A/N: Thanks to everyone who's followed/favorited and/or is reading but not reviewing.:)
Elsa Tomago-I'm glad you liked it:) Don't worry, Elsa won't abdicate-but she's not going to drop the idea easily, either.:P At this point she just wants to make Agdar happy with her, since Anna did manage to convince her that abdicating obviously won't get rid of her literal power (ie., her magic:)). That scene was tricky to write (again, by now it's easy for Elsa to use her magic to defend Anna if need be), so I'm glad you liked it:)
Olivia O'Neil-Thank you:)
IndyGirl89-Well, they weren't counting on Anna making noise and fighting back herself, either. I do think Elsa does have sensitive ears to things being amiss in her home, but she's not a mind-reader, either, so the noise Anna made was enough to get Elsa to come:)
FluffyKitten-Lol, you aren't necessarily supposed to like Dark Elsa. She isn't perfect, and her dark side shows that. Elsa doesn't literally have godlike power (she's 100% human and obviously can be hurt or killed by conventional means), but Anna and Kristoff were thinking that because she's much, much stronger than seems logical. I'm glad you liked Kristoff's input, and yes, I would spoil the kitten too.;) Lol, that insane number is actually based on an article I read where someone actually calculated how much energy would be needed to freeze the real life fjord Arendelle's fjord is based on. That crazy number is the result. Yeah, these intruders aren't redeemable. At all. I'm glad you liked the chapter:)
moohamquest-I like badass Elsa too, lol:) I agree, Dark Elsa really isn't that dark...she's just a stronger, angry version of her normal self, really.:P
raven678-Elsa actually still doesn't know everything her magic did, though. But yes, she is better now.:) Elsa hates lying, so that really bothered her-Anna was willing to do that because she thought it would protect Elsa.:P Well, in my mind, Kristoff sort of told Anna why you don't let yourself get pinned on the ground but she didn't quite get it. Anna is a little naive sometimes.:P I've addressed the issue of the repeated breakins in this chapter, and Meri does come back.:)
On to the story!
Elsa jerked awake early the next morning when someone knocked on Anna's room's door. It was close to the time she usually got up anyway, so she didn't mind too much.
"Miss Elsa, you have an important visitor," Kai called from the hallway. "He says it's extremely urgent."
"Does he realize it's six thirty in the morning?" Elsa didn't mind getting up early, but she didn't appreciate people wanting meetings RIGHT THIS SECOND just after she got up. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Kai, who is it exactly?"
"The king of the Southern Isles…"
"Well, tell him I will meet him in the Great Hall at seven, please," Elsa replied after a moment. She had met King Boris before, and she had no wish to meet him again. All right, Elsa, be polite. You can do that.
"Gerda, will you please braid my hair?" Elsa asked a few minutes later in the kitchen.
Gerda simply sat Elsa down in a chair and began braiding. She was actually rather happy that Elsa would ask her to do that; usually Elsa just did it herself, and Gerda remembered fixing Elsa's hair when she was little before the accident. "Miss Elsa, what happened to your hand?" Gerda asked quietly. "You were fine last night."
Elsa bit her lip, unsure whether to tell Gerda exactly what had happened or not. I don't want to worry Gerda… "I, um…accidentally slammed a door on it?" she offered, knowing quite well that Gerda wouldn't believe that. Elsa, you hate lying. Why would you say that? You trust Gerda, and you want her to trust you, too.
"Queen Elsa, that's a lie, and you know that I know it," Gerda said firmly. She finished Elsa's braid and then sat down across from her at the small kitchen table. "I think that it might have something to do with why the castle is protected with your ice all over outside." When Elsa just nodded in reply, Gerda's stern worried expression disappeared and she just gave Elsa a reassuring smile instead. "I won't try to make you tell me exactly what's going on, Miss Elsa, as you most certainly do not have to do any such thing, but if you feel like you need help, please ask for it," Gerda told her. "You do not have to handle everything on your own."
"I know, and I'm sorry. I just…I just don't want you to worry." That's no excuse for lying, Elsa. You just got all upset with Anna for lying to you for a similar reason. Elsa looked down, not quite sure what to say. "I have a meeting in fifteen minutes," she said finally. "I don't want to go."
Gerda frowned. "Miss Elsa, don't apologize to me like that. You're the queen. And I will have some pancakes ready for you after your meeting…how does that sound?"
Elsa hesitated before simply giving Gerda a hug. Gerda would not mind if she hugged her, unlike her daddy would mind if she gave him a hug. Papa used to scold me for apologizing too, but he wasn't…nice about it like Gerda, either. She felt better when she felt Gerda willingly returning the hug. Okay, Elsa, you can do this.
Right outside the Great Hall a few minutes later, Kai looked Elsa right in the eyes as he quickly told her what he knew of why the king of the Southern Isles was there. "He needs Arendelle's help with something, Miss Elsa. It's not the same arrogant man that we saw before. But don't show any weakness if you can help it," Kai said quickly. "Should you decide to help him and his country, make him work to get your assistance." Kai knew how Elsa was; if she thought she could help, she would instantly go along with whatever the king said as long as she thought Arendelle would still be safe.
Elsa nodded, easily understanding. She could not appear too generous with her help or King Boris would take advantage of her sooner or later. Don't show any weakness…wait a minute. "What about my limp?" she asked, glancing down at her bad leg.
Kai just waved that concern off. "Doesn't matter, Miss Elsa. You cannot help that," he said firmly. Kai reached for the door to announce her, but then paused. "Miss Elsa, do not let him make you think it matters, either. Or anything else," Kai added, frowning as he noticed Elsa's injured hand for the first time. "No answering personal questions about yourself, either." What happened last night that Elsa hasn't told anyone about?
