The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XIII : A Wronged Thief

Anna and the others sat in Elsa's bedroom, waiting for the princess to wake up. They already changed her bloody dress into another one that looked practically the same, but the difference was that this new dress had brown off-the-shoulder sleeves instead of long ones, leaving Elsa's scars in plain view. The dress had brown skirt and light beige bodice.

"Do we seriously have no other dress than this one?" Anna asked, annoyed.

"Anna, she's too skinny. All the other dresses are way too big for her." Rapunzel explained.

Elsa slept on a bed placed at the corner just as Aphrodite suggested. She took her usual sleeping position just like the one she was used to, back in the cellar. And that made Anna and the others very uncomfortable and concerned.

"Did you see how she sleeps?" Anna noted worriedly while she brushed Elsa's forehead smoothly with her fingers.

The others understood what Anna meant, but they didn't feel it was pleasant to even say it.

"It's just…" Anna tried to say, but she surprised the others when she promptly started to cry.

"Anna, it's okay!" Rapunzel quickly ran towards her friend and wrapped her in a hug. "It's okay…" Rapunzel comforted again.

"I don't know what's h-happening to me, guys!... It's just not… I… I never f-felt so h-heartbroken!" Anna tried to say through her sobs.

Rapunzel rested her cheek on Anna's head and furrowed her blonde eyebrows before she exchanged concerned looks with Aiden and Flynn.

"Why am I c-crying?!... I don't understand! I barely know her!... but I feel like I've been living with her all my life!" Anna's mind was completely confused. It rolled into different emotions at the sight of her tormented sister, and Anna did not know why. "I don't even know her name!" Anna cried.

Her friends did not know what they could have done to her. Aiden, Flynn and Kristoff walked towards the girls. Kristoff stood right next to Anna, Aiden knelt to her knees again and Flynn stood next to Rapunzel. All of them tried to comfort the clueless girl.

"Anna, she's okay now, can't you see?" Flynn stated. "She's safe now!" He cheered.

"Yeah, Anna! The past is in the past. The important thing is that she is free from that hell." Aiden reasoned.

"I… I guess you're right." Anna said after she whipped off her tears, and pulled back from Rapunzel's hug. She looked back at Elsa and gave her a sad, sympathetic smile. "At least she's resting and not being tortured."

"Yeah!" Rapunzel said happily. "Now, let's just wait for her to wake up." She said with a radiant smile.

"How are we going to stop her from freaking out again?" Kristoff asked.

The others thought for a moment, not able to answer, as Kristoff was probably right. Then Anna spoke.

"She is totally terrified of people. So how about we don't surprise her with too many." Anna said with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" Flynn asked.

"I mean… That you three should get out!" Anna said while she pointed at the three men in front of her.

"What?!" The three men said in unison.

"I mean, look at you! All big, tall and scary-looking… no wonder why she got terrified." Rapunzel mocked before she laughed.

"When she wakes up, maybe Rapunzel and I can calm her down. We don't look that intimidating." Anna said after she pointed at both herself and Rapunzel.

"Well, maybe you're right." Aiden confessed. "Come on, guys." He said before he motioned for the other men to follow him outside.

"Be sure to inform us when she wakes up. We'll be just outside." Flynn informed and he received a nod from both women.

The three men went outside and left two women waiting nervously for the awakening of the princess. Both Anna and Rapunzel felt unease at the situation they have in hands. They did not know what Elsa would do again when she wakes up. But they prayed for the best.

A moment of silence crept around the three women, until Rapunzel finally spoke, "Do you think these gloves will help?" She asked while she stared at Elsa's gloved hands.

"I have no idea… But mother sounded sure of it." Anna answered while she scratched her head.

Rapunzel puffed a breath and rested her chin on her hands.

"Where do you think her mother is?" Anna suddenly blurted.

Rapunzel's eyes widened, "W-what?!" Rapunzel asked nervously while she stiffened and stared at her friend. She did not know why Anna would ask such a question, yet here she was.

Anna knows! Rapunzel thought. She was scared Anna would figure out the secret she was forced to keep.

"Don't you remember when we were eavesdropping on these men, back in Arendelle?" Anna said while she looked at her tensed friend in confusion. "They said the queen and princess disappeared… and they said one died. Which one of the princesses is she?"

