They all went to the ball room. After they gathered in the center, Elsa turned to Nicholas and said, "Well, it's time to see what you can do."
Nicholas held out his hands and rolled a ball of magic much the way Elsa did. Then he sent it shooting to the ceiling, perhaps with less of a dramatic flair than Elsa usually did.
The ball of magic burst out and began to snow in the ball room.
The two princesses, Anna and Gwendolyn, rolled snowballs to make a snowman. Their older siblings just sat on the sidelines and watched with smiles on their faces.
"Your Majesty," Nicholas said. "I think your little sister may be as cute as mine."
With a chuckle she agreed, "Yes I think so."
"A lot of men must be jealous of Kristoff," he commented.
"Maybe but I don't think many would say so to his face." Then she asked. "What about your sister? A lot of suitors?"
"Yes there have been a few. I think most are intimidated by her intellect. She's amazingly smart." He hesitated a moment. "I think that may be why she didn't hit it off with the Prince of Denmark, well that and the fact that his regent was getting pushy. But they did part as friends."
"I see. And what about you? Have you been looking?" As she said it she hoped that it hadn't come out the wrong way. But she was curious.
"Ah yes. That must be a concern when you meet a Prince, who isn't destined to take the throne. Maybe he's looking for another way to gain a crown of his own." And he then added, "And possibly arrange a couple of convenient accidents."
She hadn't meant to be so blunt. But she kind of liked that he didn't mince words. "It is on my mind since, well you know, the incident with Hans."
"Incident! Yes I know. He tried to murder both of you to get your throne. Personally I think you showed amazing restraint sending him to his brothers alive." Then he added, "As I understand he tried to gain your interest first, Anna was plan B."
"Yes, I do vaguely remember his attempt. But it was one of many. I turned them all away for fear of exposing my powers and accidentally hurting someone," Elsa said.
With a look of genuine sympathy Nicholas said. "I'm sorry that happened. I hope it doesn't leave you unwilling to pursue genuine love someday."
She had to ask. "So is that what you're here for. At least as a secondary purpose?"
He was starting to think that might not be such a bad idea. He answered her.
"No, my purpose was just what I told you. To show good will between our Kingdoms, and to offer help in controlling your powers. As for romantic ventures, well those things will come when they come."
Elsa nodded with a smile. "My feelings exactly."
That brought her back to another point. She asked. "So do you know how you got your powers?"
"Yes, that is one way in which we differ." He told her. "I know for a fact that I wasn't born with them. They were a gift."
"Really?" She was intrigued. "And who gave you this gift?"
"Fairies," he told her.
"Fairies?" she asked incredulously.
He nodded his head and continued. "You see my Kingdom was formed about five hundred years ago when the son and daughter of two allied Kingdoms married. The bride of that union was given a gift by each of three fairies, one of those gifts saved her life...Well, ever since then the fairies return each time a child is born. They similarly bestow one gift each on the new baby upon christening."
"And one of your gifts was ice powers?"
"Yes, my older brother was given gifts fitting a King, obviously he's the heir. He was granted wisdom, leadership and mercy. When I was born they gave me gifts to support him; strength, courage and a magic power, specifically ice powers."
Elsa smirked a little at that. "Were you ever given a reason why it was ice powers?"
"No, but it might be because, at least according to my mother, Merryweather, the one who gave me my ice powers, had a particular love for the Christmas season."
Elsa was finding the story quite charming, if he's telling the truth. Thanks to her lack of exposure to people she wasn't the best judge of them. But she knew who was, she would have Kristoff talk to these visitors. But for now curiosity had gotten the better of her. She asked "And what about your sister?"
Just mentioning his little sister got a smile out of him. "Oh my little button," he said, glancing over at his sister. "Well we've already been talking about one of her gifts. Her amazing intelligence. She was granted beauty, intelligence and luck."
"Little button? Now that's cute," Elsa said.
"Yeah, she got it because as a baby she liked to play with the buttons on my shirt."
As they were talking both got hit by snowballs. They looked over. Kristoff just held his hands up as if to say I didn't do it'. The two girls however made no attempt to deny their actions. Anna called over to them. Come on join in."
"Yeah, you two can make eyes at each other later. It's playtime now," Gwendolyn added.
Nicholas looked over at Elsa. She was a little red in the face. "My sister the incurable romantic," He said to diffuse the situation. Elsa called out. "You're really going to challenge us to a snowball fight? You're outmatched."
"We'll take the risk," Anna answered. "Besides it's three against two."
"You're still outmatched" Nicholas said.
The fight was on.
Snowballs flew all across the ballroom. The two magical individuals refrained from using their obvious unfair advantage and both got pelted as often as the others.
When it was over they all laid in the snow laughing. Gwendolyn then loudly announced "I declare myself the winner."
