Twelve years.
Twelve years of bitter isolation - of long, lonely nights, locked in a cold, unforgiving room with nothing but desolate thoughts for company. Twelve years of skipped meals, social castration, pain, and unrelenting depression. Twelve years of self-restraint and the mantra "conceal, don't feel" repeated over and over.
All of it was shattered in a careless instant. A single moment of letting her guard down and now all of Elsa's hard work would be for nothing; her secret was revealed and there was no going back.
Her first instinct was to run away and hide like she had done so many times before, retreating into the safety of her room where nobody could see the icy curse that plagued her fingertips - but something stopped her. Instead, she stood her ground, staring down the stranger in the doorway.
Elsa couldn't just leave this man behind in the wake of her mistake, standing bewildered in a room covered in magical ice. She couldn't allow him to run back to the banquet in a panic and alert the whole kingdom to her powers, just when they were finally starting to believe she was normal. She may have slipped up, but there was still hope, still a way to contain the disaster.
Elsa steeled herself and locked eyes with Aaron, dead-set on remedying what she could of the situation before it came crashing down on her life in one fell swoop.
"Who are you and what are you doing in my father's private study?" she demanded.
"My...apologies - I didn't mean to... I was looking for some fresh air and -"
"Listen to me," Elsa interrupted, uninterested in the exact reason for his intrusion. "What just happened, what you just saw... you can never tell anybody, understand?"
She hoped she sounded more intimidating than pleading. To her surprise, the man had already recovered from his bewilderment and was now eyeing the magical ice thoughtfully.
"What I just saw was presumably magic, yes?" he asked.
Elsa was a little startled and didn't respond for a moment, suddenly feeling wary. She didn't want to admit something that could make the situation worse. The man showed no signs of fear or incredulity.
"Ice magic... of course... a lot makes sense now," he said, running a finger along the ice-coated wall. He seemed to be speaking more to himself than Elsa.
"Princess Elsa...how do I put this... I know you don't know me, and can't trust me. I'm sensing this power of yours is a rather well-kept secret. If I may ask... who else knows of your gift?"
Gift. Not curse. Just who is this guy?
Elsa's expression fell and she clutched her arm, remaining silent. Her eyes wandered to the portrait of her father on the wall.
Aaron's gaze followed hers and he had a moment of revelation. He was the only one who knew. Thoughts of blackmail, extortion, even usurping the throne of Arendelle flooded his mind. He could have the kingdom in the palm of his hands with this information.
He shook his head. "I see. Your Majesty, you have nothing to fear from me. I will not use this to take advantage of you or Arendelle. You have my word." He placed a hand on his heart to accentuate his point, seeing the torrent of panic welling up inside the princess.
Elsa relaxed, but was far from convinced. She couldn't shake the feeling this was a man with more than a few secrets hidden beneath his cool and charming demeanor.
Aaron read the unease in her eyes and noticed the frigidity in the air hold fast. "It appears I've made quite a mess. I always did have a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said. He walked over to the balcony door. "Join me outside for a moment?"
Elsa hesitated again. "Humor me. With all due respect, if I were here to make an attempt on your life, I think I've already failed miserably. Besides, an assassin would be out of his mind to try to kill you after seeing what you're capable of," he coaxed.
Feeling too distraught to return downstairs at this point anyway, Elsa decided the only option was to hear Aaron out and gauge his trustworthiness. With a deep breath, she stepped out onto the balcony into the mild night.
The late king's balcony overlooked the castle gardens and front courtyard. Elsa could see a cluster of banquet guests taking a break from the heat, socializing near the fountain below, some of them swaying from the alcohol, holding enormous glasses of wine and ale. The sight was rather comical.
Aaron kept a comfortable distance between him and Elsa as they looked out into the night.
"I suppose I should introduce myself. Prince Aaron Sinclair, son of King Harold Sinclair II, first in line for the throne of the Kingdom of Astor." It was a well-rehearsed introduction and Elsa almost gagged thinking about how many others had sounded just like it.
"I know who you are. You and your sister were the only royalty that didn't bother speaking to me tonight. Apparently you were too busy exploring my castle without permission; tell me, is trespassing customary in Astor or is that just a personal interest of yours?"
Aaron couldn't help but blush at her castigation. "It was rude, I know. I overstepped my bounds, and I apologize. But I must say, the last thing I expected was to walk in on the princess creating an ice rink in her father's old study."
"You don't seem all too startled, honestly... I mean, I always expected the first person to see my powers would run away screaming and calling me a witch."
Aaron furrowed his brow. "I suppose most would. But believe it or not, this isn't my first time witnessing magic. Magic like yours, even. You aren't alone, Elsa. I'm no expert on the subject, and I understand little about it, but others out there like you exist."
Elsa stared open-mouthed at the prince, his words hitting her like a tidal wave.
