Title: Permafrost
By: garlic
Disclaimer: Frozen and affiliated property of Disney.
Summary: Elsa is brought back home in secret, and Anna tries to get her sister back.
AN: Um, if you think about it, time is all subjective, right? I mean you look back and think, "it hasn't been that long." But silver lining, you guys have been trained to wait out my horrendous update schedule in prior fics, right? Right? ...no? Er, at least I did Elsanna week?
News spread like wildfire through Forsyn, awed whispers about how Princess Anna alone could survive the glacial touch of the goddess Skadi. All the soldiers and many of the burly men of the town were hard at work excavating the large ice shard, careful to keep their distance.
Because the rumors were very much true – despite the thaw of the frosted surroundings, the icy coffin remained a deadly threat to all those who touched it, save Anna.
Bundled protectively in thick leathers and furs the men chipped a straight path to the mouth of the cave before levering the shard with long iron poles onto a flat makeshift cart. The wood creaked and groaned under the weight, and everyone collectively held their breath in anticipation. When nothing else happened – no splintering of icy rage as Skadi awakened in affronted anger – they crept forward, lashing the ice down with secure ties.
Anna oversaw it all with red-rimmed eyes, refusing to leave her sister's side. Often workers would glance over at the Princess to find her resting a hand against the ice, head bowed. It was solemn and striking sight.
Almost the entire village had gathered along the cove to watch as Skadi was wheeled out. The princess walked alongside, keeping her hand to the shard. Murmurs rose as the curled figure was drawn into the sun, silent and coldly gleaming. Outside the disquieting darkness of the cave Skadi was surprisingly delicate looking, youthful and fair.
Dagmar stared with wide eyes. Captain Einar had filled her in when they first identified the frozen woman, but this was the first she had seen her. There was no doubt, it was Crown Princess Elsa.
The cart drew to the top of the hill, horses straining against the weight, nostrils snorting thick plumes of steam in their exertion. Anna paused when she reached her maid.
"We're going home."
Dagmar bowed her head in acceptance, a slight shiver running down her spine at the steel in the Princess' tone, at the chill that cascaded off the arctic block. "Of course, Your Highness."
They traveled back across Arendelle at the fastest pace their horses could manage with their precious cargo. Against the captain's insistence Anna rode horseback beside the cart, unwilling to let her sister out of her sight. The citizens were surprised at the speedy gait and intent mien of the Royal Procession, curiosity piqued at the sight of the large object they were dragging behind them, but left them well enough alone.
It was a good thing Dagmar had the insight to suggest covering the ice, as lugging around their presumed dead crown princess in a frozen slice of the sea would surely raise a few questions, if not cause an outright riot. To this end the people of Forsyn had gladly gifted them a large woven blanket, proudly decorated with the village's patterns and edged in azure blue added in honor of their goddess.
Einar had tried to explain to them that the woman was Princess Elsa, lost at sea three years ago, but while they seemed willing to believe that they steadfastly insisted that Skadi must still have a hand in her preservation, because what could this be but a miracle?
He had turned to Anna then, pleading with his eyes for her to step in. But the princess just returned a silent stare, before ignoring him completely. Late at night he consulted with Dagmar, who fretted to him her worries. Anna's complete muteness was reminiscent of the quiet shut down from after the funeral, and Dagmar was at a complete loss at how this would play out. Once the shock wore off, how would Anna proceed? Could Princess Elsa be thawed out safely? Was she even still alive? If it turned out she wasn't, and all they had brought back was a cold, well-preserved corpse, what new devastation would that bring? It was a horrible cruelness to have new hope presented to you, only for it to stripped away.
With this in mind Einar and Dagmar pulled all the members of the entourage aside, swearing them to secrecy about the discovery of Princess Elsa. They sent their swiftest scout back to Arendelle Castle with a private missive for Kai's eyes only, with the condition that the contents of the letter only be shared with Gerda and the top three advisors of the council.
Hopefully by the time they arrived back at the Capital they would find a suitable room to place Princess Elsa – far away from the curious and prying eyes of the castle servants.
Their arrival upon the streets of Arendelle was met with raucous cheers as the citizens welcomed their princess back home. Anna bore the festivities with barely concealed ill-temper, only relenting to the sedate pace and parade at both the Einar's and Dagmar's reasoning that charging through the city to the castle would spark worry or outrage or both, and that close scrutiny would not be their ally if they wanted to keep the news of Princess Elsa under wraps.
Kai and Gerda met the procession at the castle gates, not quite able to hide the worry lining their faces. Doubtfully they looked upon the covered cart, still not able to believe the letter handed to them by a panting, out-of-breath soldier.
But one glance at the serious expression on Einar's face and the dark, thunderous glare in Anna's eyes was enough to convince them to act accordingly, and with terse efficiency orders for the group to stand down and dissemble were issued, a few select men quickly chosen to escort the cart towards the loading docks at the back of the castle.
As Anna followed they made a half-hearted attempt to get her to head to her room to rest and recover, but the black look the Princess sent their way and the wide-eyed shakes of Dagmar's head resigned them to simply fall into step behind the cart.
Thank heavens Kai and Gerda cleared the path. Einar thought with relief as the reduced group silently made their way to the rear of the castle. The grounds they passed through were conspicuously deserted, and the captain was pleased to see that the large loading docks were similarly empty. He caught the head butler's eye, giving a sharp approving nod.
The docks were fitted with sizable warehouse doors to allow oversized items into the castle as well as the large quantities of stocked goods the castle needed to operate on a daily basis. Luckily the ice coffin was small enough to not require the arching cranes usually employed to haul several-ton palettes, and the two horses that remained yoked to the cart were enough to drag the load up the short ramps. From there the horses were rapidly untied, and their small group shrunk by two as the animals were led back to the stables. The remaining soldiers took up stations around the cart, and with a grunt they were back in motion, rolling after Kai as he directed them down a series of twisting corridors deep into the heart of the castle.
