Hello again people, and welcome back to Frozen: Lords of Storm and Stone. A little late for the exact date of Elsa's birthday, but better late than never...nice going self. Oh well, in this story, it makes no difference; the show must go on, and time is more flexible outside of reality last I checked.
Review response: Give them spirit and character? I honestly don't know what you're talking about. In Sigmund's case, he's suppose to be calm, refined, fair-minded if you will, and devoted to his people. I fail to see how that makes him one-dimensional. Granted he's not very emotional, but that's only a piece of the puzzle.
The new characters have different appeals from Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, etc, with Lisa as a debatable exception, but that's kind of the point. Besides, this story is far from over. As for Sigmund and Elsa being an item...well, like I said, if anyone wants to ship them, they're free to do so, but in regards to "canon", no promises.
On a more positive note, thanks for giving me an actual review intend of...I don't even know what to call the other "comments".
Over the course of the next three weeks, a massive amount of progress was made on multiple different fronts. The stone and ice troops helped to secure the lost regions of the Valley of Stone, and the ice soldiers in particular bolstered the valley's reputation among neighboring fiefdoms. The presence of the legendary Snow Queen of Arendelle was now a concrete fact in the minds of people who had never heard of her, let alone seen. Some new people even came to the valley for the sole purpose of meeting Elsa, and her family.
The valley's army swelled with additional recruits, and fortifications at various points, including outposts built into the cliffs and mountains by Sigmund himself. All of which were manned by dozens of his troops, and supported on the low ground by his army of stone soldiers, and Elsa's ice soldiers. Many of the people in his army received due promotions, medals, additional training, and equipment for carrying out their respective services, even though it was a time of peace for the moment.
The reclaimed areas offered a bounty of additional resources that flowed into the valley's stockpiles like water. Iron, stone, precious metals such as gold, silver, and even platinum, along with the occasional assortment of jewels were put to use by smiths, jewelers, and of course the miners that worked tirelessly to acquire the materials. Even land that was never used beyond the mountains, especially the land between the valley, the Enchanted Forest, and Arendelle was put to use. No permanent residence was set up in any of them beyond the fortifications for safety reasons, but that did not mean the occasion venture could be made for the sake of acquiring more resources.
Sigmund worked alongside the royal family the entire time he wasn't away building for the people, and Anna in particular aided him in writing messages to the right people. She also wrote back home to Arendelle on her family's behalf, not only wishing the people a Merry Christmas, but also in requesting whatever aid was available, and for what reason. Unfortunately, the only aid Arendelle could send was acknowledging Sigmund as an official ally, which wasn't incorrect or unwelcome, but it was useless in the material sense.
In their free time, Kristoff took Anna to the ice harvesting operation, to continue their trips down memory lane, and to relieve stress. Not only was Kristoff's intention on both fronts a complete success in multiple ways, but Anna herself could feel herself getting better at lifting the ice thanks to her body adapting to the hard labor. She even jokingly compared her arms to Kristoff's, and they both got a solid laugh out of it, despite the more-than-obvious advantage Kristoff had over Anna.
The ice they harvested added to the total harvest, and over those weeks, the number of times Kristoff and Anna got involved added up quickly. Elsa's involvement was neither needed or thought about since the ice was of course saved for the warmer seasons, and since Elsa was a living source of ice, the people were bound to be in good supply regardless of the worst case scenario of the harvest being destroyed. The surpluses of ice were of course given to those who were willing to buy, and since the valley was more prosperous than ever before, the prices at the market were reduced greatly, so visiting people were bound to pick up whatever goods they needed or wanted.
Eventually, Sigmund got to work on his fortress, and the family had to relocate to the village for the time being...but that was no problem.
On the morning of her birthday, Elsa continued sleeping peaceful in the room of a spare house she and her family were living in for the time being. The fortress was being renovated like Sigmund had mentioned, and the monks were best left to their work for the time being. The Valley of Stone was now being covered in a mild amount of snow, but it wasn't bound to let up any time soon.
