The Ice Behind Bars
Chapter XLV: Welcome Back
"Those were my favorite knives."
"Well, that's great. I at least put them to good use."
"You could have killed him."
"I wish I did."
Brandon gulped, "O-Okay… haha… How about we just… drink our tea." No need to argue with Aphrodite. Especially not in her Mama Bear mode.
Aphrodite nodded. "I think that's an excellent ide—"
BAM!
"What the—"
"Aphrodite! Brandon! Elsa's awake! You have to come fast!" Rapunzel exclaimed.
Aphrodite nearly fell out of her chair and choked on her tea when Rapunzel burst inside the room, nearly breaking the door. "Don't you know how to KNOCK!?" Aphrodite shouted, still completely surprised.
"There's no time for knocking!" Rapunzel quickly grabbed Aphrodite by her wrist and started practically dragging her behind her. "Hurry!"
"Alright, alright!"
"But I haven't finished my tea!" Brandon whined.
The two women stopped in their tracks and turned to look at Brandon who was still sitting in his chair and sipping his tea.
Brandon gulped again. He knew he did a mistake. Oh no…
Rapunzel and Aphrodite stared blankly at Brandon in an awkward silence.
"What?" He asked nervously.
Rapunzel and Aphrodite exchanged blank looks and all Brandon could do was hope he'd come out of this alive.
"Me left. You right." Aphrodite announced, pointing at herself then at Rapunzel.
"Got it." Rapunzel nodded.
"Wait what!" Brandon didn't have time to argue before he found himself being dragged by his legs with Aphrodite holding his left and Rapunzel his right. "Oh come on!" He felt embarrassed watching the other thieves give the trio a weird look as they passed by. "It will be way faster if I can run!"
"No time to wait for you to stand!" Aphrodite said.
"Exactly!" Rapunzel agreed.
"Then why didn't you just tell me to follow!?"
"Uhm… E-Elsa?" Anna nervously called, watching the frozen and bug-eyed state of the pale blonde who lied there staring at the ceiling with a blank face.
What's wrong with her!? Anna thought in concern.
Anna reached down to touch Elsa's arm and gave her a tiny gentle shake. "Elsa…!?" But unfortunately the princess only kept staring into nowhere without a single reaction.
Anna Sighed and lowered her head, slumping down in her seat. What's wrong Elsa? She bit her lip trying to hold back the tears that were forming at the corner of her eyes. Please… just say something.
But Elsa only stared up like a corpse.
A knock brought her out of her thoughts. "Who is it?" She called.
"It's Aiden and Flynn." Aiden's muffled voice replied.
Anna sighed, "Come in, guys." She allowed with a sad voice.
The door creaked open. Two heads poked out from behind the door with Aiden's above Flynn's. "Hey." They said.
Anna smiled sadly, "Hey…"
"How is she?" Aiden asked as he approached along Flynn.
Anna's smile fell and she turned back to stare at the motionless Elsa. "Not good."
"Is she still not responding?" Flynn asked worriedly.
"Not even moving." Anna added.
Aiden approached Anna and placed his hand on her shoulder, "Hey, don't worry. I know Elsa will be okay." He smiled sincerely and she actually smiled back gratefully for his kindness. "Besides if she was strong enough to survive all those years in those dungeons, I KNOW she can pull through this." He glared playfully at the redhead, seeing her worried face that just wouldn't break. "Come on, Anna! Cheer up! Elsa just needs time to rest that's all."
But he knew in his heart that he was just as worried about Elsa as Anna was, and he wasn't sure if his encouragements were worthwhile.
Anna sighed and looked at Elsa again, "I don't know Aiden. She's… She's not even blinking."
"That's unusual…" Flynn blurted.
"Oh really?!" Anna said, feeling irritated, "She's as cold as ice! What if she was freezing herself without even knowing!?"
"I don't think it works that way…" Aiden said rubbing the back of his neck.
"What do YOU know!?" Anna yelled at him.
Instead of feeling upset at her for yelling like this, he smiled sympathetically and knelt down with his hand on her knee. "I know how worried you are, Anna." He said gently.