Even as they pushed the soldiers wondered at the halls they traveled. These parts of the castle were an interlocking maze of passages; they encompassed treasuries and clandestine meeting rooms and emergency exits from the castle and were generally a well-guarded secret amongst the Royal Families and their most trusted servants.
Finally they arrived at a dead end – a stone corridor with one large oak door looming menacingly before them. Einar suppressed a shiver. The cold seeping from the cart found no purchase on the bare walls, magnifying the chill in the air and raising prickling goosebumps on his skin. A glance to the side showed Princess Anna remained unaffected from the cold as ever, teal eyes trained resolutely forward.
Kai pulled at the door and it shuddered open with a groan. The room was as devoid of decoration as the hall, and with a shiver the guards wheeled the cart inside. The men paused uncertainly in the center, casting a questioning look over at their captain, who in turn looked to Anna.
"Princess?"
Anna blinked slowly, turning her stare from where it was glued to the cart. Einar shifted uncomfortably under her stoic gaze.
"It's fine."
Kai and Gerda exchanged an uneasy glance at the princess' dead tone.
The soldiers bent to unstrap the large object, gingerly keeping as much distance as they could. Kai frowned at the timid handling, moving forward to help. He was stopped short by Einar's outthrust arm, the captain shaking his head.
"It's best if you stay back. The…ice can get very cold."
Kai stared in confusion. "…Cold?"
Before Einar could explain further, a pained hiss from one of the soldiers cut through the air. The cart creaked ominously, the ropes sliding from their loosened knots with a sharp zipping sound. The soldiers scrambled backwards as the cart tilted, wood groaning as the weight of the load shifted perilously to one end. The wheels cracked and splintered, and with a yell Einar grabbed Kai and shoved him towards the door. "Everybody back! Now!"
With a crash the cart gave, dropping the heavy box to the floor. Einar crouched protectively in front of the princess, shielding her from the stray slivers of wood that ricocheted through the air.
Everybody kept still as the dust settled, waiting several long moments before turning to check the damage. It was Gerda who first noticed the sudden drop in temperature, eyes wide at the white clouds that billowed from her lips. "It's so cold," she murmured, rubbing her arms in attempt to generate warmth.
Kai frowned and looked towards what was left of the cart, noting how the soldiers were still warily retreating, one clutching an arm close to his chest. The object lay on it's side amidst the wooden remains, the woven cover jostled just enough to reveal the sharp edge of crystalline blue. Astonished brown eyes tracked a line of frost crawling along the blanket to the floor, where jagged spikes of verglas radiated out in an explosive, uneven star.
A blur brushed past, Einar's shout of "Wait!" trailing after. Kai watched agape as the princess rushed to the object, hands frantically patting across the cloth. Kai made another move forward to assist only be held back once again by Captain Einar.
"Don't." The captain's terse demand cut through the air, low and somber. "Only the Princess can touch her."
The butler glared. "Just what do you-"
Motion at the edge of his vision halted his next words. Anna stood, gripping the edges of the large cloth and with a mighty heave yanked the cover off in one smooth draw. Behind him Gerda gave a strangled gasp, and Kai certainly couldn't accuse her of overreacting.
Revealed in the dim lighting the vaguely rectangular block of ice gleamed almost wetly, wisps of white vapor curling off the glass-like surface. And inside Princess Elsa rested, fair as the day she was lost.
Anna skimmed her hands down the ice, fingers searching for any cracks or fractures. Worried teal eyes flit over Elsa's curled figure, and the princess let out a shuddering sigh of relief when she saw no harm done from the fall. Wearily she sank to her knees, forehead pressed to the cool slab. Thank goodness.
"Your Highness?" Einar took a tentative step forward, but tried no closer than that.
Anna lifted to her feet, brushing out her skirts. "I'm fine, Captain." She shot a glare at the other soldiers. "And more importantly, Elsa wasn't…broken."
The soldiers winced, bowing their heads in regret. "Our sincerest apologies, Your Highness!"
"Whatever. Just be more careful."
Backs snapped to ruler straightness, hands coming up crisp salutes. "Of course, Your Highness!"
Anna ignored them, walking a slow path around the ice, kicking aside the smaller pieces of debris that littered the floor. Kai and Gerda approached slowly, nodding their assent at Einar's warning glance. They stopped a few feet away as the chill intensified, nipping harshly at their exposed skin. Kai hesitantly extended a hand, flinching back as his fingertips reddened and numbed in seconds. Gerda observed silently, hands clapped over her mouth, eyes watery.
As one they raised their heads to their princess, who had paused at Elsa's head, wiping at the ice just above those pale gold tresses. With her bare hand. Captain Einar stepped up next to them, solemn and serious. "I meant it when I said Princess Anna was the only one who could touch the ice and suffer no harm. Every other person who has even gotten close to it almost immediately started to show signs of frostbite. And direct contact…out of the question."
Kai and Gerda stared horrified at the captain's words.
"The villagers who found her said the last one to try had to have his arm amputated – the gangrene had spread far and fast with just a few seconds of contact."
Gerda gasped again at that, spinning to check on the princess. Yet there Anna was, hand to the ice, perfectly fine. "What sorcery is this? That traps Princess Elsa so, and repels all but Princess Anna?"
Einar shook his head. "As those closest to the Royal Family, I was hoping perhaps you two could shed some light on this…mystery."
Kai also shook his head, a despondent sigh escaping his lips. "I'm afraid we are in the dark as much as you, Captain. The late King and Queen were very private concerning the girls." A deep frown crossed his face. "Princess Elsa especially – she stayed in her room most of the time." The butler turned to Gerda for confirmation.
