The next morning found the sisters still cuddled up together. Anna woke first and lay still for a while until Elsa stirred, beginning to wake up.
"Good morning," Anna whispered with a smile as Elsa blinked open sleep-blurred eyes.
"Morning," Elsa replied sleepily and nuzzled her face into Anna's frazzled hair. It tickled her face and she giggled.
"Your hair…" she trailed off with her eyes closed in mirth. She missed the way Anna rolled her eyes, but she heard the semi-embarrassed huff.
"I know, it's pretty bad," the redhead admitted, sitting up.
"Let me fix it," Elsa offered, smoothing some errant strands out of her sister's face.
"All right," Anna agreed eagerly. She definitely wouldn't say no to Elsa's attention. She grabbed a hairbrush from her dresser and helped Elsa sit up. The older girl sat behind her sister and teased out tangles with gentle fingers.
"What do you want to do today?" Anna asked as Elsa began to put her hair into braids. "Nothing too strenuous, of course," she warned.
"Hmm, not sure," Elsa hummed, tying off one braid. "I feel like all I've been doing is sleeping, and it's getting kind of boring.
"Well, you're not wrong," Anna admitted, "but it's because you need it. You've gotten a lot stronger, though. And I haven't heard you say anything about your wound in a while."
"It feels fine," Elsa informed her. "It didn't hurt at all to sit up just now."
"Can I take a look at it when you're done?" Anna asked, concerned nonetheless.
"Of course," Elsa said, finishing up the other braid.
Elsa pulled the blankets up to her waist, and then from underneath the covers she pulled her nightgown up so all that was visible was her midriff and the site of the injury. Anna closely examined the scar and found it much improved from when she'd last seen it. Cleaning it had clearly helped its appearance, as the skin around it was no longer inflamed or stretched by dried blood. The scar even seemed to have shrunk a little bit and it wasn't as red.
"Can I touch it?" Anna asked timidly. Elsa nodded calmly, though she was suddenly tense. She feared the potential pain touch could bring. Her concern was for naught, fortunately. When Anna brought her hand to the area, she was ever so gentle. Her soft fingertip barely brushed the ridge and she watched Elsa's expression the whole time.
"Are you okay?" She asked in concern.
"I am," Elsa replied. She sounded almost surprised. "It didn't hurt at all. It felt strange, but not bad."
"That's great!" Anna exclaimed, helping Elsa tug her nightgown down again. "You're healing so well!"
"Thanks to you," Elsa commented. "You've done an excellent job of caring for me, Anna. Thank you." Anna blushed at her sister's praise and smiled.
"Anything for you."
Once again they sat on the edge of the bed and ate breakfast together. Anna got up to change out of her nightgown. As she was putting her dress on, a shimmering sound caught her attention. Alarmed, she hurried out from behind the dressing screen.
Elsa was once again dressed in a garment of ice like she had worn the day before. Though Anna was initially distressed by Elsa's potential misuse of her energy, she was glad to see that it didn't seem to weaken the queen as much.
"That seemed a lot easier for you today," she observed.
"It was," Elsa agreed. "I didn't feel such a strain this time. Dr. Lybeck was right about my powers strengthening after rest." Anna smiled at Elsa and helped her to her feet. She was much steadier than before.
"I want to take another walk," Elsa said, "but with less crying this time."
"That sounds much better," Anna agreed with a smile, and took her hand. This time instead of telling stories that might trigger some inclement emotion in either of them, the sisters simply enjoyed being in each other's company for a while. Their conversation eventually turned to Olaf and how he might be brought to Arendelle without melting.
"I could freeze him permanently or something," Elsa suggested. "I've never tried anything like that before, but it would probably work."
"How exactly is it that he is alive?" Anna wondered aloud, swinging their arms gently as they turned a corner.
"I don't know," Elsa replied. "When I made him, I had no idea he would become alive. All I could think about was you, and how happy I was back when we were together. I just… I just wanted to build a snowman. Like we used to."
"I remembered him, kind of," Anna murmured with her brow creased in concentration. "He said his name, and I remembered him." Flashes of light blurred Anna's vision for a moment and she suddenly stopped walking.
