The Ice Behind bars

Chapter XXXVI: Do You Wanna Build a Snowman? – Part II

Anna was trying not to panic watching her new friend suffer in her sleep. Feeling just helpless. She felt a soft touch on her shoulder and she turned to see Rapunzel smiling at her reassuringly.

"She'll be okay." Rapunzel assured, trying to comfort her but knowing deep down in her heart that she was lying.

The two quickly turned when they heard Elsa whimper again loudly and her breath quickening in her sleep, "Please…"

"Please…" Elsa had lost hope. There was no way she was going to get away with what she did. Olaf was still very much intact and above all this, the room was now covered in more ice. She had only one thing to do: Hide behind the snowman Olaf.

The door of her cellar opened and her heart skipped a beat. She swallowed hard and felt her dry throat burn. It was as if she just swallowed a cup of nails. Nevertheless, she hugged herself, closed her eyes and knew that there would be consequences.

When she heard her father's gasp she knew she was doomed.

The king just stood there and stared with wide eyes at the sight in front of him. Ice covered the entire room and a single "fresh" snowman with no nose stood in the middle of the room with a smile made out of tiny stones.

He felt completely mocked.

That snowman's smile was mocking him. Teasing him. He sneered and looked over to see a platinum head of a trembling little beast, claiming protection behind that damn snowman. The king clenched his fists, "Elsa…?" His voice sent a twister of dread in the little beast's head.

Elsa's eyes widened when she heard his intimidating voice that was filled with SUCH anger… and violence.

Her lip trembled and she slowly turned her head to look at her papa. "Y-Yes?... Papa?" She asked, trying to act as if nothing was wrong.

The king straightened his back, lifted a finger and pointed in between him and the snowman, right in front of his foot. "Come here."

"P-Papa—"

"Come HERE!"

Elsa shivered under his loud and majestic voice that echoed terrors in the dungeon. She tried to stay strong and held back her tears. She swallowed and shakily stood on her feet, before she shyly got out of her hiding spot and nervously approached to where her father was pointing. When she reached her destination, she froze in her place, her head down, her hands behind her back and her eyes on her father's face— although she kept trying to avoid eye contact.

"Now… Explain to me what this is?" The king asked, trying to hold himself together.

"I… I-I—"

"Speak!"

Elsa flinched while wincing at his voice and swallowed again. "I-I just wanted… to play, P-Papa."

"Play!?" He chuckled mockingly, "Did I put you here to PLAY!? Does this cellar seem like a playground for you? A park?!" He asked before he suddenly burst out laughing maniacally. He turned at the door and called out, addressing the prisoners, "How about I bring you some toys and dollies! Or-or maybe some tea?! What about—" He couldn't finish his sentence before he continued laughing aloud.

Some of the prisoners around the dungeon cursed under their breath and swore at the king, and others rolled their eyes or even winced.

The little beast however got excited and believed the lie, too young and innocent to understand the king's intentions. "Really?!" She asked excitedly, "Papa they'll be so happy! They are all bored here! I even tried to tell them to come play with me but they were shy—"

"Quiet!" The king yelled.

Elsa recoiled under his voice as her excitement turned to shock and confusion.

Elsa yelped and cowered in bed with Anna and Rapunzel helplessly watching.

The king's eyes twitched as he heard his daughter's excited and happy voice. "Are you… MOCKING me!?" He asked with a sneer.

"W-What?!" Elsa asked in confusion.

"Are you making fun of me?!" He asked again.

Elsa, confused, shook her head uncertain of what was going on anymore. Her papa was happy not a few minutes ago! What happened to him? Why was he suddenly angry?

The king stood tall in front of his daughter, "Why did you build that THING with your filth?!"

Elsa for a moment didn't understand, but it dawned on her when the king pointed behind her and she knew on whom he was talking about.

"I…I…" Her fear was just so great that she couldn't form her words, worrying about what would happen to her, "I just wanted a friend papa…" Elsa shyly said.

"A friend!?" The king said with the most sarcastic smile, "You!?" He asked with a mocking tone while pointing at her. "Ha! You can't make friends, sweetheart! You're a monster!"

Elsa silently gasped, actually taken aback by such a discouragement. Her heart ripped apart. His voice even though was Happy, hurt her more than the beating he gave her. But she wasn't going to give up yet.