The maid sighed. "Indeed. She rarely left her quarters. I broached this with Their Majesties, but they told me it was under control." Gerda did not have to add the unspoken command to press the issue no further. As servants of the Crown, Einar and Kai were well aware of the limits of their station, and the tacit agreement to not overstep their bounds.
Anna craned her head slightly, attention grabbed at the mention of her sister. She shuffled closer to the trio, ears perked. After over a decade of silence and averted gazes when it came to any mention of Elsa, Anna was eager to glean any knowledge that would reveal insight into the informational void that was her sister's existence.
The captain let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand over the coarse stubble at his chin. "Yes, I always thought that was strange. And the closing of the castle gates…" he trailed off, darkly pensive.
"You think—" a sneeze interrupted Kai, and abruptly the trio clammed up, heads swiveling to the pair of soldiers still in the room. The duo looked straight ahead, at rigid attention. As they stared, one of them sniffled.
"Oh for Odin's sake, you two get out. And go to the infirmary to check out that arm." Einar snapped.
With crisp salutes and a chorus of "Yes sirs!" the men hastened towards the door, only to stop in their tracks as their captain's glare cut into them. "Remember your oath – not a word of this to anyone."
Another pair of sharp salutes was their response, and Einar nodded in satisfaction.
They waited until the soldiers scurried out of the room before letting out a collective breath. Kai turned back towards the captain, nervously clenching his fists. "Are you absolutely sure they will keep this in confidence?"
Einar gave another nod. "They are good men. Handpicked by Sigurd and myself."
Kai let out a weary sigh. "Speaking of, we should bring the advisors in. They are aware of the situation, but I think this is something that needs to be seen to be believed, frankly."
"It's quite hard to believe even after seeing," Gerda added, voice still a strained whisper. She cast a look back towards ice slab.
"Have you tried to…thaw her?"
Einar shook his head at Kai's question, frown deepening. "It was far too cold in the cave to try. We decided it would be best to get Princess Elsa back here, where the conditions are…easier to regulate."
"Try it now." Anna's demand cut into the conversation, startling the trio. They whirled to face her, and only Einar managed to refrain from flinching at the dark scowl twisting Anna's lips. Kai held his hands up in peace, hoping to allay her impatience.
"Princess, I understand your eagerness, but let us take a moment. Rushing will not play to our advantage."
Gerda stepped forward to chime in as Anna crossed her arms, chest puffing as she readied a retaliation. "Your advisors are aware of this…issue. Their insight could only aid us."
Anna remained still to their pleas, but eventually deflated, huffing in acceptance. "Fine. So where are they?"
She was met with three pairs of blank stares. Kai cleared his throat nervously. "Um, you want to see them now, Your Highness?"
"Is there a reason to delay?"
The trio exchanged glances. "Of course. We'll call them to the Western meeting room immediately."
Anna stared at them like they were all idiots. "Why would you do that? Bring them here." She turned to look back at her sister, voice softening. "They'll have to see her anyways. And I'm not leaving."
Gerda could see the resolution in the other girl's eyes, and they way they sharpened when Einar and Kai opened their mouths to protest. She quickly cut in to prevent the inevitable clash of stubborn egos. "I'll retrieve them right away, Your Highness." She tossed a reproachful look to the men, silently directing them to stay and not rile up the princess any further before leaving the room. As she hurried along the halls she couldn't shake the sensation of chill that clung to her skin, or the memory of Anna tenderly caressing the icy surface above Elsa's head.
Princess Elsa. Seeing her was a wrench to her heart. The year Elsa sequestered herself to her quarters almost all extraneous contact was cut off; her room attendants and personal maid summarily dismissed. The Queen had come to her, putting her solely in charge of the upkeep of Elsa's room and delivering her meals when the girl didn't make it to the dining room, an occurrence that began to happen with increasing frequency.
The first weeks were difficult. Elsa refused to let her in, words sparse and terse where they issued from behind her bedroom door. She had assumed it was in reaction to Anna taking suddenly, deathly ill, her young mind unable to rationally process the foreign concept of mortality, the thought that she might lose someone dear to her so permanently. And even though Anna recovered, the incident had left a mark more evident than any scar; Elsa lost all good humor, withdrawing emotionally and physically, no longer giggling or mischievous, no longer the doting sister.
So she watched Elsa grow in glimpses, snatches of the girl becoming a woman, maturing from one stage to the next in static sequences.
See a young girl, small and delicate. See a gangly pre-teen, awkward and all fair limbs. See her in the bud of adolescence, curves starting to show under the modest drape of her clothes.
See a woman, standing slim and regal and sad at the stern of the Snow Eagle, gazing forlornly back at Arendelle as the royal ship sailed away.
She bit back a sob as she stopped before the council chambers, clamping a shaking palm to her mouth. To see her again, looking the exact same as the last she saw her…Gerda swallowed against her grief, hands dropping to rest primly at her stomach, breathing deep through her nose. Was this a miracle or an omen? Gerda wasn't sure if she was prepared for either, but for Anna's sake, she prayed for the former.
And if it was the latter, the best she could do was be there for her, like she was three years ago.
Her hand rapped hard on the doors.
Kai resisted the urge to shuffle his feet. An awkward silence had descended upon the room after Gerda had hustled out, the men unsure of how to handle their princess' temper. He risked a glance at Anna who had returned to the frozen figure's (Elsa, it was Princess Elsa) side once again palming the ice, and couldn't help the shudder that shivered across his back. He would have gone to her, if he could, if only to drape his jacket over her shoulders. It was still so cold their breath fogged the air, the chill nipping fair skin to ruby reds.
And yet Anna still showed no signs of distress at the temperature. His eyes flicked back towards Einar, a subtle tilt of his head an unspoken question. The captain shook his head in return, and Kai sighed, regretfully stepping further away from the sisters to stand back next to the other man.