Rapunzel felt a bit relieved that her friend didn't actually solve her life puzzle, but she also felt heartbroken about it. "I-I think… She's the s-suppose to be dead one… I-I mean, they said the king announced that the princess died. I'm pretty sure he wanted to hide her away from everyone so he can…" Rapunzel stopped her sentence and looked at Elsa's bandages wound.

Anna understood, yet she still had a question in mind. "Then where is the other princess?" She wondered.

Rapunzel inhaled slowly so she could calm herself down. She did not know what to answer. She didn't want to say anything that could have possibly raised Anna's suspicions. "I-I don't know." She quickly said.

"Do you think they died?... The Queen and Princess?... Do you think they're still alive?... If they are, Are they far from here? Are they even looking for her?" Anna asked again as she eyed her nervous friend then turned and gave Elsa a sorrowful, sympathetic look.

Rapunzel mentally facepalmed. She had no idea what to say. She knew Anna's answer was right under her nose. "Um, I have a feeling they are closer than you think." Rapunzel hinted.

Anna chuckled at her friend's enigmatic reply. "We found her…" Anna said while she pointed at Elsa. "Maybe we'll find them too." Anna said with a wink before she laughed at her unrealistic ambition.

Rapunzel laughed awkwardly with her friend. I think we found them already. Rapunzel thought. Or they found us.

"Maybe we will?" Rapunzel said playfully, joining Anna's imagination.

The two laughed with each other for a moment before the room fell silent again.

Rapunzel thought for a second, then smirked at Anna evilly. She wanted to refresh the mood a bit, "Sooo… How's Kristoff?" She asked with a raised eyebrow playfully.

"W-what?... Y-yeah, he's fine." Anna muttered awkwardly. And that grew a bigger smirk on Rapunzel's face.

"Ohhhhh, he's fine alright!" Rapunzel teased while she leaned a bit closer to Anna and budged her elbow with Anna's.

"W-what do you mean?" Anna asked as if she did not know.

"Just stop playing innocent, and confess it!... You like him!" Rapunzel said cheerfully with a loud voice.

"SHHHH!… Are you crazy?! He could hear us!" Anna said while she motioned with her hands to lower Rapunzel's voice.

"AHA!... I knew it! You do like him!" Rapunzel said while she pointed a guilty finger straight at Anna's face.

"Okay, fine!... But it's not like he likes me back or anything. I prefer we keep that between each other." Anna demanded.

Rapunzel frowned at her friend's ignorance. She knew Kristoff liked Anna back. It seemed obvious to her. But Anna was the one who was oblivious.

Anna, you don't know a lot of things. Rapunzel thought sadly.

"And besides," Anna started with her own smirk, "What's with you and smolder boy huh?!" She teased.

Rapunzel blushed and avoided eye contact. "W-what? You mean Flynn?" She managed to say.

"Uh-huh! Who else do you look at with dreamy eyes?" Anna teased again while her smirk reached her ears.

"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about." Rapunzel tried to play innocent, but Anna clearly never bought it.

"Yeahhhh, of course you don't." Anna played convinced before she turned and looked at Elsa.

Her eyes shot wide when she noticed the princess was opening her eyes again.

"Oh my god! Rapunzel, she's awake!" Anna said cheerfully.

"What should we do?!" Rapunzel asked utterly worried.

"Uhhhhh…" Anna looked around quickly and tried to think of what to do. "Uhmm just... Let's back away a bit! We don't need her to wake up seeing us too close like last time. Let her wake herself up slowly." She suggested and both she and Rapunzel nodded to themselves and backed away a bit, enough for Elsa to adjust to her new surroundings when she wakes up.

Elsa started opening her eyes unsteadily, and discovered that her last headache did not come to an end. "H-Hey?" She heard the same voice again, but this time it sounded hesitant. As the last memories came crashing in her mind, her eyes fluttered open and she quickly stirred and gasped loudly when she saw the two women she'd seen before. "No!" She quickly recoiled away, but she winced in pain when her injured back hit the wall. Elsa sat in the corner of her bed. She brought her legs up to her chest while she darted her eyes quickly in fright between the two women. Her gloved hands brought up to her chest, and she started breathing fast again while she tried as much as she could to squeeze herself away to the wall. "Please…" Elsa pleaded.

