The Ice Behind Bars
Chapter XIX: Like Mother, Like Daughter
The early morning finally came. Anna slowly lifted her eyelids to find that the sun barely even came out yet. The room had a greyish hue since the sunlight was yet hidden. Anna gave off a yawn then stretched her legs and arms before her eyes widened when she felt a cold chill was radiating towards her back and made her shiver. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before she turned to the other side to find Elsa sleeping peacefully at last. It was only then that she realized that she slept in Elsa's bed. Anna smiled at the tired woman, though her smile faded when she remembered how Elsa cried herself to sleep and how she decided not to leave Elsa's side and slept right next to her in case another nightmare trauma took over. On the thought of the nightmare Anna's face turned to a concerned and sad one.
What were you dreaming about? She thought. Who was she talking about? She scratched her head in wonder as she frowned questionably at Elsa.
A quiet knock on the door brought Anna back from her thoughts. She slowly slid out of the bed so she wouldn't wake Elsa up and went to greet whomever was behind the door.
Anna opened the door to reveal Rapunzel whom was standing with a big tray of meals. "Morning." Rapunzel whispered with a smile.
Anna giggled silently a bit, "It's not morning yet." She said while pointing at the barely risen sun from the window.
"I know." Rapunzel replied with a satisfied smile before she walked inside but stopped in her tracks from shock. "Uhm, Anna?... What is this?" She asked with a surprised face while she pointed at Anna's broken bed.
Anna laughed awkwardly while she rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah, that?... Oh, nothing! It's a long story."
Rapunzel stared at the bed in confusion, "Were you wrestling with Elsa or something?"
"No, no! I was just… Hehe… J-Jumping on the bed." Anna said nervously.
"Were you showing Elsa one of your crazy moves, Miss Feisty Pants?" Rapunzel asked playfully. "You broke your bed for goodness' sake!" Rapunzel said with a laugh.
"I have you know, that made Elsa laugh by the way!" Anna defended proudly while puffing her chest.
Rapunzel giggled a bit, then, "Then let's keep bringing new beds in here so you can break them and make her laugh all over again. How did it even break? I swear you weight like the stick that Elsa holds."
"Ha, Ha. Very funny." Anna said annoyed, and before Rapunzel could continue mocking her, she quickly changed the subject. "Can you please tell me why you're here and holding a tray at such a freakin early hour? It's still dawn!"
"Well, excuse me if I wanted to eat with my best friends. I just thought I'd better get Louis to finish our meals first since everyone will soon wake up and the first thing they'll do is to head to the kitchen. So I got us our share before these locusts devour everything and-" Rapunzel suddenly stopped when she took notice of Anna's exhausted face and the small black circles under her eyes. "Anna, did you even sleep at night?" She asked worriedly while placing the tray on the table.
"Keep your voice down. Elsa is still asleep." Anna said while gesturing to Rapunzel with her hands to keep it quiet. "I won't wake her after she finally found sleep without these nightmare attacks."
Rapunzel's eyes widened, "Was she screaming in her sleep again?" She asked.
"Are you deaf? I'm pretty sure the whole fort heard her!" Anna said with a whisper while crossing her arms.
They both turned their heads to look at the sleeping pale form of Elsa.
"I woke up on her screams. She was kind of… Begging for her father or something. Oh gosh Rapunzel if you just could have seen her!" Anna said sadly, "I tried to call her name but she just didn't even looked like she heard me. I also tried to shake her awake but she started flailing her hands at me." She explained before she snorted then, "I got a fist square in my jaw too." She said while rubbing her jaw. "I got really, really worried cause it took me like a whole ten minutes to wake her. God, I was pretty scared too. I-I didn't know what to do!"
"Did she tell you what she was dreaming of?" Rapunzel asked.
Anna groaned, "Rapunzel… When she woke up, she didn't even recognize me! She also said, 'She's dead' in which I have no idea whom she was talking about. But I presume that it's just some nonsense, cause when she woke up she was totally lost and scared and just confused more than I was." Anna clarified.