"Has she been like this the entire time?" Kai spoke in hushed tones, gaze still fixed to the princess. Einar sighed in response, a cloud of white blooming in the air.
"For the most part. Dagmar and I managed to get her to at least stay the nights in a room, but only after I promised a standing guard posted in the…" here he gave a glance to the icy slab. "…with, Princess Elsa."
"Has she said…anything?"
Einar shook his head, reading the underlying question in the hesitation of Kai's voice, the solemn, troubled look in his eye. "If she has, it was not to me."
"Dagmar?"
Another shake of the captain's head in the negative, and Kai stroked at his chin, worry growing in his gut. Anna had become almost mute after the funeral, bottling her anger and grief beneath a stoic façade, pressing it into herself until it exploded in bursts of incandescent wrath.
The first time it happened Gerda alone managed to get close unscathed, and even then only made it as far as to sit by the girl's side as she sobbed into her pillow, her room a chaotic mess of broken shards and upended furniture and torn fabric. And it was an innocent, unfortunate maid that was the trigger. Young and fresh-faced, pale and doe-eyed, with hair the color of wheat in the sun. She had come to deliver Anna's evening tea, only to come face to face with the ashen visage of her princess, which had quickly morphed into ugly rage. The tea tray had been slapped to the floor and the poor girl had fled the room in fear.
It was months of trial and error before the staff found the precarious balance of Anna's temper. Any servant bearing any semblance of the late crown princess was assigned to the far reaches of the castle, careful to keep from crossing Anna's path. Dagmar was installed as primary attendant when she proved able to handle Anna's surly disposition, and she and Gerda and Kai kept a close eye on their volatile charge, swiftly moving to intercept when the girl's hands began to clench too tight, when her eyes began to narrow and her shoulders tensed and twitched with alarming frequency.
The years wore on and Anna slowly calmed, settling a cloak of stoic resignation upon her shoulders. Her fits faded to despondent quiet, and Anna simply chose not to engage, drifting through her day by rote.
It cast a pall over the castle which spread throughout Arendelle, and should it happen again, all the good will Princess Anna had accrued on her trip around the kingdom would evaporate like so much smoke.
Would this be a set back? Kai felt the twist of dread in his gut. If they could not revive Princess Elsa, could Anna recover from that loss? Even now, watching Anna with closely, he could see the strain in the tight set of her face, the mix of anger and impatience crawling under her skin.
He started when he lifted head to find Anna's intense gaze boring into him. He gulped.
"What were you talking about earlier?"
Kai shifted nervously. "Your Highness?"
Anna frowned, brow furrowing at the butler's hesitance. "Before. With Gerda. You mentioned Elsa." A beat. "And my parents."
Einar and Kai shared a look. Anna's eyes narrowed further at that exchange, hackles rising. "What were saying about Elsa? What about my sister?!" Her demand echoed through the chamber, climbing up the walls in pitch and fervor, and Kai's heart wrenched at the hint of desperation that colored her tone.
"Your Highness…"
"What do you know about Elsa? Do you know why she locked herself up?!"
The two men winced as Anna's voice crescendoed into a shout, face flushing and eyes glassy and wet.
For such a small slip of girl, Anna's glare was truly terrifying.
The dull patter of footsteps echoed from the hall, and Kai and Einar threw a silent thankful prayer towards the heavens as Anna reluctantly turned her attention to the new arrivals, hastily scrubbing the back of her hand across her eyes.
Jørgen entered first, followed closely by Ragna and Sigurd. And they all stopped short a few steps in, running into each others backs as their eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets, jaws flapping open.
It was actually a pretty comical sight, to see the usually austere trio so flabbergasted. They stood there, wide eyes glued to the crystalline form of their lost princess for a long, still moment before one of them finally broke the silence.
"Good Lord!" Jørgen sputtered. Ragna gaped by his shoulder, mouth soundlessly working up and down. They were both shoved aside by Sigurd as he took a few strong strides forward, flinty stare roving from the ice to Princess Anna to Einar and Kai and back again.
Einar straightened, shoulders squaring as the old general's attention settled on him. His arm raised in a sharp salute, heels shifting to click together. Sigurd grunted in response. "At ease, Captain. And good work on your assignment." Sigurd bowed his head to Anna. "And welcome home, Your Highness. I am glad to see you well." He turned to the length of ice. "Although it seems you've returned with quite the surprise."
Jørgen finally regained his voice. "Surprise?! That is an understatement!"
Sigurd raised a bushy grey eyebrow. "We received word of this over a week ago."
"Reading the words on some hastily scribbled missive is a far cry from seeing the actual thing," Ragna rejoined, hand coming up to rub at the headache beginning to pulse at her temples. Her free hand motioned to the ice block. "Until now, I had still remained skeptical." Her mouth pinched together as her gaze lingered on Elsa's face. "She looks so…troubled," she murmured.
Anna's head snapped towards Ragna at that, eyes still bright from the shine of unshed tears. She took a stuttering step towards her advisors. "Do you know?" She whispered, voice verging on hoarseness. "Do you know why she locked herself away? Why she wouldn't talk to me? Why she's like this?"
Ragna held up a pacifying hand, shaking her head slightly and forestalling the next onslaught of questions. "No, Princess Anna. Your parents did not seek counsel with us regarding Princess Elsa's…solitude." The older woman took a deep breath, softening her expression in sympathy. "We were under the impression that it was something Princess Elsa chose for herself, for reasons personal and private."
Anna's shoulders stiffened at that, anguish flashing across her face before it was obscured as her head dropped to stare miserably at the floor. "I see." Her voice lost any inflection, a dull monotone. "Personal. Private."
Something I was not worthy of knowing. The sting of resentment lanced deep. Something Mother or Father or Elsa couldn't trust me with.
