Grey slate arched high above the fjord, its murky blackness stark against the brilliance of the white snow. A melancholy wind howled through the streets, biting and chafing at the faces of the townsfolk, bellowing down the wide streets of the city. hugh above them on the moors, the wind whipped and whistled like a wounded bird crying for the release of death. The windows crackled and creaked with the ice forming around them, shards of icy crystals contorting up the panes. Elsa gazed out at the benign shards, tracing with one hand their steady progression upwards ehilst the other clutched the already ragged penguin doll. Her white hair blended in with the bleakness of the outside, its wild and furious gale rattling the tower she liked to hide in. Her solemn gaze met the town, eyes falling on an abandoned cart jn the middle of the square, now half buried in the snow. The cold seeped into her bones once again but she seldom shivered, instead enjoying the cold as a sort of abstract companion in the tumultuous storm.
"Elsa get away from there, you'll catch your death!" a warm voice half shouted. Gerda came behind the princess and scooped her up into her arms, cradling her as though to protect her from the fury beyond the window.
"But I was just following the snowflakes" she protested, but didnt wriggle out of the maid's warm grasp.
"I know your highness but we wouldn't want you catching a fever would we?" She lowered the young princess down onto the floor, her already long platinum hair barely reaching the older woman's waist. "Come now.." she bent down to whisper to the girl. "I heard there is some chocolate left unattended in the library" at this the girl's face lit up and she ran away from the maid; who laughed easily behind her.
XXX
"Your majesty we must build up our forces; we cannot let the southern isles throw their weight around like this!" Lord Nilsen shouted at the cabinet meeting, slamming his fist down on the desk as though that would articulate his point any greater. "We must hope for the best yet prepare for the worst."
"I understand Lord Nilsen how distressing this may be, but I remember the last time we built up our forces and involved ourselves in a conflict that wasnt ours to begin with." the bitterness in his voice made the lord sit back down, a slapped expression on his face. "I remember very clearly how it was, I remember the rotting bodies in the mud, the mangled bodies in the field and I sure as hell remember the taste of the brains of the man I front of me just as he got shot!" Agnarr raised his voice, eyes black with a sorrowful rage. "Do not come to this council telling me of a war that we might to be part of because I can assure you Arendelle will not fight again; not for conquest, glory or honour. If any of them exist anyway." He rubbed his moustache pensively. "We will not fight in a war that is not ours. We will not sign up to be in a war that is not ours. We will not agree to make an alliance for a war that is not ours. We will not build up our forces for a war that is not ours. Unless there is a direct invasion of Arendelle we will not build up our forces. Have I made myself clear?" the silent council chamber was all the answer he needed. "You are dismissed" the council simultaneously got up from their chairs and left silently; saving the muttering until they were out of earshot from the king. A quiet knock on the door made him ease off the tables, only then noticing his white knuckles.
The sight of Iduna soothed him.
She stood regally in the door frame, chin tipped high and arms outstretched with a little scroll of parchment. In a very posh voice she announced.
"Her highness Princess Elsa of Arendelle, hereby challenges you to a test of whit and tactics on the battlefield of chess. The battle will commence at 3PM after biscuits and tea and will be fought until tea." Iduna broke into a smile as she read out her young daughter's messy handwriting, a warmth filling her chest as she saw Agnare break into a bright smile too.
"Tell her I accept, and that her highness can expect the full might of the Arendellian army on the battlefield" He grimaced, thoughts glancing back to the meeting and then to the outburst and then to the field and then to the impervious moon that highlighted the...
No
It was in the past.
He wasn't going to think about it.
He forced a smile and sent a warm look to Iduna who saw the momentary grimace and flicker of pain. "Tell her I'd love to play with her" He walked past Iduna, ignoring her accusatory looks at him, filled with a pity he didnt want.
She chased after him.
"Agnarr wait!" She grasped on his shoulder. "Something's bothering you I can tell."
"It's nothing" Another pointed look from Iduna "Just bad memories" he resigned, resting on a windowsill as he looked at the blank canvas of the storm on the other side if the glass.