"Queen Elsa, to be blunt, we are in dire need of help," Boris said when Elsa asked why he had come to Arendelle.
"I daresay so considering you have come to me, someone I know you do not like," Elsa deadpanned. "Details, please."
"The feeling is mutual, perhaps?"
Elsa merely gave him her best stone face. "Details, please," she said, ignoring the previous question. "I owe you and your country nothing, to say the least."
"My country needs your help, Elsa," Boris repeated.
"I know that already or you would not be here," Elsa deadpanned. She sat up straighter, not liking how Boris hadn't used her title. It wasn't that Elsa minded being called only by her given name, but she did not like Boris and she knew, by all protocol, that he was being rude. "I do have a title, same as you," she added.
Boris stepped back, abruptly realizing his mistake. Elsa was so young he still balked at treating her as a respected equal, let alone showing the deference he knew he should be giving her if he wanted her help. Elsa didn't owe the Southern Isles anything; he was lucky she hadn't decided to take it over like she had Weselton. "Queen Elsa, the Southern Isles has suffered from multiple attacks on the royal family. Never the general public, just the royal family. I believe they are all connected to some sort of organization that is searching for new weapons. Magical ones, to be specific."
Elsa thought for a moment, figuring that those attacks were probably by the same terrorist group that her own country had been dealing with. "And what exactly have you come to me for?" she asked.
"My daughter, Princess Kiara, for one. I know she sponges off you for some reason."
Immediately Elsa's face clouded over as she stood up. "Your daughter does not 'sponge off me'. She is my friend," Elsa said firmly. "What do you want with Kiara now all of a sudden? She ran away from home because of the way her family was treating her."
"Well…she has magic. She claims it's gone now, but-"
"What difference does that make?" Elsa interrupted sharply. A sinking feeling settled in her stomach as she realized what the most likely reasoning was. He wants to give Kiara to those bad people because he thinks they'll leave his country alone after that, she thought.
"If all the attackers want is magic, well…there are thirteen princes ahead of her in line, you know. Twelve now…What does one girl matter to you, Queen Elsa? She's nothing to you. Especially Kiara…I know she is the reason for that crippled leg," Boris said carefully.
The temperature in the room abruptly plummeted. "Get out of my castle and don't you ever come here again." Elsa's voice was quiet but held a clear threat. She did not care what Boris said about her leg, but she was not going to put up with him implying that her friend wasn't worth anything. "If you step one toe in my country again…if you hurt Kiara, I promise you I will cause you more trouble than those terrorists ever could." She held out a barely controlled swirl of crackling ice magic in her good hand, her blue eyes dark in anger. "Get out of here. Now," she ordered. Elsa, don't lose control. He isn't worth it. Kiara is safe upstairs.
Boris bowed hurriedly and speed-walked away. He had no wish to deal with an angry queen with strong magic.
"I would have helped you if you simply asked and explained what was going on, you know," Elsa said to his retreating back.
Boris hesitated. Maybe if he asked again and apologized, Elsa would still help him. "Is there anything I could-"
"No," came Elsa's instant reply.
"If I were to-" Boris tried again.
"No."
"What about-"
"No. Get out before I throw you out." Elsa could feel herself shaking in anger, and she just wanted Boris to leave before she did something she knew she would regret. Part of her just wanted to cry. How could someone be willing to hand his own daughter over to a group of terrorists? Even Papa actually defended me. He would never have done something like that to me, she thought. Then, Really, Elsa? You really think he wouldn't have before? When you couldn't control your powers?
"If-"
"Get. OUT!"
"Miss Elsa, it's all right, he's gone," Kai said quickly when he came into the Great Hall after escorting King Boris to the door and sending a few guards with him down to the dock to make sure he left Arendelle. He frowned; Elsa wasn't on her throne anymore-she was sitting curled up in a corner facing the wall, the floor around her covered with ice. "Miss Elsa, what happened?" Kai asked quietly as he knelt beside her.
"He wanted me t-to give him Kiara, a-and…and-" And your mind went off to horrible ideas of what Papa might have done, Elsa. What is wrong with you? Elsa broke off and just shook her head, keeping her arms wrapped around her middle, hugging herself.
Kai waited patiently for Elsa to explain; it took a few minutes for her to calm down enough to speak clearly and rationally again, but she told Kai the entire conversation between herself and the Southern Isles king. Kai said nothing until he had heard the whole story. "I think, perhaps, that you were a mite hasty in kicking him out, Miss Elsa," Kai said carefully when Elsa asked if she had done anything wrong. "Not wrong, though. I do understand why you threw him out-I know your friend means a lot to you." He paused before adding, "Miss Elsa, I'm not entirely sure the new attitude you have is good for you. You've been…different since that weird serum got into you, and I know it's worn off by now."
Elsa's whole countenance crumpled a bit, and she scooted farther into the corner. "I'm sorry, I just…I don't know. I d-don't want to be that…that…weak, pitiful little girl anymore…" she said softly. But I still am. I got mad at King Boris, but I started crying the second he was gone. I didn't panic, though. I was just really upset…
"You were never a 'weak, pitiful little girl', Miss Elsa," Kai told her firmly. "A depressed, anxiety-ridden girl, yes, but those other things, absolutely not. I have no idea exactly how that serum affected you mentally, but whatever your dark side told you about your normal self is not true. We don't want to lose the sweet young lady we all love so much just as she is for an anger-prone, pardon the pun, cold, ice queen. I am NOT, however, saying that you should never get angry. That isn't good either."
"Wouldn't you like me better if I didn't cry and get upset so much?" Elsa asked hopefully.