"I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" "I love you, Olaf!"
The young voices echoed in her subconscious and she shook her vision clear again.
"Are you all right?" Elsa asked in concern.
"Why does Olaf like warm hugs?" Anna asked insistently, ignoring her question.
"I… I don't know," Elsa replied, looking curiously at her sister's serious expression. "Why?"
"Why does he like the summer? And how did he find me out there?" She released her sister's hand to pace back and forth across the hallway, deep in thought.
"There were miles of mountainside to wander, and you and I took completely different routes to get to the top. Somehow he found me, and there's no way it was by accident."
"What are you suggesting?" Elsa asked in confusion.
"It was like he was drawn to me or something. He knew exactly where to find me even though he didn't know me, and he liked me right away. You!" She exclaimed, abruptly turning toward Elsa.
"It's because you made him. It's magic or something, I don't know. But you made him this way. Maybe by accident, but it's still you!"
"I don't follow," Elsa admitted.
"You… you made me a snowman. And just like when we were kids, you spoke through him. That means that the things he does… the things he says… they're part of you too." Elsa's eyes widened in understanding and realization as Anna thought out loud.
"That means… you like summer. You like warm hugs. And you… you always wanted to find me." Her eyes flicked up to meet Elsa's. The older girl was fighting tears even before Anna flung herself into her sister's arms.
"You found me, Elsa! You found me!" she exclaimed in elation, holding on tight. "And I'll give you warm hugs forever and ever, and we'll enjoy summers together! Oh, Elsa! Thank you for making me a snowman."
They stood together for a few minutes, enjoying a wonderfully warm hug. Eventually Elsa spoke quietly.
"I thought," she sniffed, "I thought we weren't going to cry this time."
"I know," Anna smiled in response. "But these tears are different, Elsa. These can be happy tears. Happy because we can celebrate new things instead of suffering in our memories of the old. Happy because we finally made a snowman, and he is the most awesome snowman ever. You're smiling, aren't you?"
"I am," Elsa said into her sister's hair.
"Me too. So, do you like warm hugs?"
"Of course!" Elsa exclaimed and held Anna so tight she couldn't speak. She hugged Elsa back just as fiercely.
"You missed warm hugs, didn't you," Anna murmured regretfully when Elsa's arms loosened a bit.
"Not as much as I missed you." Anna pulled back, worried that Elsa might be descending into grief again, but she relaxed at the sight of her sister's tender smile.
"I want to get our snowman back, Elsa," Anna said, looking up into clear, tearless eyes.
"We will, my dear. I'll make sure of it," Elsa promised, taking her sister's hand again.
Their walk back to Anna's room was slower than when they left it, but Elsa did not have to lean on her sister for support this time. She lay down on the bed when they arrived, but only to relax. Elsa willed her ice dress to return to fabric and it did so easily while Anna watched in wonder. She sat beside Elsa for a while and did her best to convince her sister to take a nap.
"Don't fight it, Elsa. You're the queen! You're allowed to nap whenever you want to."
"But I don't want to," Elsa grumbled, though her eyelids were beginning to droop.
"You need to," Anna insisted. "The more you rest, the better you'll feel. I really want you to keep getting better, Elsa. So… please take a nap. For me?" She threw on a little pout. Elsa rolled her eyes but she still agreed. She never could resist that face. She beckoned Anna closer and the girl happily curled up with Elsa and rubbed her back until she was asleep again. It amazed her how much Elsa would relax when they were touching. The older girl clearly felt safest and most secure when she was in close contact with Anna. So, wanting her sister to rest well, Anna held Elsa close and warm as she slept.
Usually not one to stay still, Anna surprised herself by how long she lay motionless with Elsa in her arms. She counted her sister's sleeping breaths and let her mind wander aimlessly. It was still a novelty just to be around Elsa at all, and Anna enjoyed the newness of it. She spent her time appreciating how peaceful her sister looked in sleep, how warm her body was with her magic at ease, how trusting she was to fall into such a deep sleep with Anna nearby. The older girl murmured and twitched, but instead of being caught in a nightmare she simply appeared to be waking up.