Anna quickly moved to comfort the princess before she could freak out again. "Hey, hey, hey, It's okay it's okay! We won't hurt you!" She said as she smiled a soothing smile and tried to reassure the terrified princess.

Anna saw how the princess kept darting her eyes in terror at them and around the room, and that she didn't relax, not even a bit. But at least she didn't wreck and freeze the room. Anna thought while she mentally high-fived herself that her plan of kicking the men out of the room and confronting the princess alone, worked. Then she praised her mother for the gloves.

"You're safe, don't worry." Rapunzel said with her most gentle voice. Yet Elsa still did not relax.

Rapunzel and Anna exchanged concerned looks. They decided to give the princess some time and space to let her mind adjust to her surroundings. After a few minutes of quick eyes darting, Elsa's cyan eyes finally focused on the women in front of her.

Anna and Rapunzel smiled at her sympathetically. So far Elsa did not look at them with ease. She just stared at the two with frightened eyes.

Anna sensed Elsa's anxiety, "We won't hurt you." She repeated a bit louder, but she received a shaking head from the princess.

"We got you out of the dungeons and brought you here a few days ago…" Rapunzel started.

Elsa's eyes shot wider. Rapunzel and Anna saw how she lost her focus on them again and her breath quickened. "No… No!… NO!..." Elsa started shaking her head vigorously.

"It's okay, calm dow-" Anna tried to calm her down but the princess shouted back.

"You have to bring me back!... B-Bring me back to Papa! He'll be a-angry that I left! He'll be angry! ANGRY! He'll find and h-hurt me! You shouldn't have freed me! What have you done!?" Elsa's tears began falling uncontrollably from her horrified eyes and she started trembling in fear. "Please, PLEASE! Bring me back to him before he gets angry! PLEASE!" Elsa hid her face with her hands again and cried. Something Anna noticed the princess does when she's hopeless and scared.

Anna and Rapunzel were shocked at the princess's desperation not to upset her father. They knew that she was terrified of him, and they concluded that her father hurt her when he got mad.

Oh my god, she wants to get back?! Anna thought, utterly shocked how much the princess is terrified of her father to a point where she was more willing to go back to him than upset him.

"Please, just calm down! You've been through a lot… C'mon, with me. Slow breaths…" Anna said while she inhaled and exhaled slowly in front of the princess and tried to show her how. "You're safe here. No one will find you… not even your father. You're safe, you're safe! I promise." Anna tried to calm her down again while she took one hesitant step forward. When she saw that the princess did not acknowledge her and kept crying, she took another step forward and motioned for Rapunzel to follow.

"Listen to me. No one will ever hurt you again. We'll make sure of that! You are free." Anna assured with a soft, happy voice and a sad smile.

The woman's voice that caressed Elsa's ears was so gentle, warm and soothing. After a few seconds, Elsa brought her hands down from her face but kept them squeezed to her chest. She lifted her head and looked at the women in an unease and cautious face while her eyebrows still furrowed in concern.

Anna realized that the princess won't calm down this way, so she decided to take the chance to introduce herself. "Um, my name is Anna-" She started, but was startled by Rapunzel's hand on her mouth.

Rapunzel saw how Elsa's eyes shot wider and how her face turned haunted. She quickly moved to cover the suspicions just as she was told to do. "ANASTASIA!" She suddenly blurted. "H-Her name is A-Anastasia, but we c-call her Anna." She quickly said awkwardly while she covered Anna's mouth.

Anna shoved Rapunzel's hand off her mouth and gave her a questioned and confused look, before she mouthed 'What?!' but the green eyed girl did not respond. Rapunzel only mouthed 'Later', before she quickly turned to the bewildered Elsa, who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

My name is Anna Anna's words repeated over and over in Elsa's head, haunting and tormenting her. Elsa quickly hid her ears with her hands. Why are you doing this to me?! Elsa thought. She felt as if God was punishing her for her sins. She concluded that he wanted her to hear the name of the person she killed over and over so she could never forget about it. And the strawberry blond hair of the woman only made it worse and confirmed her theory. She will never get away from her sins. I deserve this! She thought again and realized that even if her body escaped her prison, her mind will never will.

"A-And my name is Rapunzel… Yeah! Rapunzel and Anastasia." Rapunzel said while she kept her gaze at Anna nervously.

