Elsa slows her steps as she walks past a majestic wych elm. She stops, touching it with reverence. And she remembers.
Peals of laughter could be heard in the forest. "Hey! No ice magic!" shouted Anna from below. "She's such a stinker!"
It was a beautiful morning. Elsa and Anna and Alexander were climbing, racing to the top. The Crown Princess of Arendelle had no intention of not getting to the top first. The chief threat was Anna: she was a real monkey, even at the age of four. So as she climbed, Elsa surreptitiously slicked the trunk and branches with frost, slowing the other children down.
Alexander was close—almost able to reach the hem of Elsa's dress; but not quite. He lost his footing on the frost, and by the time he had regained his balance he was staring up at a triumphant Elsa smiling from the top. The children started shimmying down the tree in turn.
"You can't add rules once the race begins," said Elsa, making her way down. "Rules are to be followed. Or we could say climbers should not have dark hair after the fact."
The boy stepped back, watching Elsa. She could almost hear the wheels turning in his head, preparing to deploy a scintillating retort to the "dark hair" comment, when she slipped. She hit the ground with a shriek.
Alexander was at her side in a flash. "My lady," he said in shock. It was a customary form of address that he used for Elsa, even as a child. Her ankle began swelling. He removed her shoe, and swept her up into his arms. She could see that he was trying to appear calm, but even through the pain she could detect his alarm and worry.
He carried her the whole way back to Arendelle Castle. It was a long walk from the wych elm, and Elsa could see him strain. But he refused to put her down. And he would not accept Princess Anna's offer of waiting while she got help.
For the next while, Alexander visited Elsa every day as she reclined in her chambers with her leg elevated. He would bring her bouquets of flowers from the forest. He would read to her, fairytales and mythology mostly, usually of magical and courageous princesses who never had need of rescue.
"Sometimes, our playmates turn out differently than we expect," she says. She laughs to herself in the forest, and walks on.