The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter III : Born Of Cold

A wave of cold wind exploded from between Elsa's hands and the old troll's, throwing Elsa to the snow as the explosion sound echoed in the mountains. She tried to push herself into a sitting position while her brain pounded in her skull and her vision blurred. She shook all of it away before she adjusted her eyes upfront then gasped and couldn't believe what she saw. Her cyan eyes widened and her heart stopped. In front of her laid an ice statue of the old troll. His hands were still held up, his frozen face showed pure agony and the moss on his back turned to icicles as they shone under the moonlight. No… No, no what have I done?! She thought before she collapsed to the snowy ground and started to mourn over the solid frozen troll. I… I killed him!?… I killed him!

When both Aphrodite and Jamie returned from a cowering position, they looked around and their eyes sat upon their crying daughter and the frozen ice statue of the troll? They both thought. When they realized the situation that just happened in front of them, they gasped in unison. Aphrodite rushed to her daughter and kneeled next to her and rested her hand on the platinum head, "Elsa... What have-" Aphrodite suddenly stopped mid-sentence. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! The words of her husband in the ballroom echoed in her mind. She looked up at the ice statue to see her daughter's doing. She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts by her husband's voice, "She-... She froze him!" He whispered, "He is… Dead. Frozen." He approach the statue, eyes wide, lips apart, and tapped his index on the iced figure.

tup tup tup

He wanted to be sure if his eyes were maybe lying to him, but clearly, they weren't.

Elsa lifted her head and looked at her father with pleading eyes, "Papa, please I d-didn't do-" She was saying and trying to reach for his hand but he quickly flinched away from her, "Stay away from me!" He screamed, holding Anna away. Elsa couldn't believe it. First Anna, now this!? She thought, new tears fell down her cheeks again and she started to cry before she fell to her knees. He hates me! He's afraid of me!

"This is getting out of our hands! W-We should lock her away from everyone or else she'll hurt them. E-Everything she touches turns to SOLID ICE!" He said with a bit of real fear in his voice.

"Lock?!" Aphrodite yelled, a concerned look on her face as she wrapped her arms around her daughter, her face still focused on her panicked husband. She could see the absent look that splattered his face. Elsa flinched a little at the contact, but her mother squeezed her for reassurance. Obliging, she relaxed in her mother's arms and wrapped her arms around the queen's waist. The king didn't hear his wife's question for he was clearly buried in his thoughts, pacing back and forth in front of them. "I'll deal with her later..." He started.

What do you mean? Aphrodite thought.

"Now we have to get out of here before anyone sees us… I-I'll talk with the smith-" He said, more to himself.

What? Aphrodite thought.

"I'll see the physicians… Necromancers... Anything!"

Physicians?!... Necromancers!? She didn't understand what he was talking about, yet it gave her a very bad feeling in her chest as her heart started pumping faster. This is a nightmare!

"Yes… Yes! That will do." He convinced himself. He turned to look at his wife, a serious look spread on his face.

"What are you saying!?" She asked horrified as she shook her head at him in disbelief.

"No time to explain… I-It doesn't matter. We just have to go, now!" He turned and began walking away towards the hitched horses, with Anna in his arms.

Aphrodite looked at her sobbing daughter with utter worry. She placed a hand on her platinum head and then rested her cheek on it. "Don't worry, Snowflake. I'll never let you go. I won't let anyone touch you, I promise." She told her.

"M-Mommy, I-" Elsa tried to defend and reason but she was cut off by her mother's shushing sound. "Shhh...It's alright." Aphrodite shushed gently, squeezing Elsa closer to her chest. This is all going to be over soon. She kissed the platinum head and then lifted Elsa's chin with her index so that her cyan eyes met her own green ones. She then wiped her daughter's tears with her thumb and gave her a big reassuring smile. "Come now..."