Kristoff looked over at her. "Well, you are the only one who didn't get hit."
With a knowing smile she said. "Just lucky, I guess."
The two men walked over to where Elsa and Anna lay next to each other. Kristoff, having come to care for both girls...in different ways of course, was pleased to see them enjoying some playtime together.
Looking down on the girls as they extended their hands to help them up, Nicholas commented, "What a beautiful pair of snow angels."
The girls both looked back to where they had been laying. Anna, a little confused, said, "We didn't make..." then it hit her what he was saying.
Elsa caught it too, of course and went a little red again. She wasn't used to complements, not sincere ones anyway. But this man didn't seem to be acting.
She asked herself. Did all of those suitors seem genuine in their flattery?... No, she answered herself. Some were better actors than others. Hans was one of the best, but she could tell they were only interested in political maneuvering. She was fairly sure that Nicholas wasn't.
"Oh you silver tongued devil," his sister said.
"Watch it there Prince. This one's already spoken for," Kristoff said as he put an arm around Anna.
Gwendolyn walked over to them. "Really? I would have thought the ice harvester would have found the snow Queen irresistible."
Kristoff didn't know what to say to that. Just about any response would be inappropriate in one way or another. Then Anna answered. "I guess I'm just lucky that I met him first."
Nicholas found that he didn't care too much for the direction of the conversation. Then asked himself what his baby sister was up to. She never did or said anything without purpose.
His thoughts were interrupted though by one of the snowmen in the ballroom...This one was walking toward them. "Oh, am I late? Did I miss all the fun?"
The two visitors looked down in surprise at the snowman. Seeing that they weren't afraid or shocked to see him, Elsa introduced the visitors. She knew that Olaf preferred to introduce himself.
"These are emissaries from Glowerhaven. Prince Nicholas and Princess Gwendolyn."
He walked up to the newcomers. "Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs."
"Well, so do we," Gwendolyn answered as the two knelt to hug the snowman.
"Olaf," Elsa said, "Prince Nicholas has the same kind of powers I do. He's going to tell me how he manages them. It might help me."
Olaf's face lit up, if that was possible. "That's great." He turned to the visitor. "Have you ever made a snowman like me? Can I meet him?"
Nicholas' smile faded a little. "Not a snowman, no."
Elsa saw the change in his demeanor. "Olaf, maybe we shouldn't ask about that."
"No, it's alright Elsa. I can't ask you to trust me if I won't be completely forthcoming with you." He sat down on a snowbank. His sister sat next to him on one side, Elsa on the other. The rest sat facing him.
"When I was very small I found I could create ice and snow beings like Olaf. I scared myself the first time and dissipated the snowman as soon as it moved." He laughed a little at the memory then continued. "One day I was watching the birds flying outside. I was fascinated. Seeing them, unrestricted, free to take flight anytime, to go high in the sky. I started dreaming of being able to fly. How it must feel." They all saw the far off look in his eyes as he remembered. "I made ice and snow sculptures of birds. Well you can probably see where this is going; one of them started flapping it's wings. Not sure how it was able to fly but it was. And it spoke to me."
As it flew around me I told it I wondered what it would be like to fly as high as I could. Try to reach the sun." Nicholas turned to Elsa. "He said that he would go find out and come back and tell me. Then he flew up. I saw the sunlight glinting off of him...He found out how high he could go alright. I watched him melt doing it." With a wry smile he said. "I posthumously named him Icarus."
His sister had heard this story of course. She looped her arm through his and leaned her head on him in a show of sympathy.
Anna had a tear in her eye.
Elsa and Nicholas just looked in each others eyes in understanding. She knew well the problems and pain that the power could cause. Maybe, she thought, this man does understand me.
She looked over to Olaf and decided to offer a suggestion. "Try again."
"What?" he asked.
"You're here to help me. Let me help you. Trust me...build me a snowman."
Maybe it was the sincerity in her voice, but Nicholas found he wanted to do as she asked. He wanted to see her smile.
He held out his hand, turning at the wrist. Snow rose and appeared in the air. It soon solidified into a somewhat human like form. Somewhat smaller and slimmer than Olaf, giving it a more feminine appearance. Maybe because of the three lovely girls who were around him now?
When the flurry around it subsided it stood there for a moment. He thought he'd failed.
Then the snow woman blinked. "Oh, hello," she said in a distinctly female voice. "I'm...uh...Well I'm happy to see you. I'm afraid I don't know my name."
Everyone looked on in delight as Nicholas chose a name. He knew the perfect one. The name that the matriarch of his royal line used while in hiding.
"How about we call you Rose," Nicholas said.
Everyone knelt down to greet Rose.
Wow, she's pretty. Olaf thought.