"Do you think she'll keep having those nightmares?" Rapunzel asked while giving Elsa a worried look.
"Well… We only saw her sleeping twice. And she had this… Nightmare episode in both times. I… I just hope that they would go away in time." Anna said sadly before she walked towards Elsa and sat carefully right next to her. She brought her legs to her chest and rested her cheek on her knees while looking at the sleeping Elsa sadly. "I… I just don't want her to suffer anymore." Anna said while holding back tears. "I thought getting her out of there would just fix everything. But… God, I was so wrong."
Rapunzel smiled sympathetically at the two before she moved closer to Anna. "You really care about her, huh?"
Anna smiled shyly, "Isn't that already obvious?" She giggled a bit then, "I swear sometimes when I look at her, I feel this… Feeling."
"Really." Rapunzel said with a raised playful eyebrow. "You feel a feeling."
Anna slapped her on the shoulder playfully, "Stop it you!" She giggled then, "What I mean is… A warm feeling. Like… Like the one I feel for Mum!" She explained excitedly, but then shook her head in amusement. "I am really losing my mind. First the emotional change of character, then this! I'm talking baloney." She said playfully while gesturing to herself but went oblivious to Rapunzel's nervousness. "I'm making nonsense myself right now too. Rapunzel, it's just… I'm really fond of her, you know?" Anna said while giving Elsa a warm smile.
Rapunzel didn't know what to say to that. She kept her mouth shut so she wouldn't blurt anything that would have raised Anna's suspicions.
"I know that I've only known her for like... Only one day!" She looked back at Rapunzel, "Do you think I lost it?" She asked more serious than playfull.
Rapunzel giggled but avoided eye contact, "Trust me. You're totally fine." Then her eyes met Elsa's frame. "You know?… Elsa already grew on me, too." She said with a fond smile before she smirked, And Aiden. She thought.
"What?" Anna asked confused.
Rapunzel's eyes widened when she realized she actually said those aloud and not in her mind. "What what?" Rapunzel tried to act oblivious.
"You said Aiden."
"No I did not! I said… Bacon!" Rapunzel said awkwardly. "I said I'm fond of Elsa… and bacon." She said before she gulped nervously.
Anna raised a suspicious eyebrow at her but shrugged the idea off. "Ah well. Speaking of bacon… What did Louis prepared for us?" She asked while rubbing her hands hungrily.
Rapunzel mentally let out a sigh of relief before she replied, "Oh, the usual favorite of yours: Bacon with two scrambled eggs and some… Broccoli. Ugh! How can you even digest that thing in the morning!?"
"Hey! I don't say anything when you eat fried calamari in the morning!" Anna defended.
"Because it's delicious!" Rapunzel defended back.
"So is broccoli!" Anna said mockingly.
"Your mother despises broccoli! One time Louis made a broccoli soup for dinner, she didn't even come near the kitchen and she decided to just drink water for dinner instead! So how come you love broccoli!?" Rapunzel asked with a laugh.
Both girls forgot about keeping their voices down.
Anna only shrugged with a smirk before her eyes widened when a question ran in Anna's mind. "What did you bring for Elsa?" She asked quickly and leaned towards Rapunzel with a raised eyebrow.
Rapunzel held her hands defensively, "Well we both know she only eats one thing. So I asked for Louis to just prepare a beef sandwich." Rapunzel explained.
Anna frowned. "Beef sandwich? The woman needs more than just meat! She should eat more healthy stuff like vegetables, eggs and tuna..." She paused then, "And broccoli."
"Anna, Elsa hadn't eaten a different thing in years! We don't know if she'll like these stuff. Just let her have her sandwich today and maybe later she'll have courage to try something else." Rapunzel said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Ah, I guess you're right." Anna said before her eyes widened when she felt Elsa stir. She quickly got off the bed and sat at the nightstand so Elsa wouldn't be surprised by seeing her too close and Anna definitely didn't want to witness another panic attack.