They stood up. Aphrodite took Elsa's hand in hers and they began walking towards Aphrodite's horse. She lifted Elsa first, then mounted the pure white stallion. Elsa wrapped her mother's cloak around herself again and when she looked at her father, he gave her a sneer so she quickly averted her eyes and hid her face in her mother's chest. Frozen. Elsa remembered. Solid ice!... Dead… She killed him!... MONSTER! Elsa squeezed her cyan eyes shut as she allowed the words of her father to haunt her mind. Anna… I'm sorry.

Aphrodite gave her husband a nod, motioning for him to lead the way. The king gave his horse a small kick causing him to snort before it began to walk forward into the woods, followed by Aphrodite's horse. Robin… He didn't leave us did he?!... No... No, there's still time for all the road back. It's either now, or never.

Half the way back and the queen started to fear the worst. Whereare you? She looked around, hoping for a miracle to happen, but nothing occured. The only things that accompanied her, were her silent husband, the sound of the wind blowing the trees, and the barely heard snores of Elsa. She fell asleep… Rest my love, rest now. She gave her daughter a sad smile then looked over at her husband and her younger daughter. Her face fell to a woeful expression, tears started to appear at the corner of her eyes. Anna… She tried to imagine what she would say to her daughter once she was awake. The thought that Anna won't recognize neither of them broke her heart in million pieces. Her eyes then met her husband. You were never like this, JamieJamie. You used to get a little angry, but you were NEVER this… Cold. As she glanced at her husband, with both angry and sympathetic look, she remembered the day Elsa was born.

It was late December. A snow storm buried The Kingdom of Arendelle in thick white sheets of snow. Nature icicles descended from roofs, citizens locked themselves in their homes around the warm fire and children gazed at the storm from the windows in awe. None of them knew what was happening in the castle. All citizens were oblivious to the screams of pain coming out of their Queen, and none expected for the heir to Arendelle to be born and brought to life.

King Jamie sat in his private study room, signing letters and parchments sent from other kingdoms around Arendelle. Some were even from foreign countries. He sighed in defeat, set his quill back in the ink pot, stood and walked over to the window. He watched the snow storm in concern. Arendelle have never seen something like this. Indeed. Arendelle never faced a winter that harsh. Snow covered the roads with 10 feet long thick snow, lakes were frozen solid to the point where Ice Harvesters called this year's season The Titanium Winter for the ice couldn't be cut in no ways. It had solid strength, and whenever they tried to cut the ice, it only results in broken pickaxes.

Flashback

The king sat at his desk in his room, signing paper and parchments. He was tired. Exhausted even. He sighed angrily, threw his quill to the side of his desk and rested his head in his hands, before a gentle, warm voice got his attention, "Even kings should rest, you know." He lifted his head and turned to face the owner of the voice then smiled. There, sat Queen Aphrodite of Arendelle on a rocking chair, holding one book in one hand and the other on the quite big bump on her stomach. She smiled warmly at him.

"I think you're right." He replied with a chuckle.

"Like always." She teased with a smirk. He approached her, knelt next to her, one hand on her knee the other on her hand that was on her tummy. "My love!... You're so cold!" He exclaimed with wide eyes.

"I don't think it's something new. The day the doctors said I'm with child, I've been the happiest woman in Arendelle, and I've been feeling cold ever since." She reassured. The king quickly removed his teal cloak and wrapped it around his wife. "Better?" He asked with a smile and she nodded in reply. He looked at her belly, then at her again, "How's my little king?" He asked, rubbing her belly.

"You know it doesn't matter if it was a prince or a princess, my love. We are going to have a child, Jamie… Our child!" She said, excited.

"Of course, love. But we need a strong heir… Arendelle needs a King."

"Even a Queen can rule, honey." She winked at him. "A beautiful Queendom."

He chuckle before he stood to reach her head and kissed her forehead. "A son is preferable… A strong king to hold Arendelle together." He looked at her as she yawned from tiredness. "Even Queens should rest, you know." He smirked as he teased. Aphrodite bumped him on his shoulder playfully. Then they stood and hugged each other passionately. "I love you" She said. "I love you too" He assured before he kissed her lips passionately.