Elsa's eyes blinked open and quickly focused on her sister's face right in front of her.
"Anna?" her voice was rough from sleep.
"The one and only," Anna smiled and rubbed Elsa's back.
"I didn't expect you to still be here when I woke up," Elsa admitted groggily.
"Why not?" Anna responded, unsure as to whether she should be offended or just confused.
"I can't imagine how boring it must be to just lie there and try to fall asleep," Elsa said with a frown. Her eyes flicked to a clock on the wall. "It's been hours. Did you get a nap?" Anna shook her head.
"You stayed here awake the whole time?" Elsa was shocked. "Anna, you don't have to stay while I'm asleep. If I wake up and you're not right beside me, I'll be okay. Really."
"I know," Anna whined, "but I don't want you to wake up alone! I want to be here, Elsa. You sleep better when I'm holding you."
"I… I do?"
"Yes," Anna insisted, "you do. You don't get nightmares and you aren't as restless. I think it's helping you heal. Besides, I really like being close to you like this. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm making up for lost time, you know. So I'm not moving. Not unless you tell me to go away." Elsa cringed unexpectedly and huddled close to Anna, her body shaking slightly.
"I don't think I could stand to say those words to you ever again," Elsa whispered and burrowed her head under Anna's chin. "I don't want you to go. Please… don't ever go away, Anna."
"I won't," she replied fervently and gently stroked Elsa's hair until her tension dissolved and her trembling ceased.
As Elsa lay still again, Anna pondered their discussion. She recalled that the few words Elsa ever spoke to her from behind the door were "Go away, Anna." She had held those words in her heart, not for their meaning but simply to memorize the infrequent sound of her sister's voice. Now that she heard it in light of the full story, she could discern echoes of pain in the young voice from her memory. A scared Elsa calling out to her, her words muffled through wood, desperately trying to keep her safe.
"You hated saying that to me," Anna realized aloud in a whisper. "You knew it hurt me, and you hated it. It broke your heart every time you had to say it. Oh Elsa," she sighed, tears choking her voice. "I don't understand how you can function with all this… this torture in your past.
"You make it better," a sleepy voice mumbled in response. Anna gasped, not realizing Elsa was still awake until she spoke. "You're making it all better."
"I love you," Anna whimpered and held onto her sister who hummed peacefully in response and draped tired arms around Anna's body. Elsa quickly drifted off again with her head pillowed on Anna's chest and Anna's face pressed onto the top of her head.
"You're making it better, too," Anna whispered into soft hair. This time Anna truly did fall asleep, soothed by her sister's scent and the warm arms wrapped around her body.
That evening, the sisters woke at roughly the same time. Both were hungry for dinner, so Anna called for some food to be brought up.
"I think I feel well enough to take care of some things with the kingdom," Elsa remarked over their meal. Anna looked like she wanted to argue briefly, but she nodded.
"You have been feeling a lot better," she admitted. "That doesn't mean you should strain yourself, though. I'll be very upset if you do."
"I know," Elsa agreed. "I'll be careful. I won't start anything tonight. Perhaps tomorrow when I wake up."
"You mean when we wake up, Elsa. You're not going anywhere without me."
"Of course not," Elsa grinned. "I am always in desperate need of my right hand. I don't know where I'd be without her." Anna blushed and playfully nudged Elsa, though she was smiling widely. Elsa looked back fondly and ruffled her sister's hair.
"Hey!"
After a few minutes of gentle teasing and play fighting, Elsa and Anna took a short walk down the hall and back to stretch their legs and then got ready for bed. Anna stepped out to inform Kai of their plans for tomorrow. When she returned, Elsa was sitting at the window seat looking out at the night sky. As Anna drew near she saw the northern lights reflected in her sister's light eyes and gasped suddenly at their beauty. Elsa turned her head when she heard Anna and beckoned her closer.
"Look!" she whispered, wide-eyed. Anna smiled at Elsa's childlike excitement, but her jaw dropped when she too looked to the sky. She had never seen such a vibrant display.