Anna's eyes widened a bit and her angry face fell into a sorrowful one. "Sorry…" She said with a voice full of remorse.
"It's alright." Aiden assured with a smile.
Anna was too ashamed to make eye contact with neither Flynn nor Aiden. She just leaned down towards Elsa and held her cold hand, "All I want is for her to be okay."
"Hey! Look on the bright side!" Flynn started happily, "She's safe here with us! We saved her from those fools, remember? Can't you give yourself credits for that, Feisty Pants?!" He ruffled her hair and laughed.
"Hey, my hair!" Anna said trying not to giggle.
"Oh come on, you!" Flynn said again, trying to cheer her.
Aiden shook his head in amusement, "Alright, you two… You better stop before you start pulling daggers on one another. As for now, we just need to wait an—"
BAM!
The door burst open. "We're HERE!" Rapunzel called, dragging Brandon from his leg and panting heavily along with Aphrodite who was holding the other leg.
"Well it's about time!" Anna said, "Where have you be—… Uh… Mum? Rapunzel? Why are you dragging Brandon like this?" She said pointing at the dizzy Brandon who was face planted to the floor.
"Like how?" Aphrodite asked innocently; totally oblivious that the poor man was pretty much uncomfortable for being dragged by his ankles.
"You pretty much wiped the floor with his face!" Aiden said, trying not to laugh.
Aphrodite and Rapunzel quickly turned to look at their victim on the floor.
"Ughhh…" The poor dizzy Brandon tried to make sense of his world. She's gentle, I said… A softy! I said!
"Brandon!" The two guilty women shouted in unison and quickly moved to help him up.
"Are you alright?!" Aphrodite asked worriedly.
"Oh God! I'm so sorry, Brandon!" Rapunzel said, pulling him up into a sitting position.
"Well look at the bright side, at least the fort is clean!" Aiden deadpanned.
"With his drool." Flynn added with a whisper and received a death glare from Rapunzel.
Aphrodite was helping him midway before her eyes caught Elsa. "Elsa!" She gasped and let go of poor Brandon, sending him back to the ground with a loud thud.
"Well it's about time you noticed!" Anna said and crossed her arms.
Aphrodite quickly ran to the bedside and stared down at her daughter. "What's this?!" She asked worriedly, referring to the frozen state Elsa was in.
"You tell me!" Anna started, "She just woke up like that and didn't say a word or move a muscle!"
Aphrodite placed her hand over Elsa's forehead. She's cold. Aphrodite thought in relief. "Which is good."
"Wha…? What's good?" Anna asked confused.
"She's cold." Aphrodite replied.
"And how's that a good thing?" Aiden asked.
"As long as her body isn't too warm, then it's a good sign." Aphrodite clarified.
"Well excuse me but a normal healer would have said the opposite." Flynn added and his eyes widened seeing the big death glare Aphrodite just shot him. HOLY GOODNESS! He gulped and held his arms up in defense. "Nevermind!" He squeaked.
"Are you sure?" Anna asked in concern.
"Yes." Aphrodite confirmed.
"How do you know?"
Aphrodite's eyes widened a bit. She swallowed. "Uhm… I just figured that out since, you know, she has ice powers." She lied. Nice job, Aphrodite.
Aphrodite raised Elsa for six years and she knew about her daughter's powers. Elsa would get either WAY too hot when sick or WAY too cold when scared, but when she was happy and excited, her body's temperature returned to a comfortable cold.
"Oh." Anna was convinced.
Rapunzel and Flynn finally helped Brandon up. "I think I'll wake up tomorrow with swollen lips." Brandon said as he rubbed his jaw.
"Ahh… I see!" Aiden teased while puckering his lips, remembering what he saw a few moments ago.
"What do you mean?" Brandon asked as he patted the dust off his clothes.
"Oh you know! You and…" Aiden whispered with a wink and elbowed him, pointing with his head at Aphrodite.
Aphrodite gasped aloud, hearing them. "WHAT!?" Her cheeks turned red.
Even Brandon's face turned red. "Are you kidding!?" He tried to laugh it off. "Haha… It was just an accident!"