Rough and kick knocks on the door woke the king from his thoughts. "Enter." He said sternly. The door flew open as Kai, their personal royal servant, rushed in, breathing fast.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" He called, choking and panting with his words.

"What is it Kai?! Slow down, take a breath!" The king said, holding the man's shoulders.

"Your Majesty… The queen… She... She's in labor!"

The king's eyes widened and his heart started pumping hard. "Take me to her NOW!"

"Yes, yes, your majesty. Quick, this way!" Kai replied, motioning for the king to follow.

Waves of intense pain-accompanied with her shrieks of agony-shot her lower back, and abdomen. She felt her insides twist, pull and squeeze. The more she fought the pain, the more it became worse. "I can see the head, Your Majesty… Now, push!" The doctor instructed her. Sweat overwhelmed her entire body, her hair was wet from sweat, her hands clutched the bed sheets like she was holding for dear life and her face showed pure agony and exhaustion. "She is losing a lot of blood!" She heard a midwife yell. "Push your majesty!... Push!" She heard the doctor before she felt another wave of extreme pain shot her entire body. She shrieked in agony, "AAAAHHHH!" She tried to push with her full force. The pain was so intense, she felt her soul crawl out of her body. She was breathing fast, more like gasping. "I cannn't!" She tried to convince herself as tears rushed to meet her cheeks like waterfalls. "JAMIIEE!" She screamed.

As if God just listened to her pleads, she saw her husband burst inside the room.

A horrified look spread his face when he saw how his wife fighting for dear life. "Aphrodite!" He rushed to her side, quickly held her hand in his bigger palm while the other stroked the side of her face gently.

"Jamie!... I… I c-c-can't... Do this!... P-Please... Stop… T-T-The PAINNN!" She shrieked again as waves of pain kept rushing to meet her body.

The way she shrieked the word Pain sent a shiver down his spine as well as every shriek she howled. He started to sweat and panic at the sight of her like this. Fear for his wife? Fear from losing her?... Fear was everyone's enemy. The snow storm outside was fighting its way inside the room, as windows cracked and vibrated.

"Your Majesty! Only one more push! Come on!" The doctor encouraged.

"The blood…" Another midwife whispered.

"Come on, love! You can do it!" The king tried to cheer.

She squeezed her husband's hand so tight, he couldn't help but to wince in pain. She was breathing faster now; Her inhales and exhales were all shaky. She shut her eyes, squeezed her husband's hand tighter, rolled her lips inside her mouth and readied herself for her upcoming push. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" The minute she felt her baby slip out, all the pain vanished quickly like it wasn't even there. She collapsed back on her pillow, her body and breath shook, her heart finally started to return to its normal beating rhythm.

"Wher-. . . My. . . My baby. . . I c-can't h-h-hear him. . ." She started to panic when no one answered. The king rushed to meet his newborn, but he quickly froze as he laid eyes on the small baby.

"My BABY!" Aphrodite screamed. She was not going to wait for them to tell her that her baby was dead. Just as she was pulling herself up, she heard the sound that sent butterflies in her stomach. The sound that stopped her heart in joy, the sound that gave her feelings she never experienced in her entire life, the sound of a crying baby and the sound that assured her she was… a mother.

"My goodness! The baby's ice cold!... Quickly, Idina! Fetch me the hot water and the sheets and covers." The doctor said and commanded the midwife. He wrapped the infant in thick, white wool sheet then held the baby in his arms. "There... That's better." He smiled then gently handed the baby to Gerda, the majesties personal servant beside Kai, before he started to recheck on the none-stop bleeding Queen.

"Congratulations, your majesty… It's a baby princess!" Gerda said before she handed the little newborn to her trembling mother.