Her face drew a huge toothy smile before both she and Rapunzel turned to Elsa. "Elsa?" Anna called gently.
Elsa lifted her eyelids slowly and revealed her bright cyan eyes. "Hmph?" Elsa voiced distractingly while rubbing her left eye. Her eyes suddenly widened and she quickly lifted herself in a sitting position and turned to face the voice but she quickly relaxed when she saw the familiar kind faces.
Anna and Rapunzel's hearts stopped when they saw Elsa sat up with such a fearful speed. They were bracing themselves for another panic episode but they let out a surprised sigh of relief in unison when they saw how Elsa's shoulders relaxed and the recognition sign on her face. Anna smiled warmly at her, "How're you feeling?" She asked with a soft and gentle voice.
A moment passed. Two. Three. Then Elsa finally just nodded and Anna understood that as an 'I'm fine.'
"Are you still feeling any pain?" Anna asked a bit worried.
Elsa did feel a bit sore, and some muscles still ached but these pains were minor comparing to the other she once felt, so she decided to just shake her head as a 'No.'
Someone doesn't talk a lot in the morning… Way unlike her sister. Rapunzel thought since Elsa only gestured and didn't talk. She's probably shy. She presumed.
An awkward silence crept around them before both Rapunzel and Anna looked at each other and both understood and decided that they weren't going to ask or remind Elsa of the nightmare. They both nodded at each other before they turned to Elsa, whom eyes were locked to her gloved hands in her lap.
"Are you hungry, Elsa?" Rapunzel asked with a soothing smile.
Elsa's eyes widened a tiny bit, Do they really eat every day?! Elsa thought since it was a bit strange to her. She never had another meal after just one day. It was always between three days to even sometimes a whole week.
Suddenly, it was only then did the smell of the food from the tray arrived to Elsa's nostrils. She gulped her newly-formed drool then nodded shyly at Rapunzel, her eyes were still on her lap.
Rapunzel and Anna's smile grew. "Well, then!" Anna clapped her hands. "Shall we have the honor to eat breakfast with her highness?" Anna said with a changed tone of her voice and tried to sound formal... Bad joke.
Elsa's eyebrows furrowed a bit and felt insulted.
Anna and Rapunzel noticed this and Anna literally slapped her forehead. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Anna thought angrily at herself.
Rapunzel stared at Anna awkwardly before she quickly hurried to save the moment, "Uhm, come on, Elsa. Let's just have breakfast. I bet you really want that sandwich again." She said with a wink while she gestured towards the table and the three chairs around it and she could have sworn she saw Elsa grin a bit.
Elsa started helping herself off the bed. Anna motioned for Rapunzel to just sit at the table and that she would help Elsa, if the princess would even allow it. Rapunzel nodded and took her seat and waited for the other girls.
When Elsa shoved the bed sheet off her lower body, Anna and Rapunzel took sight of Elsa's bandages and noticed how they were stained brown from old blood. Their faces turned a bit worried. Rapunzel winced a bit pitifully at the sight of the small bruises on Elsa's face and the horrible scars that lined her frame. Anna tried her best not to sound worried. "We should probably change your bandages after breakfast. I think mother can help you with that." Anna reassured.
Rapunzel's eyes widened and she forced herself not to spit the water she was drinking in shock. Oh boy… God, help me.
Elsa nodded at Anna before she dangled her legs from the bedside and took the stick that was resting on the nightstand, and Anna knew that this meant that Elsa wanted to stand alone. She felt a bit annoyed but she quickly shook it away and just encouraged Elsa with a smile.
Elsa pulled herself up... Too fast. She hissed in pain when her legs ached at the sudden muscle use and her eyes squeezed shut.
Anna reacted before she could stop herself. She quickly supported Elsa from her cold elbow. "Just lean on me." Anna suggested and her worry already made her forget about Elsa's possibility of a protest.