Kai said nothing for a moment and just gave her a hug, not particularly caring if he was supposed to do that or not. Is that what this is about? Seriously?! "No, I would not, because people who genuinely love you will love you just the way you are," Kai replied gently. "They won't try to change you."
"But Papa-"
"Queen Elsa, listen to me," Kai said firmly, looking Elsa right in the eyes. "That father of yours is not going to give you that love you want so badly no matter what you do, at least not right now. I do believe he cares about you, but he isn't going to love you unconditionally the way your little sister does, because he is prejudiced. You can't force yourself to be something you aren't."
"I did before!" Elsa protested. I'm just…terrified to do that again. I think I'd die. Literally.
"Did you really?" Kai asked, his harsh tone not matching the caring expression on his face. "You know as well as I do that concealing your powers was wrong. Your father abused you, Miss Elsa, and you know it. He locked you away and treated you like the dirt on the bottom of a shoe for years. You never fought back to speak of, either. It takes a different kind of strength and courage to deal with what you went through."
Elsa could only stare incredulously; she just couldn't see herself that way. She knew her magic was strong, but otherwise she didn't think that at all. "But I was terrified…all the time," she muttered finally. "And…a-and hurting…"
"That's exactly what courage is-strength in the face of pain or grief, or the ability to do something that frightens one," Kai replied quickly. "I know you think differently, Miss Elsa, but I know the real-you has never really changed, not even after all that time."
"Real-me?" Elsa asked, puzzled.
"Yes, the real-you," Kai repeated. "She may be so-called 'damaged', but she's the same person she's always been, and she's perfectly fine just the way she is. Don't let anything-not your father, not your enemies, not your own thoughts-tell you different."
Elsa made a face. "What if I don't like that person?"
"Then you had better learn to like her," Kai said matter-of-factly. "Your problem is not fear. Your problem is that you still inwardly treat yourself like garbage sometimes and therefore assume everyone else will too. Like this morning you went from being angry and defending your friend-a perfectly legitimate and reasonable response-to making yourself upset because you're worried that your father might have been willing to treat you the way King Boris was willing to treat his own daughter. Miss Elsa, please talk to someone about how you're feeling more. I know you don't like talking about such things, but maybe more talking would help. The new Elsa that gets angry easily isn't healthy any more than being scared of everything is, because she isn't you, either. Does that make sense?"
Elsa nodded. Thank you. A lot.
Kai gave her a reassuring smile and stood up. "Why don't you just sit for a few minutes and then have breakfast? I'll leave so you can have a bit of time by yourself.
"Okay. Thank you."
"Here's your breakfast, Miss Elsa," Gerda said a little while later. "Now I have a little job for you while you're eating, if you don't mind." Elsa actually smiled (she liked that Gerda would give her a 'job'), and Gerda handed her paper and a pen. "All right, I want you to write at least fifteen or twenty words or short phrases that you feel describe yourself. They can be good things, bad things, or just neutral. Whatever you like. Then in another column, I want the same number of things, but ones that describe your sister."
Elsa tilted her head to one side in confusion. Gerda wants me to describe Anna? Why? "What's this for?"
"You'll see."
Soon Elsa had finished her breakfast and Gerda's little assignment, and she bit her lip as she handed the paper to Gerda. What if she had put the wrong things down? Elsa watched Gerda's face closely while Gerda read what she'd written down. Gerda doesn't seem upset with me, anyways, she thought happily.
"Miss Elsa, look what you wrote here," Gerda said quietly a minute later. Gerda wasn't entirely pleased with what Elsa had chosen to put down-Elsa had put a few things about herself that weren't even true-but the main logic behind the experiment had worked. "You put 'loves Anna and rest of family and friends and country' in your column, and 'loves me and everyone else' in your sister's. You also put that you both like chocolate, and that you both enjoy chess and reading, and that you both enjoy playing with your magic together, among other things." Gerda paused and just gave the girl a hug. "I see a lot of exact opposites on here too. If I took the names off the columns, which girl would you think is better?"
Predictably enough Elsa pointed at Anna's list.
"And which one would you be more likely to walk up and talk to and make friends with?"
This time Elsa hesitated, but finally pointed at her own list, determined to be honest. She did not like just randomly walking up to people and talking to them, but she knew she would rather talk to a quiet girl she didn't know rather than a noisy, bouncy one like her baby sister. Plus that quiet girl probably wasn't good at talking and making friends, either.
"Which of them deserve nice things?"
Elsa immediately pointed at Anna's list again, her blue eyes clouding with tears.
"Then why did you pick the way you did on the second question?" Gerda asked gently. "If the girl described in your own column doesn't deserve nice things, why would you want to make friends with her?"
Elsa only shook her head and didn't answer. I don't know, really. I guess I was still seeing the two columns as Anna and me, not two random girls. If they were two random girls, I guess…I guess I'd probably have said both.
"I think you know why, Miss Elsa," Gerda told her as she gave Elsa's good hand a reassuring squeeze. "I have one more question for you: how do you think Anna would have answered?"
Now Elsa's expression brightened. She was positive she knew exactly what Anna would have said. "Me, both of us, both of us," she replied quickly.
"I think the correct answers should be both of you all the way through," Gerda replied with a smile, "although I do think you said exactly what your sister would have said. And we will know later, because I am going to give her the same assignment later today. Then the two of you can compare lists."
"Okay," Elsa replied agreeably. "And Gerda?"
Gerda just looked at her expectantly. "Yes?"
"May I please always have breakfast here in the kitchen from now on? It's…nice. And cozy. And if I'm already in here, I could help you some, too, like with cleaning up and everything. You always work so hard and I want to help repay the favor," Elsa explained.