"Yeahhhh!... I gotcha! An accident…" Aiden winked again.
"You idiot!" Aphrodite shouted in anger and embarrassment. "It WAS an accident!" She stomped her way to Aiden.
Aiden backed away slowly, holding his hands up in defense while trying to stifle a laugh. "I-I'm not gonna tell anyone!"
"What are you three talking about?" Anna asked as she stared with Rapunzel and Flynn in confusion at the scene.
"It's nothing!" Brandon said and quickly grabbed Aphrodite from her arm before she could reach Aiden. "Just stop it, Aiden!" He looked worriedly at Aphrodite's raging red face. But was it Rage he witnessed? or was she just trying to hide her embarrassment with her anger? You are doomed, boy! Brandon thought.
"No it's alright! Nothing to be ashamed of!" Aiden said again, teasing the angry queen and her admirer.
"Aiden…" Aphrodite snarled, gritting her teeth.
"You are doomed, Aiden!" Brandon said, trying to hold Aphrodite back.
"Hey! Don't you think Branphodite is a nice name for a cou—"
"DOOMED!" Brandon said, unable to restraint the raging Aphrodite anymore.
"Run for your life, Man!" Flynn called.
Aiden couldn't hold his laugh anymore. His face turned red and he couldn't even hold himself together.
"Let me go, Brandon! I'll teach him to tie his tongue tight!" Aphrodite intimidated, kicking and punching the poor Brandon who was holding her back.
Punch to the face.
Why do I always have to be the one to receive those!? Brandon thought, trying to ignore the pain on his nose.
"Uhm…" Rapunzel started and leaned to the left to whisper to Anna. "Any ideas what's going on?" They watched the three with wide eyes.
"I have no idea." Anna replied, watching her mother in confusion.
"Although, Branphodite is a nice name." Flynn said to the two women, totally oblivious to the real meaning.
Three people watched another trio who were arguing and yelling at each other.
Anna just remembered something. She gasped. "This is all your fault!" She turned and pointed at Flynn.
"What!?" He was surprised, holding his hands up. Where did that come from?!
"If you didn't want a quick drink from The Snuggly Duckling we would have caught up with Elsa and stopped these savages before they could even be able to touch her!" She said, her face starting to turn red with irritation.
"Oh don't start it with me now!" Flynn hid behind Rapunzel. "You really are your mother's daughter! You have her temper!"
"Calm down, Feisty pants!" Rapunzel said with a giggle, trying to hold her back now too. "He was only getting water!"
"We wouldn't have given her that potion if we arrived earlier and before anything could happen!" Anna noted.
Okay why is everyone fighting today?! Rapunzel thought, sighing. "Anna I know you're worried about Elsa but don't vent your anger on Flynn!"
"That's right!" Flynn agreed before he nearly lost his forehead, dodging Anna's fist and cowering behind the blonde. "Shouldn't we focus on the main problem here!? And it's curing your sis—sss— S-Symphony!"
Wow that was close. Phew! Flynn wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"What does that have to do with the problem here!?" Anna yelled with her face turning redder.
Aphrodite threw a vase towards Aiden.
He dodged it.
DASH!
It smashed with the wall.
"Oh stop it, Anna!" Rapunzel was now getting angrier, seeing Anna yelling carelessly at her lover.
"Oh I'm sorry!" Anna started mockingly, batting her eye lashes. "Did I hurt your boyfriend!?"
Chaos… Just chaos. A room full of angry birds, and none of them noticing that Elsa was blinking and stirring.
"Where's yours!?" Rapunzel asked teasingly.
"ME!?" Anna pointed at herself, her face getting redder by remembering Kristoff. "H-He said he was going to bring something that will help! I have no idea where he is! A-And he's NOT my boyfriend!"
"Riggggghhhhhhtt...!" Rapunzel mocked.
Everyone just kept arguing and yelling at each other. Their faces were so red from both embarrassment and anger, each one of them just venting their stress on each other. Their voices were mixed up together as they all talked and yelled at the same time.
CHAOS!