Aphrodite stretched her shaking arms widely, trying to reach for her new first born. The minute Gerda let go of the baby girl-and it was in Aphrodite's arms now-the poor newly mother exposed the tears of joy she'd been waiting to meet. A huge radiant smile spread on her face as she laughed in joy while she stared at her bundle of joy and just couldn't believe her eyes. The small little girl had pale skin that almost matched the white sheets she was covered in. Her mother couldn't help but chuckle as she noticed the light tiny freckles on her daughter's small baby cheeks and tiny nose. Aphrodite lifted the sheets a little from her daughter's head to reveal a small fuzzy white baby-hair. "Looks like you'll start graying before Gerda here." She joked as the others around her started to giggle. The little girl started to lift her tiny eyelids groggily, and when she did, the whole room gasped in unison as they watched the little girl stare at her toothy-smiled mother with incredible wide unique cyan eyes. Aphrodite was surprised how her daughter didn't show any resemblance to her own brunette hair, or her husband's strawberry-blond. Not even the green eyes she had, or her husband's grey ones, but she didn't care about it. She only thought about one thing now: Her daughter was alive and in her arms. "She is so beautifuuull…" A nurse cooed.

"What are you going to name her your majesty?" Gerda asked.

Aphrodite stared at her daughter's cyan eyes, then she squeezed her tighter to her chest as she felt how cold the baby was. Although it concerned her, the thought quickly vanished when the girl in her arms started to gurgle and wave her tiny hands to reach her mother's face. Aphrodite quickly obliged and lowered her head so that her daughter's tiny hands met her cheeks. "Elsa." She said warmly, paused, then, "Princess Elsa of Arendelle… The daughter of The King and Queen of Arendelle and heir to the throne." She held Elsa closer to her face and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Elsa… My sweet daughter."

"This shall do." The doctor announced before he finished by stopping the queen's bleeding. He st ood up and gave his Queen a nod, "You must rest, Your Majesty. The birth was extremely hard... And dangerous, I'm afraid. But I had enough time to quickly stop the bleeding. If it weren't for my skills, we would have been grieving, right now." He bragged.

None of the others noticed the silence of their King. None noticed that he didn't even come closer to meet and hold his firstborn. As Aphrodite lifted her eyes from her daughter's to meet her husband's serious ones, she opened her excitedly smiling mouth, "Come here, my love!... L-Look! Isn't she beautiful?" She called him with a voice that trembled a bit from early exhaustion as she stared at her little Elsa with a huge smile. She looked back up to her husband but the smile suddenly fell and she was shocked when she heard her husband's stern and cold voice, "Get out." He suddenly said. She knew he was commanding the others around the room to get out of the bedroom, but why? She thought. They all looked at him with confused faces before they started to walk to the bedroom door. "Jamie-" She started but her eyes widened when she was cut off by her husband, "GET OUT!" He yelled. The servants, nurses, midwives and the doctor bowed quickly and ran outside the room with horrified looks on their faces. Elsa shifted and started to cry at her father's loud voice. The last nurse ran out of the room and quickly closed the door behind her. And the room was silent, except for little Elsa's cries.

"Jamie, what's wrong with you!?" Aphrodite asked and stared wide-eyed at her husband while trying to rock her baby to stop crying with a up-down motions.

"Who was he?!" The king bluntly asked.

Who was he?! What is he talking abou-… Aphrodite thought before her jaw dropped as the meaning of her husband's horrible question clicked in her mind. "WHAT?!" She yelled.

"What's his name!?... You lying whore! How could you!?" He yelled back.

"Jamie!... How could YOU!?" She didn't believe that her husband actually thought that she somehow conceived Elsa from another man. "That's your daughter, Jamie…YOUR daughter... I swear, I swear!" She tried to reason.

"OH YEAH?!... Then how can you explain THIS?!" He pointed at Elsa's head then at her eyes.

"I-I-I don't know! I'm confused as much as you are! But I swear to you, Jamie, Elsa is your-" She stopped mid-sentence suddenly and quickly winced as she felt dizziness overwhelm her fast. She then felt a warm wetness between her thighs. The king looked at his wife, and his anger suddenly dropped to concern and fear. "Aphrodite...?" he called with wide eyes.

"I… I can't feel my legs…" Aphrodite replied with furrowed eyebrows before her left hand that was caressing her daughter's chubby baby cheeks went limp and fell to her side, "I…I…" Her eyes closed slowly, her head went limp and rolled to the side on the pillow.

