It was the evening before the Winter Solstice; the evening before Elsa's birthday. Anna entered the library and found Alexander sitting at the map table, curling a fine silk ribbon.
"What, Alexander, is that?" asked Anna.
Alexander started to stand, but Anna made him sit with a wave of her hand. "You don't have to bow to me every time I enter a room. I'm not that princess, remember?" she said, sitting on the floor at the low table.
He looked at her quizzically. "Your Highness," was all he said in response.
"So?" she said. "What is it?"
"I'd prefer it to be a surprise," said Alexander, clipping the tips of the ribbon just so. Not that anyone would notice, but he was scalloping the ribbon in imitation of the pointed ends of the sleeves of Elsa's ice gown.
"Perhaps, you can help me wrap this," she said, with a conspiratorial tone in her voice. And she took from beneath her skirts a beautifully fringed burgundy shawl.
"Princess Anna, I don't believe it," said Alexander, his eyes wide. "I remember your mother wearing it! I even remember her wrapping me in it once when I skinned my knee!" He looked carefully at the pattern running along its edge.
Anna sighed. "It's not mama's. I had it made in imitation of the shawl mother had though. I know Elsa will remember it too." Anna spread out some wrapping paper, laid the shawl on top, and started to wrap.
"A marvellous and thoughtful gift, Your Highness," said Alexander. "Being like your mother's and coming from you, it will be very meaningful to your sister."
Anna worked in silence for a while. And then, almost as if it were an afterthought, said, "Alexander, do you know if the council has noticed your affection for the queen?"
Alexander knew indirection and afterthoughts were not Anna's style. He suspected hard questions were on the horizon. He could have made up some duty that needed to be attended to; but he wanted so badly to talk about Elsa with another person. Talking with Olaf could be insightful, but Alexander could not guarantee Olaf's confidence. Talking with Kristoff could also be insightful, but Kristoff would give advice, when most of the time Alexander just wanted the pleasure of bringing Elsa to mind. Talking with Sven was entirely confidential, but possessed somewhat less insight. And so that left Anna as Alexander's best option. But talking about Elsa with Anna was something of a full contact sport, metaphorically speaking.
"I do not believe so, Your Highness," said Alexander. "I have tried my best not to be obvious."
"I assure you, they will, if they have not already," Anna said. Then she frowned and fixed Alexander with her gaze. "Do you not realise what a big deal this is? I dare say, you seem to be thawing her heart, which I have long thought was deep in a glacier somewhere."
Alexander just nodded. What could he say? It is an incomparable honour every time your sister turns her eyes towards me? For the woman I so irretrievably love to let me be in her presence? — that was what he thought.
"No, this won't do," said Anna, changing tacks. "I'm afraid for her."
"Afraid in what way, Your Highness?" asked Alexander.
"I'm afraid she's going to get hurt," said Anna. "Elsa has had to suppress her emotions for thirteen years. She finally opens up a little, and here you are, head over heels in love with—." Anna broke off what she was saying and tilted her head. "Alexander. Are you cutting the ends of the ribbons on your present to imitate the sleeves on her ice gown?"
Alexander could not suppress a look of surprise at Anna's last comment. It was just a thin ribbon. How had she known that was what he was thinking?
"That's it, isn't it?" she said, laughing, and his reaction told her all she needed to know. She was very pleased with herself. "Don't think that little detail escaped my attention. Look. Elsa's naïve and innocent. And I don't want her to go through what I went through. Elsa deserves so much better."
Alexander looked up with a start and felt his blood run cold. Was Anna actually comparing him to Hans? Surely not. Was she pointing out his failure? Alexander was generally not in favour of capital punishment, but he would have made an exception for Hans of the Southern Isles. He could barely conceive of a greater blackguard. He felt his chest tighten.
"Princess Anna, I am so sorry that Hans did what he did," said Alexander. "I cannot quite forgive myself that it happened. Believe me when I say that I would visit nothing of the sort on Queen Elsa."
"What, you mean try to chop off her head? I should hope not!" said Anna.
Alexander winced. "What I mean, Anna, is that your sister's happiness means the world to me. The past few weeks have been more magical than I could ever have imagined. I love her, Princess Anna. I love everything about her. I love her stubborn nobility. I love her quirky smile when she only half gets a joke; the way her hair shines in the sun; the way she folds her hands in front of her when she feels self-conscious; the way she puts her hand over her mouth and giggles when something strikes her as funny; the way she furrows her brow just slightly when she is frustrated but doesn't want to show it; the way she fondles her braid to when she's trying to flirt."