Others... like me? How could I have gone twenty years without knowing?
She didn't even know where to begin. "Who? Do you know them? Is their magic exactly like mine or just similar? Where can I find them?" She suddenly sounded like a curious little girl speaking to her father.
Aaron's face grew more serious. "Slow down... I'm afraid I can't answer your questions. These are things that... I simply can't get involved with. I'm sorry."
Elsa was a little taken aback by Aaron's sudden change in tone and she didn't press any further, still reeling from the realization that there were other magic-wielders. That alone was enough to change her outlook on everything she's ever known.
Elsa had always assumed she was alone, some kind of freak accident of the universe. A mistake that needed to be silenced. Now, she wondered, if there were others, what if she was more than that? What if there was a reason for it all? What if her powers weren't a curse, but in fact, a gift?
"My powers... they're affected by my emotions. My father always taught me to conceal them and eliminate the risk of hurting somebody with my magic. Are the others... the same way? Please, I have to know..." she pleaded. Whatever information Aaron was willing to reveal, she was desperate for it.
Aaron took a moment and looked up at the night's sky. "Agdar was a wise man. I only met him a couple times, some when I was only a child, but I always could tell he had a good head on his shoulders. I remember seeing him as he was leaving a meeting with my father when I was a boy, no older than ten. I was having a rather rough day for one reason or another, I don't remember exactly, but Agdar saw me and knew right away I was upset. He told me that little princes should never look that sad because a prince has the whole world in his hands and the world is too full of beauty to leave room for sadness. A little sappy, yes, but I took those words to heart. Your father was a good man. I don't think he would steer you wrong."
Elsa understood. Although she was a little disappointed with the lack of new advice, she smiled at the story. Aaron added, "I wish I could tell you something more, help you in a more meaningful way, but I can't. The truth is, I don't know any more about how to control your powers than you do."
Elsa sighed deeply. "It's... It's alright. And please, call me Elsa. We're both royalty, regardless of whose kingdom we're in."
Aaron nodded and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Very well, Elsa. Call me Aaron. It should be a bit of a relief to have someone know of your secret, right?"
"I don't think comforting is the right word. I've carried this with me for twelve years, alone since my parent's death... I guess I'm not sure how to feel. Or if I should feel at all..."
"You don't trust me, then," Aaron said, garnering an apologetic look from the blonde. "I don't blame you, don't worry. We did just meet after all. You'd be a fool to trust me with your deepest, darkest secret right away. I do hope that I can gain your trust in time, though."
Elsa studied Aaron's face for a moment, thinking. Then she asked, "When do you set sail for Astor?"
"Well... Sophie, my sister, is kind of eager to get home. We're scheduled to leave tomorrow evening."
Elsa thought again, this time watching a drunk fat man in the crowd below try to lean against the fountain and almost falling over. "What would you think about staying here, just for a few nights? We have plenty of room for you and your sister and we could easily set up your sailing crew in the nicest inn in Arendelle."
Aaron was floored by the offer, but knew there was ulterior motives involved. It was obvious that Elsa didn't want to just let Aaron leave right away with knowledge that could ruin her life. The only thing she could think of was to keep Aaron around until she could judge whether or not he would be a threat. In a way, he'd be a hostage more than a guest.
There was nothing Aaron could do but play along.
"I would have to notify my father, push back my meetings for the week, and make arrangements with my captain, but yes, I believe that could work. My sister may be the biggest obstacle though. I will need a damn good reason to get her to agree."
"Just tell her that we became fast friends and wouldn't take no for an answer! Surely she can believe that?" Elsa said with a smile. Under any other circumstance, it would seem like she was flirting.
Aaron blushed. "I guess that's as good a reason as any. But you haven't met Sophie. She's... difficult."
"Surely you can think of something. If you need to, have her speak with me."
Aaron got the impression that he didn't really have a choice. "I will do my best."
"Okay then. I'll notify Gerda and Kai and have two rooms prepared by the end of the night. As for right now, there's still a banquet going on and I'm sure people are wondering where I've been. Will you be joining me or are you going to wander the hallways again like a lost child?" she quipped with a smile, turning to go back inside.
Aaron was impressed. Somewhere behind that veil of properness and stoicism was a fiery personality. He smirked and followed her.
Elsa was relieved to find that the study had completely thawed by the time they went back inside. She could've sworn she sensed a look of approval from the portrait of Agdar hanging on the wall.
"So let me get this straight. Neither of us wanted to come here in the first place, you practically laughed in father's face when he asked you to make an impression on this Elsa woman, and then you have one conversation with her and now you want to stay an extra few nights?" Sophie asked before taking a sip of what must have been her fifth glass of wine.
"She and I really hit it off. You'll understand when you meet her, Fi, she just wants to show her hospitality and I can't decline without looking rude. C'mon, you may even find it enjoyable, it'll be like a vacation," Aaron said, fully aware that he was not being as convincing as he needed to be.