"B-But Olaf was happy!" She defended happily, "He told me he loved me just like I love him, Papa!... Look!" She ran to the snowman enthusiastically, eager to show her father and prove that a pile of snow loved her. And what was her proof?

She hugged Olaf and showed her papa that the snowman didn't push her away like he always did.

She broke the hug and turned to face her papa, "See?!" She turned back to look at the snowman, " Olaf love warm hugs! He's my friend!" She patted his head gently. Her eyes widened a bit when she got an idea. "Papa!" She called eagerly, just wanting to tell her Papa of her new idea, hoping that he would be proud of her. "You want a friend too!"

The King was taken aback, "What?!"

"I can make an Olaf for you!"

"No!"

"Just watch, Papa!" Elsa started readying her powers. Cyan Flurries started to come out of her fingertips, "You'll love him, Papa! You'll be happy!" She knew it. Finally something to make her Papa proud and he might finally see her as his daughter and not as a beast to be scared of. She wanted to show him that she COULD be a good girl.

Watching the ball of snow hovering between her hands grow with horrified eyes, he yelled, "Stop!"

But Elsa was too cut on making her Papa the friend she thought he always wanted. This was her chance to prove that she could be more than a monster and she wasn't going to waste it. She might finally be allowed to leave this horrible place.

The king ran at her and grabbed her wrists, "Stop this, right now!"

The moment she felt his harsh hands around her wrists, Elsa felt the wave of terror overwhelm her. She shook her head, "No, Papa! Stop!... You're hurting me!"

"Never use your wretched curse! Do you hear me?!" He shook her violently from her wrists, "Never!"

Elsa felt her powers go out of control, as the once soft perfect ball of snow started deforming into a warped shape, accompanied with shards of tiny spikes coating it. "Papa!" She warned worriedly.

The power in that snowball grew and grew until it became so strong that it started to emit a weird disturbing sound getting higher in volume, pitch and frequency.

The king noticed how the weird shaped snowball in between them started to grow and glow stronger and stronger, illuminating the entire room, giving the walls and the royals' skin a blue hue.

"Elsaaa!" He shrieked in rage and Elsa only screamed in fear, knowing that she couldn't do anything anymore to stop this strange growing, dangerous ball of ice and snow.

The light emanating from the ball was so bright that both of them had to shut their eyes to prevent the burning and piercing pain.

The king had no choice. He looked around one last time with squinted eyes to realize that the entire cellar was covered in a thick layer of ice, that he couldn't even locate the door anymore. He knew if he didn't let go, he was going to be a big popsicle. He quickly shoved her to the ground and cowered, "No, please! I want to live!" Hoping that this ball of tremendous ice power wouldn't hit him, or worse, kill him.

Elsa hit the ground with a disturbing thud, and the ball got released and shot from her hands.

The ball of power started flying maniacally in the cellar, hitting the iced ceiling then reflecting back to the ice-covered ground and back to the right wall with an incredible speed, only reflecting on Elsa's ice but destroying everything else that it touched.

The king fell to his knees and dodged the ball that was now flying crazily in random angles, going back and forth. Up and down and right and left!

Elsa watched in horror yet in amazement. Her eyes followed the ball of power everywhere until it headed straight to the thick barred window, smashing the strong metal bars as if they were fragile sticks and shooting out towards the peaceful town of Arendelle and…

"WHAT IS THAT!?" A citizen screamed.

KA-BOOM!

The ball hit a huge pine tree in the middle of town, smashing and colliding with the tree's strong and thick trunk. At the impact, despite how solid the trunk was, it easily broke from the big explosion of ice that emitted cries and screams of fear and shock from the entire kingdom. Echoes of the mixed sounds spread around a wide range into the valley and mountains.

"Everyone! Move away!"

The citizens quickly started to scatter around for their lives and hid their children when the now-entirely frozen pine tree started to sway. Not knowing where the tree would land, the citizens ran as far as they could, trying to avoid being squished by the iced tree.

The enormous and tall tree finally swayed to the left and collapsed with a loud violent thud on a shack, shattering it into bits and pieces of wood, and sending a big wave of dirt, dust and even snow all over the town square.

After a moment of silence as the sounds slowly faded, the cowering people got out of their hiding place to watch and stare at the chaotic sight in front of them.

"It's The Snow Queen!" A woman suddenly screamed.

"It's a warning!" A man shouted, holding his two children close to him protectively.