"Miss Elsa, you are welcome to have meals here at the kitchen table whenever you like, but you do not have to help 'with cleaning up and everything'," Gerda said, frowning. "You pay me good money to work here. It's my job. To be honest I don't trust anyone else to make your food. With all the trouble we've had, I'd be worried someone might try to poison you or your sister. Also, there are other servants in this castle, as you know already-I just don't allow them in the kitchen. My domain, thank you very much."
Elsa stifled a giggle at that. "Gerda, if you don't mind, I'd really like to help if you'd let me," she said in her most serious voice. "I promise I'd do exactly what you tell me. Maybe I could set aside an hour every morning right before or after breakfast or something."
Gerda put her hands on her hips and stared at her. "You want to help scrub the floor and wash dishes?"
Elsa looked down at her broken fingers and made a face. I'd probably be mostly useless to Gerda right now. "Well, maybe not right now, but once my hand is better, yes," she answered.
"You'll mess up your nice clothes," Gerda pointed out, her resolve not to let Elsa help weakening.
"I'll wear an apron."
"If your daddy ever comes to visit and finds out, he's not going to like that…"
Now Elsa's expression darkened. "I don't care. If I'm the queen and I have absolute authority, then I can help in the kitchen if I want to," Elsa said, her voice suddenly stronger. "Gerda, I…I was going to let Papa take over my position temporarily," she started, but then Gerda interrupted her.
"Elsa Ingrid Nicoletta Grieg, that is the worst idea I've ever heard!" Gerda exclaimed. "Miss Elsa, let me tell you right now I will not respect that man as monarch of this country ever again. You are the reigning monarch of Arendelle, not him. I'll not have him hurting one of the little girls I had the privilege to help raise yet again, and that is exactly what will happen. I don't have any daughters of my own, but I love you and the princess like you were my own." She instinctively hugged Elsa close, suddenly feeling very protective of the girl. I will not let Elsa be hurt again if I can help it. I still remember how Elsa's parents treated her when she was just a baby, and I couldn't even really do anything about it…
"Gerda, you…y-you love me l-like…like I was yours?" Elsa heard herself say. While Elsa knew Gerda definitely loved and cared for her, it still seemed unbelievable to her that a grown-up could truly love her the way a good parent would. She didn't understand how Gerda could say such a thing. Wouldn't Gerda have wanted a normal child too?
Gerda's eyes filled with tears at the tone of Elsa's question. "Yes, Miss Elsa. I don't understand why that's so unbelievable." She doesn't even sound like she believes me. She sounds completely incredulous. Gerda remembered the way little eight-year-old Elsa had acted right after the accident. Trying to comfort twelve-year-old Elsa when her magic had abruptly grown much stronger very quickly. Stopping eighteen-year-old Elsa's suicide attempt. Gerda wondered what Elsa's parents would have done if they had been present when Elsa had tried that, and she held Elsa closer. They might have punished her for that…
"What would you have done with me after the accident?" Elsa asked curiously, half terrified of the answer Gerda might give her.
Gerda pursed her lips at that question. "Well, first I would have found out exactly what happened," she replied immediately. She mulled it over for a minute before continuing. "I'd probably have forbidden you two to play with your magic together except under strict supervision, at least until you were both older. If I had made the mistake of separating the two of you, I would certainly have let you both talk through the door, and after seeing keeping you isolated wasn't helpful in the least, I'd try something else. Perhaps no magic unless you were by yourself, but make sure you had time every day to go practice using it. I don't know. But I think most anything would have been better than what happened, Miss Elsa. I don't blame them for that first instinctive reaction, but I put full blame on them for not trying something else after a few days and it wasn't helping. There was also absolutely no reason why the two of you couldn't talk to each other through that door."
Elsa looked down at her hands, remembering the gloves. "What if, after all that trying, I still couldn't control it?" she asked quietly. "Would you have put gloves on me?"
"Miss Elsa, you're forgetting one thing. If you had been treated properly, you would have learned the key to controlling your powers much, much sooner," Gerda told her gently. "It never would have been such an issue in the first place." She carefully took Elsa's injured hand and held it up. "Does your magic feel like it wants to get out just because you can't use it with this hand, even if you wanted to?"
"No, it just feels…normal. It knows it can't get out that way because my hand is hurt."
"That's just it. I think your magic knows what to do automatically if you let it. It just doesn't like forced containment. The longer you forced it to stay inside, the harder it was to control. Not only were you growing up and your magic getting stronger, you were forcing years' worth of magic to remain contained…" Gerda's voice trailed off, realizing more implications of what she was saying. "Miss Elsa…you were forcing all of that power that let you freeze Arendelle last summer to stay inside you," she said quietly. "You just…I'm proud of you."
"For freezing my country?!" Elsa asked in surprise.
"No, no, no! You're much stronger than you or any of us give you credit for. Not your literal power magic-wise, Miss Elsa, but inside. Don't you understand? You didn't know it, but you loved Anna and the rest of Arendelle so much that you willed a tremendous amount of power not to explode everywhere…for thirteen years. Those 'power mistakes' you made so often in your room were a tiny pittance compared to how much magic you really have."
"5,800,000,000,000,000 joules," Elsa said softly, remembering the calculations she had made the day before. She tilted her head to one side in confusion. "If I have that much magic inside me, why don't I explode into a million pieces?"
Gerda couldn't help chuckling at Elsa's confused expression. "I don't know, Miss Elsa-you have magic inside you, not an explosive like dynamite. I doubt it obeys all of the ordinary laws of physics and the like."
"I know, but still!"