"See!" said Anna. "That's the sort of thing she needs to hear. She needs to know you see her as human. Everyone treats her either like a goddess or a monster. But when we were little, she was so very human. So very fun, and mischievous, and clever! She's not perfect, you know."
"There's a crack in everything, Princess Anna," said Alexander. "It's how the light gets in. Be assured, Princess Anna, I shall never hurt her."
Anna rolled her eyes and threw back her head with a groan. "Alexander, I'm not worried that you are going to hurt Elsa. I am worried that she will push you away and you won't have the good sense to fight for her." Anna crossed her arms. "Will you fight for her, even if she pushes you away?"
Alexander looked at Anna without saying anything, so Anna answered her own question. "No, I see you don't have it in you," said the princess, pursing her lips. "You are too refined. Too much concerned with protocol. If she pushes you away, you will probably resign your position and leave Arendelle, and tell yourself you do so, so that she is not uncomfortable."
"What do you want me to say, Your Highness?" said Alexander, in a voice somewhat louder than he had intended, and somewhat irritated. "Yes, she's worth fighting for! For her happiness, I would endure forty days and forty nights. For her happiness, I would slay dragons. If she's not worth fighting for, there is nobody who is!"
"Better," she said, smiling.
"I told your sister that I would love her for as long as she would let me and—," said Alexander.
"I know," said Anna, cutting him off and rolling her eyes.
"Your Highness," he said, "what I mean to say is this. When your sister said that to me, it struck me as one of the most Elsa-like, most wonderful things I have ever heard." There was a softness and almost wonder to his voice, and Anna could see a tear in his eye. "At that moment, I adored her so much. And I loved her all the more for the way she answered. It was meaningful to me."
Alexander looked away, not wanting to let the princess see the emotion in his face. "Much better," she said.
He cleared his throat and straightened his back, trying to regain his composure after such an admission. "Do not worry, Your Highness. I shall not give up on Queen Elsa. I will fight for her with my whole being, if she lets me. She is my one true love."
It was clear to Alexander that Elsa and Anna had talked. Part of him wanted to know what they had said to each other; another part did not. He wanted to ask, but he could not bring himself to do so.
Anna continued wrapping for a while is silence. Then she said, without looking at him, "Alexander, do you desire the queen?" Anna said.
"What?" said Alexander, turning to Anna as she sat on the floor.
The princess did not remove her eyes from her wrapping. "The queen," she said. "Do you desire her?"
Alexander took a deep breath. How should one answer that question? Anna stopped what she was doing and looked at Alexander. "Yes, Your Highness," said Alexander. "Very deeply."
"Do you have—any experience in such matters?" she asked.
Alexander hesitated, and then sighed. "No, Princess Anna," he said.
Anna knew that Alexander was considered handsome, and eligible. But she also knew it was quite common for men to have intimate experiences when they were younger than he was now. It was a gendered asymmetry that did not sit well with her. When he admitted to having no experience, her impish side wanted to ask him whether he hunted unicorns; but she decided against it.
"So you are saving yourself. For marriage," said Anna, folding her hands on her lap.
"No, Princess Anna," he said.
"For what then?" she asked, puzzled.
"I am saving myself. For her," he said.
Anna furrowed her brow and opened her mouth, but no sound came out. The depth of Alexander's wholeheartedness and commitment to Elsa surprised her. And she felt a warmth towards Alexander that she had not felt before. At that moment, what seemed like harmless intrigue and romantic fun flipped for her and became serious. She wanted to help Alexander win her sister's heart, frozen though it be, if only Elsa would have him.
"Some help," said Anna, tying the ribbon on Elsa's present. Alexander walked over, and put his finger on the ribbon. Anna made a bow. Then she put her warm hand over his, smiled, and said, "Good."
Alexander was up in the small hours of the morning. It was the Winter Solstice, and it was Elsa's birthday. Arendelle was so far north, the sun would only be a sliver of light at the horizon. But Arendelle was not dark. Lamps and wreathes and decorations brightened every corner of the kingdom. And for Alexander, whose thoughts were focussed on Elsa, she burned so brightly in his mind that it might as well have been midsummer.
