Ice, Darkness, Fire and Light 37: I don't own Frozen or any Characters.
Rating: K
Words: 2,770
Characters: Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Rapunzel, Eugene, and many more characters.
Summary: The Battle for Atlantia's freedom is over, but what happens now? What will they do next?
Elsa was shocked to once again be standing in this familiar bed room, looking out over the balcony to the sea. It was one of the many guest rooms of the Atlantia Castle and Elsa had stayed in this room all winter. Elsa thought she was going to die on that water way and then out of nowhere Elsa opened her eyes to see Kristoff hanging on a rope swoop down and pull her out of the water. Elsa was once again fiddling with the metal ring that was around her left wrist again. Elsa also looked down and saw that she was once again wearing one of the two dresses that Kristoff had given her.
Knock, Knock "Elsa can I come in?" Anna asked as she peeked her head in. Elsa just nodded her head and she heard Anna in a walk over to Elsa.
"You ok?" Anna asked as she laid her head on Elsa's shoulder.
Elsa put her arm around her sister and hugged her close. "Yea for a while there I thought I was going to die in those waters out there. Then Kristoff came and pulled me out of a different kind of darkness," Elsa said. Anna put her arms around Elsa and hugged her tightly. "For the first time in a long time I think I have a future and I'm looking forward to it," Elsa finished and Anna squeezed tighter.
"You have a bright future ahead of you, I know it" Anna said.
Another knock came at the door "Princess Melody requests both of your presence." A servant peeked her head in much like the way Anna did. They both nodded their heads and moved towards the door. Melody's Coronation was in the next couple of days and it was funny to hear as some of the staff already called her queen and the rest still called her princess. Elsa and Anna were nearly to the large room where Melody usually held meetings when Kristoff stepped out of a room and nodded towards them. Elsa and Anna both curtsied to Kristoff and he almost grimaced at it.
"Did Melody ask for your presence as well?" Anna asked Kristoff.
"Yes she did I wonder what she is going to be asking?" Kristoff said, as he stood next to Elsa and the three of them walked up the final flight of stairs to Melody's office. The giant guard that Anna had stolen the light from once again stood sentinel at the door. The guard opened the door and Elsa saw that Melody, Damon and Alex were already there sitting around the table. All three of them stood up as the other trio approached. Everyone did plenty of bowing and cursing to everyone as was appropriate. Damon gestured Kristoff towards one chair, Elsa towards another next to Kristoff and Anna in one next to Melody.
"Thank you for coming. I first want to thank you once again King Kristoff for coming to Atlantia's aid. My advisors have bid me to ask what are your intentions next?" Melody asked.
"My intentions?" Kristoff said, his eyebrows going together in confusion, but then suddenly gave a cynical laugh. "Your advisors are worried that I will have my men pillage your capital here don't they?"
"Well the Arendelle Pirates are well known for a reason," Damon said, with a snide voice and a glare towards Kristoff.
"Arendelle came to Atlantia looking for vengeance for what was stolen from us. Weselton knew about the assassination attempt on Queen Elsa and they capitalized on its failure. They then hunted my people down like animals. We turned to the only option available to us, but we never forgot who did this to us," Kristoff answered, but then his one eye narrowed and Kristoff sat forward. "You know you talk with a Weselton twang. You aren't from Atlantia originally are you?" Elsa never noticed that Damon talked differently than Melody or Alex, but now that Kristoff mentioned it Damon did pronounce words slightly differently.
"Damon might not have been born here, but he is Atlantian," Melody said, quickly trying to defuse the situation.
Kristoff sat back and looked back towards Melody "I see. Well Arendelle came to protect its people and to enact vengeance on Weselton. If our presence here bothers your people we will leave."
"Protect its people?" Alex asked?
"You have two member of the Arendelle nation sitting at this very table. Whenever they head towards danger the rest of the Arendelle nation will not be far behind," Kristoff then fell silent.
"I don't want your people to leave, but I do have to ensure the safety of my people. I now wish to ask if the treaties of old between our nations are still accepted?" Melody asked Kristoff.
Kristoff remained silent for a long time. Elsa kept looking back and forth between Melody and Kristoff. Anna even opened her mouth to say something several times, but then didn't. Elsa knew that Kristoff was reading Melody and probably the other two as well. "The treaties of old are dead and buried with a city that has fallen into ruin. If you wish to negotiate new treaties Arendelle is willing," Kristoff finally answered. Elsa then heard a collective sigh of relief come from Damon and Alex.