Elsa felt Anna's warm hands on her elbow but she was too busy focusing on the sudden pain in her legs. "It's okay." She heard Anna say. She started opening her eyes again slowly as the pain in her legs drained bit by bit. Fortunately, the first thing that caught her eyes was Anna's broken bed, and Elsa couldn't help but smile as she remembered what happened last night. Such a wonderful memory, her first real laugh from humor with the unknowingly sister, made her forget about her nightmare. She turned her head to Anna and saw the strawberry-blonde's unsure and awkward smile. Her eyes then slid to her elbow and Anna's hand underneath it.
Anna felt worried and just waited desperately for Elsa's decision of a protest or not.
Elsa turned her head back at Anna and gave her a wide innocent smile then nodded.
Anna gasped in joy. She felt her heart flutter when she saw Elsa smile at her and she couldn't help but smile radiantly back. "Alrighty, then!" She said excitedly. "Come on." She said before she started helping Elsa to walk towards the table.
Rapunzel's jaw dropped. She never saw Elsa smile purposely at someone. Oh my god! Look at them! She thought happily. She wondered how did this sudden change of behavior was triggered. Oh, Anna… Whatever you did for your sister, it made her really happy. She thought with a proud smile on her face as she stared at the two sisters that were heading towards her to join the peaceful breakfast.
When they all seated themselves, Rapunzel passed them each one their meal. "Here's your sandwich, Elsie!" She said happily and removed the plate that carried the sandwich and placed it in front of Elsa.
Elsa gave Rapunzel a thankful nod before she shyly took the sandwich off the plate.
"And here is your… Broccoli." Rapunzel said with a frown to Anna.
Anna giggled then started devouring her meal. "Hafe fun with youw calamawi!" Anna teased with her mouth full.
Rapunzel only stuck her tongue out at her friend before she started enjoying her meal.
Elsa took her first bite and she didn't have time to stop herself from humming in pleasure at the sensational taste while her eyes closed.
Anna and Rapunzel laughed a bit at her reaction and Elsa quickly snapped her eyes open again and realized what she just did and turned bright red from embarrassment.
"I know you like meat and all," Anna started saying, "But you should try eating something else! Your body needs some good nutrition in order for you to get better. Every food has its own advantages."
"Thank you very much, Anna, but we don't need a school lecture in the early morning." Rapunzel teased.
Anna stuck her tongue out and made raspberries towards Rapunzel.
Rapunzel gasped and quickly moved her plate away, "Thank you for your saliva donations, Anna, but I think my meal is perfectly good with salt instead." She said annoyed while holding her plate away. "Let us just continue our meals."
The three sat peacefully, each of them enjoying their meal, until curiosity took over Elsa's mind.
She took a quick peek at Rapunzel's plate and all what she saw was some yellowy, weirdly-shaped tentacles spread around the plate. Her face made a small disgusted expression and she mentally shook her head. There was no way she would be eating whatever that was.
Then she turned her eyes to Anna's plate. She saw something that she recognized at least: Meat. Yet she was utterly confused about the tiny green trees that Anna was munching on happily. Since when food became that colorful?
What are these things? She wondered as she kept taking quick peeks at the broccoli. When her eyes trailed to Anna's face she saw that Anna was staring right back with a smirk. Elsa quickly averted her eyes and took another bite from her sandwich.
"I saw that." Anna said while her smirk grew.
Elsa looked back at her a bit worried.
"I saw you looking at my broccolis! Here! Try some!" Anna said and quickly added some broccoli to Elsa's plate before Elsa could protest. "Here!" She held the fork up for her to take it.
Elsa put the sandwich down and stared at the fork worriedly before she gulped and took it from Anna's hand awkwardly and held it as if she was holding a sword and not a utensil.
Elsa stared at the tiny tree on her plate then looked back at the fork in her hand.
Anna and Rapunzel waited both patiently and excitedly to see how Elsa would react to a new food.
Elsa then weirdly smashed the fork through the broccoli with a force that Anna would have sworn the plate underneath it broke.
Both thieves stiffened a laugh.