"She's coming to kill us! Run for your lives!"

Cries of fear, discussions and arguments started to be heard around the kingdom as a crowd formed around the chaos.

Although the entire kingdom was loud, the cellar in the dungeons of the castle was dead silent.

That Silence. It covered the entire cellar. The poor paralyzed Elsa could only stare bug-eyed in shock at the window where she thought was once her chance of freedom and happiness went through… but it was actually where her big mistake flew out from a moment ago. All what she could hear was her trembling breath and her pounding heart. She did not even dare to turn to see her father's face.

"You could have killed me…" The king whispered, trying to comprehend what just happened and shakily getting back up on his feet.

Elsa swallowed hard. She finally felt the courage to turn and look at his pale horrified face. "P-Papa… I'm sorry! I didn't mean t—"

The King didn't wait for another second. His rage took the better of him and he could no longer control his anger. "You…!" He suddenly drew his sword and charged with his full speed at her. "Abomination!"

Elsa gasped yet she didn't have time to comprehend what was about to happen before she found herself pinned by her throat to the ground.

"Trying to kill your own KING!?" The king above her yelled, "I'll kill you!" But what he didn't realize was that he was already choking her to death.

"Pa… P-Papa…!" She managed to choke out, scratching at his arm and flailing.

The king, with eyes full of hate and revenge, lifted his sword with his adrenalized hand as his flaring crazy eyes bore into her soul.

Elsa closed her eyes and waited for the big agonizing pain to come. She gritted her teeth hearing the sword coming down to take her life.

"Now you DIIIEE!"

I'm coming, Anna… Mama… I'm coming… She hoped and wished even though her hands were trying so hard to remove her father's hand off her throat. I'm coming…

But the sword never touched her and her wishes were never granted. Elsa waited for something… Anything. Pain? Blood?... Nothing but hearing her father's panting. She slowly opened one eye and gasped seeing the very tip of the sword right above her forehead. The sword was so close it was just unbelievable.

With his hand still choking her, the king wanted to just end this abomination where he stood, but as he had been lowering his sword to kill her, he had quickly stopped and his hand had frozen as an idea had came to his mind. His sneer slowly broke as his eyes slowly widened.

"No…" He said as his smirk was back, slowly lowering his sword away from her now-red face and feeling proud by seeing her failing struggles to stop him from choking her. "No, I have a better idea…" He leaned forward and brought her head closer so he could whisper in her ear, "If I just kill you… I won't be able to punish you for your sins and crimes." He chuckled a bit, sending shivers down her spine as his hot breath touched her ear. "I can't just grant you a merciful kill."

He let go of her throat and she came down hitting the ground, gasping for air and coughing, trying her best not to pass out. Her sweaty face slowly regained its pale color.

The king stood tall again above her, holding his sword with his right hand. "Hmph…" he huffed proudly, staring down at her pathetic form. He turned and approached the snowman that was amazingly still undamaged. "As for your friend…" He readied his sword.

Elsa's eyes widened and she knew what he was about to do. She tried as hard as she could to stand, "N-No… Please… Papa! H-He's my only friend!"

"That's your first punishment." He said, smiling, before he lifted his feet and started kicking and smashing at the snowman, destroying the child's hope, dream and spirit.

"NO!" Elsa quickly stood up, using all what's left of her strength. She ran at him and desperately started trying to pull him away. To push him… even hit him! Anything to just stop him from hurting her only friend! But he barely even felt her poor, fragile and pitiful punches.

"Stop it! Please! You're hurting him!" She cried and pleaded as she pulled at his leg.

But the king only took pleasure from her begging and kept smashing and kicking the snowman with a big smile on his face.

With every kick Elsa literally felt a stab through her heart, sending more tears down her face. She desperately kept trying to stop him, but it was just hopeless. All her efforts were in vain, and she knew it.

The king finally stopped only when he made sure that what once had been a pure white snowman, was now a pile of dirty snow.

The little beast fell down to her knees, feeling the weight of the world over her heart. She started to sob and cry as the king stood panting and smiling in triumph at his achievement.

"There…" He breathed, "He looks better that way, don't you think?" He deadpanned as he stared down at the broken soul of the little child.

Elsa kept trying to brush away her tears but they only kept rushing down her cheeks.