"The sky's awake," Elsa remarked with a grin.
"So I'm awake," Anna responded automatically, still not looking away from the lights.
"So we have to play!" Elsa's exclamation tore Anna's attention away from the heavens. In Elsa's hands, blue sparks were coalescing into something that suspiciously resembled a snowball.
"No no no," Anna said, pressing her hands over her sister's. "You have a big day tomorrow and you need your energy, so we can't play tonight." As their hands made contact with each other, the magic automatically stopped without harming Anna. Elsa's eyes widened in surprise. She gaped at Anna, who finally noticed what had happened.
"See?" she said with a grin. "You won't hurt me." Elsa seized Anna's hands and inspected them closely. Finding them cool but completely unharmed, she impulsively flung her arms around her sister in delight but winced and pulled away when the motion stretched her injured side. Anna gasped in concern, but Elsa sheepishly waved her off.
"Yeah, definitely no playing with your powers tonight." Anna declared and helped Elsa to her feet. "As much as I'd like to, I can wait a bit longer. You have to rest," Anna insisted with a gentle smile as she led Elsa to the bed. The queen nodded in resignation.
"You loved it," she reminisced. "When we were kids, you loved playing with my powers. I've never seen anyone so delighted."
"I wish I could remember it," Anna grumbled. "Stupid trolls."
"We can make new memories, Anna. I… I don't really care for some of the old ones." Anna nodded in understanding as she shifted the blankets to cover them both.
"New memories it is. But not until you're stronger," Anna insisted firmly, lying forehead to forehead with her sister.
"All right," Elsa replied. Anna smiled and began to shift up so that Elsa could rest her head on her shoulder again, but Elsa stopped her with a light hand.
"Let me hold you tonight," she requested softly. Anna's eyes lit up and she gladly snuggled into Elsa's embrace.
"I won't hurt your side?" she asked warily.
"No. I'll be fine, Anna. Rest." And Anna did. The last candle burned out slowly, leaving the slumbering figures in darkness.
"Are you sure this isn't too soon, Elsa?" Anna worried aloud as she fretted over her sister's hair the next morning. "It's been less than a week since… since it happened."
"I'll be fine," Elsa insisted. "I've been doing nothing but sleeping and I really do feel a lot better. I'll take it easy today, I promise. I'm only taking care of a few of the most important matters, and I'll stop at lunch time."
"All right. But if you feel weak or tired, please tell me so we can get back up here. You're allowed to rest whenever you need to, you know."
"I know. I'm the queen," Elsa smirked.
"All right, sass master," Anna teased. "Here, I got you a dress. I know you could make one for yourself, but I think you'll need all the energy you can get."
"Anna, it's not like I'm gearing up to run a marathon. I'll be sitting most of the time!"
"It's going to be tiring, Elsa," Anna insisted. "Kai said the first order of business is to sentence the prince." Elsa's face hardened in sudden seriousness. She took the dress from her sister's arm and stalked to the changing screen.
"You may well be right," she commented tersely as she changed clothes. "I will need all my energy to deal appropriately with that little spit-stain."
Though Elsa walked stiffly upright, with all the bearing of a queen, Anna could feel the tension coming off of her sister in waves. She insisted upon holding Elsa's hand.
"Good morning, Kai," Elsa greeted their old friend. "Is everything under control?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," he replied with a smile, sinking into a bow. The way his eyes lit up told volumes about how glad he was to see the girl he helped raise turn into a beautiful queen.
"The first order of business, as I assume your sister told you, is to sentence Prince Hans and the Duke of Weselton. Their crimes according to Arendellian and international codes of law are listed here," he said and produced a piece of paper. "The international codes are compiled from historical cases dealing with similar circumstances – attempted regicide and the like." Elsa released Anna's hand to receive the paper and an inked quill, so the girl leaned against Elsa's uninjured side slightly to maintain contact. She had noticed while walking down the hall that when they were touching, Elsa seemed much calmer and more comfortable.
"We will try them according to the precedents set by these past international cases," Elsa decided, marking the page. "That way their respective nations cannot fault us for the way we handle their behavior."