LATE THAT AFTERNOON…
"Again," Kristoff said firmly. "You're stronger than that, Elsa. Don't go easy on me or Anna because you're worried you'll hurt us. That's what we put on all the winter clothes for." He was trying to help Elsa be more comfortable using her magic, and in the process teach her some of the self-defense moves he had taught Anna. "Anna, come here, will ya? I want your sister to see something."
Elsa watched in surprise as her little sister got a knife away from Kristoff in a few seconds, tossed it away out of reach, and then had him on his knees a moment later. "But…you're going easy on Anna, right?" she asked Kristoff, not entirely understanding how Anna could have done that when she weighed less than half of what Kristoff did.
"We're practicing with a dull knife, yes, but that's it, Elsa," Kristoff replied honestly. "So in a real fight, you might end up with a cut on your arm or hand, but that's it. It has to do with leverage and playing up your strengths to your opponent's weaknesses. The knife scenario is pretty useless for you-you could just freeze the knife, obviously, but I just wanted you to see that someone else about your size can totally defend herself, even without magic." He rubbed his neck awkwardly, unsure how to word the rest of what he wanted to explain. "Anna told me what happened last night. You guys are both pretty girls, and that means you have to know how to fight. Period. Anna, you are physically stronger than Elsa is if she's not using her magic, so, Elsa, you can start by sparring with her. Since y'all are about the same size, I'm going to say the object is for one of you to get the other on her back."
Anna scowled. "What about Elsa's hand? She's already hurt, and that's not fair to her, and-"
"She might be hurt if she actually has to defend herself, too," Kristoff interrupted. "Just be careful with her left hand, that's all. It'll be fine. Don't go easy on her otherwise. Ready?"
Both girls nodded…and before Elsa could think, she was flat on her back on the soft snow 'mat' they were using to cushion falls. "That's no fair! I didn't even have time to do anything," Elsa protested, still not having any idea of what Anna had done. Anna is good! She totally could have fought better last night all by herself. She must have panicked and forgotten what to do or something.
Anna helped Elsa to her feet and quickly showed Elsa exactly what she had done. "I just swiped your feet from under you and pushed you over," she explained, showing Elsa in slow motion. "Stand like this," Anna added, trying to change Elsa's stance.
Elsa frowned and sighed in frustration. "I can't. My brace won't-"
"Can too," Kristoff said firmly, adjusting Elsa's position himself, which made Elsa flinch. "It doesn't have to be exactly like Anna's, Elsa. You just want a wider, more stable base, that's all. You two try again. You can use your magic this time, but you can't use it directly on Anna."
Elsa grinned. This time she merely iced the snowy 'mat' with her most slippery ice and Anna was instantly on the ground without Elsa having done anything. Anna huffed in annoyance but laughed good-naturedly when she saw Elsa's mischievous expression.
"Ok, let's try something else," Kristoff said now, still laughing. "Elsa, your new job is to get up from being pinned on the ground. Same magic rules-you can use it, but not directly on Anna." Kristoff knew quite well that Elsa probably would follow that rule more or less in a real fight because of how she hated hurting people with her powers, so he figured if Elsa could defend herself well following said rule, then she would be a hundred percent fine in a real fight since she wouldn't be quite so careful as she was with Anna.
Elsa's instinctive response was to simply drop the surface temperature of her skin so she was too cold to touch, but Anna was wearing winter clothes and so this didn't help. She just lay still for a few seconds, trying to think what to do, and Kristoff sighed. "Elsa, that's way, way too long," he said quietly. "Just try something."
"I can't! Anna pinned my hands," Elsa said helplessly. What on earth was she supposed to do? She tried to pull her hands free, but Anna's grip was firm, although Anna wasn't hurting her the least bit.
Kristoff told her what to do, and Elsa finally managed to free herself. "That's why, if at all possible, you never, never let yourself get pinned on the ground. It's easy to panic and it's difficult to fight back. Elsa, I know you don't want to do this to Anna, but you could have just tossed your opponent away from you with your magic, even with your hands pinned. The technique I showed you works, but using your magic is a hundred times better."
"And, this is something I stupidly forgot to do last night, but Kristoff said to yell 'Fire', not 'Help'," Anna put in. "I mean, you can fight back yourself, but still."
Elsa frowned, not understanding. "Why would you yell 'Fire' instead of 'Help'?" she asked curiously.
"Because, there's a chance the assailant might leave you alone if they think there's a fire, and also people are more likely to help stop a fire than help one person," Kristoff said flatly. "Trust me. I've seen it before. Experienced it too. Not now, but when I was a kid. Yelling 'Fire!' in a tavern sends everyone running out, even the ones trying to steal your bit of money." He shrugged. "That's just the way it is, I guess. Anyways. Oh yeah, one more thing…Elsa, you have got to learn to be willing to defend yourself, even if nobody else is in danger. Your guards are absolutely terrible. Last night was the umpteenth time somebody has gotten into yours or Anna's room."
Anna put her hands on her hips. "You were sleeping out in the stables last night with Sven, and you didn't hear anything," she pointed out.
"Yeah, because I'd like to think I don't have to be on edge every night when I sleep within the royal castle's walls!" Kristoff retorted. "It's ridiculous. If Elsa's guards were doing their jobs, she should never have to even try to fight with her magic. She's the queen. Her job is supposed to be Arendelle's politics government and paperwork stuff. Not fighting for her country or to defend herself or you."
The sisters exchanged glances but said nothing.
"And, how many royal young women like you guys do you think learn self-defense at all? Probably none, I'd guess, because you are supposed to have guards that do that for you!" Kristoff paused before adding a hurried, "Sorry, Q-Elsa, I know it's not really any of my business."
"I protected the walls and the castle itself with ice," Elsa said quietly after a moment. "It shouldn't happen again."