Elsa then held the impaled petite tree in front of her, took a deep breath, Should I eat this thing?! Elsa thought first. Then she took a bite and munched once before her eyes widened and she held her breath as her body stiffened.
Anna and Rapunzel's face fell and they exchanged a concerned look. Oh god why did I even forced her to try?! Anna thought and cursed herself for her reckless act.
"U-Uhm… Els-AH!" Anna was saying when everything turned green to her.
Elsa couldn't hold it any longer, she quickly spat everything from her mouth and didn't notice that they all landed at Anna. Rapunzel let out a laugh and literally fell backwards with her chair.
Elsa's body shuddered at the horrible taste, she even got Goosebumps. What the hell was that thing?! Elsa thought. It was only then did she realize that Anna was covered in what she just spat.
"Oh my god, oh my god! EW, EW, EW, EEEWWW!" Anna shouted disgusted and made even Rapunzel laugh louder and grip her aching stomach.
Rapunzel couldn't take it anymore, she was laughing and laughing while tears streamed down her cheeks. "I… told you!" She was saying through her laughs, "You are… the o-only one… who loves broccoli! Your mum… h-hates it! And I think Elsa… hates it too!"
"You think?!" Anna said as she wiped the remains off her disgusted face with a napkin.
Ah well! Like mother, like daughter, right? Rapunzel thought to herself. At least Elsa got that from Aphrodite.
But both thieves didn't see how Elsa was actually terrified.
Elsa felt utterly afraid of what would Anna do to her. She just spat at the woman! Elsa knew that Anna is about to hurt her this time for real. "A-Anna, I'm sorry! Oh god! I-I-I didn't mean it, I'm sorry I'm s-sorry!" She apologized with frightened eyes.
"What…?" Anna quickly slid the napkin off her face to look at Elsa in surprise. Rapunzel quickly stopped her laughs as the situation turned serious.
Elsa was begging now, "I-I swear I didn't mean it! P-Please believe me! Please don't h-hurt me! Please!" Elsa said before she started trembling again in horror as tears formed at the corner of her eyes. She's going to hurt me because of what I did! She is going to punish me! Please, please, please no!
Anna took about ten seconds to realize what Elsa was talking about. "Oh my god, Elsa! No, no, no, no! I'm not angry! I'm not angry at all! I won't hurt you! I would never!"
Oh no, no, no. This is bad! Anna thought worriedly as she rushed to Elsa's terribly trembling form, followed by Rapunzel whom was already full with concern.
When Elsa saw Anna was approaching, she quickly recoiled back, cowered in terror and shut her eyes. "I'm s-sorry!" She cried again.
"Elsa, listen to me, please! I won't hurt you! I swear I won't hurt you! It was just an accident!" Anna reassured and tried her best to sound soothing and gentle. She looked over to Rapunzel and mouthed 'Help me out!'
Rapunzel nodded, then, "Elsa, you didn't do anything wrong. It was actually funny!" She said before she stepped closer to Elsa, whom eyes were still closed and her arms raised defensively.
"Elsa, I'm not mad at all!" Anna suddenly giggled a bit, "You know? I think Rapunzel was right. This really was funny." She said before she removed a piece of broccoli out from her hair.
Elsa waited for something to happen. A kick, a slap, a whip, a punch, a slash, anything… But nothing came. She slowly opened her eyes but kept her arms raised defensively. She looked at Anna with both surprised and pleading eyes, "Your-… You're not a-angry?" Elsa asked, still a bit afraid and was still cowering behind her arms.
"No, no, not at all!" Anna reassured with a smile. "I'm actually happy cause now I know that broccoli isn't on your Favorite Food list!" Anna said before she and Rapunzel started laughing.
Elsa was really confused. These crazy people just either laughed or smiled whenever she did something wrong. What is this mixed up place?
They should punish me! I did something wrong! Why aren't they hurting me for it?! She thought.
"B-But I just did something bad to you! How come you don't… w-want to punish me or h-hurt me?!" Elsa asked with a trembling voice.