"What would Arendelle require to protect our shore lines until Atlantia can once again defend itself?" Melody asked, with hesitation.
Kristoff once again watched the gathered set of Atlantians for a while. "Arendelle is going to take the fight to the Southern Isles next. Once that fleet is destroyed Arendelle will consider talks about acting as a defense fleet for Atlantia. First though Arendelle will head towards to Corona to ensure that the Southern Isle counter attack will fail just as spectacular as Weseltons," Kristoff said, and Elsa could see a small smile cross Kristoff's face.
"So you will leave us to fend for ourselves," Melody said, with sadness in her voice. Elsa looked over at Melody and Anna placed a hand on her shoulder. Anna looked over towards Kristoff with a look that used to make him melt. Elsa looked over at Kristoff as well and saw that he was once again watching and reading. Elsa still didn't want Arendelle in this war to begin with, but seeing the men rejoice when they caused the panicked retreat of the Weselton army changed Elsa's mind.
"I'll have the Scythe, our largest frigate, the Plow and the Anvil here to defend the land bridge. Corona, Weselton and the Southern Isles all lie east of here. If Weselton were to try and move a fleet past we would be able to see it and move to counter it," Kristoff said, and the joy in Melody's face was infectious and Elsa couldn't help smiling.
"Will Arendelle trade with Atlantia?" Melody asked.
"Arendelle has secret trade agreements with several smaller countries that feigned loyalty to Weselton or the Southern Isles. That is how we were able to move a lot of the goods that we captured from those countries. I'll have coded documents sent to those countries and they will open up their ports to Atlantian traders and send their merchants here. Atlantia will not stand alone in this world," Kristoff replied, as if he had already planned the trade agreements out.
Elsa couldn't help thinking about how good of a ruler that Kristoff had become. In the past Elsa worried about her sister's choice in a future husband, but seeing him work here in Atlantia Elsa couldn't help thinking that maybe he was a better ruler the Elsa could have been. Elsa started to fiddle with her bracelet again as silence descended over the gathering. Servants came in and poured several glasses of wine and handed one to everyone. Elsa watched as Kristoff reached out his injured hand and grabbed the glass. Elsa stopped everything as she saw that Kristoff's injured hand wasn't injured any longer. Where he once was missing two fingers on his left hand instead there were two fingers that were just a tiny bit paler then the rest of his hand. If you didn't know to look for it you would never know the difference.
Elsa reached out and touched Kristoff's ring and pinky finger. The fingers felt warm, smooth, soft and there was no indication that they were made of ice or her magic. The look on Kristoff's face when she said 'that it would only be cold for a second,' nearly broke her heart. Elsa thought that her people would never accept her again. They had been through too much cold to accept the Ice Queen ever again. Then again here was Kristoff with his hand once again whole. Elsa suddenly realized what she was doing and looked up at Kristoff. Kristoff was looking at Elsa and Elsa could feel the eyes over everyone in the room staring at her. Elsa withdrew her hand and sipped at her wine.
"Is there anything else you would like to discuss?" Kristoff asked, clearly moving one from the awkward situation that Elsa had just placed them in.
"No, but you are welcome to stay as I discuss some things with Anna and Elsa," Melody answered, as she turned toward Elsa. "Elsa I just wanted to say thank you everything that you have done this winter. I said that only your actions will provide as an adequate apology for your past actions and your actions over the last winter should have been enough. Then we got word of the attack and I never got a chance to tell you that your actions are forgiven and forgotten."
Melody's words brought a tear to Elsa's eyes. Elsa rubbed the tears away and said "Thank you."
"No thank you for everything that you have done and for defending the water way for as long as you did," Melody said with a smile. Elsa smiled back and had to wipe away a few more tears. Melody then turned towards Anna. Elsa had seen throughout the winter that Melody wanted so much more from Anna. Whenever Melody looked at Anna she would smile and her eyes would nearly glow. It was like Melody had seen the sun for the first ever in her life. Kristoff use to look at Anna that way too.
"Anna will you stay and help me rebuild my nation? I want you to stay," Melody's voice was sad, but hopeful.
Anna turned and placed a hand on Melody's face and spoke very quietly. "Melody I do love you, but you are like my sister. I don't know how long I will be in this world, but I can't do whatever I am meant to do here with you. Please," Anna left that last word hanging as tears started to fall on Melody's cheeks. Anna wiped the tears away "Please forgive me."