"Elsa, that's not my point. I don't think you should have had to do that in the first place. And it makes it look-at least to me-that you don't feel safe in your own home," Kristoff said slowly.
Elsa thought for a moment and then just covered her protective ice with ornate decorations and detailed spires on the roof, a bit like her own ice palace. "There. Now it just looks like I decided to decorate the castle," she said, smiling. Kristoff is right, though… "And…maybe I could hire more guards. And interview the ones we already have to make sure they're honest and know exactly what their responsibilities are." Elsa paused as a new idea popped into her head. Everyone keeps telling me it's okay to ask for help, so… "Kristoff, I should like for you to do the interviews, if you're willing. Anna will help you. I don't think I should do them, and…a-and I don't like talking to lots of people anyways."
Kristoff blushed, flattered that Elsa would be willing to trust him with an important job like that. "Well, I, uh…you know, wouldn't know how to hold interviews," he said awkwardly. "But thanks all the same."
"Kai will help you two if you need it," Elsa told him and Anna.
"Thanks, Elsa."
A minute later, the three of them were startled by a girl with curly red hair walking toward them. "Queen Elsa? I'm the girl that, um, tried to kidnap you the other day. You promised to help me find and rescue my little brothers if I helped you get Princess Anna back," the girl said in her accented English, dropping an awkward curtsy at Elsa. "Oh, and give you all the information I have about the terrorists. Your guard at the gate let me in," she added, wanting Elsa to know that she had not broken in, not that it would have been possible to scale the slippery ice anyway.
Elsa nodded. "Of course. Shall we head inside?"
Elsa took the girl to the dining hall and asked Anna to bring back some snack-food of some kind. "Cookies and milk or something," Elsa suggested. Then she turned attention back to…Meri. That was the girl's name, Elsa remembered now.
"Ok, so, first of all, the terrorist people think I'm still working for them," Meri began. She quickly explained to Elsa what she had done: convinced them that she could befriend Elsa to get information from her, when really, she would give Elsa information about the terrorists instead. "This way I can get us into their secret headquarters without having to fight our way in," Meri explained, a proud edge to her voice.
"Us?" Elsa asked pointedly. "And how do I know that, as a double agent, you won't betray me? Because that is exactly what a double agent does-betrays both sides."
"Because I want you to help my little brothers, and you won't if I do that," Meri replied honestly, looking Elsa right in the face. She kind of thought Elsa was a bit too much of a prim and proper prissy type, what with wearing that sparkly blue dress for everyday and just the way she acted (Elsa was clearly a girly girl in Meri's mind). But she had seen Elsa fight back with her magic. That definitely did not fit those prim and proper prissy ideas she had. And, Meri thought to herself, eyeing the bandage on Elsa's temple where she'd knocked herself out, some annoying Miss Priss wouldn't have gotten into a situation where she would have gotten hurt in the first place.
"I see," Elsa replied cryptically, although she gave the younger girl a friendly smile. "What did you mean by 'us'?" she asked again. Elsa had the feeling that Meri was profiling her in a way, which made Elsa a bit uncomfortable, but she was determined not to show it.
"This," Meri replied, pushing a folded-up paper across the table to Elsa. "That's the complete floor plan of their headquarters. Queen Elsa, you have some friends in the States that have been taken hostage. They're being held here," she said pointing at a certain spot on the floor plan. "I think one of them would know where my brothers are. Also, you made a giant mess with your magic while you were under that serum's effects. There's unseasonable winter weather all over the place outside Arendelle. You only left Corona and the Southern Isles alone."
Elsa was taken aback by this, but she managed to keep her expression neutral. "I did what?"
"You made it snow. Over a foot of it. In Florida."
Elsa frowned, trying to remember just where that was. That's a long ways south from here. It should be warm there most of the year…
"And, there's a snow monster stealing little kids from abusive homes," Meri went on. "Look." She pulled a cell phone out of her pocket and pulled up a news article on the internet so she could prove what she'd just said was true. After Elsa had read it, Meri put it away and added, "I think I like the dark version of you. She's pretty badass." Her eyes sparkled as she asked, "Are you going to take over or something? I'll bet you could do that without even leaving Arendelle!"
Elsa ignored this, but she bit her lip as she realized something else. "What about Weselton?" she asked quietly. My parents are there, and if I meddled with the weather there, Papa is going to be so angry with me.
"All snowed in. And the U.S. is going to invade in a couple days. We've got to fix everything before then if you don't want that to happen." Meri paused, realizing that Elsa might have still had that neutral expression on her face, but she was clearly upset. She doesn't want to take over anything. She just wants her own country safe, that's all. "Queen Elsa, you can just reverse all the winter weather, right? I mean, you thawed Arendelle last year, didn't you?"
"Jeg har virkelig gjort det denne gangen... jeg gjorde et stort rot av alt," Elsa mumbled, lapsing into her native Norwegian as she looked down at her hands. I've really done it this time. I made a huge, huge mess of everything. Her blue eyes shone with unshed tears as she looked up at Meri and tried her best to blink the tears away. "What do you know of what they want?" Elsa asked, abruptly switching back to English, using the dignified voice she reserved only for situations where emotions needed to remain hidden.
Meri frowned. "One of the members of the terrorist group is close to the president and convinced him it was a good idea. Both sides want you for experimental purposes, and at this point, if you don't come willingly, they'll capture you instead. The president because of the winter mess you made, and the terrorists because they just don't care. They need you alive, but otherwise they don't care. They would hurt you, but they won't kill you."
"How do they intend to do that since they already know what I can do?" Elsa asked, her voice tense. "I do not like to fight, but if my people are in danger, I will."
