Chapter 6
After another morning of power practice Ellie had skidded of to help Kristoff in the stables with Sven. Elsa smiled as she watched her go. That smile quickly disappeared when she thought of the task she had to do. It was a week ago that she had promised a sleeping Ellie that she would find a family for her. And that was exactly what she was going to do. She had asked her staff to make a selection of couples that could be possible parents for Ellie. Those couples had all come to the castle today, waiting to be interviewed by the queen.
Elsa had told Ellie of her plan a few days ago. Though she rather wanted to cry at the thought of having to lose Ellie so soon, she had kept up a happy façade when she had told her.
After a whole afternoon of interviews Anna and Elsa sat in Elsa's study. Anna had watched Elsa during the interviews with concern. It was a mystery to Anna why Elsa was still going on with these silly interviews. It was so obvious that Elsa didn't want to give Ellie up.
With a sigh Anna broke the silence. She had to make Elsa admit that she didn't want to give Ellie up and if Anna wasn't wrong Ellie didn't want to be given up either. Though the girl had smiled when Elsa had told her she'd find a family for her, the smile hadn't reached her eyes the way it normally did. It wasn't fair to the couples as well because Elsa had been blowing them off for ridiculous reasons.
'Seriously Elsa, you have to make a decision on this thing. I mean, there really were some very suitable couples among them. It's not fair to be leading them on like this. And come on, since when is living more than five miles away from a chocolate shop a valid reason for not letting people adopt!' Anna exclaimed, hoping Elsa would finally see that she was coming up with ridiculous reasons so she wouldn't have to let Ellie go just yet.
'You're right', Elsa sighed, 'that last couple, the Bergmans, seemed perfect. They don't live to far away so I can still visit. I'll tell them the good news tomorrow.' Her sister was right she thought. She couldn't be selfish in this matter. This time she'd do the right thing by keeping her promise.
Upon hearing her sister's answer, Anna fought the urge to do a face palm. This was precisely what she didn't want to hear. Instead of telling those couples to leave, Elsa was actually going to tell one of them to adopt Ellie. Before Anna could try to talk more sense into her sister she heard a sound coming form the direction of the doorway.
Both sisters turned around to see Ellie standing in the doorway with tears in her eyes. Ellie had gone to Elsa's study to ask if she could go into town with Kristoff, but when she arrived at the study she had overheard Elsa and Anna talking.
Ellie knew that Elsa was trying to find a family for her, Elsa had told her she would a few days ago. Though getting a family was something Ellie had dreamed of all her life, she couldn't help but feeling nothing else than sadness at the thought of leaving. She had smiled enthusiastically though when Elsa had told her. She didn't want to disappoint her.
Now that the day had come for Ellie to actually be adopted, she couldn't keep her happy face anymore. The tears started to fall and not knowing what to do, she ran.
Elsa and Anna saw Ellie standing in the doorway just a moment before they saw her run away. Elsa's first instinct was to run after her but Anna grabbed her arm.
'Just let her be, she won't go far. She's just upset, she'll come back on her own, trust me', Anna told her sister. 'We however need to talk. What I've been trying to tell you the whole time, is that you obviously don't want to give her up and I don't think she wants to be given up either.'
Elsa sat down in her chair behind her desk and rested her head in her hands. Tears started to leak out of her eyes.
'I know I don't want to give her up… but I can't be selfish. I have to it right this time.'
'You wanting to be happy does not make you selfish', Anna sighed at her stubborn sister. 'I've seen how you look when you practice your powers together. She makes you happy Elsa…'
'You make me happy too', Elsa protested weakly.
'I know that and I'll never forget that, but I can't make you smile the way she does. I'll never be able to understand you the way that she understands you.'
Elsa knew that Anna was right. Ellie did make her happy. Anna wasn't the only person in the world for her anymore. Ellie was part of her world now too. Still, she couldn't give in to what she wanted.
'I have to do what's best for Ellie and that is finding a lovely family for her.'
Anna fought the urge to shake her sister. Why did Elsa have to be darn selfless and stubborn? Any argument regarding Elsa's own happiness was clearly not going to work so she'd have to try a different approach.
'I thought we'd already established some time ago that you aren't the best judge of what's best for people.'
This caught Elsa attention as she looked up at Anna.
'Yes, can't you see the pattern here. Every time you think you're very selflessly doing what's best for people, hurting yourself in the process, you hurt the people you're protecting too. Every time you've shut people out you robbed them of something they maybe needed most. When you shut me out all those years ago, you robbed me of my big sister and my best friend. When you ran away from Arendelle after you're coronation, you robbed the country of it's queen and left it for Hans to take. Now you're giving Elly up because you think that's best for her, while you're actually robbing her of the only mother who could truly understand her. She loves you Elsa…'
Anna knew she was making things sound harsher than they might be, but she needed to make her sister understand.
'Do you…. do you really think she loves me?' Elsa whispered.
'Yes, do you remember when you tried to teach her how to thaw that snowman she made? You told her to think of love. Do you know whom she told me she thought of? You, she thought of you Elsa and the snowman thawed. You and I both know that your powers don't lie about your emotions.'
Anna was right, Elsa thought. By giving Ellie up she was just repeating past mistakes. She was hurting someone she loved again.
She smiled to Anna through her tears. Sometimes her sister seemed so much smarter than she would ever be.
'I'm an idiot, aren't I?' She sighed. This time it wasn't to late to stop things though.
'I'm proud of you', whispered Anna. 'Now go tell Ellie!' She smiled as Elsa raced out of the room to find Ellie, already having an idea where she might have gone.
After Ellie had heard that she would be adopted tomorrow she just ran. She didn't know exactly where to but suddenly she had found herself at the meadow where she and Elsa always practiced their powers. Trying to calm down she started to make an ice sculpture of the castle. Soon she was so lost in her work, she didn't hear a person creeping up on her. Suddenly someone grabbed her hands from behind and forced them into two iron cuffs that engulfed her hands. It made her defenceless because her powers weren't strong enough yet to break the iron. The person turned her around making Ellie look directly into the face she hoped never to see again: Greta's. Greta started tugging the chain, dragging Ellie into the forest, back to the orphanage while leaving a trail of ice behind.
Approximately half an hour after Ellie's kidnapping Elsa arrived at the meadow. She was quite surprised not to find Ellie there. She was so sure this was the place Ellie had gone to. Then she saw the half finished sculpture of the castle and the trail of ice leading into the forest. Panic rose inside her chest and ice started to spread from under her feet.
Anna, Kristoff and Sven who had all come after her, found Elsa standing there.
'What happened?' Anna asked.
'Someone took her! I have to help her, I have to go after her!' Elsa panicked.
'I'll come with you', Anna immediately offered.
'No, I need you to take care of Arendelle.'
'Then at least take Kristoff and Sven with you.'
Elsa nodded in agreement, seeing the sense in that.
'What are you waiting for then?' Anna told her.
With that Elsa left with Kristoff and Sven to follow the ice, determined to bring back her little girl.