Jørgen paced a perimeter around Elsa, skirting as close as he dared and to study the ice. Ragna and Sigurd stood just outside his circle, the same measuring look in their eyes. Anna watched from her place next to Elsa, head swiveling to follow her head advisor as he walked.
"And you've tried to cut her out, correct?"
Einar gave a sharp nod. "Yes sir. We tried to chip away at the edges but…"
Jørgen paused, turning to face him. "But…?"
"The ice…regrew."
All attention rested on the captain, varying levels of disbelief contorting their expressions. Einar felt a bit put off by that, it's not as if anything about this situation was bound to be normal. He motioned to the base of the ice shard. "Every piece we chipped off reformed almost immediately."
Sigurd frowned, lines creasing deep in his cheeks. "How much did you try to take off?"
"Just small slivers. We dared not try any larger for fear of damaging Princess Elsa."
The advisors all hummed in acknowledgement, heads nodding as they considered the dilemma. Ragna rubbed her chin thoughtfully, casting her gaze back to the ice. "So it seems heat is the next course of action. Perhaps we should start small, a few torches?"
Sigurd shook his head. "I doubt that will be sufficient. Just standing here is like jumping into the fjord in winter. And I can only imagine the temperature closer."
They all turned to Anna, who stood with her arms crossed imperiously over her chest as she observed the conversation. After they had recovered from the shock of seeing Princess Elsa frozen, the advisors had repeated the same experiment Kai and Gerda had, stepping as close to the icy shard as they could before the arctic air around Elsa bit too painfully at their extremities. They had watched in wonder as Anna indeed proved to be the only one to get so close to Elsa, and actually touched the ice with her bare skin.
"Then we should raise the temperature of the entire room. Slowly, in stages. We can bring in some cauldrons, build up a few fires." Jørgen mused. "It will require a lot of wood, however. And coal."
Anna glared at the implication that the consumption of these materials would not be worth it. Ragna raised her hands again in placation. "We have a good amount stockpiled, we can easily afford it. And there is a discretionary fund we can draw from before we even think of touching the royal coffers."
"Very well." Jørgen tilted his chin towards Einar and Kai. "Kai, arrange to have our spare stocks of firewood and coal transferred here. Captain, have the same soldiers from your squad assist. We will keep knowledge of this limited to as few people as possible. We will attempt to thaw Princess Elsa tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?!" Anna shouted in protest, stomping forward, fists balled and trembling at her sides. "Do it now!"
Jørgen gave her an even stare. "Princess Anna, I understand your impatience, but with all due respect, you are not going to be the only one involved in this undertaking. The soldiers need their rest from the trip, and we must try to be discrete – haste will only draw undue attention. Even tomorrow is pushing it; if I had thought you could wait longer, I would prefer a few more days."
Anna trembled in barely concealed rage, the ruddy glow on her cheeks now more from anger than the cold. The rational part of her brain recognized her advisor's logic, but the yawning, gaping hole in her heart wanted nothing more than to have her sister back. To see her walking and talking and alive, to be able to run her hands through those platinum tresses, look into those kind blue eyes, to touch her.
To confirm she was real, and that she was here.
That maybe the past three years – no, the past thirteen years was some terrible nightmare.
The cold pushed against her back, and Anna felt that tug in her mind again, that tiny little itch that crawled across her scalp. It felt like the ghost of a plea, a silent reassurance. Be patient, Anna, it whispered. I'm here, Anna.
Anna thought maybe it sounded a little bit like Elsa. She chalked it up to wishful thinking. It's not like she remembered what her voice sounded like anyways.
"Please, Your Highness."
An anxious silence descended as all eyes rested on their princess. Anna felt the weight of their stares like stone jewelry, heavy on her limbs, heavy around her neck. With startling clarity Anna realized she power she could wield. This was her sister, and she was heir to the throne. No one in this room would go against her authority when it came to Elsa.
It was a sobering thought. Her coronation was still three years away, a distant concept of power and responsibility.
But this…any decision she made would happen now. If she chose poorly, it would all be on her. She bowed her head. "Very well."
She could hear the relieved sighs of her advisors as she shuffled back towards her sister, letting the chill envelop her like a soothing balm. Behind her the planning continued, quiet orders to gather the supplies needed as unobtrusively as possible.
Anna pressed her forehead hard against the ice. Willed herself to feel something. A hint of warmth. The beat of a heart. Some sign Elsa was alive in there. Waiting to be saved. Waiting to be reunited. She swallowed hard against the hard lump in her throat.
"Princess? We're set on a plan if it meets your approval."
Anna raised her head at Jørgen's voice, giving a short, jerky nod of assent. Tomorrow. Tomorrow they'll try to free Elsa from this icy cage. Tomorrow she might get her sister back.
Her stomach twisted, knotting with hope and apprehension and dread. The emotions rumbled through her, sharp and intense, and after almost three years of dulled living, this spate of feelings was scary and foreign, threatening to rob her lungs of air.
Ragna stepped minutely closer, concern shading her voice and wrinkling her brow. "Princess Anna? Are you okay?"
Anna shook her head violently, forcefully pushing aside the welling panic. "I'm fine. I'm calm."
The glassy sheen in her eyes and the slight wobble of her lips betrayed her, but the others accepted her answer at face value, unwilling to push the matter. With one last credulous glance towards Elsa the advisors filed from the room, motioning for Kai to follow, who obeyed after a moment's hesitation. Gerda gave him a small nod of assurance, silently promising to stay with Anna.
As the door creaked shut, Gerda walked over to Einar, primly patting at the lap of her dress. "Don't you have some errands to attend, Captain?"
Einar glanced at her from the corner of her eye. "No, ma'am. My soldiers are resting, and Princess Anna is still my charge. I will remain with her until she is safely to her quarters."
Gerda nodded in approval. Anna whirled where she stood, cheeks flushing hotly. "I'm not a child! I can take care of myself."