Anna glared at Rapunzel and spoke again, "But you can still call me Anna." She said. Her intimidating eyes gazed back at Rapunzel's.

Anna finally left Rapunzel's eyes and looked back at Elsa with a soothing smile. "What's your name?" She asked the question she's been waiting for and saw the chance to take another step forward.

Elsa stared at them in anxiety for a second. She did not answer. She feared she might answer wrong and make them mad at her thus hurting her. I have a lot of names. She thought, ashamed.

The monster, the unholy, the filth, the freak, the abomination, the murderer, the criminal… The thief.

Her mind recited the names her father had been calling her ever since she was six years old. She did not know which one she should have chosen to tell these women. But thanks to Kai, she never forgot her real name. Yet she was utterly ashamed that she had it. She knew she never deserved a human name.

Anna noticed how the princess hesitated to say her name, as if she was about to reveal her biggest secret just by pronouncing it.

"El… E-Elsa." Elsa finally whispered with a voice full with regret.

Elsa?! Anna thought as her eyes widened, before she suddenly winced at the immense pain in her head. Rapunzel noticed her friend's reaction and quickly ran to her side and gave her a concerned look.

Elsa's eyes widened in fear for the redhead. She quickly glanced at her gloved hands. Did I hurt her?! No… NO, PLEASE! She thought scared before she looked back at Anna. "Please, please I-I'm sorry! I didn't m-mean to hurt you!" She pleaded.

It's happening again! Elsa thought utterly horrified. She remembered the day she hurt a 4 year old strawberry blonde little girl called Anna, and now she is doing it again, as if history was repeating itself. Albeit this time it was a strawberry blonde woman with the same name. God really was punishing her.

After recovering from her pain, Anna looked back at the panicked platinum blonde and readjusted what she just said. "What?... Oh!... No, no! I'm fine! You didn't hurt me!" She reassured quickly. "See?... I'm fine! It's just a headache." She knocked on her head playfully.

Elsa didn't stop staring in concern at the women in front of her. "You-… Y-You're fine?" Elsa asked, not even knowing why she did. But she wanted to make sure she did not do something wrong, or that her curse hurt someone else; which would make her father angry. And she didn't want that.

Anna giggled a bit, "Yeah, yeah. I'm great actually!" She said joyfully. Fortunately, both women noticed how Elsa relaxed the very bit.

"How're you feeling?" Rapunzel asked Elsa while she smiled, but she cursed herself for even doing it when she noticed Elsa tense again.

Elsa felt pain in her body. However, the pain was minor, thus it's a strange feeling for her. Back when she was in the dungeons, her body never rested. Agony was her only company.

"I-I'm okay." Elsa answered without thinking before she quickly bit her lip, hugged her middle and raised her shoulders in distress. She was scared that she answered too quickly, and she did not know what their reaction would be. She stared at them with fear and waited for them to beat her for being blunt. But her eyebrows rose as they surprised her with a smile.

Her answer encouraged Anna to finally take the last step and sit at the very end of the bedside. Elsa stiffened and squeezed her legs closer to her chest, away from Anna.

As Anna sat next to Elsa, though kept the distance so she can give some space for the princess, she couldn't help but stare at the woman's platinum hair and cyan eyes. Elsa on the other hand was still confused on where she was and what would happen to her. She stared right back at the redhead in confusion.

She looks familiar. Both of them thought in unison.

Anna felt her headache back again but shook it off when she saw how Elsa dropped her eyes from her.

Anna watched in concentration as the princess eyed the bandage around her left arm curiously and stroke the fabric slowly as if she was admiring it and never saw something like it before.

"Don't do that." Anna quickly said. She didn't want Elsa to hurt her broken arm accidentally while she analyzed it. She mentally slapped herself when she saw Elsa stiffened at the sudden command and her terrified face was back again.

God!… Okay, mental note. Don't sound commanding. Anna thought as she cursed herself for her quick and stern advice.

Anna's eyes fell on Elsa's left arm, and her curiosity couldn't help but ask. "How did that happen?" She asked while she pointed at Elsa's left arm.

Elsa quickly hid her left arm and lowered her head in utter shame. Anna already and obviously knew that it wasn't a good memory for Elsa. But she just had to know.

Elsa stared downwards at the bed sheets while she clutched and hid her left arm in protection. She bit her lip and closed her eyes tight when the memory of that day came rushing into her mind.