"A wise decision," Kai complemented. "Missives will be sent along with the prisoners when they are deported delineating their crimes and the expected reparations. I assume you have thought of how to enforce these sentences?"
"I have," Elsa replied simply. "Please lead us to the courtroom. I don't quite remember where… it has been a very long time," she trailed off wistfully as Kai turned away. Anna put a concerned hand on her shoulder, but Elsa just smiled grimly and began to follow Kai. The princess let her hand slide down Elsa's arm to tangle their fingers together again.
"Thank you, Anna," Elsa murmured to her as Kai guided them to their destination. The older girl squeezed her sister's hand. "You help me control it." Anna was glad she could help, but she frowned nonetheless.
"It's not about controlling it, Elsa," she insisted quietly as they stopped before the large double doors. "It's part of you. And I love all of you. That will never change, no matter what the trial is like and no matter what they say. I'm here." Elsa relaxed at Anna's heartfelt words and gently pressed a kiss to her worried sister's forehead.
"Thank you, Anna." And with that, they walked into the courtroom.
Elsa took a seat at the judge's bench. As queen, she would function as prosecution, judge, and jury. Slightly behind her sat Anna, who purposefully scooted her chair closer so she could hold Elsa's hand behind the ornate wooden paneling. Those who had risen for their entrance sat down at Elsa's calm gesture. Anna looked out and saw many of their father's advisors, the heads of the guard regiment, most of the city council, and to her surprise, Kristoff. The man looked extremely uncomfortable in his work clothes among all the well-dressed officials and city folk. Anna looked sympathetically down at him from their high seating. She caught his eye and he waved subtly, his face relaxing a little.
"Elsa, why is Kristoff here?" Anna asked quietly.
"He was summoned to be a witness. He is the only person besides you and I who actually saw the mercenaries try to kill us."
"Why do we even need witnesses? Can't you just punish them and be done with it all?"
"If they were our citizens then yes, I could mete out judgment according to our laws and my own will. However, Hans and the Duke are both agents of foreign countries. If they were charged according to our laws or even according to international precedent without evidence and witnesses, their governments could claim that we lied. Do you see those men in the back?" Anna followed her sister's gaze to a line of men seated at a long desk at the far side of the room.
"Those are scribes. They will make a detailed and unbiased record of the proceedings so the case can be used in international dealings and to ensure that this court was conducted fairly. Those records will be sent with the prisoners to ensure their countries of origin receive an accurate account." Anna nodded in response.
"How did you know about all of this?" she asked, impressed.
"I was trained to rule Arendelle," she responded. "Papa taught me from when I was young, even before you and I were separated. His lessons continued as long as he lived despite my magic. We had hoped I would master it by the time it came for me to rule. None of us expected my reign to come so quickly. When he died, I threw myself into my studies not only to prepare to be queen, but to keep myself from feeling. It worked, to some degree." Anna's hand was squeezing tight, and she couldn't say a word or she would sob aloud instead. Silent tears rolled down her face. Elsa noticed the hitch in her sister's breathing and finally turned to face her.
"Oh Anna, shh," she soothed, instantly seeing her distress. Elsa raised her other hand to cup her sister's face. "It's all right. It really is, because now I know what to do. We are not caught unprepared. Hey, listen, we'll talk about that later if we need to, but we can't right now. They're about to bring in the defendants. Are you okay?" Anna nodded mutely and let Elsa wipe away her tears.
"You can keep holding my hand," Elsa whispered, "at least until I have to go down there and punish those fools. I can present the evidence and question other witnesses from up here with you."
"Okay," Anna replied shakily. Elsa rubbed her thumb over the back of Anna's hand and leaned into her shoulder briefly, before sitting stiffly upright again. Anna sniffled as she collected herself. She barely reacted when the two prisoners were brought in, focusing instead on her sister's ramrod-straight back and the cold, imperial expression on her face. Anna looked for a moment at the defendants and was amused to see the prince in considerable disarray. She scowled at him, wondering how she had ever fallen for his display. Elsa squeezed her hand and Anna realized that she'd been growling audibly under her breath. She noticed the ghost of a smile on her sister's lips as Elsa glanced back at her.
