The priests and scholars were in Aron's secret room, and Elsa was outside of the room, Joram, aunt Arianna and Grandan standing beside her, waiting to see if they found anything. No one except of these priests and schollars and Grandan and aunt Arianna knew about this room for now. Elsa wanted it to stay that way.
The priest Edmund and scholar Dagnal walked out of the room.
"Anything found yet?" Elsa asked them. Dagnal gave a look to Edmund, telling him to speak first. Edmund coughed.
"We have not found still anything related to...black magic, your majesty." he hated that word, just like everyone else in Israel did. "At least we priests didn't. But we have found something interesting."
Edmund showed her another scroll, the scroll that seemed to be in very good shape, unlike the one she held when they found the room. This scroll was not damaged. But Elsa still couldn't read what is written on the seal, except of one word: adamah.
"What is this?" she asked, holding the scroll in her hand.
"It is a manuscript of an old text, your majesty. A text that is a pseudo-Scripture. The Life of Adam and Eve. A very old text. It's author claims to be Moses himself and it recounts the lives of our first parents after they left the garden, all the way to their death. It mentions the promise of resurrection on the last day. There are many other things written in this text, some of them unbelievably absurd and even heretical, most of it also very obvious it wasn't written by Moses. One of the reasons it wasn't accepted at Scriptures. Not that it had time to be accepted as Scripture. The rest of the Scripture was all written and recognized thousands of..."
"I know history, Edmund." Elsa said. "I don't need to rehears it every time."
"Sorry, your majesty. When I start speaking history, I cannot stop." he bowed his head, while Elsa shook her's. "But that is not the only pseudo-Scripture we have found, your majesty." he continued and led them into the room. He pointed at the book shelf full of scrolls and books.
"He had an entire bookshelf full of not only one particular pseudo-Scripture, but dozens of them. There is the testament of Moses, the assumption of Moses, the well-known books of Enoch, the wisdom of Amram, the book of Jubilees, and the testament of Abraham." he then turned to them. "And not only that. Here, there are also many different manuscripts and translation of these same texts, in Norse, Hebrew and other languages, some that we don't even know. Some of those translation aren't even very different from one another. I mean, in one it is said 'home' while in the other it is said 'house'. Those kind of differences are between these translations."
Elsa scratched her chin. "Why would he want to study the pseudo-Scriptures? He can't get anything from them."
"Absolutely agree. Some of these texts aren't even heretical, some of them are just more comedies tham Scriptures. The testament of Abraham seems like a satire to me and even though it mocks our beloved father Abraham, I still laughed at it."
"No comedy in the Scripture?" Joram raised his eyebrow. "Prophets compare Israelites sometimes to a dropping of an ox, Edmund." Elsa stifled her laugh. "I am sure there is room for comedy in the Scripture."
"Anything else?" Elsa asked Edmund, who just shook his head.
"Not yet, your majesty." she then turned to Dagnal.
"We found simillar texts as well, your majesty." Dagnal then took the book that was on the table.
"This is a text that describes the Old War, the myth of the Elves and the Dwarves about a conflict that happened before the Flood. It is not a book, it is an epic poem. The longest I have ever seen, written in the Old Nordic. I needed the entire day to read it. It is long, slow and full of words that I never saw before. And I and none of us is still certain what is written in it. We translated much of it, but not all."
Elsa nodded. "Call me when you translate all of it, that I may get the full picture." Dagnal bowed his head.
"Yes your majesty." he said.
"I don't want anyone to know that this room is here." she told both of them and they nodded. Elsa then walked away from the room, her aunt, Joram and Granan following her. When she noticed they were following her, she turned around.
"Please." she raised her hand. "Joram, Grandan, aunt. I want to be alone a little." the three looked into each other, before answering.
"Of course, Elsa." Arianna and Joram said.
"As you wish, my queen." Grandan said and they all three left, leaving Elsa alone. Elsa breathed deeply and left the castle, riding her horse to one height. Elsa dismounted her horse and came closer to the small stony before her, placing her hands on it and watching the whole Arendelle, thinking about many things.
"When I was a boy, I always imagined Arendelle to be a city surrounded by huge walls and guarded by thousands of warrior in large armors." a man's voice said, causing Elsa to turn, seeing it was lord Isaiah, lord Aramir's son. He was smiling. "I thought it is a city of warriors and that thousands of soldiers would be around it's walls. A little boy likes to imagine huge walls and soldiers. That is beautiful to him. But now that I am here," he looked at the entire city. "I see it is more beautiful than I could ever imagine it to be." Elsa smiled and looked at Arendelle again.
"When I was a little girl, and when I heard the stories about the wolf-lords of Gondor, I always imagined that they woud be riding huge wolves, that they are eight feet tall and have a wolf's head instead of a man's. Basically that they are werewolves and aggressive. I am glad I met three of them in person and know that they are complete opposite." lord Isaiah smiled at that.
"I suppose we look better than werewolves, don't we?" he said with a small smile. Elsa liked his wit.