"You did nothing wrong, Elsa." Rapunzel clarified with a smile.
"Yeah!" Anna agreed, "There was nothing wrong about that! Even if you did it on purpose I wouldn't hurt you for such a thing! Heck, I wouldn't hurt you for whatever you'd do! I promise!"
"Yeah, Elsa." Rapunzel started, "Even if anyone tries to hurt you, we will always be there to stop him before he does."
Elsa slowly lowered her arms, then hugged her middle, before she lowered her head in shame, "I'm so sorry." She said with a shameful voice.
"Can you stop apologizing, silly?!" Anna said playfully before she carefully and slowly placed her hand on Elsa's shoulder after she made sure Elsa wouldn't stiff. "Come on, Elsa. Let's finish our meals before we head out to the infirmary so we can change your bandages." Anna said softly.
Rapunzel nervously cleared her throat, "U-Uhm… How about we just get someone from the infirmary here." She suggested.
"No way!" Anna said while crossing her arms. "We will go outside today. Elsa needs to get some fresh air for god's sake!"
"But-"
"I don't wanna hear it, blondie!" Anna said and raised a hand to Rapunzel's face so she could stop her from talking. "Besides, Elsa didn't see the infirmary yet, or met my mother."
"I don't think she wants to see some injured people, Anna!" Rapunzel whispered in Anna's ears through gritted teeth.
"Well, she won't! We'll just change her bandages and introduce her to my mother… Her healer who saved her life, as I recall!" Anna whispered back.
Ohhhh… boy! Rapunzel thought. Aphrodite is going to kill me.
Rapunzel sighed in defeat, and Anna smiled proudly to her victory.
"Okidoki, Elsa. Let's finish our meals then." Anna said before she started wolfing her broccolis. "We'w head out thoon." She said with a mouth full again.
Elsa nodded slowly before she returned to her beef sandwich and swore on earth she would never touch broccoli again.
The three women put on their attire. Anna and Rapunzel wore the usual guild light armor and Elsa wore a simple peasant dress.
And they headed their way to the infirmary.
The more they approached the infirmary the more Rapunzel became nervous and tried to persuade Anna to change tracks.
Elsa on the other hand couldn't help this extremely strange feeling that was bubbling in her chest as she stared at the building ahead. She felt enormously eager to go there for a reason she did not know. It was as if an invisible force was pulling her towards it. And the more they approached the more Elsa's steps quickened involuntarily. She just wanted to get inside as if she would find something precious.
Anna giggled a bit, "Someone looks eager to go to the infirmary." She teased Elsa with a playful smirk.
Elsa snapped out of her trance and gave Anna an embarrassed look.
Rapunzel only felt even more nervous.
"A-Anna?... Are you sure this is the right time to visit the infirmary?" Rapunzel asked as she stared worriedly at the building ahead and fidgeted with her fingers.
"We need to change Elsa's bandages, anyway." Anna replied. "Why are you even so scared of the infirmary?" Anna asked Rapunzel in confusion.
Oh I'm not scared from the infirmary… I'm scared of what the person inside would do to me! Rapunzel thought.
Anna opened the door to the infirmary and motioned for Elsa to go inside.
They all entered the infirmary and were greeted with an old thin woman and a younger version of her which was probably her daughter. "Oh! Good morning, girls. To what do we own this pleasure?" The old woman asked with an honest smile.
"Good morning, Waela!" Anna greeted the old woman then waved at the younger one, "Morning, Yagmur!" And the young woman waved back. "Oh, we're just here to change Princess Elsa's bandages." Anna said and pointed at the shy Elsa.
Both Waela and Yagmur were the assistants who helped Aphrodite at the day Elsa arrived. Waela nodded at Anna before she turned her head to Elsa.
"Oh! And have you seen my mother? I want Elsa to meet her!" Anna said excitedly and Rapunzel's heart only drummed faster.