Now, Anna was quietly approaching Elsa while smiling.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dead Elsa. Happy birthday to you..." Anna sang, and Elsa stirred and shifted in bed as her little sister's delightful voice filled her ears.
"Good morning to you too Anna." Elsa breathed out as she turned over to see Anna.
"Did I ever tell you how amazing it is that you never get a bed head?" Anna asked.
"Once or twice." Elsa said casually.
"Very funny..." Anna deadpanned, and Elsa smiled.
"So...what did you get me?" She asked.
"Oh get out of bed and find out." Anna teased before yanking the blankets of Elsa...who of course was still wearing the gown she always wore.
When she followed Anna down the stairs, she found two box, one large, and one small.
"I'm guessing the large one is Kristoff's?" Elsa asked.
"Yep. The small one...well, open it and find out." Anna said, then Elsa opened the box.
"It's...a piece of bread." Elsa said.
"Bite it." Anna said, and Elsa looked at her smiling sister before biting into the bread, and when she pulled a chunk out, her eyes widened.
"Chocolate..." Elsa breathed out as melted chocolate poured out of the center of the bread.
"Yep. My special order for one of the bakers." Anna said simply and Elsa continued savoring her gift while smiling and blushing.
"I love you so much..." Elsa said before taking another bite.
"Wow...your face is as red as a tomato." Anna teased.
"Like you wouldn't react any differently." Elsa said.
"Touche my dear sister." Anna said.
"You know what...take the other half." Elsa said before giving the rest to Anna.
"But...it's yours." Anna said.
"And I want you to share this with me. You like chocolate as much as I do, and something shared has more meaning." Elsa said.
"That is also true..." Anna said before taking the bread, and biting into it while sighing.
"Now...let's see what the other thing is..." Elsa trailed off before removing the lid...and recoiling as Olaf jumped out.
"Surprise!" He yelled.
"Olaf!" Elsa exclaimed while she and Anna giggled.
"Here's your present, from Kristoff and Sven." Olaf said before reaching down and holding up a small troll statue.
"Oh...it's...Flemmingrad." Elsa said.
"Isn't it magical...?" Olaf asked.
"Yes...it sure is." Elsa said as she shared a look with Anna.
"At least this one isn't gross." Anna whispered.
"That is true..." Elsa said.
"Anyway, guess what me and Kristoff planned for today?" Anna said.
"Are you going to tell me anyway?" Elsa teased, and Anna groaned before Elsa giggled.
The three of them then went outside to where Kristoff and Sven waited with the sled.
"All aboard!" Kristoff exclaimed.
"Very funny Kristoff." Elsa said and Kristoff helped Anna into the sled next to him before moshing Sven.
"So...where are we going?" Olaf asked.
"First stop, the ice harvest." Anna said.
"Again?" Elsa asked.
"We always go up there remember?" Anna asked.
"I know, but..." Elsa trailed off.
"Let's just see what happens o.k.? Besides, that's only the first stop." Anna said.
"Alright, let's see what you have in mind." Elsa said.
"It won't be long before the ice harvest is halted for the winter." Kristoff said.
"Sigmund really wants to make sure the time after winter is covered doesn't he?" Anna asked.
"Hey, there's alot of regions other than the Valley of Stone last I checked." Kristoff said.
"Still." Anna said before they continued their trip.
When they got to the ice harvest, Kristoff and Anna both got to work sawing through the ice...individually.
"Born of cold and winter air and mountain rain combining." Kristoff sang.
"This icy force both foul and fair has a frozen heart worth mining." Anna said.
"So cut through the heart, cold and clear." Kristoff said.
"Strike for love and strike for fear." Anna sang.
"See the beauty sharp and sheer." Kristoff sang.
"Split the ice apart!" Anna sang.
"And break the frozen heart..." Kristoff sang, and the rest of the ice harvesting started chanting in-sync with their own tasks.
