Chapter 4: More Than Just the Spare
Elsa's screams woke the whole castle in the middle of the night, on a warm spring evening late in her pregnancy.
Kai worked hard to sequester only the most necessary individuals in the Queen's wing of the palace, and summoned Anna, Kristoff and Olaf as quietly as he could. The trio had to be content with waiting outside Elsa's chambers, jumping every few minutes at the door banging open to let midwives in or out. Currently, no one except for trained medical professionals and Elsa's bodyguards got past Kai.
"Can we go in?"
"No," Kristoff shot down.
A pause, and then: "How about now?"
"Olaf - enough," Kristoff growled, his teeth set on edge. Beside him, Anna bounced her leg nervously; it was a wonder that she wasn't begging to be let inside along with the blabbering snowman. All they could do was watch the doors and hope that they could see their family member. At last, Kai poked his head out.
"Sir Kristoff, if you'll please come with me..."
"Why can't I come?" Anna asked almost indignantly, springing for the door even as Kristoff confusedly rose to his feet.
"Her Majesty does not wish you to see her in such a state, Your Highness. She has been asking for Kristoff." Now the Ice Master was even more confused, and even Kai appeared a little suspicious, curiosity nagging at him regarding the command from his Queen. But Kristoff obeyed Kai's orders, squeezing Anna's hand soothingly even as she tearfully begged to go with him.
"I won't let anything happen to her, Anna - I promise." Kristoff cupped her face and kissed her gently before following Kai back.
Whoever coined the phrase, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned was wrong. Dead wrong, Elsa decided. The phrase should be amended to say Hell hath no fury like a woman's childbirth.
The pain. The unimaginable pain. It was worse than anything the Queen had ever experienced, and Elsa knew pain. Had had more than her fair share of it in all of her 27 years.
How strange - for there to be so much pain to bring about, to know, so much love. Well, let it be. If Elsa succumbed to that pain to gift her family with a child - an heir to the Arendelle throne - so be it. Anna would make a fine Queen. And she would have the baby there, to care for and teach. If only Elsa felt she had the will to stay and see that joy. But right now... she wasn't so sure.
Her knuckles turned as white as the snow and ice at her command, as she needed to grip the blankets and ride through the agony, writhing and screaming on the bed as the midwives flitted about. It was coming... it had to come soon... Through her hazy vision, Elsa could see Kristoff enter, hustled over to her bedside. Her gaze earnest, Elsa found Kristoff's hand and nearly crushed it in her own; she had to admire how her brother-in-law did not wince at the discomfort she was surely giving him.
"If I don't make it... tell Anna... I LOVE HER!" Elsa wailed through the last as another contraction set in.
It was an order from his beloved Queen and sister-in-law that Kristoff hoped he wouldn't have to follow.
The midwives encouraged Elsa to keep pushing, announcing that they could see the baby crowning. Kristoff stood back in awe as, with a final scream, Elsa slid the baby out of her. The midwives immediately scooped the infant up and handed her to her father.
"It's a girl."
Kristoff bounced the baby locked in his arms. He held her out towards the bed so that Elsa could see. "Elsa... this is Sierra." It was a name that Kristoff and Anna had discussed many times - a name after one of the North Mountain's contemporaries, high over the land of Arendelle.
Elsa's vision swam, blurry, as she took in her niece. A love as strong as the one she felt for Anna rippled through her.
"Beautiful," she croaked, her voice thick with emotion. Then she passed out.
Kristoff had to wrestle with Kai and some of Elsa's bodyguards as they none too gently forced him from the room. Several agonizing minutes later, the midwife came out.
"Your Highness, you may come in and see the Queen. She is tired, but alive and happy."
Anna burst into tears of relief. She ran into the room, Kristoff and Olaf right behind her, and threw her arms around her sister.
"Thank you... thank you, Elsa... I love you!"
Elsa smiled weakly. "I love you, too, Anna."
The minute Anna and Kristoff placed Sierra in her arms, absolutely nothing else mattered.
Not her powers. Not the fear she had had over herself. Not the possibility of never knowing love, or how much it could thaw.
For Elsa now knew love. The sheer power of it - more powerful than any snowy gust of wind or any icicle could claim, far more powerful than anything that anyone could take away from her - nearly made the Queen weep. For this - this was love. And it was love that had brought this tiny perfect creature here. With her. Elsa's little niece was so beautiful, so... immaculate, that Elsa knew right away that if anything or anyone threatened this tiny child... Elsa would hurt them. A lot worse than Hans. And a lot worse than she had (indirectly) hurt Anna. And Elsa would be well within her rights. Gods, could people really fall in love so fast, at first sight? Elsa supposed she now knew the answer, as she kissed the infant's forehead.
"Hi. I'm your Auntie," she crooned, bouncing Sierra a little. "I'm also a Queen, and I rule over a kingdom. But you... you will rule over my other kingdom: my heart. I love you so much!" And her voice cracked with emotion at the end.
And that's when Olaf, Anna, and yes, even Kristoff, lost it. The royal family embraced and wept with happiness.