Part 1 - Walking Through Walls
Elsa stood on the wall of the castle, looking out over the fjord, looking in the direction she had fled on her coronation day. It was late in the evening and all was quiet around the castle. Everyone was preparing for sleep after another busy day. Elsa should be doing the same, but she was still dealing with myriad details of cleanup after the Great Thaw, and one particular detail was so bothersome that she had avoided it rather diligently.
Her sister Anna found her there. Anna became worried when Elsa missed dinner. It had only been a few days since the two of them had discussed what Elsa called her 'injury', and Anna was concerned that Elsa's emotions had overcome her and she was trying to cope with them alone. Checking her bedroom and study had come up empty, but Kai had noticed the intent look of purpose on Anna's face, asked what she was looking for, and suggested that she might find her sister on the castle wall overlooking the fjord.
When Anna climbed up the long stairways to the castle parapets and saw her sister there, she wondered for the thousandth time how Kai managed to know absolutely everything about the comings and goings around the castle. She approached Elsa.
"Elsa?" Anna asked. She wasn't sure Elsa heard her. She gently touched her sister on the arm. "Elsa?" she tried again.
Elsa didn't respond, but did reach over and cover Anna's hand with her own. There was clearly something bothering her. They stood there for a few minutes in silence.
At last Elsa turned to her sister and said, "I'm fine. Just brooding."
Anna snorted. "Tell me something I don't know. I've never seen you up here before. What are you brooding about, and why climb the castle walls to do it?" Elsa just kept looking down to a pile of stone that spilled out from the base of the large round tower at one corner. Anna was mystified.
"What's that? Is the wall collapsed?" Anna hadn't ever been in that part of the castle. She didn't even know what was there. Storage rooms, maybe?
"Yes. Yes, the wall collapsed." Elsa responded, her voice flat and lifeless. Anna wrapped her arm in Elsa's, pulling her close.
"Elsa, what's wrong?" She could feel her sister trembling. She was clearly in the grip of some strong emotion. "Please, Elsa, you asked me to help you, and I will, if you only tell me what's going on."
Elsa sighed heavily. "Oh, Anna, I never wanted you to find out about this."
"Uh, Elsa, haven't we been down that particular road already? And learned that keeping secrets was a really bad approach to life, the universe, and everything?" Anna turned her sister to face her. "Elsa, please, I'm not ever abandoning you, no matter what horrible thing you think you need to protect me from."
Elsa's shoulders slumped. "I know, I know. We're caught up as best we can since the Thaw, but there haven't been enough hours in the day to get through everything that's happened in the last thirteen years." She straightened up and looked at Anna.
"And there are still some things that happened during the Freeze that I've avoided talking about." She turned away, but kept a tight grip on Anna's hand. "Come on, I'll show you." She led Anna back inside the castle.
They walked down several staircases, and through a door leading into a dim corridor that ended at another stairwell. Following that to the very lowest level of the castle, they found themselves outside a broken down door leading into a ... dungeon? Anna was bewildered. She hadn't realized the castle had a dungeon. This was the 19th century! Who put people in dungeons in these modern times? It wasn't the middle ages, after all.
The two women stepped carefully over the debris until they were inside the cell. There were more broken stones lying on the floor, and the outer wall had a large gaping hole in it, with more stone blocks scattered inside and outside. Anna realized this was the place Elsa had stared at from the castle wall. Anna could see some chains fastened to a hasp in the floor, and there were two twisted, broken metal shackles laying near the gap in the wall. They were strange shackles, though. They almost looked like ... mittens instead of the circlets that would normally go around a prisoner's wrists.
Elsa looked at them like they were poisonous snakes. She was still shaking, Anna could feel it through her hand. Anna looked around the cell, and noticed a stone bench against the wall opposite the gap. She tugged on her sister's hand, pulling her over to sit on the bench. She had to kick aside a blanket laying on the floor, but they both sat, Elsa leaning into Anna for support.
"Okay, Elsa, it's okay. What's wrong? Tell me now. What is this place? I've never been here, and I didn't even know we had a dungeon." She spoke gently, stroking Elsa's hand, trying to soothe her.
"We didn't. This was just another storage room until ... three years ago." Anna had to strain to hear her, Elsa's voice was so soft.