Alexander knew to defer to Anna on the solstice. It was in some ways for the princess as well. This was only Elsa's second birthday since her isolation had ended; only the second since princess and queen had come together. Still, Alexander was restless with excitement. He had opened Elsa's gift twice since wrapping it yesterday just to look at it; and two times he had to wrap it up again.
Anna was up, too; uncharacteristically for her. She had been planning a perfect breakfast for Elsa. She had asked that Chef divert some of the chocolate that was destined to be a chocolate snowflake, so that it might be drizzled over Elsa's fresh croissants that just arrived from France. Anna had picked out a black leaf tea with a lavender infusion, intending the flavouring of the tea to complement the lavender note in the chocolate.
Anna followed Gerda to Elsa's chamber. As soon as Elsa bid them enter, Anna ran over to Elsa's bed and hugged her sister. "Happy Birthday Elsa!" said Anna, unceremoniously dragging her sister over to the chocolate croissants that Gerda had set out. Elsa was unsure about adding chocolate to bread; unsure, that is, until she took a bite and discovered that pain au chocolat was amazing!
Gerda, for her part, made sure Elsa's breakfast tray contained a specially spiced lingonberry compote, fresh yogourt with clover honey drizzled over it, quail eggs, and a miniature spice cake with a snowflake in icing on the top. Gerda then sat with Elsa and Anna as the queen tried each item on her tray, and Gerda told her mistress about the origin of each special ingredient in her breakfast: honey from Attica, quail eggs from Buckinghamshire, chocolate from the Americas, salt from the Himalayas—and stories of how the kitchens managed to source them. Elsa felt very special and cared for. Gerda then bustled out of Elsa's chambers to leave the sisters alone.
After she had finished her breakfast, Elsa went behind the screen in her chambers and changed. Her birthday dress was a deep blue, smooth satin for the bodice and skirt. The sleeves were long, ending at points by her wrists, but the neckline opened up to expose her pretty shoulders and show off her graceful neck. The skirt was an elegant trumpet silhouette: narrow to the knees, and then flaring out.
"I have something for you, Elsa," said Anna, once Elsa rejoined her. Anna handed a present to Elsa.
Elsa's eyes shone with curiosity. "What could it be?" she said. "Oh Anna, the wrapping is so beautiful! You did such a lovely job with the paper and the ribbon!"
"Open it!" said Anna, clapping her hands together.
Elsa untied the ribbon, and then turned the present over, looking for the seam of the paper. Once she found the seam, she carefully unwrapped the present, removing the paper, folding it, and setting in aside as she went. (This was always Elsa's way of unwrapping a present; Anna, in contrast, always tore the wrapping paper to shreds in a bout of excitement.)
Elsa lifted the lid of the box and took out the shawl. "Oh Anna! I don't know what to say! It is so beautiful; just like our mama's!" There were tears in Elsa's eyes; she was smiling. She clutched the shawl and held her hands to her chest.
"I knew what I would like the design to be," said Anna, "and had it made specially for you." Anna stood up, took the shawl, and draped it over Elsa's shoulders.
Elsa pulled it closer. "Thank you, Anna. It means so much to me."
"And you mean so much to me," said Anna, hugging her sister.
Elsa held the shawl close to her cheeks. "I remember mother would tell us stories about the Enchanted Forest and sing to us, wrapped in a shawl just like this. I can almost remember her scent."
Anna reached out to the shawl, and traced the intricate stitching with her fingers. "It is so much like what I remember," she said.
Anna spent until late morning chatting with her sister, reminiscing about their parents, about Gerda and Kai, about Arendelle and the adventures they used to get into when little.
There was a quiet knock at the door. Anna got up. "I should probably be going," she said. "So much to do today!"
"Come in!" said Elsa in almost a sing-song tone of voice.
Anna turned back to say goodbye to her sister, and was surprised to see Elsa had adjusted the shawl: she had shrugged, so that her shoulders, previously covered by the shawl, were now bare. Did Elsa just prepare for Alexander's arrival by making herself look more alluring? thought Anna to herself.
"Yes, Anna?" said Elsa.
Anna paused, and turned up the corner of her mouth. No, of course not, she thought.
"Good morning, Your Highness," said Alexander, bowing to Anna. And then bowing deeply with a flourish to Elsa, he said, "Your Majesty."
Anna was could detect a difference in the way he spoke to each of them; as he said "Your Majesty," his voice was a little deeper, and with a sweeter intonation. Anna walked by him on her way out the door, poking him in the ribs and whispering "Dry Banana Hippy Hat" as she left.
