AN: Notes at the end. Why? Because I can. :P


Elsa stood on the balcony of her office, looking over the ocean. It was the first time she had been in the room in months, since she left on what seemed so simple a trip. Her duties over the next few weeks would be light, and though Elsa hated admitting it, she still tired easily. Today she would look over some documents, have lunch with Anna in the dining hall, and then end the day with a few private meetings before turning in.

It was one step closer to normal.

Elsa took a deep breath, relishing the ability to do so without the sharp pain that had been dogging her with every inhale over the past few weeks.

She was healing, slowly—far slower than she would have liked. Anna and Malthe had both pointed out, many times, that she was not only lucky to be alive but even more so, that she was on her way to a full recovery. Her wrist still ached horribly now and then, as did her sides, but those instances were, thankfully, growing less frequent. But while the pain had faded, a restlessness was taking its place.

She watched as lightning flashed across the horizon, illuminating heavy clouds that hung over a restlessly churning ocean. She recognized the same restlessness roiling through her chest. At first, Elsa had assumed it was just a product of being confined for so long. First by the Sirma and Vindarr, then by her injuries and withdrawal. The feeling had eased when she could finally move around the castle without needing to sit and catch her breath, and she had hoped with time it would disappear completely. But once the novelty of being able to leave her room wore off, the restlessness had returned in full force.

She hadn't told anyone about the feeling; she wasn't sure she could put it into words even if she wanted to. But it also wasn't a new feeling. Not exactly. Growing up, the feeling would come and go, sometimes lasting a few hours, other times an entire week. It was always during those times that she'd had the most difficulty controlling her magic. But now it was almost like a constant companion, like a steady hum in the back of her mind.

Elsa considered the time she had spent up on the North Mountain in her ice palace and the time she'd recently spent up north. Both times, she'd been scared, of course. Terrified for her sister, her country. But there also were moments when her magic, unbound by anything physical or emotional, felt different. She felt different. She felt free.

You weren't born to be soft and quiet, sitting on the throne of a sleepy little kingdom. Someone like you was born to make the world shatter and shake at their fingertips.

Elsa frowned. Markkus was wrong—she was sure of it. But. . . his words brought up a question, the same one she had asked her parents so many times growing up.

Why was I born with magic?

Years and years of asking the same question had not brought her any closer to understanding, to knowing why, out of all the people in the world, did she possessed magic? What was she supposed to do with it? There had to be a reason, a purpose. She had to have a purpose. A reason for being.

You want freedom, but you will never find it hiding in your castle, pretending that your magic is less than what it is. Than what it is meant to be.

Elsa sighed heavily. Markkus was a liar and a manipulative bastard but, maybe he hadn't been wrong. She knew he wasn't. She also knew that to find the answers she wanted so badly, she just had to follow the voice that called to her in her dreams. The one that had called out while traveling home through the Dark Sea.

Elsa looked out over the rolling sea that spread beyond her balcony. Arendelle was a country tucked away into the far north. There were various countries all around them, and their maps detailed the ones to the south of them, to the east, and to the west. But little of what was north of Arendelle was marked on the maps. She had accepted her tutor's words without question when he said there were no islands or countries beyond them, except for the Northern tribes.

But what if there was?

What if there was an island or a country somewhere in the Dark Sea? A place where that voice resonated from, and where she could find answers. Elsa knew in her heart that the island she saw hadn't been a figment of her imagination or a product of stress and withdrawal symptoms. It had been real. It was real, and she intended to find it.

Elsa turned on her heel and walked into her office. She grabbed a map from the shelf and unrolled it across the top of her desk, studying the curve of the continent. If she could remember where in the journey home they had been, she could use the location as a starting point. But there were gaping holes in her memory, making it impossible to know or even guess how far along they had been.

She let out an annoyed huff. She was going to need help; she was going to need —

"Your Majesty."

Elsa looked up from the map, her lips pulling into a smile. "Alarik. Just the person I need."

He returned her smile, placing a hand on his chest as he dipped his head. "What can I do for you?" he asked. He stepped up to the desk, looking down at the map. "I hope you're not planning a trip. I'm not sure Captain Jogeir's heart could take even the idea of it."

Elsa grimaced. "I fear he would not be the only one in violent opposition to such an idea."

"Could you blame them?"

"Not really." Elsa shook her head, pushing the thought to the side. "No, I was considering something more like an expedition." She pointed to the top of the map. "I think it's about time we find out, for sure, what is north of our lands."

Alarik rubbed a hand across his chin. "Doesn't that pose considerable risk, depending on if whether what, or who, we find is friendly?"

"It does, but I think the benefits may outweigh the risk. And if I'm wrong, would it not be better that we know there is something dangerous to our north?"

"It would," Alarik said slowly. "But I get the feeling there is more to this than mere curiosity, or preemptive defense."

"Perhaps." Elsa tilted her head, mildly surprised at how quickly he saw through her. She wasn't sure whether she was being more transparent than she thought, or if she and her assistant had spent that much time around each other. Another thought, for a later time. "I do want to start in a specific area. Do you remember the trip back from Hasvik, when I spent the day on deck?"

"Of course."

"Do you think you can discern a general idea of where we were on the trip? I would like to use that as a starting point."

Alarik folded one arm across his chest, pressing the opposite fist against his mouth. Thunder filled the otherwise quiet room. "I think so," he said finally. "If you'll permit me a few days, I can give you something accurate enough for a starting point, at least."

"Take all the time you need," Elsa told him. "Any expedition will have to wait for warmer weather, anyway. The Admiral mentioned the last trip to Hasvik was particularly hair-raising." She took a breath, then added, "I would like for this plan to stay between us. At least for now. While I don't have any intention of joining the expedition—for obvious reasons—I worry that just the idea of it might be a bit too much, considering recent events."

"Of course," Alarik said. "I promise not to breathe a word of it to anyone, unless you say otherwise."

She smiled. "Thank you. I'm not sure this will even amount to anything but . . . I have to try."

Elsa returned her gaze to the map, to the blank area to their north. She felt a pull in her chest, something tugging on her magic, beckoning her out into the unknown.


AN: The End.

I was going to post this last chapter on the 2nd year anniversary of when published the first chapter, but I figured with things going on in the world right now, I decided to post today. Do what I can to offer a bit of distract amid bad.

There are a lot of strings that have been left dangling. Markkus being the main one. I still want to write another Frozen story, and then another after that. Make it a trilogy. That's the plan, at least. I can't give any sort of timeline. For the immediate future, I would like to focus on writing my original scifi story and edit some short stories to submit for publications. I have one short story that will be published in October which is exciting.

I'm going to focus on those primarily, but I will try to sneak in some Frozen chapters where I can. So keep an eye out for it. And if you want to support me, I have a twitter account I try to post updates and information on. You can follow me at Nova_41822