Gerda tossed her a measured look. "Do you know the way back to the residential wing?"
"…"
"Mm-hm." Gerda wrapped her shawl more securely around her shoulders. "Captain Einar and I will wait for you in the hall."
The soldier started at that, protest rising to his lips. He bit it back quickly at the sharp jerk of the maid's chin. Her dark eyes held a warning, and a shiver completely unrelated to the temperature wormed down his spine. "Of course. When you are ready, Princess Anna."
A clank and a rustle, and Anna was left alone with her sister. She turned to the ice, grateful for Gerda's sensitivity. She stepped back next to shard, distantly recognizing that she actually never strayed more that a few paces away. Her hand wiped again at the cold surface, fingers tracing above the curve of a pale cheek.
"Elsa. Can you hear me in there?"
There was no response to her hushed words. Not that Anna expected there to be. A sharp laugh forced it's way from her throat, raw and short. Her hand curled into a fist, fingernails scratching at the surface. Even if she was awake, it's not like she would have answered me anyways.
Her fist rose, hovering for one long second before falling heavily in two dull knocks. No, you never answer.
She stayed there for ten more agonizing minutes before turning on her heel. Tomorrow.
The cauldrons roared, fires blazing towards the ceiling. The room glowed bright, yellow and red and hot. Soldiers heaved more wood into the bonfires, stripped down to their thinnest layer and sweating profusely. Anna watched from the doorway, drops of perspiration beading on her brow even outside the room. Her hands clenched where they lay by her thighs, jaw tight and eyes hard, gaze resolutely glued to the still form of her sister.
The ice shone like wet glass, flames reflecting harshly off the smooth surface. Drops of condensation dripped like tears off the edges, hissing as they hit the hot stone.
Einar growled in frustration, swiping at the sweat pouring down his temples. He tossed another log into the blaze, barking at his men to keep up the pace. He paused to assess the icy coffin, frown deepening when he could discern no difference. It was already like an oven in the room, surely the flames licking at the corners of the ice should have some effect?
With a grunt he motioned to one of the soldiers and together they stepped to the side, grasping a pair of shovels and scooping up twin loads of coal from the pile along the wall. They marched to the center of the room, slinging the fuel onto the fires and quickly retreated as the flames responded, flaring and crackling. Einar nodded in satisfaction. Perhaps that'll do-
A banshee's wail - like the winds rushing through the snowy mountaintops filled the air - and a sudden gust of wind whipped around the room, sending the flames violently flickering. The guards inside shouted in alarm, crouching low, and the room plummeted into darkness in the next second, the fires all snuffed in a simultaneous puff.
Anna started forward into the darkness only to be pulled back by Kai and Gerda. She struggled against their grip, panic and anger driving her limbs into a whirling fury. "Let go!" She demanded hotly, breaking their hold and diving into the room, shouting her sister's name.
Sigurd quickly snatched up one of the torches lining the hallway, thankfully still lit, and plowed after Anna. He slowed as he entered the room, holding the light aloft and sweeping it through the air to illuminate as much as he could.
He sucked in a breath as he took in the scene. The soldiers all huddled on the ground, cowering from the unnatural wind that still lightly buffeted the stone walls. The bonfires lay black and smoldering, smoke spiraling upwards to follow the strange breeze. All the heat had disappeared, the room once again bitterly cold.
And Anna was by her sister, palms to the ice that as he watched, began to glow with a soft blue light. He had heard that Princess Elsa emitted an eerie light where she rested in the cave in Forsyn, but since arriving at the capital there had been no sign of the supernatural illumination.
He could hear the sharp intakes of breath from his fellow advisors behind him as everyone took in the growing iridescence. Einar stood, panting hard, shovel wielded guardedly in tight fists.
Kai, Gerda, and the remaining advisors entered as the other soldiers stirred, propping themselves up on shaking arms and staring agog at the sisters. Solemn silence cloaked the room, no one willing to speak in the wake of the windy phenomenon. As they watched, the glow slowly died back out, the blue hue flickering out until all that remained was the weak yellow light from Sigurd's torch.
The advisors all exchanged a troubled glance. This was, without a doubt, a resounding failure.
"Get out."
Everyone in the room looked to Anna, varying degrees of alarm showing on their faces.
"Princess Anna…"
Anna spun, braids whipping about. In the dim waver of the Sigurd's torch Anna trembled, head bowed and shoulders stiff, eyes cast in shadow. When the moment stretched long and no one moved, Anna raised her head, glare sharp and cutting, heavy scowl twisting her pretty features. A shaking finger thrust towards the door.
"OUT!"
The soldiers all startled, jumping up and scurrying out the door. Einar hesitated, but at Sigurd's grave nod he also stepped out, though went no further down the hall, stubbornly standing guard just outside the door.
Jørgen sighed. "We will find another way, Princess." As he and Ragna left, Sigurd detoured to the wall, lighting a few of the extinguished sconces. He paused before leaving, casting a calculating look at Elsa's still form. No matter what Jørgen promised, he had a feeling it wouldn't be so simple as to merely try.
The door clanged shut, and Anna tilted her head up, blinking rapidly. Away from prying eyes she allowed the sob that had been building under her breastbone loose. She pivoted and lowered her head, eyes falling on her sister.
Why hadn't she thawed?
One step forward. Elsa lay serene and cold, soft despite the hardness that encapsulated her.
What was preventing them from melting the ice?
Another step closer brought Anna to Elsa's side, eyes tracing the slim contours of an unfamiliar woman.
Was it Elsa herself stopping them?
Her fist slammed down on the ice, a loud thud echoing through the room. Tears prickled hot at the rims of her eyes and she brought her fist down again, ignoring the aching burn from her hand as she struck fruitlessly against the immutable ice.
"Why don't you want to come out?!"