Elsa got up and walked to the pair of armchairs by the window. Alexander felt butterflies take flight as he saw how beautiful she was in her gown; he certainly noticed how pretty her undraped shoulders were as well. Elsa sat down in one armchair, and gestured towards the other with an awkward, lopsided smile.
"Happy Birthday, my lady," said Alexander. And he walked over and gave her his carefully wrapped present.
Elsa held the present in her lap and turned it over in her hands. She noticed even the ends of the ribbons had been sculpted. Then she carefully unwrapped it. It was not so much a present as a stack of rough-cut papers. At first, Elsa looked at it quizzically; she could not tell what it was straightaway. The papers were in English, written in a beautiful hand. She flipped through as Alexander watched.
And then, revelation came. "Oh! How did you find this?" Elsa asked.
"I have kept in touch since her visit to Arendelle several years ago. When I learned she was writing it, I asked for a draft," he said simply.
"Alexander! It's marvellous" Elsa said, as she smiled and kept reading.
Elsa fixed her attention on the pages in her hands, her eyes sparkling as she leafed through the pages. At certain points, she would put her finger on a passage, and read the words, moving her lips just slightly; and then she would look up, focussing on nothing in particular, but thinking, before returning to the pages. Alexander watched for a long time with delight.
Alexander had not given Elsa just any stack of pages. It was a draft of Notes by Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace. Besides being the daughter of Lord Byron, the Countess of Lovelace was a philosopher, a logician, and a mathematician. The Countess was brilliant and stunningly beautiful; much like another woman with whom Alexander was acquainted. The Notes that Elsa held contained the first algorithm specifically designed to be carried out by a machine—instructions that would eventually come to be called a "computer program" once there were such things as computers. The Countess also speculated, in her work, that there would be computing machines that "might compose elaborate and scientific pieces of music"; such ideas would not come to fruition until the twenty-first century.
It gave Alexander enormous pleasure to bring Elsa's genius into contact with the genius of Ada, Countess of Lovelace. Elsa looked up. "Alexander, I don't have the words," she said.
"Then say nothing, my lady. Your reaction is gratitude enough," he said as he watched her clutch the pages to her chest, her sapphire blue eyes sparkling as she looked at him.
Elsa felt understood. She wanted to feel him hold her hands. She put down the pages and reached out towards him; Alexander took them, her chill against his warmth.
"My lady, this is a special day, for all your subjects. Our queen was born on this day," he said, lifting her right hand to his lips and kissing it. "But to me, today is so much more than that." Alexander turned her hand over, and kissed the palm.
Elsa became conscious of a tingle deep inside, and felt her magic rise. "Tell me," she whispered.
"Today, a girl was born who became my friend and added much happiness to my childhood," he said, squeezing her other hand. "And then, she became my queen, and made her kingdom safe and prosperous," he said, kissing the back of her hand. "And then, I caught a glimpse of her true self, and she became the woman I loved," he said, kissing the palm.
Elsa held her breath as he kissed her palm. She could feel the tingle grow in intensity, almost as if there were heat within her. It felt so close, so intimate. She was drawn, unexpectedly, to the sensation. She wanted to savour his touch, for him to be closer to her. And she was tired of holding herself back, always being afraid.
There was a gentle knock at the door. "Your Majesty," came the voice. It was Kai. Elsa furrowed her brow at being snapped back to reality.
"Alexander," she whispered. "My birthday duties await."
"My lady," was all he said. He kissed the back of her hand one last time, stood, and bowed. Then he let Kai in as he let himself out.
When you prefer your birthday to be a quiet celebration, you can let your preferences be known to your family and friends, and they will respect your wishes. When you prefer your birthday to be a quiet celebration and you are a queen, you quickly come to understand that, to the contrary, the celebration of your birthday is not so much an event for you as it is an event for your kingdom and subjects.
Children and their parents descended upon Arendelle Castle. There was a snowball fight in the courtyard using the queen's snow; pageants and hot chocolate in the ballroom; a talent show in the conservatory; a huge birthday cake in the Great Hall; and Sven was giving any child who wanted a reindeer ride, under the supervision of Kristoff and Anna.