"Watch your step! Let it go! Watch your step! Let it go!" They sang.
"Beautiful!" Anna sang.
"Powerful!" Kristoff sang.
"Dangerous!" Anna sang
"Cold!" Kristoff sang.
"Ice has a magic can't be controlled." They both sang at the same time.
"Stronger then one!" Anna sang.
"Stronger than ten!" Kristoff sang
"Stronger than a hundred men! Yeah!" The harvesters sang.
"Born of cold and winter air and mountain rain combining." Anna sang.
"This icy force both foul and fair." Kristoff sang.
"Has a frozen heart worth mining!" The harvesters sang.
"Cut through the heart, cold and clear." Anna sang.
"Strike for love and strike for fear!" The harvesters sang.
"There's beauty and there's danger here." Kristoff sang.
"Split the ice apart!" Anna and Kristoff sang.
"Beware...the...frozen...heart..." Everyone sang at the same time, then everyone cheered, pumped their fists in the air, and waved their hats as Elsa stood by watching and smiling along with Olaf and Sven. Anna and Kristoff then took a moment to share a smile, and a hug as the other harvesters channeled their renewed vigor and began to work even more furiously. Fredrick, who was watching the display of showmanship, and encouragement shared in the refreshing atmosphere.
"Well done all of you...well done indeed." He said while smirking.
Anna then left to join Elsa as Kristoff continued sawing and hauling ice alongside the others.
"Well, that was fun." Anna said.
"It looked like fun." Elsa said.
"You know you could join us sometime." Anna said.
"Maybe...although, I don't want to spoil your moment with him." Elsa said.
"Are you kidding? Sure he and I want time to ourselves, but you spent so much time making statues like Sigmund's that...well, you could use time off too." Anna said.
"I take plenty of time off Anna, and Sigmund does too." Elsa said.
"Still." Anna said.
"Alright...next time, I'll make sure to join you. I'll even make some ice if I have to." Elsa said.
"Either way, it's no wonder Kristoff is so huge; ice harvesting is hard work." Anna said.
"What are you trying to say?" Elsa asked casually.
"I'm not trying to say anything; I'm saying that ice harvesting is harder than it looks." Anna said.
"You seem to be doing alright." Elsa said.
"No kidding, I can feel myself getting stronger too." Anna said while flexing her arms as Elsa giggled.
"I'll bet you are underneath all that cloth." Elsa said.
"I'll be fine." Elsa said.
"Speaking of muscles, did I ever tell you that I saw Sigmund without his armor once?" Anna asked.
"No, you didn't." Elsa said.
"He's pretty big himself. Not as big as Kristoff of course, but he's up there." Anna said, and Elsa hummed in acknowledgement before looking away and sighing.
"It's a shame Sigmund couldn't be here." Elsa said.
"You know him, always working. He's probably still working on the fortress, or cooking up more plans for what to do with the valley, or for dealing with Absalom." Anna said.
"You know he's been so caught up in working on the valley, that even when he and I were working on the statues, he didn't even bother talking to me about anything?" Elsa asked.
"What? But...didn't you used to talk to him quite often?" Anna asked.
"We did, but...he's reserved at best, and completely clams up at worst. He still hasn't told me how he got his powers, or anything else that's personal, so I didn't bother asking." Elsa said.
"Did you tell him anything?" Anna asked.
"Just a few things here and there about what we were up to after...well, after we exiled Hans, and before we went to the Enchanted Forest." Elsa said.
"O...k..." Anna trailed off, then Elsa looked at the fortress in the near distance.
"Here's hoping he's almost done with the fortress." She said.
"I hope so too, I kind of miss sleeping there." Anna said.
"We've only been out of there for a day." Elsa said.
"Still...I'm allowed to miss it." Anna said.
"I miss Arendelle actually..." Elsa said.
"We could just show up for the holidays, and come back." Anna said.
