsa nudges the girl away from her and scowls, "What're you doing in my room?"
"Elsa, it's me, your sister, Anna, don't you remember?" Anna pleads, dread creeping into her heart. All strength leaves her limbs, she buckles to knees, as if she's trying to pick up the pieces of her broken heart, but it's too late. Elsa turns from her sister as though she never existed, instead staring at the paunchy man standing at her door.
"Your Majesty!" Kai cries, making the sign of the cross, "It's...It's a miracle, you've awoken!"
"What's the matter, Kai?" Elsa mutters.
"She remembers him, but not me?" Anna gasps, "H-how is this even p-possible?"
"There's an emergency in the Fjord, your Majesty," Kai announces.
"Wait, what-" Elsa starts. Flinging away the thick duvet, she rises to her feet. At once, an ice gown materialises over her bed clothes, this time lacking in any of the pomp and ceremony with which she used to conjure. The snowflakes which used to adorn her cape have been replaced by jagged ice crystals. No sleet accompanies the Queen's magic. Kneeling less than a foot away from Elsa, Anna reaches her hands towards her sister, attempting to grasp some of the cold she once adored, but nothing reaches her fingertips. Nothing but a lukewarm presence and the irrevocable dread that she didn't even exist to her.
Kai clears his throat and continues, "There're troops from the Southern alliance docking at the pier, their cannons have taken out some of the houses by the harbour and-"
"What!" Elsa yells, her voice booming across the room. She turns on her ice heels and strides towards the balcony. With gritted teeth, Anna summons the strength to rise to her feet.
"Please, Elsa, don't you remember who I am?" Anna pleads, leaping in Elsa's way. The Queen barely even looks at her sister, knocking her aside and sending her tumbling to the carpet. She reaches the balcony and yanks the curtain aside, her fists trembling at the sight of smoke plumes erupting by the bay.
"Would you like to mobilize the militia?" Kai asks.
"No!" Elsa scowls, holding a hand toward him, "Leave this matter to me! I will...negotiate with them."
"Elsa, you can't-" Anna starts, too late to stop her sister from dragging a chair to the balcony. Elsa mounts the chair and perches on the railing in ice heels, before leaping off the castle's third floor.
"No!" Rapunzel and Anna shriek together.
A chill wind breezes into the room as the cousins race to the balcony. The sight of ice wings sprouting from Elsa's back sends a shudder into Rapunzel's spine, each flap howling through the dusk air. In a shower of ice and hail, a seven-foot long ice-scepter materializes in Elsa's right hand, topped with a gleaming orb of light. With a mighty flap of her wings, sleet-filled wind flutters through the Queen's gown as she streaks off towards the harbor, releasing her hair in a fan of gold, but oddly, none of the cold reaches them.
"That is magnificent!" Rapunzel gasps, her widened green eyes glistening in the candlelight.
Thunder crackles between the snow-clouds as a blizzard picks up around Elsa's body hurtling through the wind. The singular point of light by her side intensifies its brightness, until it resembles daylight. A hailstorm picks up around Elsa bobbing up and down over the alliance fleet; its' swirling vortex pelting more and more ice into the enemy ships. Each shard slams into the ships and spreads its frozen misery across the navy, sending men throwing themselves into the bay, only to smash their skulls into the ice crackling beneath. A beam of ice magic blasts forth from Elsa's scepter, ripping through ships and boats like they were made of butter. Even from the Castle, Anna hears the thunderous destruction of their fleet, and the screams of dying men.
As quickly as it began, the noise fades into silence as ice consumes the sailors, leaving jagged, misshapen figures strewn across the harbor; some of their contorted faces still breathing their last breaths. Elsa surveys the scene of destruction beneath her feet as she hovers over the harbor, her ice wings stretching to the full breadth of their wingspan. She smirks at Arendelle's commercial ships still bobbing about in patches of liquid water, unharmed from the death she just rendered. Satisfied at her victory, Elsa hurls her ice-scepter towards the earth. The artifact streaks towards the ice like a bolt of lightning, before slamming into the harbor and blasting every last trace of the Alliance fleet into an explosion of ice-crystals.
A gust of icy wind slams into Anna and Rapunzel's faces, forcing them to shield their faces from its fury. They open their eyes to Elsa descending from the winds onto the balcony, the grace of her descent taking their breaths away. As the Queen strides past them, Elsa's wings flutter against her sister's face for a fleeting second, its chill caressing the tears and sweat from her skin, before the wind catches in her feathers and blows them away into the sky.
"Your Majes-" Kai starts.
"Elsa, Elsa, please, listen to me-" Anna pleads, desperation seeping through her voice as she clasps her hands together.
Without breaking her gait, Elsa cocks her head back and silences them with a glare.
"I would very much like to be left alone for now, thank you."
