I pursue Hemmin.
I follow her down hallways, down stairways, through doorways, up stairways, and all throughout the castle.
She leads me into parts of the castle I hadn't been to in ages, no mind to the fact that I haven't been in the castle at all in ages.
She clearly has no particular destination in mind.
She wanders mindlessly through the castle, not having any idea where she is or where she is going.
"Hemmin!" I call out after her. "Please, stop!"
"No!" She thuds, talking as her true self again, but still in my form.
"It doesn't have to be this way!" I reason.
"Yes, it does." She bites back. "I won't have my Pa die the same way my Ma did. I can't stay on that ship forever, and I won't let him go without me.
I will be queen of Arendelle. I will make it so he never has to go out to sea ever again."
"Is that what you desire, Hemmin?" I ask, chasing her down yet another hall. "I can give you that. Just give me back my crown. I promise I will help you!"
"Liar!" Hemmin snarls. "You won't help me, I know you won't!"
"I will!" I cry. "Please, Hemmin; change back."
"No!"
The words to her mother's song float through my mind.
I sing these words out to Hemmin as I follow on after her.
"Change as Fate wills
Change as should be
Remain yourself still
As you reach destiny"
"Stop it!" She shrieks.
Of course, I won't.
"If you find yourself altered
If you find that you lost
You stumbled and faltered
The wrong change you crossed
Remember who you are
Who you know you should be
You never are too far
To come back to me"
"I said STOP." Heated thuds shoot from her mouth.
"You can revise and reform
You may rearrange
Until you transform
Back to your true self be changed."
Hemmin whirls around, nearly knocking into me. She has anger screaming in her eyes.
"How dare you!" She yells.
"I want to help you, Hemmin."
"It's your fault my Ma is dead! It's your fault!" She bawls. "She died because of your parents! It's your fault!"
I pity her. I long to reach out and wrap my arms around her. I want so much to help her.
"Your Ma wouldn't want this for you." I say softly.
She takes off running again.
Through more halls, more rooms, and back down the stairs the way we came.
I follow her without hesitation.
We are now in the main room of the castle: the entrance, if you will.
"There you are." Anna approaches us.
We both skid to a stop. I nearly slip on the smooth, marble floor. I almost fall onto my backside, but I am able to regain my balance just in the nick of time.
The other Elsa and I stand a few feet apart.
"Everyone is waiting for you two." Anna looks back and forth between the two of us. She raises her eyebrows, clearly not at all sure which one is the real one.
"You mean they're waiting for me." Hemmin has the audacity to say this.
"No." Anna replies. "I mean the both of you."
She gestures us to follow her back into the throne room.
We comply.
We position ourselves in the back of the room, directly in front of the throne.
All three of us stand before the people of Arendelle: one Elsa on each side of Anna.
"I have proposed a way that we might figure out who our one, true queen is." Anna announces. "Whoever succeeds will be crowned queen of Arendelle."
She glances at each one of us. "Do you accept my proposal?"
I notice that the other Elsa has lost a bit of her confidence, but she still nods her approval.
I give my consent, as well.
"Good." Anna looks pleased.
The people look on with interest. They wish to uncover the truth. They hang on to Anna's every word, anticipating the outcome of this new development.
"Whichever one of you can do this small task that I ask of you is clearly my sister, Elsa." Anna proclaims.
I admit to you that I am growing exceedingly curious as to what Anna's clever, little plan is.
I look out over my people, they still seem to be muttering to one another. Most likely, they are making bets as to which one of us they believe is actually the real me.
I am hoping that all of the bets are being placed on me.
Ember is in the crowd of villagers. He looks nervous for me.
I catch his eye and smile reassuringly at him; he returns the gesture.
"I want you to build me a snowman." Anna says simply.
I almost burst out laughing.
Of course, this would be Anna's way of discerning who the real Elsa is.
Of course, Anna would put the future of the entire kingdom of Arendelle on this one, little thing.
Anna wants me to build her a snowman.
A snowman she will get. It will be the finest snowman she has ever seen.
Olaf will be immensely jealous but, under the circumstances, I do believe he will eventually find it within himself to forgive me.
Hemmin deflates. She already knows that she has been defeated.
This is the one flaw in her plan.
Hemmin can look and sound like me to her heart's desire, but this she cannot do.
Hemmin is not the Snow Queen.
I am the Snow Queen.
A/N: Two more chapters to go!