She turned, falling back against the shard, sliding to the floor in a defeated slump. Cold flowed around her form in invisible waves, prickling her skin and setting it tingling. Her unbruised hand rose to grip at her right braid, fingers automatically feeling for that incongruous pale strand winding through the plait.
"Do you hate me that much?"
They tried again, the next week. And they failed.
The week after they revised their attempt, utilizing their best ice picking tools to saw away at the corners of the ice, chipping away at the sides. With every shard that fell to floor, with every piece that regrew in its place, Anna felt her insides grow colder and colder. The fervent hope that had fired in her gut doused quickly in the strength of that unnatural ice, and even her poker-faced advisors couldn't hide their pinched expressions at the lack of progress.
Two months later Anna stood before her three advisors, the air heavy with regret.
They couldn't keep it up. Heat, saws, even boiling water. Any dent was quickly filled in with a sharp crackle of cold, frost rising and hardening clear and smooth in the blink of an eye.
Keeping Elsa secret was starting to strain the few soldiers sworn to the cause, and the missing supplies were on the verge of being noticed. Even Einar, present and participating at every thawing attempt was beginning to show his weariness, his usual impeccably military demeanor flagging as his stamina was pushed to the edge.
Anna saw it all. She knew it. She watched as the careful awe on everyone's face subtly turned to wary unease. Unspoken it grew in that secret room deep within the bowels of the castle; the sense of power, the presence of magic. It made them humble. It made them fearful.
The question unasked shone in their eyes. Was this really Princess Elsa?
Anna was no longer sure herself. She gave a tired nod. "There's no point in continuing like this."
Don't give up don't give up
"We'll…" Anna searched for the right word. "…Regroup. Maybe we'll find something that'll work."
Don't stop please don't she's your sister
"Thank Einar and his soldiers for their work and tell them to rest. Return them to their duties."
Don't leave her like that don't leave Elsa
"Lock the door."
The advisors shared a glance, nodded their acquiescence. Anna felt hollow.
I'm sorry.
Anna held out for three whole days before succumbing to the desire to see her sister again. Armed with the sole key she marched down the lonely corridors. She descended, and the cold rose as if to greet her, crawling up her frame in an oddly welcoming chill.
The door loomed dark and imposing, and Anna felt the sharp bite of the key's teeth dig into her palm.
Another closed door between her and her sister.
Another bout of silence.
She slid the key into the lock, twisting and pushing the heavy oak with a grunt. The door swung slowly inward, and Anna couldn't help the catch in her breath as the gleaming shard of ice inched into view. Steady steps and she crossed the threshold, deliberately moving to the side to calmly light the large lamps left in the room. The fire leapt up, eagerly consuming the dry fuel, casting heat hot on her face. Cold pushed at her from behind, and if Anna didn't know any better she would have sworn it was Elsa's icy gaze on her back, staring from her glacial throne in the center of the room.
Anna turned slowly, but of course Elsa lay supine, eyes closed. No change.
She wasn't sure what was worse, knocking and pleading at a door to unexplained silence, or actually knowing why Elsa would voice no answer, only to be unable to fix the reason. Her eyes traced up and down her sister's form as she approached, carefully committing every minute detail to memory.
The same long blue skirt, short cropped jacket edged in black. The same dark sapphire brooch nestled at the crook of a slim throat. Anna rested her hand against the ice where Elsa's own clasped loosely together, huddled protectively to her chest.
White gloves. So stark and clean, dainty and ladylike. Proper and pristine.
Nothing like Anna.
She sighed, lifting her gaze to Elsa's face, beautiful and pale and sad. The ice was so clear Anna could see the fine hairs of her eyelashes where they fanned against her cheek, just above the faintest scatter of freckles. Teal eyes drifted to follow the swirls of platinum blond hair, braid halfway undone and suspended about her head in a messy halo.
It was a strange sight, picking out the childish features she was once so familiar with in the mature woman Elsa was now. Her face was leaner and longer, the hint of chubbiness only remaining in the apples of her cheeks. Her cute button nose remained mostly unchanged, one feature Anna continued to share with her sister. Her eyes had gained a slight almond shape, narrowing to fit the womanly charm that exuded from her even in this unmoving slumber.
How else had Elsa changed? Did she still cover her mouth when she giggled? When she smiled did her lips still lift just a bit more to the left? Was her voice still strong and clear, but soft around the edges? Was her laugh different?
Did any of that matter? Even if Elsa were awake, would she even want Anna around?
Anna blinked back the threat of tears, grinding her jaw and forcefully swallowing down the choke in her throat.
She was sick of crying. Sick of mourning. Sick of wondering if Elsa was still her sister.
And she was so sick of being alone.
"You're there, aren't you? You're just asleep."
Anna's right hand rose to tug lightly on her braid.
"You're not…gone."
The very air seemed to sigh in response. Anna shivered.
She would take that as a sign.
Anna continued to visit Elsa every few days, pointedly ignoring the worried looks from Gerda and Kai and her advisors.
Sometimes she stayed for hours, sometimes minutes. Sometimes she talked. Sometimes she yelled. Most times she was quiet, silent and watchful.
It became a ritual for her. Standing there, enveloped in cold and silence, looking upon fair features.
"You're really beautiful," she murmured. "It's easy to see why they'd call you a goddess."
Something foreign twisted in her gut. Jealousy? Envy? It mixed together with the ache of longing in an uneasy cocktail.
"I hate you."
She didn't.
"I miss you."
She did.
Sometimes Elsa looked like a complete stranger to her, an anonymous statue of some fair maiden. Creeping thoughts of Skadi descending from her mountains to possess her sister, taking her form for her own germinated in the back of her mind, filling her with dread and anger and resignation. If it really was the work of gods, what chance did she, lowly mortal Anna, have at undoing it?
She never stayed long on those days.