Standing beneath rays of sunlight streaming through the window, Elsa crosses her hands behind her back and stares at the glittering ship circling the bay. With a grimace on her face, she consults a pocket watch one more time, and resumes watching the ice-ship complete its maneuvers. A knock on the door breaks her concentration, but a smile graces her lips when she sees the brunette girl standing in the doorway.
"Good morning, your Majesty," Rapunzel says, keeping her eyes on the rug beneath Elsa's approach. She grasps the pleats of her pink dress and tries her best to curtsey, albeit with a slight wiggle in her hips.
"Please don't stand on ceremony, dear cousin," Elsa replies. The girl bites her lower lip when Elsa drapes an arm around her shoulders. Her fists clench as she resists the urge to squirm beneath Elsa's touch, but her eyes widen in surprise at the warm touch her ungloved hands possess. So, she allows the Queen to guide her to the window and seat her in a velvet armchair.
"I trust you had a good night's rest?" Elsa asks, eliciting a nod from her cousin, "And your neck has been examined by the Royal Physician?"
"Yes, Elsa, I'm grateful for the hospitality you've provided, but there's-"
"You'll be pleased to know that the ship I've built for you is almost ready for delivery," Elsa comments, seating herself across Rapunzel and pointing at the bay, "if they hurry with just a few more maneuvers for the trials, you'll be on your way home by sundown."
"Oh, you shouldn't have-"
"Please send a message to your father, that I will build an actual ship for him, pending conclusion of my Kingdom's diplomatic affairs."
"I'll have to ask him about that, but first," Rapunzel says, daring to stare the Queen in her gleaming blue eyes, "I need to talk to you about Anna. My heart won't be at peace if I leave Arendelle without bringing her up at least once-"
"Well, I'm sorry if I alarmed you with my behaviour last night-"
"Look, your sister travelled great distances against insurmountable odds to reach me, and endured great hardship to bring me to you," Rapunzel says, leaning towards Elsa, "I've never met anyone who just didn't quit. It was like she cared for nothing else in the world but to see you again, and from everything I've known in my life, there could only be one explanation for this kind of behaviour. She loves you, with everything in her heart."
Elsa allows her cousin's words to swim around in her head, before screwing her eyes shut and shaking her head.
"I understand your concerns, and I too speak from the bottom of my heart: I don't have the slightest clue who she is," Elsa mutters, gazing away into the window, "the palace records prove her identity beyond doubt; if not, I would've thrown her out within the hour."
"Please, your Majesty, if there's one thing I've learnt, it's that love is the one thing which surpasses all hardships and tragedies," Rapunzel pleads, "it's my deepest hope that your memory loss is temporary, but if it's not - I pray that love will guide you back to her."
Elsa purses her lips and looks down at Rapunzel's hand resting on hers.
"I know you mean well, but I'd have to give this matter further consideration before coming to a decision," Elsa mutters, before taking Rapunzel's hand and rising from her chair, "now, it appears they're docking your ship, I do hope you make it back to your Kingdom before the week is through. Your parents must be dreadfully fearful of losing you again."
"Once again, I thank you for your hospitality," Rapunzel says, before curtseying to Elsa, "and this lovely dress."
"Arendelle is forever open to your family," Elsa comments, showing her cousin to the door, "do send my warm regards to your parents and Eugene."
The door clicks shut behind Rapunzel, and Elsa turns to face the empty sitting room. Originally conceived as a room to receive dignitaries and visiting royalty, golden crocuses adorn the walls, glowing in a hue of deep purple. Upon the walls hang paintings commissioned by Arendelle's former Kings and Queens: ships, battle scenes, hunting trips in the woods. Elsa's magenta cape trails along the rug as she steps before a painting in the middle of the room, hung at eye level unlike the others. The Queen examines the four figures painted on the canvas in royal clothing: a man standing in military uniform, and a woman seated beside him in a satin gown. Upon her lap is seated a red-headed girl, arms outstretched towards the blonde girl standing between them. Elsa's gaze travels between the two girls' faces, one filled with life, the other's with apprehension.
"It can't be," Elsa mutters, before catching a glimpse of the painting's label:
Portrait of HRM King Adgar's family, 1840. (L-R): HRM Queen Idun, HRH Princess Anna, HRH Princess Elsa, HRM King Adgar
The faintest creak catches Elsa's attention; without turning around, she calls out to the door, "If you're here to bring us tea, you're a minute too late-"
Instead of an apology, silence greets the Queen's reprimand. Elsa turns around and spots the redhead from last night standing by the door. With a burgundy off-shoulder royal dress falling to her ankles, and her hair tidied into a bun, it takes a few moments for Elsa to recognise her.
"It's you," Elsa says.
"Woh, Elsa," Anna comments, setting down a teapot and taking in her sister's form, "y-you're wearing clothes. I mean you normally do wear clothes, but j-just ones made of ice. The t-thing is, y-you're wearing a royal gown today-"
What business is it of her's what I wear? Elsa thinks, before softening her stare and commenting, "Well, you've certainly cleaned up since last night."
