Be His Mother
Chapter 1
Life
There was nothing that Queen Elsa loved more than spending an afternoon drinking tea in the garden with her sister, Anna. It was a ritual that the two partook in every day. This was the time when they would catch up on anything new going on in their lives. In the case of Elsa, the time was usually spent talking about various meetings, arrangements, and letters she had written to nearby kingdoms. With Anna, it was more exciting with tales of adventures with Kristoff, enjoying summer with Olaf, and mingling with the townspeople. All in all, it made for a good conversation. It was on this day, that Anna and Elsa were enjoying tea in the garden together. Anna had just finished telling Elsa about her latest trip to visit Kristoff's troll family. She spoke candidly about how the trolls were doing, talking about Grand Pabbie's tales of the olden times. Elsa loved hearing Anna talk about how much she enjoyed herself. After many years of separation, it must have been a breath of fresh air for Anna to experience all the things that she had experienced in the past two years. When Anna finished talking, Elsa knew that it was her turn to speak.
"So, how was your day?"
"Nowhere near as exciting as yours, that's for sure," Elsa said. "All I did was answer letters, read some manifest books, and had two very tedious meetings."
"What were the meetings about?" Anna asked, genuinely interested in her sister's day.
"We were talking about renovating the castle's kitchen. It has definitely seen better days," Elsa explained.
"Oh, I agree! I personally think it could use a woman's touch," Anna chimed in.
"Yes, that's why I told the councilmen that I would consult with you before we made any decision."
"You mean it? You would let me offer suggestions?" Anna cried, excitedly.
"Of course, Anna. You're my sister, and the princess of Arendelle. Therefore, your input is just as important as mine."
"Thank you, Elsa! I'm already bursting with ideas," Anna said.
Elsa laughed. "Knowing you, I'm sure of it."
Elsa turned and looked at the clock. It was almost 1:00. She knew that she had to get back to work soon. As much as she enjoyed Anna's company, a queen's duty was never over. Picking up her glass of tea, she took one last sip before she spoke.
"Well, Anna, this has been lovely as always, but I must return to work."
Anna sighed. "I understand, but we're still on for dinner, right?"
"Of course. We're having fish tonight, which I am particularly looking forward too," Elsa confirmed.
"Me too! Flounder is my favorite kind of fish. Are we cooking the fish that Kristoff and Olaf and I caught the other day?"
"The very same ones," Elsa verified.
"Yay! That was a fun trip! The fish I caught really put up a fight, but I didn't give up," Anna said.
"I bet. You are quite persistent."
"Hey, it's in my nature," Anna agreed.
"Indeed," Elsa said.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Arendelle, a young man named Stefan was being fired from his job as a blacksmith. Stefan was a decent man, but he didn't apply himself. When it came to work, he often slacked off. There would be days when he took off without informing his employers, only to shrug it off when confronted about it. When he did do the work, it was adequate, but left much to be desired. As a blacksmith, he didn't have that sense of quality that was required in the profession. It was on this day when he showed up to work, that his employer, Jonathan, told him the news.
"Frankly, Stefan, this is long overdue. You hardly ever show up to work anymore, and when you do, you're either drunk or you finish your work haphazardly. You obviously don't care. That's something I cannot allow in my shop."
Stefan, who refused to admit any wrongdoing, put up a fight against Jonathan.
"I don't see anything wrong with my work. The customers seem happy."
"On the contrary, the customers are very upset. The armor that you made for Arendelle's Royal Guard was pathetic. It was poorly designed, not sturdy enough, not to mention, it looked horrible."
"I'm just doing what I was taught," Stefan objected.
"You were not taught to deliver such poor service. I'm sorry, Stefan, but my mind is made up. After today, pack your things, and see yourself out."
Stefan wanted to punch Jonathan. He believed that he was being unfairly treated by his boss. So, what if he missed a few days or if his work didn't match Jonathan's pitch perfect standards. It was doable, and that's all that mattered. Grumbling angrily, Stefan returned to his post or today to work on his last assignment: a railing for the town bridge. He grasped the iron ore in one hand, pounding on it with a hammer in the other. With each hit, he unleashed more of his anger. The audacity of the way people treated him was unacceptable.
A/N: Here's the first chapter of my new story, which I'm pretty passionate about. We'll learn more about Stefan in the next chapter.