Elsa's Flashback

Elsa lay in her cellar, unable to move. She was shackled and chained. Her whole pale body ached. Her mouth was extremely dry and her stomach cried and pleaded for food. Her tongue did not taste a thing-beside the blood from her lip-in 3 days. Her breath was labored as she stared with exhausted eyes at her cellar door while she lay sideways on the harsh stony floor.

Mad had been having his slumber on a chair just outside Elsa's cellar. He snorted loudly as if a rock was stuck in his nose.

All the other prisoners knew that Elsa hadn't eaten in days. And they were worried sick. Fortunately, Kai decided and managed to save the piece of bread he had for Elsa, which was the only thing he would have for the next two days. Yet he was the most worried person for Elsa, and he was willing to give it away to her.

"Princess Elsa?... Princess Elsa, can you hear me?" Kai asked concerned.

Elsa heard the gentle, familiar voice. She lifted her head a bit and managed to whisper the words that will assure Kai, whom now she loves dearly like the father she always wanted, that she's at least alive.

"Kai?... Y-Yes… I'm okay." She lied as she clutched her aching empty stomach.

Kai took a glance around before he knelt behind his cellar bars. "Elsa, you need to eat… Take mine." He said while he readied himself to throw the piece of bread in his hands to Elsa.

"N-No… Kai… Please, no. It's yours… I can't… take it." Elsa managed to say.

Her voice was so weak it sent stabs through Kai's heart. He shook his head, yet he knew Elsa couldn't see him. "Princess, please! If you don't eat you won't survive!... Please, just take it." He didn't wait for her to answer. He threw the piece of bread that landed right in front of the bottom bars of Elsa's door.

Elsa sighed in defeat. She knew she was extremely hungry, and that if she didn't eat, she will keep passing out every now and then. She lifted her head again and looked at the bars from behind her dirty bangs. She winced in pain as she started to crawl slowly to the door. Chains rattled behind her as she moved. When she finally managed to reach the bars, she slid her shaky left hand between the bars and tried to reach the piece of bread. Her fingers were inches away from the bread, when a sudden pressure landed on her left arm… a foot.

Dread crawled in her body. She was caught. After she whimpered in pain, she looked up and saw Mad with a sanguine smirk on his face. "Well, well, well…" He started. "Looks like we have a thief!... Ohhh, your father won't like that."

Elsa tried to pull her left arm away, but Mad let his whole weight press on it. "Please…" Elsa pleaded for Mad but his smirk only grew.

Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse. The main dungeon door opened, and revealed her father and the two special guards. Elsa began trembling at the sight of her father. She knew she was in big trouble.

Kai slammed the bars with his fist in rage, "Just leave her alone!" He yelled at Mad.

The king walked in regally, "What is happening here?" He asked rigidly.

Mad smirked again, and looked at the king. "Well, your majesty. I have caught us a thief! Our monster here, tried to steal food." He said his foot not moving off of Elsa's arm.

"Is that so?" He asked while he looked at Elsa, who quickly shook her head vigorously in denial.

"N-N-No, no! I-I was just…" Elsa started, but was cut off by her father's mocking voice.

"Hungry?" He asked, amused. The king walked towards the door, knelt right in front of the bottom bars, and stared at Elsa's arm that was halfway out between the bars and Mad's foot on it.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk…" The king shook his head slowly from side to side in disappointment. "Do you know what happens to thieves, Elsa?" He asked grimly.

"Leave her alone! I gave her that! She did not steal anything!" Kai yelled. But the king didn't even acknowledge his presence.

Elsa's tears rushed down her cheeks as she stared at her father's mischievous eyes. She was terrified of what her father will do to her. "P-P-Papa… Please! I-I was just hungry!" She tried to reason.

"So you decided to steal Kai's share?... Oh no, Elsa. I thought I raised you better than this. You should have waited for your turn. But you decided to steal." The king stood straight again and smirked. "And now it's time for a thief to be punished." He said before he nodded to Mad.

"NO! PAPA, PLEASE! I'M SORRY, I-I'M SORRY! I-I-I WON'T DO IT AGAIN! PLEAAAASEE!" Elsa tried to beg when Mad let go of her arm, and started opening her cellar door. Elsa quickly crawled away backwards when her arm was freed as much as she can from the door while she whimpered, but the chains restrained her.