"Aphrodite!" He started to panic and held her head with his palm. "Doctor! Kaiiii!... Anyone!"

The servants quickly rushed in, the doctor and Kai behind them. The doctor quickly called for the nurse to hold Elsa and moved to check on the queen while the nurse rested the crying Elsa in the crib, under the window. The doctor witnessed the blood-stained sheets around the queen's lower body. "Everyone out!... Now!" He commanded, forgetting the fact that he was including his King. But the king quickly nodded and strode out of the room, giving the doctor some space to examine his wife.

As minutes felt like hours, the king started pacing back and forth none-stop the moment he got out of the room. "Your Majesty, calm down! The doctor is handling the situa-" Kai tried to calm him down but he was quickly cut off by the king, "Calm down?... CALM DOWN?!... You're telling me to calm down while my wife's trying to hold for her dear life!?... And... And all because of that... THING?!" He yelled, pointing his hand to the closed bedroom door. Kai understood what the king meant. Is he really calling his own daughter that!? He thought, surprised. He couldn't help his jaw from dropping. He couldn't believe what he just heard. Just when he opened his mouth to say something, the bedroom door opened, revealing the doctor with a blank face and eyes locked to the ground. The king quickly rushed to hear what the doctor would say.

"My King, the Queen is fine. I stopped the bleeding for good this time." He started. The king and Kai sighed in relief, "Thank God!" The king breathed. "However," The doctor continued, snapping the king to attention. "I must say the truth of the situation at hands… This pregnancy had cost our beloved Queen dearly. She did suffer a lot. Her labor was even more life-threatening and she lost a lot of blood. And... Well... Her womb is already in a bad state… I-I'm afraid the Queen can only bear one more living child... No more." He finished, a disappointed look on his face, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty." He bowed then motioned for the king to enter the room so he could check on his wife, before he walked out into the hallway.

The King entered the room with a sad look on his face. He saw his wife, her eyes closed and exhaustion was clearly shown on her face. "Hey…" He started, "How're you feeling?" He sat at the bedside and held her hand.

Aphrodite opened her eyes slowly, then turned her head to face her husband, "Better..." She smiled weakly at him, then, "Where's Elsa?" She looked around the room and her eyes landed on the small figure in the crib and she felt relieved when she saw how Elsa was flailing her hands happily. She could have sworn she saw a tiny blue sparkle snap in between Elsa's tiny fingers, but she quickly shook the idea away, convincing herself that she was not even completely conscious right now. She smiled at her daughter then turned to face her husband.

"What were you thinking?!" She asked, shaking her head.

"Don't start this with me, now." He said bluntly and averted his eyes from her face.

"Jamie, look at me… She is your daughter." She assured.

The king didn't reply. He stood and walked to the center of the room, his back to his wife, his shoulders were lifted, his back was hunched and his arms were hugging his stomach. "Aphrodite…I need to tell you what the doctor said." He said sadly then opened his mouth to continue but he heard his wife say,

"He told me." She replied.

The King turned to face her again with wide eyes, "Then you know... That because of her!-" He started, both him and his wife oblivious to the cracking sound of ice and the low temperature of the room. "-We only have one more chance… A risk more unlikely to take, so we can offer Arendelle an HEIR?!... A KING!" He said then he looked to where Elsa laid, and his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"Jamie, Elsa is the heir for Arendelle. Why can't you belie-!?... Jamie?... Jamie, are you even listening?!... JAMIE!" She called him as she stared at him in confusion. He didn't look at her. He was still staring at something. She followed his gaze, and when she did, she clasped her hand to her mouth and gasped, bug-eyed and a horrified look painted her face.

Elsa was baby-laughing, gurgling, and waving her hands around her happily, yet there were blue flurries and hovering snowflakes around her hands, and the window above her was covered in frost.

"What. Is. That?" The king said, pointing towards Elsa and the window above her.