In the flickering light it was a bit hard to tell, but Anna persevered, unbinding her braids and separating out that one stripe of pale hair so she could lay it flat to the surface of the ice above Elsa's head.
She bit her lip. It matched.
Anna had never thought much of her elder sister's hair color. It was simply one more beautiful trait that set her apart. Set her above any other. Made her unique, marking her above the rest. And she had never put much stock in her own singular pale blond tress. So she hadn't even noticed it at first. The strange itchy tingle at that one specific spot on her scalp.
But every visit it happened. She stood, staring down at the curled form of her sister, the cold nipping at her cheeks, burning under her fingertips.
And her hair tingled.
"Kai."
The butler startled from where he was sorting the various ledgers stacked precariously at the edge of an overflowing side table, glancing towards the center of the study. Anna sat stiffly at her desk, quill clutched tightly in one hand, eyes glaring down at the parchment in front of her. He cleared his throat. "Yes, Your Highness?"
"When did Elsa start locking herself in her room?"
Kai blinked at the direct question, unnerved at the calm steel in the princess' voice. Even now Anna kept her gaze resolutely on her paper, quill moving occasionally in short, sharp strokes. He hesitated, but spoke when the next pass of the quill scratched almost violently across the page. "I can't be sure. I first noticed her…seclusion…perhaps around twelve, thirteen years ago?" He thumbed thoughtfully at his chin, free hand distractedly holding the stack of books from falling. "I'm afraid I had lost track of her around the time you fell horribly ill."
Anna's ears perked. "When was this?" She demanded, abandoning all pretense of work, quill clattering to the desk in a splatter of ink. Kai winced at the resulting stain.
"When you were about five."
Anna's stare bored into him, and Kai shook his head in defeat. "I'm afraid that is all the information I have." At his princess' crestfallen look, Kai hurried to add. "Gerda should know more."
She cornered Gerda when she came in to straighten her room in the morning.
"You were sick. Very sick."
Anna's brow furrowed. "I don't remember."
Gerda let out a gusty sigh. "It was bad. Your fever was high and persistent. It was a week before it broke. Another before you were strong enough to even get out of bed. It's no surprise you can't recall any of it, you barely woke the entire time. Their Majesties were beside themselves."
"…And Elsa?" Anna asked, head bowed in contemplation. "Did—what was she doing? Was she sick too?"
The frown on Gerda's face deepened, eyes filled with sympathy. "Elsa did not fall ill, but she wasn't allowed to see you to prevent just that." Another sad sigh. Gerda bent to straighten the duvet on the bed. "I do not think she handled the whole ordeal well. She started to refuse to leave her room shortly after."
Anna's head snapped up in shock, mouth falling agape as the other woman continued.
"I think it was quite upsetting for Princess Elsa. Seeing you so badly off."
"And my parents?" Anna pressed, honestly curious. Why had they let Elsa lock herself away?
Gerda busied herself with straightening the curtains, clearly still uneasy with breaking their confidence.
Even though they're already dead. Anna scoffed, crossing her arms. It was an unkind thought, but the more she uncovered of this event, the more it became apparent her parents knew more than they ever let on to anyone.
"Gerda."
The maid practically flinched, but reluctantly turned to face her, somber and apologetic. "They didn't…discourage Princess Elsa's actions." At Anna's thunderous glare Gerda hastened to add. "But they did seem to think it was a phase that would pass."
A phase. Ten years of being ignored and turned away and silence and the best her parents could do was pass it off as a phase? Anna gripped tightly at her own wrist, sure if she let go she'd seize the closest object and hurl it at the wall in her rage. She closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath.
She pushed all thought of her parents from her mind, focusing on Elsa. Her sister was waiting for her, frozen in slumber, and losing her temper wouldn't wake her. Although it would be nice if a simple kiss would do it. Just like those fairytales Elsa used to read her.
The image of herself, clad in royal armor and leaning over Elsa with her lips puckered flashed through her mind's eye, and Anna scrubbed at her face in mortified shock. Gerda glanced askance at her, and Anna fervently hoped the older woman would take the redness in her cheeks as anger.
God, how desperate was she, that she would start entertaining the notion that kissing her sister would work?
The stripe tingled. It seemed even thinking of Elsa was enough to send sensation quivering at her scalp now. She resolutely turned her attention back to the night thirteen years ago. What if her sickness wasn't natural? What if it had something to do with Elsa's current condition?
Was if that was when it all started? Her memories from when she was that young were fuzzy, more general feelings and emotions interspersed with clearer images. She had put it down to her age – who really remembers everything so young?
She tugged at her braid.
Magic was an alien and intangible dream, the stuff of legends. But Elsa was proof that it existed outside the realm of fantasy. And maybe it was the last thread that tied her to Elsa.
She wouldn't lie. It did give her some thrill that something still connected them. Even if it was some strange, unnatural sorcery.
Anna stood once more by Elsa, fingers clutched around the shock of pale in her hair. "Was this you? Or is this some sort of curse?"
"Mom and Dad must have known something."
She felt a pang of guilt at the continuing rush of anger at the thought of their parents.
"But they didn't say anything. To anyone."
A trembling hand wiped tenderly at the ice.
"And now it's just us." Anna bent, resting her forehead above her sister's. "I'll find some way to get you out."
A tear dripped to the ice, sliding down the glassy surface and beading on the edge before reluctantly spilling over. Elsa was the last she had of family. She wouldn't leave her like this. She couldn't.
Anna raised her head, teal eyes hard. Determination flowed through her, and she welcomed the heat of it. Finally, something to work towards. A goal to fulfill. And now, thin as it was, a lead to follow.
Elsa's predicament, her icy curse. Anna's sickness, the mismatched blonde in her hair. Her sole ability to handle her sister's cold prison.
It was all connected, and Anna was going to find out how.