"I must've scared you then," Anna says as she walks across the room, "waking up to a bloodstained girl shaking you by the shoulders, woah! That must've been cra-zy!"
"It's alright, I don't think you can be blamed entirely, for such behaviour-" Elsa says, watching Anna come closer to her. Her gaze wanders across the girl's freckled shoulders, bare beneath the noon sun's rays filtering through the curtains. The curve of Anna's figure fit the gown like a glove, and despite her violent demeanour last night, the Princess's gait displayed every bit of royal primness Elsa possessed. Before long, Anna stops an arm's length from her sister, careful not to stand too close. Elsa sucks in a gasp as she realises that she had been holding her breath the entire time, and when she inhales, the faintest whiff of strawberries sends numbness into the tips of her fingers. Did...did that fragrance come from her? Elsa thinks. The Queen turns her gaze away from Anna and pretends to resume looking at the painting.
"What did you say?" Anna asks as a glimmer of hope appears before her eyes.
"I don't think you can be blamed entirely for what you did," Elsa repeats, resisting the urge to catch another glimpse of her sister's fair features, "everyone's telling me how many times you risked your life to save me, how far you went-"
"It's because I love you," Anna mutters, staring at the floor and biting on her lip. With every ounce of strength left in her bones, she clenches her fists until they tremble. It used to be easy resisting the urge welling up inside her, sitting in her room and distracting herself with painting, but the events of last night robbed every last trace of resilience from the girl. Anna blinks once, and a tear seeps from her eyelid, glistening as it plummets towards the carpet. Elsa winces at the heat emanating from her sister's body; she too, tries to resist it - to maintain a royal posture, but there was something so irresistible about the girl, that she finds herself turning toward her.
"I'd be lying if I said you weren't easy to love," Elsa whispers, trailing her fingers against Anna's chin and dabbing a handkerchief to her eyes.
"What?" Anna asks.
The Queen finishes drying her sister's eyes, but allows her fingers to linger against the smoothness of her skin. Heat blossoms across Elsa's face as her fingers begin to quiver. Anna detects the trepidation coursing through her sister's muscles, and takes hold of her hand, careful to avoid exerting too much strength on Elsa's long, slim, fingers.
A gasp escapes Elsa's lips, alarmed at how gentle her sister's grasp could be.
"The men say you possess legendary strength," Elsa whispers, warm breath fluttering against Anna's damp eyelashes, "that you're capable of defeating crowds of armed soldiers with your bare hands."
"I wouldn't have done any of that, if it wasn't for you," Anna answers, shifting closer to her sister. Her heart begins to pound as Elsa slips her hands down her gown, resting them upon the curve of her hips.
Don't do it, Elsa thinks, She's supposed to be your sister. Heat radiates across the space left between them, threatening to melt whatever little restraint Elsa held onto. Anna inhales deeply, filling her lungs with her sister's fragrance. The breath leaves her lips in one long sigh against Elsa's neck, eliciting a gasp from her.
"Are you ok?" Anna asks, clutching her sister's hands by her sides as the trembling within them intensifies.
"This caught me off guard, I didn't expect that you'd be so...so…" Elsa whispers with quivering lips, "So beautiful."
"Well, you're beauti-" Anna whispers back, before her chest clenches at the memory, "-fuller."
With the slightest of nudges, Elsa pushes her sister against the wall. The girls stare into each other's eyes with bated breaths, trying to decipher the whirlpool of emotions welling up within them. A hand brushes up against Elsa's lower back, and she's the first one to cave into her desire. The Queen shuts her eyes and drinks of the sweetness her sister's lips offer. With nothing but her heart pounding in her ears and the warmth of Elsa's kiss blossoming across her face, Anna's body goes limp with pleasure, held up only by the wall behind her, and her sister's arms.
The Princess slips within her grasp, only to be hauled up straight by Elsa's arms. Without so much as a pause, Elsa nuzzles into her sister's neck, evoking a moan from the pit of her stomach.
"Why're you doing this?" Anna groans, searching her mind for an explanation, a reason, anything which could resolve the conflict raging in her mind.
"Shh," Elsa whispers against her sister's skin. Her lips skip past the scars around her shoulders, opting to go straight to her neck. One hand around Anna's back, and the Queen pulls her sister's hips flush against hers. Anna bunches up her fists into Elsa's dress as she pushes a free hand up against her bodice. It takes all of Anna's strength to conjure up the few raspy words from her throat, "Listen, Elsa, I'm enjoying this, but maybe we shouldn't-"
Elsa cuts off her sister's plea with her lips, only to have a pair of hands shove her away. The Princess wipes her mouth, eyes livid with fury. She flashes a glare at Elsa, before brushing past her toward the door.
"Please-" Elsa pleads, fingers catching and slipping from Anna's shoulder. With a hand on her forehead, and her eyes turned from Elsa's face, Anna pours every ounce of her sorrow and grief into her next words before fleeing the room.
"It's like I don't even matter to you anymore."