Aphrodite was speechless. Her heart pumped harder in her chest, "This can't be...!" Her voice barely heard.

"T-The troll's prophecy!" The king whispered, his gaze not leaving the frost that overwhelmed the window. He remembered every word the trolls warned.

Your kingdom will splinter

Your land shall be cursed

With unending winter

With blasts of cold will come dark art

And a ruler with a frozen heart

Then all will perish in snow and ice

Unless you are freed with a sword sacrifice!

Aphrodite quickly jumped from her bed, ignoring her pains, and ran towards Elsa. She quickly picked her up in her arms, squeezing her harder to her chest for protection. She knew what it meant. She knew the prophecy and what should be done at the end of it. "No..." She whispered to herself. Please, no, no! She is just a infant! Nooo pleaseee! She thought, her face showed fear, and she hugged Elsa closer. My baby! Tears started to form at the corner of her eyes.

"Bring her here, QUICK!... Before anyone sees this!" He yelled, unsheathing his sword.

Shhiiinggg

The sound of it rang in Aphrodite's ears, sending shivers down her spine.

"NO!" SHe shrieked, pushing him away, "What are you doing!?"

His hand tried to reach Elsa's small arm. He was still struggling to get a steady grip on his sword as his wife tried desperately to push him away, turning to hide her daughter from his reach. "It's a monster! That's what the prophecy says. She almost killed you!... Give her here, NOW!" The king tried to reach for Elsa again, and this time, he did. He held her tiny arm, and Elsa started to cry, frightened.

Aphrodite couldn't take it anymore. Her motherly instincts took over and there was no care in the world but to protect her baby. Heat rushed to overwhelm her body, anger crept all over her, her heart stopped and her left hand closed in a fist. She held it high and let it smash her husband's face with full force.

The king stumbled backwards and fell to the floor. The sword flew from his hand and collapsed to the ground. His eyes widened as he laid on the bedroom floor on his knees and hands.

"WAKE UP!" She yelled at him, hugging her daughter in protection. "She is just a infant! How could you believe such a stupid prophecy!? How could you even think of doing such a thing! Try and kill her for a stupid myth!... She's … She's your daughter!" She glanced at his face, until her eyes caught the sight of blood that dripped down his nose, and her rage dissipated. She gasped, realising what she just did. Oh, God... What have I done!?

He turned his bug-eyed face to meet her furious yet frightened one. He stood up. Wiped the blood off his nose with the back of his hand, walked towards where the sword fell and picked it up in his hands. Aphrodite tensed at the sight of it again and squeezed her hand tighter to Elsa, fearing he would try and attack again. The king sheathed the sword, walked towards the bedroom door, silent and mute... Not a single word. With his back straight, he turned the door knob, opened the door, and there, he stood still. He looked at her from over his shoulder, "It better be a boy and… She's not my daughter." He said, his voice cold, before he smashed the door close behind him with an angry force.

Aphrodite felt like someone just stabbed her heart with a Great sword. He doesn't believe me… He hates her!...H-He wants a boy?! She knew that he was hinting about her next and last pregnancy. She looked at her crying daughter in her arms, a look of concern splattered her face and she exposed her chest, allowing Elsa to feed, as she rock her to sleep. "Shhhhh..." She then began to sing a lullaby hoping for it to shush Elsa and put her to sleep.

Little snowflake, close your eyes

The sun is going down, now

Deep in our hearts, love shall thrive

No one can hurt you now

When you're alone, hear my voice

I'll be there when you need me

Little baby, count on me

I promise I'll never let you go.

"Don't worry, my little snowflake." She kissed her tiny forehead, "I'll protect you." She walked towards the crib and placed the sleeping Elsa in it. She smiled at her sadly and with the motherly fond, then her eyes looked up to watch the ice melt. When the outside became more clear from the window view, she gasped in silence and was shocked to see the snow storm was no longer there, instead, it was replaced with Blue-cyan Aurora Lights that were dancing in the clear night sky above the white kingdom of Arendelle.

"Look Elsa…The sky's awake." She whispered with a radiant smile.