And in the end… For the big finally…
"Aideennn!" Brandon and Aphrodite snarled.
"Flynnnn!" Anna growled.
"Annaaa!" Rapunzel groaned.
"Tomatooo!" A happy voice sing-songed.
Everyone was just so angr—… Wait what?
Silence.
Everyone had their eyes wide; frozen in their awkward position. Their heads slowly turned towards the voice to determine who wasn't so angry like all of them… Only to see Elsa sitting up in her bed with her hair a mess and she was staring at everyone with a sweet smile.
Complete Silence.
One second… Two seconds… Three seconds… Is that a cricket I hear?
They blinked.
So does Elsa.
Anytime now.
"No?" Elsa asked innocently, staring at everyone's red face.
Now?
One more second.
Yep.
"ELSA!" Anna shouted joyfully and jumped at the bed, wrapping the pale blonde in a crush hug. "You're okay!"
Elsa at first tensed up and her eyes widened in surprise as usual, but feeling the warmth coming out of her unknowingly little sister and watching the ecstatic tears rushing down Anna's face, she just couldn't refuse to hug back.
Slowly but surely, Elsa's arms wrapped Anna back in a welcoming hug.
"How are you, Snow-head?!" Flynn asked excitedly.
"You're awake!" Rapunzel announced joyfully.
"Welcome back, Elsa!" Aiden greeted.
Everyone rushed to Elsa's side, but made sure they respected her boundaries.
"How are you feeling?" Aphrodite was the first to ask, sitting right beside Elsa and gently taking her cold hand.
Anna slowly broke the hug and smiled fondly at Elsa, not noticing that there's still more tears- happy tears- rushing down her face.
Elsa smiled tenderly back at Anna then turned to Aphrodite. "I… I'm fine, I guess." She paused and frowned for a moment, "What happened?"
Their eyes widened since they weren't sure what to tell her. They were too concerned about her that they didn't have time to think of what to say to her after waking up.
Anna opened her mouth, "Uh… You were…" Her eyes looked to the left, trying to search for anyone's help. "Ask Rapunzel!" She blurted.
Rapunzel gasped. "Ask Flynn!" She grabbed Flynn by his arm and pulled him in front of her, hiding from Elsa.
"U-Uh…" Flyn stuttered, "What… What they are trying to say is… You… stumbled on a rock...uh… And…" He elbowed Aiden.
Aiden coughed nervously. "And… that rock's… family!... was angry and… huge boulders fell behind you and started rolling towards you…"
Elsa gasped.
Aphrodite facepalmed.
Aiden held his breath, "U-Uh… Ask Brandon!"
"W-What!?...Oh— I mean…" Brandon bit his lip trying to search for words, "You… kept running… and you…uh… j-jumped over a cliff so that the boulders wouldn't hit you!"
Oh… My… God. Aphrodite closed her eyes no longer daring to see Elsa's face.
Elsa was horrified. She gasped and brought the bed sheets all the way to her mouth, trying to hide and keeping only her eyes exposed.
Anna rushed to help. "B-But an eagle caught you from your shoulders!" She blurted again waving her hands like a flying eagle then pointing at her shoulders. "And… uh… Hecarriedyoutoasafespot! Yup." She said, smiling in triumph with her chest puffed up with pride.
Elsa hugged herself with the sheets. "Then what!?" Elsa asked in full concern and curiosity, her voice muffled since the sheets were now covering her body and head, and she looked like she was sitting in a bed sheet cocoon with only her eyes shown.
"THEN!" Rapunzel volunteered, raising her index in front of Elsa's face, "You walked towards the…fort! Yes, the fort. And… You… FOUND the fort! But…" She scratched her head, going out of ideas.
Why did you even start again if you don't know what to say!? Anna thought, shaking her head slowly.
"Anna…?!" Elsa was very worried now and she turned to Anna for explanation and closure.
Anna opened her mouth but—
"An angry squirrel was waiting at the gate and he threw his nut at your head and you fell unconscious… End of the story." Brandon quickly said.
Someone just please throw me in a Volcano. Aphrodite thought, knowing very well that Elsa didn't fall for it.
