To the People of the Kingdom of Arendelle:
On this, the First Day of the Month of August in the Year Eighteen-Hundred and Thirty Nine, I, Queen Elsa Stark of Arendelle, find the long-absent courage within myself to pen a full and frank explanation regarding the events of the past week. For too long, the nature of my abilities has been kept a closely guarded secret among a chosen few. Upon my order, this essay is to be copied and freely distributed to all who wish to read its contents, that the world may finally learn the truth. However, before I find myself at liberty to discuss the events surrounding my coronation, I am obligated to address the reason why the gates of the royal palace were locked tight for so many years.
Our story begins barely 13 years ago, at a time when my sister and I were younger, freer, unburdened by the troubles of the world, or by the responsibilities of our family's station. Princess Anna and myself were happier then, and we spent much of our time playing together in the castle, using my snow magic to keep us entertained. Not a day goes by that I do not easily recall the look on my sister's face, the light and love in her eyes, at my conjuration of a mere snowflake, much less a blanket of snow.
It was during one of these times, on a night when we could not sleep, that my relationship with my sister was compromised almost beyond repair. As we played a makeshift game where I conjured up banks of snow while Anna hopped across them, I found myself unable to keep up with her. In my desperation to save her from grievous bodily harm, I released a burst of magic from my hands and mistakenly struck her in the head.
My family and I travelled as fast as we could to the Valley of the Trolls, where we hoped Anna could be cured of her condition before she expired. While the trolls were successful in saving my sister, they felt there was little choice but to erase her memory of my powers, lest she fall to psychological trauma.
For years, while the royal family isolated themselves from the world, so too did I isolate myself from my family, most of all from my sister, out of fear of what happened once before happening again. It was not the loneliness that hurt the most, nor was it the rule that father always repeated to me: "Conceal It, Don't Feel It". My true anguish came from the sound of my sister knocking on my door every day, asking me, imploring me, to come out and play with her. I felt I had no recourse but to keep my door shut until she walked away. But as painful as it was to shut her out, to hear her weep, to be so alone in this world, I felt my loneliness was nothing less than I deserved for my reckless behavior. I would have gladly spent the rest of my life shut away, in my misguided act of love, if it meant my family would be safe.
Every day, my sister knocked on my door. Every day, I ignored her until she left me alone. And every day, my powers grew more difficult to control. Finally, on the day that we learned that our parents were lost at sea, controlling my magic became impossible. When Anna knocked on my door, seeking comfort from her only surviving family, I wanted nothing more than to welcome her into my arms, hold her close, and assure her that the sun would shine on us again. But my fear for Anna's safety and well-being had become far too great, and once again, I was forced to shut her out.
A week before today came the disaster that followed my coronation ball. In a heated argument with my sister in front of all of our guests, I finally succumbed to my emotions and lay bare my greatest shame. Fearing for the lives of my people, I fled to the North Mountain and built a new home for myself. It was here that I believed I could finally be myself, away from the confines of my station, without putting anyone in mortal danger. But I could not have been more wrong, as was made clear when Anna tracked me down and told me of the Great Blizzard that had befallen Arendelle in my wake. In another emotional outburst, I struck my sister again, this time freezing her heart.
My sister would have died were it not for her act of self-sacrifice, love and forgiveness, in protecting me from death at the hands of Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles. Through her, I finally learned how to control my magic and dispel the Great Blizzard from these lands.
The only matter left to discuss is this: Do I stay upon the throne? Do I return to my exile? Do I submit to execution? I only know that I cannot answer this question. And so, I throw myself at the mercy of my people. Whatever the public decides, I wish to make it clear that I only wanted to keep my people safe. If I had known what I know now, I would have done things differently. I will give anything to atone for my transgressions. And I give my word, for whatever significance it still holds, that whatever my punishment is, I shall offer no resistance, nor shall I attempt to flee a second time.
God bless you all, and may God continue to bless the Kingdom of Arendelle.