"Three years ago? That doesn't make any sense. Why would Papa build a dungeon?"
"He didn't. I did." Her tone was flat, dispassionate. Elsa couldn't have astonished Anna more completely if she had grown wings and flown out over the fjord.
"What?" Anna wasn't sure she had heard correctly. "What do you mean? Why did you think we needed a dungeon?"
Elsa stood up, walked over to the broken manacles, and kicked one viciously. "Just in case." A tear trickled down her cheek.
Anna was puzzled. "Just in case of wha... " her voice trailed off as a suspicion started to grow in her mind. "Elsa?"
"Elsa, no, you didn't build this for yourself?" Anna's heart almost broke as she realized the depth of desperation that had driven the woman to something like this.
"Come on, we're leaving. I won't have you ... wallowing in whatever made you think this was ever a good idea." Anna hooked her arm in Elsa's and led her sister out of the dungeon.
The castle was quiet as they went back to the residence. Elsa didn't need anyone to see her in this state. Anna opened the door to her room and led her sister over to the comfortably cushioned window bay. After getting Elsa settled, Anna lit several candles on the dresser, and made sure the door was closed. They needed privacy for this discussion. Anna brought a small box over to the window bay with her as she settled in next to Elsa.
"Here. I don't share this with just anybody! Not that you're just anybody! You're a special anybody! Oh, never mind, just take one!" and opened the box. Elsa looked inside, and a small smile broke through her depression.
"You would sacrifice your chocolate? For me?" and Anna felt relief as her sister responded to the offering. They each took a piece and enjoyed the rich taste. The gesture and the chocolate seemed to have broken Elsa's dark mood and Anna snuggled next to her, took her hand, and said, "Okay, talk to me."
After a few minutes, Elsa began. "I've told you how Papa had taught me to repeat 'Conceal, don't feel.' and wear gloves to try to control my magic?" Anna nodded. Elsa went on. "Well, that seemed to work only ... moderately well. Then we lost Mama and Papa." Another nod from Anna. She remembered knocking on Elsa's door, hoping that they would reunite in their shared grief. But she had been disappointed yet again.
"I completely lost control of my emotions and my magic. That's why I didn't dare come to the memorial with you. That's why I didn't dare to even open the door to you that day. I literally froze; myself, the room, the air, everything. I was so scared when I realized how out of control I was." Elsa looked into Anna's eyes. "I decided I had to do something to protect the kingdom, to protect YOU if I couldn't reliably control my magic."
"There were only three people who knew the secret: Kai, Gerda and the Admiral." This revelation stunned Anna. She hadn't realized that ANYONE had known Elsa's secret before her display at the coronation ball. Elsa shook her head at Anna's expression. "Anna, there had to be SOMEONE who knew besides Mama and Papa. It would have been irresponsible for there to be no one." Elsa looked away guiltily. "If only to explain it to you if you suddenly had to ... to ascend the throne."
This announcement offended Anna. "Wouldn't it have been simpler to just tell ME? None of you thought to trust ME?" Anna fumed, and started to pull away from Elsa but Elsa wouldn't let go of her hand. Indignantly, Anna went on "You would trust me with the throne, but not your secret. That doesn't make any sense!"
Elsa's face fell, and Anna realized that she had torn open a wound that was only partially healed.
"I did trust you with the throne. I knew that in spite of your insistence that you were just a 'spare' that you studied diligently, and paid close attention to Papa and your tutors." Elsa tried to explain. "Anna, I've already apologized for that awful mistake. I can't change the past. You have every right to be angry, but ... I thought you had forgiven me for that."
"Elsa, I have forgiven you. It's our parents that I'm not sure I've forgiven. I'm sorry to say that, it's just that sometimes I get so angry at Mama and Papa for letting you wallow alone in that guilt and shame for so long. If they had only trusted me..." her voice trailed off. She shook her head, fought down her bitterness and said, "Please, go on, I shouldn't have interrupted you." she said and cuddled closer to Elsa.
With that reassurance, Elsa continued her tale. "Kai and Gerda were like foster parents to us since we were babies, and the Admiral's job is to protect Arendelle at any cost. And that's what I was trying to do-protect Arendelle. The kingdom needed a ruler that could function without cowering in her bedroom. I wasn't sure I could be that ruler. Worse, if I did manage to meet with people, the possibility that I could hurt them the way I had hurt you was a constant worry. I had to have a strategy."