"They were after your sister last night. If they had succeeded, that's how they would have captured you. All they have to do is take her away from here without you knowing where, threaten her life, and everyone knows you'll do anything they want," Meri said slowly. She had no wish to see an angry Elsa again. Normal Elsa seemed nice, but she knew pushing Elsa's buttons could only lead to trouble.
"Well, they failed," Elsa shot back, frost crackling under her good hand resting on the table.
Meri nodded. "I know. So, alternate plan: catch the queen unawares when she is alone outside the castle and take her back to headquarters. That is supposed to be my job." She dug in her large bag for a moment and pulled out a strange box that Elsa eyed warily. "These are made from a composite material that's strong and extra resistant to extreme cold. I, um…helped come up with 'em. Now I hope they don't work…"
"Hope what doesn't work?" Elsa's tone was sharp; she involuntarily flinched backwards when Meri opened the box even though she knew quite well what those things were. "Those look like a modern technology torture device," she said softly. "I can indeed break out of metal shackles easily, but I've never seen anything like those in my life." Elsa, just shut up. You know Meri's trying to help, but there's no need to appear emotional in front of her. You don't know her well enough yet.
"That's because that's…kind of what they are," Meri replied, shifting in her seat uncomfortably. "I'm positive your magic carries a sort of electrical energy somehow. If you tried to use your magic with them on, you'll charge the internal power source and they'll deliver a painful electrical burn. If they work. You can't 'turn them off', really, either."
Elsa's blue eyes had gone wide in fright, and she was trying her best not to start shaking. All she could think of was how Jade had burned her hands those months ago. That had hurt. At least no one was trying to poison Anna this time. I have to stay calm. What did I expect? These are terrorists-they don't care about hurting people. I imagine they assume they need me injured anyways and would want to keep me that way as long as it didn't kill me. So just…calm down, Elsa. "Why are you showing me those…things?" she asked finally.
"Because if we're going to get into their headquarters, my plan was to-"
"Feign capturing me," Elsa finished, easily understanding. "Which means you were probably supposed to put those horrid things on me, and we need to know if I can break out of them. Correct?" When Meri nodded, Elsa sat back in resignation and gave a deep sigh. "This means I have to try right now, doesn't it," she said. It was not a question. "All right, very well. But I want someone else in the room when I try that." Elsa's hunch said that Meri was trustworthy, but a bit of her was still hesitant to do that, and she was also scared that her magic really was strong enough to break out of those things but that she'd freak out and not be able to.
"When you try what?" Anna asked curiously as she walked in the Gerda right behind her. "Sorry we took so long with the cookies and milk, I was eating a couple myself and then I saw Olaf for the first time in I don't know how long and…ok, I'll shush now." She looked at Elsa expectantly.
"When I try to break out of those," Elsa replied, still staring at what lay in that box. She took a deep breath before saying quickly, "Okay, I will try right now. Before I change my mind."
Elsa sat very, very still while Meri fastened the device on her good hand. The only reason she didn't get out of there as fast as she could go was Anna's comforting presence right beside her. She could feel Anna's gentle hold on her injured hand, and that made her feel better. If this did go wrong, Anna was right there and so was Gerda. So there. I can do this. I just have to get it off-send the whole thing near absolute zero-before it can shock me. Right?
"Ok, it's ready," Meri said hesitantly. "Don't worry about ruining it-there's another pair if this actually works and we go through with the plan." She pushed the other one closer to the older girl so she could see exactly what it looked like inside, figuring that might help her figure out how to break out of it.
Elsa took a quick glance and then sighed, concentrating hard on what she wanted to do. She clutched Anna's hand as best she could and took another few deep breaths and closed her eyes. Okay, Elsa. No literal ice shooting. You have to instantaneously drop the thing's temperature, through and through. You have to direct your magic mentally, not merely with your hand. "Here goes," she murmured to herself…and all at once she felt a horrible burning sensation and instinctively tried to shake her arm free. "Get it off, get it off! Please," she exclaimed miserably. It's NOT Jade burning you, Elsa! It's not. Not, not not. Elsa scrunched her eyes shut tighter and hid her face in Anna's shoulder, her body trembling as she tried not to panic.
Anna sent Meri a scathing look and just hugged Elsa close, knowing Elsa was oblivious to the fact that she had already gotten it off herself. "Elsa, just breathe," she said quietly in Elsa's ear so only Elsa could hear. "You got it off yourself already."
Elsa nodded slightly, but she didn't move otherwise. Anna is holding me. Anna did not hurt me, she reminded herself. After a minute or two, she finally collected herself completely and looked up at Meri. "Do excuse my outburst. I believe I will simply coat the inside of those horrid things with ice before they're put on and someone else will have to take them off if we use this plan," Elsa said firmly. I am not risking freaking out like that in a place where we're all in danger. She narrowed her eyes as she glanced from Anna to Meri and back again. "And I know who will go with me. You," Elsa added, nodding at her sister.
Meri sat back in her chair feeling stung, but she couldn't really blame Elsa for not completely trusting her, either. Except… "Queen Elsa, how's that going to work? They all know what Princess Anna looks like…"
Now Elsa grinned, her terror from that awful experiment completely gone. "You two will switch places. With a change of clothes and some careful makeup and hair fixing, I think it could work. We'll have to try it beforehand, of course, but I think it'll work perfectly."
Gerda frowned from her spot where she'd simply been standing behind Elsa. "If I may add something…I think you girls could certainly pull off a stunt like that, but it's very risky. None of you can be seen as yourselves-or switched selves-until you're near wherever those headquarters are."
"Philadelphia," Meri said helpfully.