"No...there's not much point." Elsa said.
"I guess so, I mean...we can't do anything in the Enchanted Forest either so..." Anna said.
"Right..." Elsa said, then Anna looked around, then at the ground before getting up and smirking.
"Hey Elsa." She said before grabbing some snow.
"What?" Elsa asked...before taking a snowball to the face.
"You're it!" Anna yelled before running off. Elsa then wiped the snow off of her face, then turned it into a snowball as big as her head, then launched it at Anna who exclaimed as the snow enveloped her entire upper body.
"Now you're it." Elsa said casually as Anna wiped off the snow.
"No fair!" She exclaimed.
"You really should have seen that coming Anna." Elsa said.
"You...!" Anna said before groaning in frustration, and Elsa giggled at her as Kristoff walked up to them.
"Real smooth Elsa...real smooth." He said.
"She started it." Elsa said while pointing her thumb at Anna who continued wiping off snow.
"And?" Kristoff asked, and Elsa sighed before shaking her head.
"Could you please help me?" Anna asked.
"Eh why not...?" Kristoff said while shrugging, then wiped off the last of the snow himself while smiling.
When the group rode back to the village, they saw plenty of people working to decorate their homes for Christmas, from wreaths, to ornaments, to toy animals, and more. Several people wished Elsa a happy birthday, and she either thanked them, of waved at him. Some children even came up to her and looked over her gown, only to be called away by their parents.
They then went to the barracks for lunch, leaving Olaf outside where the heat won't effect him, and Gunjar himself spotted the group and started clapping.
"They're here! Get the special order!" He yelled and several servants scrambled to the back.
"It seems we're expected." Kristoff said as they approached the kitchen, and Gunjar approached them in return.
"Welcome! Welcome all of you!" Gunjar exclaimed while laughing.
"Good to see you again Chef Gunjar." Elsa said, then Gunjar waved his finger at her.
"Not as good as it is to serve a queen on her birthday I can tell you that. His Lordship made a special request, and Lisa provided yet another wheel of cheese from her farm. There he is right there." Gunjar said as he pointed to the table Lisa was sitting at, and she waved and smiled at them when they saw her.
"Well, now we know what Sigmund's gift is." Anna said.
"This is technically three people's gift." Elsa said.
"How right you are my lady, and of course, I cooked your food with my own hands. No one else even looked upon it!" Gunjar said seriously as he clenched both fists and looked them over.
"I can taste it already." Elsa said.
"With all due respect, I highly doubt that..." Gunjar said as a pair of servants approached with covered plates and walked the group to Lisa's table.
"Glad you could make it." Lisa said as the group sat with her.
"We didn't even know about this." Anna said.
"Wait, I thought you two had planned this." Elsa said.
"Not this." Anna said before the servants set the plates down and uncovered them. A whole loaf of bread, sliced and drenched in melted cheese, veggies, and cut meats were available, all of which was seared and seasoned to the right degree. The smell matched the appearance, and everyone immediately took their fill...and didn't stop eating when they started.
Before any of them knew it, their stomachs were filled to the brim with the fantastic meal specially prepared for them, and Gunjar himself approached.
"So my good ladies and gentleman, are you satisfied?" He asked.
"If I eat much more you'll have to roll me out of here." Anna said casually, and Gunjar started laughing.
"You look quite alright to me Your Majesty, as do the rest of you." He said.
"Thank you very much chef." Lisa said.
"And thank you for providing the cheese my dear girl." Gunjar said.
"I enjoyed this as well chef." Elsa said.
"Me too." Kristoff said.
"I shall treat your dinner with the same care my good ladies, and gentleman." Gunjar said before going back to the kitchen.
"So...how is your birthday so far?" Lisa asked.
"Quite nice." Elsa said.
"And it's not even sundown yet." Anna said.
"Do you have any other plans for today?" Lisa asked.
"Actually we were going to take Sven past the meadow and just go riding until he's satisfied...but things are going alot better than planned." Anna said.