"Ready?" Elsa whispered. Lights flashed behind Anna's eyes as a young voice from her memory echoed her sister. Anna frowned at the strange interruption but nodded and squeezed Elsa's hand back. With her free hand, Elsa lifted a wooden gavel and slammed it on a strike plate to call the court to order.
"This court has been convened to examine alleged crimes against Arendelle committed by Prince Hans of the Southern Isles and by the Duke of Weselton. Charges will be presented and punishments decided according to precedents set by previous international cases of this caliber. Records will be sent in the possession of an Arendellian courier to the defendant's country of origin for perusal by his legal advisors. I, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, will preside over this court. I will call witnesses to the stand as desired. Let the session begin." The gavel struck again and the trial started.
Elsa remained calm and professional as she called up and examined witness after witness. Several people testified that Anna had left Hans in charge when she went to look for her sister, which put the defendants at ease. It was not a long-lasting peace, however. Kai had given Elsa the names of two guards who had overheard Hans giving orders to a mercenary group, and they told of how the foreigner had sought to take advantage of the sisters' absence. As evidence, Kai presented the bloodstained orders Anna and Elsa had brought back with them, as well as several copies found in Hans's room and on his person when he was arrested. The professional guards had rounded up other groups of mercenaries and their leaders willingly testified to receiving identical orders from the prince. The mercenaries' punishment would be decided in a separate domestic trial.
Eventually, an understandably nervous Kristoff was brought to the front. Elsa looked kindly at him, and her softened features calmed him greatly. The harsh and regal expression she'd been wearing was meant to intimidate, but there was no need to scare Kristoff. She asked him how he met Anna and how she and Anna had both come to be in his company. He tactfully left out the more gruesome details and simply explained that he had accompanied Anna to find her sister and had been escorting them off of the mountain when they were attacked. He gave a very good description of the mercenary group and of their weaponry, which matched the description given by the guards. He verified that the hit orders had come from the group that attacked them. He told of his forays into Arendelle for information and of how the sisters had returned.
Councilman Ivar continued Kristoff's account with his own testimony. He told of how he had been summoned and asked to collect an audience, and of his surprise when the sisters had turned up with their story. He described how he had verified their claims and how he had acted to reinstate the queen. The guard commander told of how Hans was found in a guest room and that the Duke had been discovered examining trade documents in Elsa's study. He explained how they were arrested and imprisoned in the castle dungeon pending a trial. Other guards testified that the prisoners had not been mistreated in any way.
With all the other testimonies completed, Elsa finally stood and told her version of what had happened, and asked Anna to do the same. All of their testimonies matched well, filling in gaps so that all could see the magnitude of the deception. Elsa was frowning in anger at how Arendelle had almost fallen into the hands of these men. Her powers were not manifesting, though, because Anna had firmly reclaimed her hand. When it was time to let the foreigners speak in their defense, neither dared say a word. How could they with so much evidence against them?
"The Duke of Weselton has not been proven involved in the attempted regicide, but was found looking at classified trade documents without permission," Elsa began. "This constitutes the charge of espionage. While his life is preserved under diplomatic immunity, his country's relationship with Arendelle is not. As his interest was in our economy, his punishment shall involve a monetary penalty. According to international precedent, Arendelle demands reparations in the amount of 0.5% of Weselton's gross national product over the next year. This amount will be paid in gold or silver ingots monthly." The duke gasped and stood up, enraged.
"You can't do that to us - that's at least fifty lispund in gold! It's an unfair economic burden! You'll bankrupt us!" His ranting was ceased when Elsa stood suddenly, her eyes blazing into his soul. She stalked over to the defendant's table and looked down on the diminutive man.
"I doubt that very much, sir; you are most certainly exaggerating. According to last year's numbers, it will come to no more than twenty-five lispund in gold. The trade secrets you could have learned from our documents are easily worth three times as much. Now, unless you would like for me to raise that percentage so that you are paying fifty, I suggest you sit down." The duke sat, mollified and considerably paler than before.