The king knelt to her eye level and forced her to lift her chin up with his index. "Remember…" he said, staring right at her dull eyes, "Monsters don't have friends. Do you hear me?" He asked, still panting.

Elsa only let out a sob and tried not to look at the devil's eyes.

She whimpered and yelped however when the king squeezed her chin. "What's that again?" He asked mockingly. "I said do you hear me?"

Elsa quickly swallowed a sob, not daring to let it out anymore, so she nodded.

"I can't hear you…" He warned.

"M-Monsters…" A sniffle. "D-Don't have friends." She recited, feeling completely defeated and heartbroken. All what she wanted to do now was to huddle herself up in the corner and cry.

"And you are…?" He beckoned her to continue.

"Monster." She said and rubbed her teary left eye with her hand.

He smiled. "Good girl." He let go of her chin, leaned forward, and kissed her forehead.

Strangely, she felt a tiny bit comforted.

He then stood up again, fixed his hair and clothes, "So tell me, Elsa…" He leaned down with his hands on his knees, staring right into her eyes. "Do you wanna build a snowman?"

Elsa's lip quivered and she tried with all her might not to start wailing and grieving over the thought of her deceased ittle sister and her now dead Olaf. Building a snowman was the only thing left in her mind that reminded her of how much fun she once had with her sister, Anna, and most importantly, was the only thing that reminded her of how much she loved her.

A heart ache. "No." She said with a crushed spirit and a cold voice. "I will never ever build a snowman."

The king was surprised. Even the tone of her voice changed.

On that day, Elsa vowed that she would never play with her powers again and she would never ever have a friend.

Cyan eyes shot wide open, staring into nothingness…

"Elsa…?" Anna called, staring worriedly with Rapunzel at the pale blonde who was lying completely still. "Elsa..!?"

But Elsa didn't reply.

Three men sat around the fire, feeling completely cold. Two were sharpening their weapons and the other was drinking the cold away.

"I am telling ya…" The first of the two men who were sharpening their weapons started, "We are going to find that witch."

"That's a vow." The one drinking said then hiccupped, "After killing Bill and the other two boys… Freezing them like ice cubes! I will not let that witch get away with it."

"Diana's body was nowhere to be found…" The second man finished sharpening his weapon and leaned it aside.

"That white witch might have kidnapped her." The drunk man said.

"Or ate her." The first said, sending chills down everyone's spine, nearly chocking the one drinking.

"Aye… Who knows what happened to her." The second rubbed his hands for warmth.

"That woman holds a big grudge for someone." The drunk reminded.

"Oh yes… She's a widow. What do you expect? Her husband Robin was killed."

"I could have helped her get rid of that title if she wanted!" The drunk laughed, "But she's a useless corpse now."

"Have some respect for the dead, you idiot!" The first man warned.

"You…" He hiccupped and readied himself to fight his opponent, "Can't tell me…What to d—"

"Shhh!" The second man silenced them, looking around them cautiously.

"What is it?"

"Do you hear that?" He asked.

A twig snapped.

"Oh I hear It alright!" The drunk stood clumsily and drew his weapon, pointing it to the bushes in front of him. "Come out whoever you are! Don't make me k—"

"You don't need to be frightened, gentlemen." A hooded woman suddenly appeared from behind the bushes.

"Reveal your identity!" The drunk said.

"It's me you idiot!" The woman removed the hood to reveal her blond hair and blue eyes.

"Diana!" The men shouted in relief.

"You're alive!" The first shouted in relief while approaching her, "Everyone! Diana's back!" He announced for the entire camp, waking everyone from their sleep.

Others came out of their tents, men and women, approaching Diana and greeting her and others asking questions in concern.

"Boy! We were so worried!"

I was safe… Diana thought.

"What happened?! Where were you?" They all noticed her sad face.

"What's wrong?"

"Did the snow queen hurt you!?"

No… Diana thought.

"She killed Bill and the other two!"

They tried to take advantage of her… She thought again, feeling even guiltier.

"Speak, Diana!"

Diana, with her head low, took a deep breathe through her nose and shut her eyes. I'm sorry, Aphrodite. After a moment, with everyone waiting impatiently, Diana lifted her head and stared at them, "I… I know."

"You know what, Diana?" A woman asked softly in concern.

Diana finally took a decision. She thought for a moment, "Well…" I will avenge my husband.

A Smile. "I know where The Snow Queen is."