A very interesting story this one was.
"Oh…" Elsa said, strangely feeling much more relaxed. "Okay!" She exclaimed happily, lowering the sheets from over her head, feeling safe again.
Everyone exhaled in relief.
Well, that was… unexpected. Aphrodite thought.
That was close. Anna thought.
"I can't believe she fell for it— Oof!" Flynn whispered but was elbowed in the ribs by his gentle, sweet Rapunzel.
And they say women are soft and gentle. Aiden thought, snickering at Flynn.
Aphrodite sighed and lifted her head to look at Elsa. "The important thing is that you are okay." She clarified gently, holding Elsa's cold hand in both of hers.
Elsa smiled widely back, only being able to see the woman's wide smile. Not her eyes… Not her hair. Just her smile, and that's all what Elsa needed to make her feel happy.
"Do you remember anything?" Aphrodite asked nervously.
Elsa's eyes widened in excitement and she quickly turned to Anna. "Anna, Anna! I learned to count! I learned to count, Anna!" She announced joyfully like an excited little girl.
"You did?!" Anna played along, actually feeling happy, trying to ignore her anxiety.
"Yes!" Elsa confirmed. "Look! LooK! There's… One…" She started counting on her fingers, her face full of enthusiasm. "Two…" She paused and scratched her head, trying to remember, "Three!" She shouted happily.
Is she remembering!? I thought the potion was supposed to work! Anna thought worriedly, smiling and trying to hide her anxiety.
"Four!..." Elsa had four fingers now, "And f—" She stopped. She frowned. "And…"
Everyone waited.
Elsa looked at her fingers with a pout.
"And… What?" Anna asked, wincing a bit.
"And…" Elsa mumbled, "I don't remember…" She confessed. She knew that what came next was a number that started with the letter 'F' but what was it? "Anna! I can't remember! Why can't I remember?! I knew what it was! Zoey showed me! I swear! It was—"
"Please, Elsa…" Anna stopped her by gently placing her hand on her shoulder and smiling reassuringly. "You had a rough day. Try to relax now, Okay?"
"But—"
"You need rest, Elsa. Please…" Aphrodite demanded this time.
Elsa just KNEW that there were more numbers, but why couldn't she remember?!
She sighed and lowered her head, "Okay…" She said in defeat and pouted.
"Flynn and I will teach you tomorrow all the numbers you want! Alright?" Anna tried to lift her sister's spirit up.
Elsa's face brightened. "Okay!" She nodded enthusiastically.
"Come on, Everyone." Rapunzel started. "Let us give Elsa some space and time to rest. I'm sure Anna can keep her company."
Everyone gave Elsa one last smile before they started heading to the door and leaving the room.
Before Aphrodite could get up, she turned at Elsa and Anna one more time and held Elsa's hand in her left and Anna's in her right. "I am very happy that you two are alright." She admitted.
Anna smiled back, "We're very lucky to have you, Mum."
A mother. That's what Elsa had lacked through those years of hell. A mother's comfort, a mother's tenderness and a mother's love, for she who lost her mother, lost a pure soul who blessed and guarded her constantly. Just by hearing that Leanna was concerned for someone like HER, she felt her entire world shine with rainbows and fireworks. Her heart beat faster and she never felt so content… So light-hearted. She knew she was cursed to carry that awful "heart" thing inside her chest that weighted tones, but a mere loving word from those two women in front of her made her feel lighter than a feather. Elsa swallowed and smiled widely back. That's everything she was able to do and give and it made her feel awful.
Anna giggled, "Can you stop worrying about us, Mother?"
Aphrodite smiled, "Mothers always worry. There's no off switch." She winked at both of her daughters before she quickly stood and walked out of the room. Deep inside, she wanted to just run to Elsa and tell her right in the face that she was her mother. That she was right here, beside her. That she would never leave her ever again. But she just couldn't do it. The feeling of guilt was too overwhelming. Deep down in her heart she wished that Elsa would finally get the hint and understand that she was standing amongst her real family, and that she wasn't alone anymore.