The door flew open. Her father and the other three men entered before they closed it again behind them. "Grab her." The king commanded Mad.

"NO!" Elsa screamed as she tried to pull with all her strength on her cuffs.

Mad laughed wickedly and motioned for one of the guards to follow him. They both grabbed Elsa. The guard pinned her legs to the ground with his harsh hands while Mad held Elsa's arms and stretched them above her, before he pushed his knee on her hands and pinned her to the ground.

"PAPA, PLEAAAASE!" Elsa started to struggle.

"Hold still!" Mad yelled before he managed both he and his companion to restrain her.

Elsa now lay on her back stretched, and waited for her punishment.

Elsa didn't have a choice. She cried her eyes out and trembled in terror. No, no, no, no! She thought before she let out a loud, fearful sob.

The king walked towards the table with his back turned to his daughter. When he turned again to face her, Elsa cried in horror as she saw him holding a huge hammer. The king lent the weapon to the other guard that stood silent. "P-Papa! I-I won't d-do it again! P-Please, please! I s-swear, I-I swear!" Elsa tried to reason with a trembling voice while more tears dripped on the floor.

The king walked towards her and she whimpered loudly at every footstep of her father that also sent shivers down her spines. "Please… please… please…" Elsa prayed with a low voice. Her eyes were closed and her head drummed the ground underneath her.

The king knelt next to Elsa's laid form. "A thief is a thief, Monster. They never change. If you don't show them the consequences, they'll do it again." The king leaned and grabbed Elsa's jaw roughly with his hand and she sobbed loudly again at his touch. "I wouldn't be surprised for a monster to sin again." He let go of her face and started stroking her cheek gently as her tears ran down and wetted his hand. "Why are you crying, Monster?... Monsters don't feel, remember?" He said with a gentle voice and that forced tears to rush down even harder. The more gentle his voice was, the more it forced Elsa to shiver in terror.

The king shook his head in disappointment when she only replied with a sob. He stood up again with a sigh and motioned with his fingers for the young guard who held the hammer, to come forth.

The guard stood next to the king, unsure of what to do. The king glared at him with determined eyes and spoke. "Hit it… Hard." The king said while he pointed at Elsa's left arm.

"NO! PLEASEE!" Elsa shrieked and struggled again to free herself from the men's grip. Mad groaned in anger. He stretched then pinned her hands harder above her head and allowed his weight to press more with his knee on them. All Elsa could do was to sob and tremble. She knew it was inevitable.

The King stood next to the guard whom hands sweated as he held the huge hammer. The guard took a deep breath before he lifted the hammer and brought it down with force on Elsa's left arm.

Elsa shrieked with all her might in agony as the pain rushed around her arm. She drummed her head roughly to the ground so she could forget the pain, but she failed miserably. Her chest rose and descended rapidly as she gasped for air.

"CURSE YOUUUU!" They all heard Kai yelled.

The king wasn't satisfied. He grabbed the young man from the back of his neck roughly and whispered with the most intimidating voice he could muster. "I said… Hit… Harder!" He warned before he shoved the boy back next to Elsa who was squirming and crying in agony.

The boy held the hammer nervously and utterly hesitant. He knew the king wants to break the princess's arm, and that he had no choice but to oblige before the king decides to take his head off. He lifted the hammer again shakily, quickly glanced for help at his friend who pinned Elsa's legs, but he knew he can't go anywhere before the king is satisfied. He brought the hammer down on Elsa's left arm, this time with full force. A loud crack erupted around the room and sent shivers down the guards' spines. And now they all know that Elsa's left arm broke.

Another scream was all Elsa could reply. Her body literally vibrated from agony as she screamed, flailed and thrashed on the ground uncontrollably, trying desperately to escape the pain. Yet she knew deep inside that she couldn't.

Suddenly, ice shot out of her right hand and sent Mad flying to the wall. The ice crawled on the ground, up the walls and out of the small window way above, accompanied by spikes along the track.

The king didn't care about Mad. He was satisfied that his desires were completed. "That's what you deserve, Monster." He said coldly before he turned to Mad and laughed at him. "Get up already." He said before he started walking towards the cellar door, his hands clasped behind his back and motioned for the other men to follow with his head.