"Well, I don't know where that is," Gerda went on, "but I think the three of you may want a second disguise and cover story while you are traveling there. Not only do you have the terrorists out there, I'll bet the genuine United States government is out to get Queen Elsa if her dark side did anything with her magic outside Arendelle. She is a target."
"According to Meri, I made a rather large…mess, to say the least," Elsa said softly.
Gerda gave Elsa's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Well then. Disguises and cover story it is, if I may suggest so."
Elsa smiled a bit and nodded. "Anna, would you please take Meri upstairs? Take one guard with you as well." To Meri she said, "I do believe you do not mean us any harm, but I can't take any chances, either. You will have an escort at all times, but otherwise you will be treated as our guest." That's fair, I think. She hesitated before adding, "I do not like invading people's privacy, so I will not go through your bag, but you will have to leave it here, please." Elsa noticed Meri about to protest, so she quickly added, "Or you can let Princess Anna go through it once you two are upstairs. Whichever you prefer."
Meri shrugged. "She can go through it if you want her to. I just wanted the rest of my clothes out of it."
The fact that Meri didn't care if she or Anna looked through it only confirmed Elsa's feeling that everything was fine, but Elsa just nodded. "All right then."
The second Anna and Meri were gone, Gerda took Elsa's good hand to make sure she was all right from breaking out of that weird device. "That awful thing burned you a bit," Gerda scolded, almost as if it might be Elsa's fault. "You come with me, Miss Elsa. I want to put something on that for you."
Elsa willingly followed Gerda to her (Gerda's) room, but she did say, "Gerda, I'm okay, really. I just…got scared, that's all. But I'm all right now." She held out her snowflake to prove her point that yes, her hand was fine and she could use her magic just like always.
"Maybe so, but it won't hurt to put some soothing lotion on it, either. Miss Elsa, there's something else I just thought of. It's going to be difficult to disguise you well enough that no one knows who you are. At this point, I think everyone knows exactly what you look like. And…" Gerda hesitated, not wanting to make Elsa upset.
"And I can't hide my brace because I can't walk without it," Elsa finished, easily knowing exactly what the issue was. She sat down in the chair Gerda pulled out for her and just watched in silence while Gerda gently put the lotion on her hand. "That actually does feel better," she admitted. "Thank you."
"Well, it's significantly better, though," Gerda reminded her. "I know you don't feel comfortable even trying yet, but I really think you could probably walk without it if someone helps you, at least short distances."
"In a couple of days?" Elsa was dubious at that idea; even if she could do that-and she really, really didn't think she could anyways-there was no way she would be comfortable enough doing that soon enough.
Gerda sighed. "Probably not, but that is not the only thing I was about to say, either. Miss Elsa, I may not know much about international law, but I'll bet that sneaking into another country's intelligence agency, even if it has been infiltrated by bad people, is not generally accepted. You're leaving yourself open to be accused of being a vigilante. You also 'made a mess' with your magic, too. Since you were angry and…not yourself when you did that, I'll bet there's significant property damage." She paused, wondering what else she could say that would actually help and not just make Elsa upset. "I will support you no matter what you decide to do, but technically your United States friends are not your country's citizens. You don't have any legal rights to just go rescue them, I don't think…"
Elsa scowled. "If their police and other legal authorities aren't going to save them, someone has to," she said firmly. "I can't just sit here and do nothing!"
"They are bait and you darn well know it, Miss Elsa," Gerda shot back as firmly as she dared. "You have to think of yourself some time. If we lose you-or if you hand yourself over for any reason-Arendelle is in a lot of trouble." Her voice softened when she saw Elsa's stricken expression. "I'm sorry, Miss Elsa. I just don't want to see you hurt again. Those terrorists may not want to kill you, but they can't control you without hurting you. Whether that be physically or breaking your spirit. And they have to control you to use you for whatever schemes they have in mind."
Elsa was quiet for a minute as she mulled over what Gerda had just told her. Gerda has a point, but…I can't not help. I have to at least try, don't I? And if I caused property damage by whatever my magic did when I was under the influence of that serum, innocent U.S. citizens could have been hurt. What then? "I…I'm, that is…I think I need to talk to Kai. I'd appreciate it very much if you'd come with me," she said finally. Kai had assisted her father since before she was born; he would know what to do. "We'll talk in the library."
A/N: And their plans are underway.:)
As a side note, I don't speak Norwegian, so I use a translator for Norwegian words/phrases if need be. If the grammar is all wrong, I am very sorry.:) Also, when in doubt, if our MCs are in Arendelle, they are supposed to be speaking Norwegian. Obviously Elsa and her family would not be speaking English when they are at home, lol.:) Elsa may be fluent in multiple languages, but there is no reason for her to not speak her native language unless she has to (hence why she speaks English to Meri, but switched back to Norwegian when she talked to herself for a moment).
A special thank-you to raven678 for pointing out that our gang really needs to figure out why intruders keep getting into the castle. (Of course, the real reason is that All Police/Guard Figures Are Incompetent In Books And Movies, right? Okay, lousy joke.:)) Anyways, it will not be happening anymore-at least not so easily.:))
And a special note on the last chapter...that insane figure that Elsa comes up with for how much energy it took for her to freeze everything is based on calculations a physics student named Aaron Goldberg made to figure it out. To quote, 'This amount is equivalent to the energy released by the Hiroshima nuclear bomb 115 times over, or that released by 63 Nagasaki nuclear bombs. This immense number puts Elsa's power into perspective, implying either that the Snow Queen has enormous strength, or that Disney underestimated the ramifications of their animated fantasy.' Which is kind of 'yikes!' but crazy awesome.:) Just put "Elsa's powers physics" in the search engine and it should be the first or second result. It's very cool.:)
Next chapter coming soon!