But Elsa stayed clueless.
Elsa's eyes widened a tiny bit and she couldn't but feel… shocked… yet jubilant! Did this woman just accept her as a daughter? Was she finally going to have something precious she lost so long ago?
Few more days… And she would find out.
The door burst open. A raging wounded man walked in, cursing everything and everyone he knew while grasping his wounded shoulder where a tattoo of a hissing snake found residence. "That bitch!" He said and kicked a chair sending it flying to the end of the room. The wound was a big cut that tore his shoulder right where the snake's neck was, hence beheading the poor reptile.
"How DARE she do this to me!?" Tyler yelled to himself. "Thinking she's the all so stupid queen she is…" He approached his desk and opened a drawer, "Trying to throw a dagger at me!?" He took a bandage and sat on a chair.
"If I hadn't dodged it in time she would have had that thing right through my heart!... She did a big mistake!" He took off his shirt, wincing as he did from the pain the cut on his shoulder was giving him. "She wants to ruin all those years of my effort to build this damn stupid fort!" He started wrapping the bandage around his shoulder. "All because of that crazy freak of a daughter she has!" He finished, wrapping the bandage and placing his elbows on his knees with his face in his hands.
She thinks she can make me do whatever she wants?! A slave to her? She thinks she can give me orders?! She's been completely blind on how the fort is being destroyed and everyone is getting paranoid! All because of that—
He groaned in rage and smashed his fist on the table. "That WITCH!... Ever since they brought that crazy mutant here, everything started falling apart! Freezing doors, walls, rooms and everything she touches! And what do I do…!?" He changed his voice into a mocking one, "Tyler, that woman froze my house! Tyler, that woman froze my crops! Tyler, that witch is dangerous! Tyler this! Tyler that! That woman, that woman, that crazy witch!" He shoved everything off the table, leaving papers flying everywhere.
"I hate her!" He yelled to himself, "She and that arrogant mother and stupid sist—" He suddenly stopped raging as his eyes caught something that interested him.
He looked at the ground to see the familiar paper. He smirked and leaned down, taking the paper in his hands. "Well well… Wanted for murder and treason, huh, Snow Queen?" His head shot back as he burst out laughing, "Grand reward given personally by the fair and merciful King Jamie of Arendelle?! Oh how sweet of you, your Majesty! HA!" He chuckled then quickly placed the paper in his pocket, taking his vest, putting it on and getting excited. "Dave!... Dave!" He called out.
The door opened and a young man entered, "Yes, Chief—" The boy's eyes widened after noticing Tyler's wound. "Chief! Your shoulder!"
Tyler rolled his eyes, "Don't mind that you idiot. It was just that stupid quee—… Uh… I just got bit by a wolf."
The boy furrowed his eyesbrows in confusion, "But that's not a bite woun—"
"Cancel all of my assignments and hire someone else instead." He said and finished putting his gear on.
"But Chief—" The boy tried to reason.
"Do what I say, Boy! I received a much better offer." His eyes turned to the map on the ground, "Gold beyond your dreams…" He whispered, more to himself, staring at the map with hungry eyes; dark with greed. "That can last us a lifetime!... I received a much more worthy assignment to do and I'll be gone for a few days."
"What kind of assignment, Sir?" The young man asked, feeling confused and wondering what was so important that would have Tyler cancel every other mission he took.
"Well, Boy… Since I'm the most talented man in this fort, I was hired to bring a certain beast back to its cage." Tyler vaguely said while smirking as his thoughts exploded with visions of gold and fortune.
"A-A beast?!... Sir?" The boy's face paled.
"Yes." Tyler walked over the window and watched the peaceful village outside.
"Where to, sir?"
Tyler smirked, "A place where Winter is permanent, and the sun shows no notice… A place where people live in fear and freeze to death… A place, my boy, is where the night is dark and full of terrors."
The boy was horrified. What kind of a place was that!? And why did Tyler even want to go there?!
"That place, dear simple-minded Dave, is called… "
Arendelle.
P.S : "The night is dark and full of terrors." – by George R.R Martin from the game of thrones book series.