"You promised me you would talk to me whenever you felt like that Agnarr" she sounded more hurt than angry. "Let me help you"
"The war's over. It's in the past." He clasped her hands and silenced the coming protest with a finger on her lips. "Don't worry I was just over reacting. What would help is for you to entertain our little queen in the library for a while whilst I get the chess set from upstairs." he squeezed her hands tenderly, pressing a warm kiss to her forehead. "The past cannot hurt you" he shouted as he walked away.
"But memories of it can" she shouted back, their eyes locked again and between each other they saw the hurt the other was carrying with them. They walked away from the hallway turned battlefield.
XXX
Three hours into their chess game Agnarr and Elsa had yet to crack each other. Each of his offensives were countered perfectly by Elsa and each of her offences in turn were mopped up by Agnarr's queen. Gerda had knocked on the library door asking for if they would like dinner but the focused silence she was met with said enough. More hours went by and soon Elsa's eyelids began to droop. Agnarr moved forward his bishop and the half asleep Elsa lit up, eyes wide with astonishment. in a quick and sharp move she placed her night in line with the king.
"Checkmate" she shouted, jumping up on the chair and cheering loudly, the clock chimed 9 times in the corner.
"You've learnt quickly" he said, eyes unflinching from the board. "but not quick enough" he moved a rook and took the offending night; leaving a clear line to her king. He observed the board again beneath a now silent Elsa, before he nodded in approval. "Checkmate". Groans and protests came from an indignant elsa; her blue eyes darting to and fro from the pieces in the board.
"Little one I didnt say you weren't good. you've learnt quickly." he got down to her level taking her little hand in his. "What did you learn in this game?" he asked, ruffling her silvery locks.
"Never get ahead if yourself" she muttered, cheeks rosy in embarrassment from the defeat.
"And that is a very hard lesson for many little petal. But if you have learnt it well enough here it will serve you well when you are queen" he pressed a kiss to her forehead and scooped her up in his arms, giggles filling the room with brightness again. "Come now, or mama will be upset that we've been up for so late." her pleading blue eyes made him melt."No, no chocolate detours this late at night" her deep sapphire eyes pleaded some more. "Okay, but one hot chocolate with lots of milk, no actual chocolate"
XXX
The father and daughter pair wandered up the halls. Elsa rested a mug of hot chocolate precariously on the crown of his head, her legs draped around his neck as he walked as calmly as possible to avoid any painful spillage.
"When will I have a sister?" elsa asked, out of the blue. Agnarr froze, stood still in the middle of the hallway.
"Why do you ask?" he treaded carefully.
"I would like one. I would look after her very well!" she nodded enthusiastically as he cranked his head to meet her gaze.
He sighed and scrunched his brow "I am certain you would little petal, but babies are noisy and loud and they can't play for quite a while after they are born" he hunched her up on his shoulder a bit more as they entered the family bedroom. Iduna had been placing by the fire, her hands clasped around her stomach. They grasped into her lilac dress when the two entered the room. Agnarr placed Elsa down into her little bed by the fireplace, carefully extracting the empty mug if chocolate and placing it by her bedside table.
"I know that papa, but I've always wanted a little sister and I would like to look after her"
"What if it was a little brother?"
"I would love him just as much!" Elsa happily exclaimed, throwing her arms out as if to show her father just how much she would love them.
"Well little one, it looks like your wish may be granted after all" her mother spoke softly, rubbing Agnarr's back whilst his face blanched, head whipping round to meet her gaze. "I'm pregnant" she whispered to him, just loud enough so that he could hear. They turned back to tell Elsa but found her snoring lightly in the tiny carved bed.
"But... how?" Iduna lowered her face into her hand and sighed. "Well obviously that's how but when did you find out?"
"I missed my monthly two weeks ago but I just went to the doctors this evening. I was waiting to tell you this evening but you and Elsa were playing chess."
"I'm going to be a dad again" he whispered, eyes filled with tears.
"And I a mother" she replied, nuzzling into him.
xxx
I know its shorter but I have to write it on my phone so apologies for bad grammar etc. I cant help it. Also o can only write so much before I go insane with the awful iser interface on my phone so that's why its shorter. Short but sweet eh?