"Yes, you all do." she answered him and stared at the city again. "What did you think when you heard a story about the Snow Queen of Arendelle?" his face was quiet in that moment.
"Your majesty, I don't think I should..."
"Please, lord Isaiah. Tell me. If it is ridiculous, you will just give me a laugh, not insult me." lord Isaiah looked around shrugging.
"I personally didn't imagined anything. But my little brother did. Arahael." he said.
"How old is he?" Elsa was curious.
"Well, he is ten." Elsa then smiled at that.
"Then tell me lord Isaiah, if imagination of a ten-year old is able to insult me, then I am weak queen."
"Well, uh..." he the raised his hands. "Your majesty, maybe you really shouldn't know. You will really feel uncomfortable. Trust me." Elsa rolled her eyes.
"Lord Dannel, I am your host. I order you to tell me that." lord Dannel then shrugged and smiled.
"Your majesty, I am your guest. I owe you respect and not anything that might make you angry or insulted."
Elsa raised her eyebrow. "You know how to get out of troubles with logic, don't you lord Isaiah?" lord Isaiah then smiled.
"A trait I inherited from my mother. I and my younger sister as well." at that, Elsa's smile disappeared and she glanced at the city again, thinking about Robin and Anna.
"You are thinking of your brother and your sister, are you not?" lord Isaiah said. Elsa didn't knew what to say, so she just stared for a few moment at the city.
"And how did you know?" she asked him. He came closer, placing his hand on the stony wall as well.
"I can recognize the oldest brother concern when I see it. I deal with it everyday. Well, it's oldest sister in this case, but I bet there is not a big difference between the two." Elsa thought he maybe had even more troubles than her. After all, he had five brothers and sisters, if she heard well.
"And what is it that makes you worry about them?" she found herself open enough with him. He sighed and looked at the city.
"My two brothers." he said. "Brandon and Minardil. They are the greatest problem. They are in wild ages. They are sixteen and fifteen. Ages in which a boy wants to prove himself and does everything to get someone's attention, like a five or six year old child."
Elsa couldn't know. She was never a boy, and she didn't even had normal life in years fifteen and sixteen. But she could understand-wild siblings. Or in her case just a sibling. She didn't knew Robin enough. That's something she could understand in him.
"Maybe they are not as wild as you think they are. What were you like?" Elsa, that isn't something you ask someone who is almost a stranger! He however, wasn't bothered by that.
"I wasn't an example, but I was better than them. Everyone would be." he smiled and looked into her. His eyes were now blue. Elsa smiled back. His eyes looked like that of his father, lord Aramir. Which reminded her.
"Your father." when she said that, he narrowed his eyes, carefully listening. She still didn't formed the sentence clearly, so she stopped for a minute. "When you said that he and Aron were a hate at first sight, was it exaggeration or you meant it?"
"I meant it." he answered. "My father was distrustful of him since the first time he saw him."
"And when was that?"
"When I was still a boy. Six or five years old."
Five years old and he remebers? Lord Isaiah must have had a good memory. "And what did he say of Aron in that time? Before his exile of course."
"Ah, well." lord Isaiah turned and leaned against the small wall, his hand on it. "He chose not to talk about that in front of small children. Obviously. But, he did said that he is a mad man who loves no one but himself and that he will do anything to reach his goal."
Nothing that I don't know. "Do you know something more?"
A look hit lord Isaiah's face. It was a look that Elsa knew pretty well. A look of someone who wants to hide something or doesn't want to share it with strangers like Elsa. Elsa could see he knew something, but didn't try to force him to answer.
"No. He said as much as anyone else would have said, your majesty. My father didn't wanted to say anything more than what others knew. If he even knew something more."
He did, but he didn't want to say it. That is how Elsa saw it. If he doesn't want to say, I won't force him. He again called her "your majesty". Elsa really didnt liked people of her age doing that.
"Are you worried for your father?" she asked him, to change the topic. He glanced at the city, obviously unsure.
"No." he said suprising her. "Not that he will die, at least. There were many times before when he went into a war even before the one with the Idolites. I was always worried during every war he went only for me to see him half a year, three months or even the very next month again. He always returned. He knows what he is doing pretty well and he doesn't bring himself into danger. My father is not only a good man, but also a brave and smart man. Right know as we are talking, he is probably making a battle plan, ready for battle against the Red...forgive me..."
"No need to, lord Isaiah." she said. "No one in my family loves Aron." Except for grandmother. "I believe we are the only ones in the entire world that call him by the name that was given to him as a child. But until the Passover, I honestly forgot he existed. Where luck that it was true."
"And I never thought I would see his face in my lifetime." lord Isaiah said. "I thought he died on the sea, just like everyone else thought so." Elsa then gave a weak chuckle.
"So many things happened, and I just wanted to celebrate the Passover with my entire family." Elsa sighed. "And then this man appeared and ruined everything. Just like he always did in life." Elsa now even wanted to cry, but knew who she was talking to.
"Forgive me lord Isaiah, I need not bother you with my family's trials, you have your..."
"No, it's alright, your majesty." he said. Again "Your majesty". "I understand you. I really do."