Olaf was present as well, directing crowds. But he was not sending people where they wanted to go, for the most part. When someone asked where something was happening, Olaf sized them up and thought about what they would actually have the most fun doing, and sent them there. So, someone who wanted birthday cake might end up being sent for a reindeer ride; and someone who wanted a reindeer ride might end up watching the talent show. But nobody minded. Everyone was having a wonderful time.
The children were flocking around Elsa, but all was well. Alexander couldn't help but notice how good she was with them. The queen had a strict streak in her: they had to wait their turn. But once they got to her, she talked to each child for quite some time, and she made them something out of ice to remember that day. Finally, she drew them all around her, right in the middle of the Great Hall, and threw a snowball up into the air; the children squealed with delight as it burst around them.
Gertie was there too, but not with the other children at the beginning. The little orphan was wearing her blue ice queen dress. As Alexander was watching Elsa, Gertie slipped her hand into his. He was surprised; and then he became concerned. Was Gertie not well? Why was she not with the other children who were with Elsa?
Alexander looked down at the girl whose hand he was now holding. He crouched down so that he was closer to her level. "Gertie, what is it?" he asked.
Gertie looked at him doubtfully. "I don't think Queen Elsa will remember me," said the girl.
"Is that why you're here and not with the other children?" asked Alexander.
Gertie nodded and looked down at the floor. "I think my parents forgot me too," she said.
Alexander knew Gertie's parents had died when she was young, and that Gertie was too young to understand the details. "Gertie," he said. "You listen to me. Your parents did not forget you. And do you know why?"
"Why?" said Gertie.
Alexander sat down on the floor, cross-legged, in the middle of the Great Hall. "Come here," he said. The girl stepped closer and gave him both her hands. "Because, Gertie, you are unforgettable. Not having your parents is very sad. I don't have my parents anymore either. But I know your parents' last thought was of you. They didn't forget you. I won't forget you. And I know that Queen Elsa won't either. Not ever!"
Elsa looked out across the Great Hall, and what she saw gripped her heart: Alexander sitting on the floor, holding Gertie's hands in his, talking to the girl. The pair were an oasis of calm amidst the throng of happy chaos that flowed around them.
"How do you know she wont forget?" said Gertie.
Alexander looked up for a moment, looked towards Elsa, and then back at Gertie. "Well Gertie," he said, "she is our queen. She cares for and protects and keeps safe all her subjects, big and small. And that very much includes you."
"Why?" asked Gertie.
"That's what good queens do, and Arendelle's queen is the greatest queen of all," said Alexander.
At that, Gertie gasped, and turned to look at Elsa with a large smile. "The greatest of all?" she asked.
"There is no doubt in my mind," said Alexander. "Will you let me show you?"
Gertie nodded, and Alexander stood up. In truth, he wasn't entirely certain Elsa would remember the girl. He was prepared to make a formal introduction; something along the lines of: "May I present Miss Gertie, Your Majesty." They threaded their way through the throng, her hand in his.
As soon as Elsa saw Gertie, she stepped towards the girl. "Gertie! It is so good to see you! I was wondering where you were when I didn't see you right away."
Gertie craned her neck and looked up at Alexander, beaming. She then let go of Alexander's hand, and threw herself into the queen's arms, burying her face in Elsa's skirts. "I love you Queen Elsa!" said Gertie.
Elsa embraced Gertie in return, and as she did, looked back at Alexander and smiled. Alexander shrugged and looked wistful. Elsa was the centre of attention, with almost two dozen children flocking around her; but she was laughing and having fun. He couldn't help but think that she would make a wonderful mother.
Then Elsa did something that Gertie will always remember. "Stand back for a second, Gertie," said Elsa. And as soon as the girl did, the queen flicked her wrist. Snowflakes swirled, and ornamented the girl's dress.
"Wow!" said Gertie. And the girl was so delighted, she twirled right in front of Elsa, the cape of her tiny ice queen gown billowing out. The queen clapped. Gertie plopped herself down right beside Elsa's throne, and watched the rest of the festivities, happy she would not be forgotten.
The events came to a climax with the cutting of the cake. Anna led Kristoff, Olaf, and a huge crowd of people into the Great Hall. The cake was cut, and everyone had a slice, together with some hot chocolate. After, there was much cheering and ringing of bells to celebrate Elsa's officially turning twenty-three.
The kingdom continued celebrating its queen until late in the afternoon; but Elsa found herself thinking not about the celebrations, but the feel of Alexander's lips as they touched her palms. Elsa made a discreet exit; she had to prepare herself for the evening.