"Glad to hear it." Lisa said.
"Do you know what's being planned for Christmas?" Anna asked.
"I know Askel is planning a grand performance along with the rest of the valley's band, but that's hardly unusual." Lisa said.
"Well, we talked about how Elsa could use her magic to spice things up." Anna said.
"And she has...alot of experience doing so." Kristoff said.
"I cannot wait to see it." Lisa breathed out while smiling and shaking her head.
"I take it you're going to dance again?" Kristoff asked.
"Uh...yeah!" Lisa exclaimed.
"Why did I even ask...?" Kristoff asked casually.
"I also have a new dress for the occasion." Lisa said.
"Do you now?" Anna asked.
"Yes I do. Askel got it for me, and I absolutely love it." Lisa said seriously.
"I wonder what Sigmund is going to do." Elsa said.
"Well...I'm sure he'll think of something. He always does." Anna said.
"Right." Elsa said.
"Oh right...how old are you now?" Lisa asked.
"Twenty-six years." Elsa said.
"Wow..." Lisa breathed out.
"What about you?" Elsa asked.
"I turned nineteen back in August." Lisa said.
"Time sure flies doesn't it?" Elsa asked.
"Not from where I'm standing." Lisa said.
"Uh...sitting." Anna said while pointing at Lisa's seat.
"Smarty pants." Lisa deadpanned, and Anna snickered.
"See why I married her?" Kristoff teased.
"There's more to it than that." Anna said.
"Naturally." Kristoff said.
"Anyway...my birthday was on the summer solstice." Anna said.
"Dietrich's birthday was in the middle of September, the 15th to be precise." Lisa said.
"Wow...you're the summer, Elsa is the winter." Lisa said.
"Us being opposites seems to be a theme isn't it?" Anna said.
"It's...also kind of sour considering..." Lisa trailed off and sighed.
"what's the matter?" Elsa asked.
"Dietrich's birthday is also on the summer solstice." Lisa said, and everyone stared at her.
"O...k. then..." Kristoff breathed out.
"I share a birthday with him...?" Anna asked.
"Apparently.
"Well...on a lighter note, Sigmund's birthday was in April." Anna said.
"Sigmund's birthday was in spring...and mine was in fall..." Lisa said.
"I'm noticing a pattern with birthdays being in opposite seasons..." Kristoff trailed off.
"Well, this has been really nice, but I need to get back to the goats." Lisa said.
"Alright, see you later." Anna said.
"Bye, and happy birthday again Elsa." Lisa said.
"Thank you." Elsa said before the two ladies waved at each other.
"So...what next?" Kristoff asked.
"Next we get Olaf, and look around." Anna said.
"Alright." Elsa said.
"Not too quickly though; I'm stuffed like a turkey." Kristoff said.
"And we aren't?" Anna asked, and Kristoff stared at his smiling wife before she lead them outside...where Olaf and Lisa were
"Did you know that snow is actually small pieces of frozen rain?" Olaf asked.
"I'm not at all surprised." Lisa said.
"Did you know water has memory?" Olaf asked.
"Wait, what?" Lisa asked.
"It's true. Elsa actually brought me back to life once thanks to the snow that makes up my body remembering what I'm supposed to be like." Olaf said.
"Wow...that makes you practically immortal." Lisa said.
"Not really...I think that if something happens to Elsa, it happens to me too." Olaf said as Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff came outside.
"But that's not happening again Olaf." Anna said seriously.
"Alright." Olaf said.
"So, where are you off to now?" Lisa asked.
"We're going to look around the neighborhood of course and admire the view." Anna asked.
"And then some." Kristoff said.
"Well, it's a good time for that...if you're dressed warmly enough." Lisa said while shivering.
"I don't dress..or get warm..." Olaf said casually.
"In your case, that's a good thing." Elsa said.
"Even if you do, Elsa can just put you back together again." Anna said.