"But you and I are almost complete strangers. You are not obliged to know my problems." then he smiled.
"I like to make friends, pretty easily and quickly. I am also usually told that I am a very good listener."
"And you are really not afraid of the Snow Queen who froze entire kingdom? Not even a little bit?" lord Isaiah looked around at that question and shrugged once again.
"I never saw any of your own guards or family showing any fear of you. Why should I be afraid if they aren't?" he was smiling. Elsa didn't knew what to tell him, keeping her mouth open, trying to find words but not making the sentence.
"I..." she chuckled again, "I thought you Gondors are supposed to be careful?" Lord Isaiah looked at her curiously.
"We Gondors are supposed to be careful? And why so?" Elsa chuckled at that again. She liked lord Isaiah's humor.
"When I was little, my father told me that Gondors can see dangers that don't happen. I mean it was obviously a story with which he tried to, you know, amaze his daughter, but he explained to me that the Gondors really know to recognize dangers, and that they act with cool head, first thinking, then acting." lord Isaiah then stifled his laugh for a moment, obviously trying not to make her feek uncomfortable.
"With all due respect to your king father, his majesty, it's pretty obvious he didn't met my middle brothers. Or my brother Minardil in particular. He always acts before he thinks...if he even thinks later." Elsa tilted her head.
"Is that how someone talks about his younger brother in front of an almost stranger?" she tried to sound serious, but her funniness couldn't escape her eyes. And lord Isaiah smiled again. He seemed to like to smile.
"When I am talking about him, I always forget that I am talking with a stranger."
Elsa liked this young lord, just as much as she liked his father. She never talked so friendly with any man of her age before. She did talked with nobles and royals of her age before (there was one prince she genuinely wished he never spoke with, however) but it never went further than formal words and greetings and talks about politics. Kristoff was a friend, but he was still a little shy and uncertain when standing in front of a queen and he tried to avoid her, except that time when they were preparing for Anna's birthday, but he was like that because of Anna. The only one close enough was Robin. But Robin wasn't a friend. He was her brother, and it was natural for the two of them to talk closely.
But this young man was a different story. Elsa found him interesting and wanted to know him better. I never had friends when I was little. I would like to have them now. Elsa also thought he had beautiful eyes.
"I am glad that we are allies, lord Isaiah." she said to him. He then gave her the hand.
"It is my duty, your majesty. For the good of Israel." he answered. Elsa liked this sentence. Lord Aramir also said that when talking to her a few weeks ago during the Passover. He told her the exact same thing-that all he does is for good of Israel. Lord Isaiah was similar to his father, not just in face like Elsa could notice from miles away, but he also talked similarly and liked to smile just as much as he did.
"Is everything alright, your majesty?" lord Isaiah spoke. Elsa noticed she was staring in his eyes the whole time.
"Oh, nothing, sorry. I was thinking about something and lost myself. Forgive me lord Isaiah."
"It's fine." he said. "It happens to everyone. I was once talking with my uncle about swordfighting when I was little. Then he mentioned the elves accidentally while he was talking and suddenly I thought about them for the entire conversation. When I woke up from thinking, he was pretty angry that I didn't listened to him. I gave him a very irritating answer."
"And what was it?"
"What did you do then?" they both chuckled at that.
"You really know how to talk with strangers, don't you lord Isaiah?" he smiled humbly, not answering. That humble smile was simillar to when she asked Robin is he the best fighter in Longon among his fellow agers. He smiled like that the same way, and Elsa knew the answer behind that kind of smile.
"I'll take that as a yes." she smiled and lord Isaiah chuckled and then sat on the wall that was behind.
"Take it, if you want to, your majesty." then he looked back at Arendelle again.
"You are a Snow Queen, and I am sure you would want to see Gondor during winter." he said. This now intrigued Elsa.
"And what is Gondor like during the winter?" she asked. She had to. Lord Isaiah smiled.
"Beauty, that is what it is." he and Elsa were now looking into each other eye-to-eye. Elsa never had such close eye contact with some man not related to her-or of her age. "The forests of Gondor look like God Himself made them. Especially during the night. That is when the snow even seems to shine." Elsa wanted to see that. She remembered the Northern lights. "There are also the waterfalls of Luin Mír. During the summer and spring they are surrounded by green and beautiful, but I cannot describe how beautiful they are during the waterfalls. When I was a boy, I felt like I was in heaven then. I was so lucky that it was the full moon back then. The water of the waterfalls was so blue and the surrounding snow so white that it was unbelievable. But beautiful. If someone went there and didn't feel it was beautiful, I would bet he doesn't have a heart. I didn't felt the cold of winter anymore, just the warmth around my heart. And the stars were also in the water as well." then he looked strangely into her eyes.
"There! Just like you." he said. Elsa was surprised.
"What, me?" she asked.
"Yes, like you. Your eyes are blue like the water was and your hair is white like that snow."
Elsa smiled a little after that, and (unknowing to her) blushed even a little.
"Israel, I really wish I could show you those waterfalls right now. You would be as lost as I was."
