The door slammed with a loud crack and Lena jumped as she saw Elsa's door enveloped in dark ice. Tenderly clutching her hands, she quickly ran through the long corridor and down the stairs to the kitchen to warm her hands in the sink.
Shivering with pain and fear, Lena struggled to turn on the tap. The scales of ice that coated her skin made it near impossible to move her hands. Trembling uncontrollably from the cold, she finally she managed to hit the lever of the sink.
Warm water gushed out of the wooden spout and burned her icy skin. Gradually, the ice thawed, and soon enough the water felt soothing on her tender skin. Her senses began to return to her fingertips, but although the few cuts on her hands were minor, they were deep and still bleeding. She decided it was best to keep her hands in the tepid water a bit longer and then bandage them herself. She worried if she saw the physician, she might cause a panic in the castle.
She let the basin fill with warm water and submerged her hands into the soothing liquid. As she soaked her hands in the wooden basin, she heard someone enter the kitchen. It was Anna.
"Good morning Lena!" Anna chimed. Her footsteps seemed to bounce with happiness as she walked across the floor; she was in an especially joyful mood for such an early hour.
"Good morning Princess Anna." Lena worried that Anna would notice something was off and she tried her best to act normal, "I wasn't expecting to see you up so early, would you like me to get you something?"
"No, no. I'm fine I'm just looking for a small breakfast snack before I get back to wedding planning."
Anna wandered over to the shelves picked through piles of fruit and bread, and finally after rummaging around in the cupboards haphazardly for a few minutes, she decided to eat one of the cinnamon chocolate chip scones that were sitting on the counter. Fresh out of the oven, the chocolate was still gooey and warm, and the sweet aroma cinnamon permeated the air.
Anna plopped down on a stool, and grabbed a scone off the top of the pile. The bread warmed her hand, and the gooey chocolate left spots on her skin. As she took a bite out of the hot pastry, the rich flavors of cinnamon and chocolate mixed with the taste of the buttery bread creating a complex and mouthwatering flavor. "Mmm, these are so good . . . Have you had one Lena? You have to try one, they're delicious!" A few crumbs fell out of Anna's mouth and onto her lap as she spoke with her mouth full.
"No miss, I haven't." Lena kept her back turned to hide her hands. She didn't want to cause a commotion, and she was afraid of further upsetting Elsa.
Anna swallowed her last bite of scone, and looked inquisitively at Lena. "Lena, are you alright?" Anna's sweet voice showed apprehensive concern for the girl.
"Of course Miss," Lena kept her back turned and avoided eye contact with the princess.
But Anna could sense that something was off and wandered over to the sink.
Resting her hand on Lena's back, she peered into the basin. Anna let out a small gasp. The water was tinged a rusty shade of blood red and Lena's pale hands were resting in the basin. They were covered in small gashes and her skin was a ghostly shade white. "Lena? What happened? Are you alright?"
"It, it's nothing, really. Don't worry. They feel much better now, the water has helped."
"Oh, Lena. Here let me help you." Anna gingerly took Lena's hands out of the basin and dried them off with a rag.
She scurried over to the cupboard and grabbed a bottle of brandy off the top shelf. She poured a bit of the golden liquid onto a cloth and gently dabbed the material on Lena's wounds.
Lena winced in pain. The alcohol burned as it seeped into the deep cuts on her hands.
Anna, genuinely concerned, continued, "But what happened? This looks so painful, and Lena your hands, your hands are freezing."
Lena gritted her teeth, and fought back tears, trying not to show that she was in pain, "It was an accident. She didn't mean for it to happen. Please don't be angry with her." Lena spoke quickly, and soon realized that she had said too much.
"No," A chill ran through Anna's voice. "Not Elsa? Not again . . ." Anna sounded concerned and worried; the last time Elsa lost control Anna nearly died.
Lena nodded and started to cry, " it . . . it's all my fault," she sniffled and choked on a sob, "I must have done something to upset her. She seemed so happy this morning . . .," Lena smiled thinking of the sweet things Elsa had told her. "I don't know what happened I was just talking to her about how Eldon's going to propose and then . . . maybe did I hug her too hard? Or did I squeeze her hand the wrong way? Oh Anna, I didn't mean to hurt her."
"Lena, you poor thing." Anna put the brandy soaked rag to the side and gently pulled her into a warm embrace. She lovingly stroked Lena's back as she reassured her, " It will all be ok, don't worry. I'll go talk to her once we have you fixed up . . . it will be just fine."
"But Anna," Lena sniffled, "Elsa froze her door shut when I left; it's encased in sold ice. There's no way in."
"Of course," Anna rolled her eyes and moaned. "She always shuts people out when she gets moody." Anna now started to tie off the bandages on Lena's hands.
"It's all my fault, I'm so sorry. . ."
Anna gently grasped Lena's forearms and looked her straight in the eyes. "This is not your fault Lena. Don't you think that. Everything will be fine. I'll just go talk to Elsa. Hey, at least I don't have to hike up the North Mountain this time." Anna chuckled, and gently brushed a tear off of Lena's rosy cheek.
But deep down Anna was frightened. She tried her best to stay optimistic as she finished bandaging Lena's hands to help calm the girl down, yet she didn't feel quite as hopeful as she had three years ago. "There you go, good as new. Well, truthfully I might not have done the best job. You should probably go see our court physician, just tell him I sent you. It will be all right. I'll go talk to Elsa now."
"Oh thank you so much Anna," Lena hugged Anna and left for the physician's chambers.