Sophie narrowed her eyes. "There has to be some kind of catch, Aaron. We've never had the closest relationship with Arendelle and for her to invite us to stay with her… it just seems suspicious. And besides, can we really afford to stay across the ocean for that long?"
Aaron felt defeated. He never had been able to pull one over on his sister. Sophie had always been the more clever and observant of the two, the one that pulled the strings in their relationship, and Aaron felt both hopeless and guilty about lying to her.
He sighed. "Okay, okay, you're right, there's more to it." He leaned a little closer. "You see, Elsa is desperately trying to marry off her younger sister and was hoping she would find a prince for her at the banquet tonight. Unfortunately, Princess Anna fell ill, but Elsa isn't giving up. She says that I would be perfect for her and wants me to meet her when she feels better. She practically begged me, I couldn't say no. Besides, father would want me to do it anyway."
Sophie scoffed. "I knew it. Always political motives behind everything. Fine then, we'll stay and you can have your little love-party with the princesses, but you'd better get somewhere with her. There has to be some sort of greater good for me to put up with this snobby kingdom for more than one night. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to drink until I forget this one."
She downed her half-full glass and walked off in search of more. Aaron had always been amazed at the amount of alcohol that his sister was able to put away without winding up on the floor; as he watched her walk away, somehow he knew that she would be alright.
The banquet dragged on well into the night and Elsa was already exhausted by ten o'clock. Fortunately, everything went smoothly for the rest of the event and Elsa actually thought she had made a fairly good impression on the guests. She wasn't sure if they were just relieved that she wasn't the circus-freak they had expected or if they were genuinely fond of her - but she didn't care either way. She had succeeded and was now one step closer to being a true Queen, a respectable ruler, just as her father had been.
As the guests finally began to thin out and the crowd was reduced to only a drunk few being herded out by the castle servants, Elsa decided it was time to fill Abram in on the situation with the twins. She didn't feel the need to fully explain her actions even if she could – Abram had made it clear that he was slowly relinquishing royal control to Elsa as her coronation day seemed to grow exponentially closer with each passing day. He was beginning to treat her like the acting ruler she would soon be.
Abram seemed to just be thrilled that Elsa was making friends.
In fact, he was so excited by the news that he rushed off to prepare their rooms himself and notify the castle staff – before Elsa had even said goodbye to everyone for the night, the twins' stay had been finalized, approved, and prepared for accordingly. This was one of the few times that Elsa had to admire and appreciate the efficiency of the Arendelle aristocracy.
Maybe this whole queen thing won't be as hard as I thought…
By one o'clock in the morning, the future queen was more than ready to pass out in her own room. Unfortunately, a queen's work is never done.
She made her way to the west wing of the castle where the twins were staying, their separate guest rooms in the same hallway only separated by several feet. She first knocked on Aaron's door and felt a mixture of relief and disappointment when she heard nothing but snoring coming from the other side. The prince must have been exhausted from his long and... unorthodox day.
Elsa walked down the hallway to check if his twin was still awake. She had to stifle a gasp when she saw that Sophie was indeed still awake and seemed to be waiting for Elsa by her door, visibly drunk and leaning on the doorframe either for support or dramatic effect - Elsa wasn't sure which.
"Ah, Princess Elsa, at last we meet. What a pleasure. I am Princess-Sophie-of-Astor," the drunk woman slurred the last four words into one long title and hiccupped as she adjusted her glasses.
Elsa gave a polite small bow of her head. "Princess Sophie, I've heard many good things. I hope that you are comfortable and please, let me know if there is anything you need while you and your brother stay in my castle."
Sophie eyed her up and down but her expression remained stoic. "Of course, of course. Speaking of which, my brother may be a half-wit, but I feel I should tell you that I am not like him. Whatever game is happening here, I'm on to it."
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean…" Elsa said, folding her hands in front of her and feeling a slight chill on the inside of her gloves.
"Don't take this the wrong way, Elsa. I have nothing against you. I merely feel the need to tell you that I know there is something going on here and it's more than just my dear brother's little crush on you." She wagged a finger and giggled loudly. "I will figure out what it is, one way or another. I aaaaalways do," she finished with a yawn, succumbing to her drunken drowsiness.
Elsa wasn't exactly sure how to respond and her thoughts seemed to be stuck on the comment about Aaron's crush on her, so she opted to merely nod and exchange a "goodnight" with the other princess before retreating to her room, her mind reeling from the events of the day.
She sighed heavily as she flopped onto her mattress. The banquet had gone better than expected, but now she was faced with her worst fear all over again. Somehow she had managed to become stuck as hostess to two strangers, one of which knew the secret that could ruin her life and the other who was dead-set on figuring it out.
What have I gotten myself into…