Melody just held Anna's hand next to her face for a while. Elsa looked down at her feet while fiddling with her bracelet. Elsa felt like she was intruding on a special moment between Anna and Melody. Elsa stared at her feet for a while and then Melody spoke again "Ok. You all can stay as long as you want and you will always be welcome here in Atlantia. There is little we can do to repay your help in freeing us from the yolk of oppression, but we will do everything we can to help in your continued war on Weselton and the Southern Isles."
Elsa knew what is sounded like to be dismissed without having to actually say it. So Elsa stood and gave Melody and Kristoff a curtsy and moved towards the door. Elsa heard another chair move and then felt a presence next to her. Elsa looked out of the corner of her eye and saw Anna walking next to her. As a guard opened the door Elsa heard Kristoff say "Thank you for the glass of wine and I hope that this will be the start of a wonderful Alliance like the ones of old." Elsa moved out of the room and didn't hear anything else.
"Do you think she is mad at me?" Anna asked, Elsa as she put an arm through Elsa's.
Elsa patted Anna's hand "I think she is a little broken hearted and it may be best to just make the break clean instead of letting it hang on." Elsa looked over and saw sadness in Anna's eyes. Elsa then stopped them from walking any further and wrapped her arms around Anna and hugged her tightly. "I'm sure she understands, but that doesn't stop her from loving the wonderful person you are," Elsa said, while holding Anna.
They stood there for a while when another voice rang out behind them. "Am I interrupting?" Kristoff asked behind them.
"No. I just had never broken anyone's heart before," Anna started with her voice sounding a little better, "I don't think I'm a heartbreaker type of person."
"No you wouldn't be someone that could do that easily," Kristoff said, solemnly. "Could I bother you two for a moment, to talk with me in the study of my room?" Anna pulled away from Elsa's hug and looked at Kristoff and nodded. Kristoff then led the way back to his room. His room was a lot bigger then Elsa's or Anna's. It seemed that this room was saved for visiting royals.
"Now it is my turn to ask. What are you two intentions next?" Kristoff asked, as he poured three glasses of wine that was set on his table.
"I am going with you to Corona. I am totally convinced that I was sent back for the purpose to fix this world. Freeing Corona and Atlantia has just solidified my resolve that I am on the correct path," Anna said, while ignoring the glass of wine that Kristoff handed her.
Kristoff then handed Elsa the other glass and looked at her. "I spent ten years away from my sister and I don't know how long she will be in this world. I go were Anna goes," Elsa said while sipping at her wine.
"I have a request Elsa," Kristoff said, after draining his glass of wine and pouring another.
"Anything," Elsa responded before Kristoff even asked.
"I want you to go home to New Arendelle," Kristoff started, and Elsa's heart skipped a beat. Elsa never thought she would ever have a home again, after Old Arendelle fell Elsa was sure that she would live the rest of her days traveling like she had been. Hearing Kristoff say she had a home, made Elsa's heart ache. "You already saw that I took your offer of making my hand whole again," Kristoff brought his hand up and flexed his fingers. "You can make our people whole again. I know that you can't fix the eye's and ear's, but if you can fix fingers and toes then it will heal a lot of our people. If you can fix hands and feet or arms and legs then you can heal our people in ways that I could have only dreamed about. I want you to go home and make our people whole again."
By the time Kristoff finished and Elsa had tears streaming down her face. Kristoff had said they were her people as well as his again. Elsa thought that once everything was done and Anna had to return to the afterlife that Elsa would have to be alone once again. Elsa had been going through life thinking that she would fix the world that she help destroy, but after it was all done she would not have anywhere to go. Kristoff saying that she had a home, people and an place to go after it was all over made Elsa's future so much brighter.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry," Kristoff said, with a worried tone in his voice.
"Don't be sorry these are tears of joy Kristoff. I thought that I had a bleak dark future of loneliness ahead of me once Anna finished the reason she had returned. Now though you have told me that I have a home, a people and a future once this is all done," Elsa said, between sniffs. Anna pulled Elsa into a hug and Elsa grabbed on to Anna all the tighter. Then another set of arms wrapped around both Elsa and Anna and Elsa felt like for the first time ever that things were going to turn out alright.
"You will always have a home in Arendelle, where ever it maybe," Kristoff whispered.
Thanks for all the comment and reviews I appreciate every one of them. I wouldn't kill Elsa without a purpose and when I kill people the readers see it and know it. Any critique is welcome still.
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