"Remove him," Elsa commanded, and the guards moved quickly to return the duke to a holding cell to await the end of the trial. Elsa then turned her cold eyes to the prince.
"As for you, Prince Hans, you are charged with two counts of attempted regicide. What you have done is an act of high treason, punishable by death in any international court. Your diplomatic immunity is forfeit, and as a member of the ruling family of the Southern Isles your disgraceful actions are defined as an act of war. No other nation in the world would fault Arendelle for executing you and marching on your capital."
"Ha," the prince laughed derisively, slouching arrogantly in his seat. "You and what army?" He thought he had a valid point; Arendelle was a small nation with no standing army. The guard force was sufficient to keep the peace internally, but it would not be remotely enough to launch an invasion. Elsa's counselors looked to her as well, curious to see how she would respond to the prince's challenge. Only Anna appeared confident in Elsa, and that was where the queen found her strength. Her eyes narrowed at the prince. In a flash, the temperature of the room hovered around freezing. Breath wisped visibly in the air – all except for Elsa's. Her magic glowed bright before her and soon a tiny golem made of ice stood motionless in her hand.
"Army, you say?" Elsa asked, her voice dangerously quiet. She set the little figure onto the stone by her feet. She glared openly at the prince and shot a jet of magic at the statuette. It grew in size until it reached Elsa's elbow.
"Why would I need an army…" she released more magic and the figure was suddenly as tall as a horse.
"When I can create these?" she asked rhetorically, letting her power run in rampant swirls until the construct towered over all of those present, at least 20 feet tall.
"Do you want to see how big they can get?" she asked dangerously, letting the ice beast grow even more and develop spikes.
"If you want a war, Hans, a war you shall have!" She shouted. She raised a fist and a terrible cracking rent the air. Light sprang from the joints in the creature's limbs and face as it came violently to life and moved. It looked down, down at the prince and roared. Hans fell backward out of his chair with a yelp and cowered behind the defendant's table in terror.
"However," Elsa let her arm fall and as soon as she did, the monolith turned and looked at her as if waiting for instructions.
"It is not war we desire," she said, and the giant ice golem stood at attention, completely under her control. "Such a grisly fate may be easily avoided – even for you. However, it will come at a high price."
"A-anything, Your Majesty," Hans sniveled, cringing against the bar separating his table from the rest of the room. His trousers looked noticeably wet. Elsa allowed herself a satisfied smile.
"Prince Hans, while I may spare your life and the lives of your countrymen, do not think your punishment will be any less severe. Not only did you threaten my life, you threatened the life of my sister. Even more, you purposefully misled her. You toyed with her heart." Elsa's eyes were dark with fury, carrying an anger so fierce it chilled the blood of the onlookers.
"For that I want to kill you," Elsa began in a growl, "but I will not. How can I claim to rule with mercy and restraint if I murder a helpless man-child? No. I will leave your personal punishment up to your king. May you find him more merciful than me."
The snow beast glowered down at Hans as Elsa paced between them. The courtroom was completely silent.
"In reparation I demand 5% of the gross national product of the Southern Isles every year for the next thirteen years. It will be paid in full each year by the final harvest. After the thirteenth year, your restitution will be complete and no further demands will be made. Yes, I am aware that this will amount to over one hundred lispund in gold each year. I am able to put a price on Arendelle's trade secrets, but to me the value of my sister's life is… incalculable. You have made a very costly mistake in trifling with us, Hans. You would do well to ensure prompt and regular repayment." Elsa snapped her fingers and the golem took a menacing step forward, its footsteps shaking the very foundations of the room.
"Take him away." Hans was quickly hauled from the court chamber, shocked into silence and too weak-kneed from fright to support his own weight. Elsa stalked up to the judge's seat and sat down, her eyes sweeping over the assembly as if daring them to speak up. When no one said a word, she struck the gavel plate once more, dismissing the court.
When all those present besides herself and Anna had left the room, Elsa finally turned to her sister. She allowed a brief exhausted smile to cross her face before her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed unconscious into Anna's arms.
"ELSA!"