"Hence why I said he's practically immortal." Lisa said.
"That's one way to look at it..." Kristoff said.
"Well, like I said, the goats probably miss me, so...enjoy the rest of your birthday Elsa." Lisa said while smiling and waving.
"Thanks." Elsa said while waving back, then Lisa walked away.
"Well...let's go." Kristoff said before the family were on their way.
For the rest of the day, the snow continued to envelop the valley as the family walked to the marketplace...and it was completely crowded. Items were hawked, bartered and bought at every stall in sight by dozens upon dozens of people. Foods of all types, baubles, trinkets and toys, tools and books were all being passed around by the hundreds along with the coins and other items they were exchanged for. Those who weren't conducted business were either waiting their turns or making various conversations with one another, with the snow failing to agitate anyone too badly.
When the family got there, they browsed the stalls, picked up some Christmas decorations of their own for their house. Kristoff also grabbed some ingredients for the stew he had in mind for Christmas, especially carrots. Anna and Elsa of course picked up some smaller samples of chocolates, some of which had small fruits in or around them for their dessert later on.
Olaf then approached the group as they left the market, and was being followed by the same children that approached Elsa earlier, along with some new children.
"Hey! Guess who I ran into!" Olaf exclaimed as he motioned to the children.
"Hello again." Elsa said.
"Did you make any of this snow?" A girl asked.
"Of course not." Elsa said.
"Are you cold?" The girl asked.
"I don't get cold." Elsa said simply.
"How?" A boy asked.
"I'm just used to it..." Elsa said.
"Well, could you make some things out of the snow?" The boy asked.
"Like what?" Elsa asked.
"Well...like a tree?" The boy asked.
"I'll save that for Christmas." Elsa said.
"Really?" The boy asked.
"Yes. I have alot in mind for Christmas, just wait and see." Elsa said softly.
"Alright." The boy said.
"Now, where are your parents?" Elsa asked.
"They're shopping." A girl said.
"They let us play together while they do." Another girl said.
"Well...good for you. I have to get back to my own family now." Elsa said.
"Bye." A girl said.
"Bye everyone." Elsa said while waving and walking away.
"Bye!" The children all said at the same time while waving.
They then went to the apple orchards to look over the iced-over trees which were now barren for the season. The lack of apples did not negate how much of a spectacle they were, not only from the natural appeal that ice had on them, but the expansiveness that even after several weeks of being in the valley, retained it's appeal. The family walked together through the trees, looking over each one individually, and then moving on the others until they were satisfied, then moved on to the rest of the farms.
Some farmers were still working in their fields despite the cold weather, but that wasn't a surprise to any of them. There were types of vegetables in particular that were still able to be planted in spite of the cold weather, such as carrots. The animals that were being raised were of course being sheltered in the barns, or came out to run around and warm themselves up with exercise. Nothing changed in their routines outside of that however; animals needed to eat too afterall
It was a shame that the grasslands were completely snowed by the time the sun was setting, but the awe-inspiring mountains surrounding the valley more than made up for it.
When the family returned to the town, Ingmar was waiting for them.
"Ingmar?" Anna asked.
"I'm glad I could find you. I am happy to inform you that His Lordship has finished the renovations to his fortress for your benefits." Ingmar said, and Anna gasped.
"We can go back to the fortress now?!" She asked seriously.
"You can indeed my lady." Ingmar said.
"We'll get our stuff right away." Elsa said.
"Excellent." Ingmar said before walking away.
"I'll get Sven and meet you at the house." Kristoff said before running off to the stables as the two sisters grabbed their belongings and stashed their belonging in the living room. After making multiple organized piles, the two waited for Kristoff to arrive with the sled. When he finally arrived, they got to work loading it for the trip back to Sigmund's fortress. Anna in particular couldn't stop thinking about what could have changed, and how, but they were bound to find out in due time.
When they reached the fortress, Ingmar was waiting for them at the entrance.