Suddenly, they all heard the cries and yells of fear from the outside of the small window. Citizens of Arendelle were screaming and shouting in fear. The king's eyes widened. He did not know what was happening, "Come on, move it! Get out. I need to go check what's happening." He commanded before he shoved Mad who was limping, roughly to move forward faster.

When they all went out the king looked back at Elsa, who was still squirming and sobbing loudly on the floor while she clutched her left arm to her chest tightly. Ice spread behind her, all the way up the window.

"Never forget what you are." He said then slammed the door shut, hard enough that it echoed in the whole dungeon.

Elsa laid on the ground as she tried to fight her pain away, but to no avail. The Princess of Arendelle laid locked in her own castle. Wary of pain, but oblivious to the winter she just cast upon her kingdom.

"Elsa... Elsa?… Elsa, can you hear me?" Anna called the princess who was totally lost in thoughts, but the thing that concerned her is that Elsa looked more terrified of something she only saw beyond them. Elsa bit her lip, her left arm squeezed even tighter to her chest as if protecting it. Her eyes stared at the bed sheets, yet Anna knew that the princess was looking at something inside her mind. Anna exchanged concerned looks with Rapunzel before she gulped and tried to reach Elsa's arm with her hand, so she could wake her out of her thoughts.

The moment her hand contacted Elsa's arm, the princess's eyes shot wide as if she just woke up from something and she quickly jumped in horror away from Anna, "DON'T TOUCH ME!" She shrieked hiding her left arm away.

Anna quickly recoiled away, shocked. "I-I was just checking if you're okay… I-I've been calling you for like ten minutes. I'm sorry!"

Elsa realized that she wasn't in her dark cellar anymore and screaming in pain. No, she was with two women who looked at her in concern and pity in a warmly lit room. Elsa looked away from them. Unable to meet their gaze from the shame and guilt she just felt and remembered. She closed her eyes in sorrow, tears streamed down her cheeks and she took a deep breath and mumbled something both Anna and Rapunzel couldn't hear quite right.

"What…?" Anna asked while she leaned ever so slightly towards Elsa, so she could hear better.

"Papa…" Elsa breathed.

Rapunzel hid her mouth behind her hand in surprise slowly. Anna kept staring at Elsa's left arm while heat started to consume her from anger. Both women saw how Elsa hugged herself at the mention of her father. They were shocked that her father would do this to her, but they already knew he was nothing but a monster. They both didn't speak. They waited for the princess to continue, if she ever wanted to.

"I… I am a thief. I stole my friend's share of bread." Elsa managed to say in a low, ashamed voice. "I-I was just hungry! I hadn't eaten in three days!" Elsa suddenly pleaded the women as if she was scared they would have punished her too.

Anna and Rapunzel felt their hearts shattered in pieces before they looked at each other in unease and gulped nervously. They suddenly felt guilty and stupid. They were both thieves after all, and they stole much more than a piece bread. Yet Elsa had been the one who ended up with a broken arm. They did not understand how Elsa was able to even steal something out of her cellar, until Elsa spoke again.

"Kai… H-He told me to take his share. But… P-Papa didn't believe me. So he punished me for stealing." She managed to say before she quickly hid her face in her hands again in shame.

Anna and Rapunzel felt completely anguished at how Elsa really lived in hell. They felt heavy-hearted every time Elsa couldn't pronounce her father's name without trembling. They just couldn't believe how her father was so cruel, unfair, coldhearted and merciless to her.

That's not even stealing! Anna thought angrily at the king's sly mind.

Suddenly, they all heard Elsa's stomach growl at the mention of food. Elsa's face turned red and she quickly clutched her stomach and tried desperately to stop it from screaming for food.

Anna gasped and slapped herself when she saw Elsa jumped in surprise at her sudden reaction.

How did I forget that!? Anna thought while she stared at Elsa with wide eyes, and that made Elsa very uncomfortable and scared.

"Elsa… You're surely hungry! Oh my god, how did I forget that?!" Anna said while she slapped her forehead too. "Rapunzel! Go tell Louis to prepare the best meal he could ever cook!" Anna commanded while she puffed her chest at Rapunzel and smiled radiantly at Elsa.

Rapunzel nodded happily and turned to smile at Elsa so she could cheer her up. "Well, Elsa… It's time for you to meet the others then."