Elsa was in the portrait room with Anna. She was sitting on a stool reading one of Anna's favorite books from her childhood, "My Pet Goat", when a stubby visitor waddled into the room.
"Am I interrupting anything, Queen Elsa?"
"No Olaf, you're just in time for the good part. Heidi must rescue Mr. Gruphigus from a ravine."
"So,.. you're reading to her? Do you think she can hear you?"
"Probably not, Olaf. This is as much for me as it is for her."
"I'm sorry, I do not follow."
"When we were little, just before the accident, I would read stories to her in the middle of the night when she was too restless to sleep, which was often. I just wanted to relive one of those moments."
"Anna spoke of your separation, it made her very sad."
"We were just trying to protect her."
"And how did that work out?" Elsa looked at her sister and grew somewhat misty eyed, not really getting Olaf's poor attempt at humor.
"I was just trying to do what Father told me, I was trying to be good..." Elsa's statement sounded like she was reverting back to her childhood.
"When your sister's hair began to turn white, we went to the Trolls for help, why didn't your father get some help for you?" The words stung Elsa. Here was a week old snowman becoming a pillar of wisdom, in his somewhat limited way.
"Fear,… my father was afraid of the consequences of spreading the word that his daughter was a monster."
"He didn't actually use the word 'monster', did he?"
"Yes,… He did." She paused for a second; this memory was incredibly painful, almost taking her breath away.
"One night, I had awakened from a nightmare and went to their room. Mother and Father were having an argument and I heard my mother crying. I didn't catch everything they said, but I can still hear the words in my head, That Monster…"
"You're not a monster, Elsa. Well,… maybe?,…. 'cept for that slight slip-up on the fjord the other day." Olaf didn't quite know how to say it, but he found Elsa's handling of Hans very disturbing.
"I regret that decision now, Olaf. It was done in anger, and Hans at least deserved a trial. The bad news is that would have delayed the exodus of Arendelles citizens, and right now I can't have that. I just fear that some pertinent information may have died with him. Hopefully Kristoff has made his way to Mariabronn, and the rescue is at hand."
"The thing that I don't understand, Elsa, is why didn't Anna's actions save her? Gran Pabbie told us an act of true love would thaw her frozen heart. As I like to think of myself as a love expert, throwing yourself in front of a swinging sword to save your sister's life, is the ultimate act of true love. Why didn't it work?"
"I don't know, Olaf. Maybe it was too late. If Anna was just a few seconds sooner…" The thought chilled the Snow Queen. If she had arrived just a few seconds sooner, she would have been brutally maimed, but alive. There was no way of knowing for sure, however, and Elsa put her face into her hands. After a few moments of awkward silence….
"Is there anything that I can do to help?"
"Yes, Olaf, there is. Once our citizens are ferried off to safety, I'll be running a new business of ice. I'll be creating an army of snow creatures to do the work. You will be in charge of the daily operations of our ice off-loading port."
"Gee thanks, your Highness, but that seems like an awful lot of responsibility for a young snowman."
"Yes, but you will be just like them, they will respect you."
"I will do my best, Queen Elsa."
"Of course you will, Olaf."
"There's just one problem."
"What's that?"
"I can't read." Elsa let out a little chuckle.
"I will teach you. The one commodity we have in abundance here is time."
"Could you finish the story please? I wouldn't mind a distraction right now." Elsa laughed, she put her creations little mind into overload.
"Alright, Olaf… Follow with me. Then as Heidi stepped over the ledge….."