Elsa took a deep breath. "I knew Kai and Gerda would never go along with what I had decided to do, but the Admiral would understand the danger and be able to put the good of Arendelle ahead of any feelings for me. So I called him into my study one day when I was sure I was in control, and told him what I wanted. He wasn't happy about it, but reluctantly agreed to arrange it. Very reluctantly."
Elsa walked back and forth in front of the window in her study with a measured pace. She breathed slowly and deeply. This meeting could not, must not be marred by any uncontrolled demonstration of her magic. It was important that she convince this man to help her.
A soft knock on the door. "Your Majesty?"
"Come in, please." Elsa responded, and sat at her desk.
She hated that she was being addressed by that title, but her father was ... gone, and that meant that she was now the Queen of Arendelle. It would be three more years before she came of age and there would be a formal coronation, but she had to accept the reality of the situation. She looked down at her black and grey mourning dress with sadness. Her first decree as Queen had been to announce a 30 day mourning period for her parents, with all the officials of Arendelle to dress accordingly, and the kingdom was draped with black bunting on official buildings.
Admiral Mikael Naismith, the highest ranking officer in the Royal Arendelle Navy, entered her study. Elsa had observed Council meetings secretly at her father's instructions, and knew that the King had a high opinion of the admiral's competence and loyalty. Her own observations had let her form a similar opinion of the man.
He bowed. "Your Majesty."
She waved him to seat himself in a chair positioned in front of her desk. "Admiral, thank you for seeing me so promptly."
The Admiral nodded. "Your Majesty, forgive my presumption, but when the Queen summons one of her subjects, they generally present themselves immediately."
He smiled, hoping to put the young woman at ease. He could tell she was uncomfortable. In truth, he had not dealt with her in person at all since she was very young. Her contacts were carefully limited to a small, select group of tutors. He knew exactly why that was. He wondered why she had summoned him. Her absence at the memorial for her parents had not gone unnoticed.
Elsa was silent for a moment, cleared her throat, and finally spoke. "Admiral, I am going to make a request of you, and you may find that request shocking. But I can assure you that I have given this much careful thought, and I know it is something necessary for the safety of Arendelle."
"I know that you are privy to my ... secret. My father had discussed this with me, and explained that in the unhappy circumstance that something happened to him and my mother, it was necessary for someone to know of my magic, to help me continue to develop control of it. " She frowned. "And now that circumstance has come to pass, and I must turn to you for assistance."
The Admiral simply sat in silence, a small nod to encourage her to continue.
"I feel that it is necessary to build a cell that would be capable of confining me and limiting my ability to use my magic in the event that I cannot control the power and become a threat to all of Arendelle." She maintained an even tone of voice, as devoid of emotion as if she were simply asking for another cup of tea. Her facial expression was equally impassive. The Admiral had no inkling of the iron control holding her emotions in check.
"A cell, Your Majesty?" He wasn't sure he had heard her correctly. He hoped he had misunderstood.
"Yes, Admiral, a cell, a dungeon if you like. With manacles designed to cover my hands, which seem to be the main conduit by which my magic manifests itself." Elsa maintained her equanimity. "This would be a last resort, if I, or you and my other advisers, were to become convinced that there was no other way to protect ... people ... from injury."
"Your Majesty, surely..." the Admiral began, but stopped as Elsa raised her hand and shook her head.
"I know this seems extreme, perhaps even bizarre, but I do not ask this lightly." Her face took on the slightest hint of grim determination. "My responsibility to my people and my kingdom is to protect them from harm. It may seem unlikely that a young woman of 18 could do such harm, but neither you nor I can fully judge to what extent my power will grow." She looked him directly in the eye. "I must do what I think is prudent to safeguard Arendelle from the most unlikely of threats."
Her expression and her tone of voice softened into one of pleading. "And I must have your help to do so. Please, Admiral, I have no one else to turn to now." The Admiral was known as "Hard as Nails" to the troops, but he could not harden himself against the plea of this grieving, vulnerable woman.
The Admiral cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, I assure you that you can rely on my utmost discretion. Your father trusted me with many sensitive matters. He also required from me an oath to serve you at need as I had served him. That oath still binds me, and I say to you now that I will fulfill that oath no matter what it may cost me." He was saddened by the thought of the inner turmoil that could drive his young Queen to consider something as horrific as this proposal, but he would not fail his monarch at this difficult time.
