"Good morning sweetie" Elsa chimed to her daughter
"Good morning mama" Rosetta chirped.
"How did you sleep, darling" Elsa asked.
"I slept good, mama. How did you sleep?" Rosetta replied.
"Knowing that you were safe, I slept very well. Are you ready for breakfast?" Elsa asked the small child wrapped in the Queen's embrace. The little girl shook her head.
"Get up dear…If you want breakfast, you have to get up now, little one." Elsa pleaded while stroking her child's hair. She felt a little head shake "no" from her side. She sighed and cooled her hands and wrapped them around Rosetta's neck. Rosetta squirmed but Elsa held her close.
"Mama you're cold. Please let go." Rosetta shivered. Elsa giggled.
"Since you said please" Elsa released her daughter-popsicle and noticed that she was barefoot.
"What happened to your socks?" Elsa asked out of curiosity.
"My feet got hot" Rosetta replied. Elsa realized she did not have time to talk now if they wanted to leave with some food in their stomachs.
"We'll find them later. It's breakfast time." The queen told her child. The two walked down to find Anna already at the table waiting for them.
"Since when are you up early, dear sister of mine?" Elsa inquired. Anna's bedhead was gone.
"I wanted to get up earlier from now on to maximize the time that we have together-" Anna was about to say "while we still can" but she did not want to spoil the moment.
"Good morning Auntie Anna" Rosetta greeted.
"And good morning to you too beautiful." Anna replied with a smile. The adoptive princess gave her Aunt a hug, before sitting down next to the Queen. Breakfast was quiet besides asking how Anna slept and Anna wondering just how Rosetta managed to lose her socks, yet again. Elsa had an extra pair in her drawer. She sent Rosetta to retrieve them and put them on. In the meantime, the Queen insisted that Allan join them as well. The lizard simply stood there.
"Allan, surely you must be hungry, go ahead." Elsa said. Allan did not doubt his ability regarding table etiquette. In fact he could probably eat with better manners than most of the nobles that Elsa entertained. He simply did not want to impose.
"I have no right to do so. I have food of my own. Thank you nonetheless." Allan argued. The Queen knew he was lying. She could tell he hadn't eaten in days. Rosetta took this all in as she nibbled on her pastry. She saw another. She wanted it herself but she realized Allan needed it more. So she put it on a plate and skipped over to the lizard.
"For you sir" Rosetta insisted. Allan knew that to refuse a direct offering would be an insult to the host. So he reluctantly took the plate
"Um….Thank you, your highness" He said with a small bow. Rosetta curtsied and skipped back over to her seat. Elsa beamed with pride. Pastries were Rosetta's favorite and that was certainly the last one, yet her little girl gave it away to someone in need. Allan looked around for a place to sit.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Come, have a seat." The Queen gestured. Allan was not used to such a welcome yet he did not embrace it. He hesitated but he took an empty seat at the far end of the table. Elsa did not like to see someone alone but she knew better than to force him to join them. The lizard found the pastry most appetizing. Elsa was surprised at his table manners, they were perfect.
"Your majesty, you're staring" He said calmly. Elsa blushed.
"I am sorry…I was just surprised by your…manners…they are impeccable" The Queen complimented her guest.
"That's not the first time I heard that" The lizard said not trying to boast.
"Hey guys mind if I join?" Anthrax rudely declared. Rosetta scurried to her mother for safety and whimpered. Elsa placed her on her knee.
"What do you want Anthrax? Do you have the next task yet?' Elsa asked while stroking her daughter's hair.
" I was just kidding, I eat in the throne room." The sorcerer deadpanned.
"If you're done interrupting our meal and scaring my niece, we would like to know the task!" Anna demanded.
"You would not be so brave if you didn't have that contract for a shield. Relax I am just as eager to get the task ready as you are. The sooner Elsa fails, the sooner I can torture Rosetta" He coldly. The darkness he emitted made everyone else uneasy. But it flat out terrified Rosetta. She fought back the tears as she clung to the Queen for dear life.
"You're frightening my daughter." Elsa growled.
"That's the idea, doll face" He chuckled while moving in to touch the child. At physical contact, Anthrax injected darkness and the little girl broke down in tears. She dove into her mother for refuge.
"LEAVE HER ALONE YOU COWARD" The Queen roared.
"Pick on someone your own size!" Anna added.
"Anthrax, quit procrastinating and give them the task" Allan commanded, tired of witnessing his brother's depravity.
"Very well, I have an errand for you Elsa. Your fifth task is to solve this riddle. A criminal is scheduled to be executed in the middle of the prison room. The prisoner asks that he can be allowed to arrange the 20 bowmen in any way he pleases if he survives, he gets to go free. The warden knows that his men will get a free shot with their arrows anyway, so he agrees. The next day, the criminal walks away unharmed. How did he do it? You have one guess and if you get it wrong, your daughter's carcass is mine" Anthrax snarled.
"Is that your best material? The prisoner arranged the 20 men directly across one another so that they could not fire without hitting each other." Elsa barely managed to finish when Anthrax enveloped in flames.
"I will torment Anna and Rosetta for eternity! You may have solved this task but the next two will not be so simple." He said. He unleashed his anger on Rosetta, shooting flames and lightning in her direction to scare her. It was getting the desired effect. She was cowering away from him and began to sob as Elsa attempted to soothe her in vain. In panic, Rosetta, squirmed out of the Queens's embrace and raced to her room, harmless flames following her. Elsa bolted after her child, behind her was Anna. She found her in her bedroom in the corner, covering her face from the horrible blaze that had her trapped. Elsa knew that simply telling her daughter that the fire couldn't hurt her would be futile so Elsa shot ice at the flames, making them dissipate. The snow Queen tried to hold Rosetta, but the little girl cowered away. The child opened her eyes and realized that it was just her mother and she thrust herself into Elsa's arms.
"M-mama m-make him go away" Rosetta begged in between sobs as she calmed down in the arms of her adoptive parent.
"Sweetie, I wish I could." The Queen sighed. Having experienced the emotional effects of Anthrax's darkness first hand, she knew exactly what torment Rosetta was enduring. She picked up her daughter and sat her on her lap. The Queen said nothing, but just let her daughter cry in her protective embrace.
"I won't let him hurt you anymore." Elsa promised. Anthrax may not have hurt Rosetta physically, but psychologically, he was tearing her apart. Rosetta calmed and she looked up at her mother.
"mama….can we finish breakfast?" Rosetta asked, apparently nullifying the effects of darkness.
"Sure sweetie" Elsa then took her daughter's hand. They went to the hallway and Anthrax was waiting for them.
"Mama's here…he can't get me" Rosetta repeated in her head. Anthrax shot flames at her but she didn't budge. Anthrax was caught off guard by her lack of fear. He shot lightning but she giggled and reached out to grab it.
"what did you do? I demand answers!" Anthrax growled.
"You wouldn't understand, now be a good boy and let us finish breakfast." Elsa mocked. Anthrax blinked and began to panic silently.
"I-I h-how I-I b-but" Anthrax began to trip over himself trying to find a comeback. But it was no use, they were not afraid.
"Are you ok, Mr. Thrax?" Rosetta asked in genuine concern.
"….don't call me Thrax" The man snarled before walking away.
"Auntie Anna, Mama, that bully doesn't bother me anymore" Rosetta proudly declared. Elsa and Anna giggled at the child's bravado and enjoyed a satisfying, Anthrax-less meal.