"Ah, welcome back." Ingmar said.
"Hi Ingmar." Anna said.
"Some guards will be on their way to fetch your possessions, for now, I would like to show you what has changed." Ingmar said.
"Alright." Anna said as the family got out of the sled and followed Ingmar.
"For starters, few things have changed aside from the location of the guest quarters, but I'll have you know it was not easy for His Lordship to shift an entire fortress in such a delicate manner to reposition rooms the way he did." Ingmar said as they went down the halls.
"It doesn't sound easy." Anna said.
"However he himself was quite pleased with the results, and wishes that you will as well." Ingmar said.
"Has anything aside from the rooms changed?" Elsa asked.
"No my good lady, nothing at all. The throne room, the war room, the hot springs you all use for cleaning yourselves, along with everything else is exactly where it was before." Ingmar said.
"Good to know." Elsa said before they went through Sigmund's throne room, up some stairs...some of which weren't there before, and finally reached the new guest rooms.
"Oh...my...goodness...!" Anna breathed out as she looked over one of the rooms, then looked out of one of the new windows.
"Is it me, or this room larger than before?" Kristoff asked.
"It is somewhat larger, yes." Ingmar said.
"Hey, I can see the other side of the valley from here." Anna said.
"Lord Sigmund not only added these windows, but he also made sure that your rooms were in a more secure part of the fortress, and the view should speak for itself." Ingmar said.
"It most certainly does; this was well worth waiting a whole day." Anna said.
"Your belongings will be set up by the guards before nightfall. Until then, shall we wait for your dinner to arrive?" Ingmar asked.
"Sound good to me." Anna said.
"Me too." Kristoff said.
"And me." Elsa said before they followed Ingmar to the throne room.
"So, may I ask if anything special happened today?" Ingmar asked.
"I wouldn't say special, aside from this, but it was still enough to make it feel like a birthday." Elsa said.
"I am pleased to hear that my good lady." Ingmar said, then the doors opened and Sigmund walked in.
"As am I." He said.
"Welcome back my liege." Ingmar said with a bow.
"You left?" Anna asked.
"I wanted this to be a secret, but two weeks ago, I commissioned the local vintner to brew strawberry wine for this occasion." Sigmund said before he reached into a bag concealed by his cloak, then showed the bottle.
"Really?" Anna asked seriously.
"Yes really. It took no less than a week to make, and it cost more than a handful of coins, but I do hope it is worth the investment." Sigmund said.
"You didn't have to go that far for me..." Elsa said.
"I couldn't agree less. You have all done more for my people than I could have hoped. Helping you celebrate your birthday in this manner is the least I can do in return." Sigmund said before handing the wine to Elsa.
"Thank you very much..." Elsa breathed out before taking the wine.
"I do hope Gunjar's meal arrives soon. This wine will likely go quite well with it." Sigmund said.
"I hope you all plan on sharing it with me." Elsa said.
"We might as well, like you said, things are more special if you share them." Anna said.
"I take it your birthday was celebrated properly enough?" Sigmund asked.
"Very much so." Elsa said, and Sigmund smiled.
"Well...I'm very happy for you all, especially you two." He said as he motioned to Elsa and Anna.
"Why me?" Anna asked.
"Because, this is for you as well. Afterall, it's not everyday you get to celebrate a sibling's birthday." Sigmund said as Elsa and Anna shared a look, and a smile.
"Thanks for changing our rooms like that. Those windows really make a difference." Anna said.
"Like I said, this is the least I can do, both the wine, and your rooms." Sigmund said.
And all's well that ends well eh? Now...strawberry wine is a thing for those of you who don't know. Normally it's made from grapes, but strawberries are a thing. It's also a gift you don't turn down if a freaking lord asks it to be brewed your birthday, even if it's going to a former queen. Anyway, Christmas is just around the corner, so please Rate, Review, and Share while the Christmas special brews like the wine did. Stay tuned.