"Thank you, Admiral. Your loyalty reassures me that perhaps I will be able to fulfill the role set for me, as my father would have hoped." Elsa was relieved. She hadn't been sure she could convince him without having to actually demonstrate her magic.
She reached into a drawer in her desk and brought out a rolled up drawing, laying it out on her desktop. It was a set of blueprints that she had prepared herself.
"Here is exactly what I would like to have built, in the lowest level of the castle. You can re-purpose one of the storage rooms, but it will need to be reinforced." She looked up at the him. "I am sure I don't need to point out that the reason for this room's existence, and who it is intended to imprison must stay a secret for only the two of us?"
The Admiral rose to his feet and bowed deeply to his Queen. "You have my oath, Your Majesty." Elsa nodded her thanks.
"And that's how an unused storage room became a dungeon with very special manacles, for a very special ... prisoner." Elsa finished the story for Anna.
Now Anna was the one with tears in her eyes. "Oh, Elsa. How absolutely horrible that is. You were so alone." Elsa patted her hand.
"Anna, that was my fault, and Mama and Papa's. We shouldn't have shut you out. But that's over and done with. I'll never shut you out again. I've learned that lesson; WE'VE learned that lesson!"
Elsa gripped Anna's hand a bit tighter. "And there was a very small benefit to that dungeon. Once I knew it was there, that there was an alternative in place if I failed, it helped me focus, helped me through some situations where I might have lost control otherwise."
Anna wiped her tears away. "Okay, but how did the dungeon get destroyed?"
"After you and Kristoff ... left ... my Ice Palace..." Elsa began.
"Got chased away, you mean!" Anna interrupted indignantly.
"Got chased away." Elsa admitted and continued "Hans and a group of soldiers came and captured me, and brought me back to Arendelle. And somehow Hans had found out about the dungeon, so he locked me in with the manacles covering my hands. And they worked. For a little while."
Thoughtfully, Elsa mused, "One of the guards probably told him. Once the dungeon was built, it obviously wasn't a secret to anyone who had business in that part of the castle. Just who had it built, and its purpose were secret. Not its actual existence."
"When they brought me back, they could hardly lock me up in the town jail." Elsa actually chuckled at the feeble joke. Anna tried to share a smile, but she really didn't think it was funny.
"How did you break out?"
Elsa answered with a shrug. "Hans came and told me that you hadn't returned from the mountain and that frightened me. I was afraid that something had happened to you when I lost control at the Ice Palace. Fear was the main driver of my magic at that point, a very powerful driver - more fear, more power, less control. Just before Hans came back to execute me, I managed to bring down the walls and break the manacles, then run out onto the fjord. I was hoping that if I ran farther this time, I would take the winter with me. A forlorn hope since my fear was so great that even I couldn't find my way through that raging blizzard." she finished bitterly.
Anna and Elsa had been told how Hans had lied to the visiting dignitaries about Anna's death, and declared that he would execute Elsa for treason. It was fortunate that Elsa had been able to escape that cell, or Hans' plan to usurp the throne might have worked. He would have killed Elsa, there would have been no act of true love to keep Anna from freezing to death and the kingdom would probably still be under mountains of snow.
"You know the rest." Elsa concluded.
Anna nodded. "So, now what?"
Elsa just shook her head. "Now it's time to repair the castle walls, I suppose. I think I've put it off this long because the memories were so painful. Almost everything else is complete."
Mulling that over, Anna replied, "I have a better idea. Put me in charge of the project."
Elsa just looked at her, wondering when her sister had developed an interest in castle repair. "All right. I'll tell Kai. You can start tomorrow."
With a satisfied smirk on her face, Anna held out the box again. "Have another chocolate?"
Author Note:
I decided to split this into two chapters, and remove the extensive end notes from the story. That way, any alerts anyone gets for a new chapter will take them to a really new chapter, not just updated author's notes!
This particular story is my speculation on where those manacles came from in the dungeon so conveniently at hand for Hans to lock Elsa up when he brought her back from the mountain. And how Anna decides on a way to make Elsa forget all about the bad memories that dungeon evokes.