"Your mother is busy preparing a medicine, she'll be out in a few minutes." Waela explained. "Alright then, your highness. Let us change that for you. Come with me." Waela said with a soothing smile, but Elsa kept her distance from her and took a step back when the woman took a forward one. "Don't worry, child. I'll just change them, you won't feel any pain." Waela reassured but Elsa still just stared at her with cautious and unease eyes.
"Don't worry, Elsa. She won't hurt you." Rapunzel assured.
"Rapunzel, could you stay with her while I go search for Mother?" Anna asked.
Rapunzel felt that the situation was inevitable. She couldn't do anything anymore since if she did she might have raised suspicions. She only then nodded with a smile, "Of course." She turned to Elsa, "Come on, Elsa. Don't worry I'll be with you."
Elsa looked from between Anna to Rapunzel. Of course she would have preferred Anna, but there was no way she was going to protest, since the last time she disagreed with something she ended up being whipped by her father. She gulped and nodded slowly.
Anna and Rapunzel smiled before Anna went into her way to try and find her mother.
"This way, dear." Waela gestured towards a small bed.
Rapunzel gave Elsa an encouraging nod before both walked towards the bed. Elsa sat nervously and bit her lip in unease as she somehow felt more afraid again with Anna's absence.
Waela moved to a clipboard to get the materials. Rapunzel felt Elsa's distress and she hurried to calm her down. She sat right next to her, "Elsa, it's okay! She'll just remove these old dirty bandages so you don't get any infections, and replace them with fresh new ones." Rapunzel consoled. "Trust me, it won't hurt at all."
Elsa only kept fiddling with her braid nervously.
Waela approached her and motioned for Yagmur, her daughter, to help her. Rapunzel did notice Yagmur's unease and distress around Elsa. Yagmur was indeed afraid of Elsa as she remembered what the woman did back in the sanctuary, so she kept a careful distance and tried to smile honestly as much as she can, but her eyes betrayed her.
Rapunzel frowned at the younger woman but was grateful for Waela's wise behavior as she treated Elsa as if she wasn't different or dangerous. Waela smiled sympathetically at Elsa's wounded body then started her work.
After a lot of recoils, flinches, stiffness and whimpers of fear, Waela finally managed to replace the bandages and she was sweating herself. God, I never made such an effort by just wrapping a bandage. Waela thought jokingly. The bandages were wrapped in an awkward, weird and a loose way since Elsa never stayed still from fear, yet it will do for now to keep the damaged flesh secured.
When they finished, Yagmur quickly took a step away from Elsa.
"There, that's better… See? No harm done." Waela said with a wide smile.
"Thanks a lot, Waela." Rapunzel said gratefully.
Elsa finally relaxed her shoulders and took an impressed look at her new bandages.
Elsa stood off the bed with the support of the stick and followed Rapunzel and the others.
"Oh! Wait a second." Waela said as she remembered something. She walked towards a drawer and grabbed some sort of a small jar that was filled with a green herbal stuff. She motioned for Rapunzel to come near. "Here." She said and handed her the jar. "This is a remedy Leanna made for the bruises. Let Elsa apply it every night." Waela explained.
As Waela kept explaining to Rapunzel about the medicine and how to be treated with, Elsa's mind trailed off and she started looking around curiously. She wondered where Anna was, who was this Leanna and didn't realize she was wandering off distractingly away from Rapunzel and Waela.
Where did Anna go? She wondered since Anna still didn't come back.
Many healers gave Elsa both scared or amazed looks and sympathetic smiles or frowns as they passed by, some even waved happily at her but she didn't notice any of them for she was already lost in a trance. She looked around again and her eyes landed on a door. A sudden strange feeling told her to go there for a reason she did not know. She raised her eyebrows in wonder and curiosity already took over. She felt the same bubbly feeling in her chest and her heart started racing. Maybe Anna is in there? She thought. She took a quick peek to see Rapunzel and Waela were still distracted with their conversation and she took that to her advantage.
She slowly started walking towards the door and never realized that her mother was actually on the other side.