Chapter 3: I Will Protect You
The next morning, Elsa was jolted awake earlier than usual by cries and screaming emanating from her sister's bed. Shrieks piercing her eardrums, she whipped back her deep blue covers and dashed across to the matching pink bed, dodging toys and dresses strewn all over her sister's side of the room. Anna, cocooned in a tangle of sheets and blankets in various shades of pink, was tossing and turning, but still very clearly asleep, and very clearly frightened.
A nightmare! Elsa panicked. She's having a nightmare!
"Anna! Anna, wake up!" she urged, gently shaking her sister by her shoulders.
At once, Anna shot bolt upright, flinging sheets in all directions. Her gaze snapped to meet Elsa's, and, all too quickly, the girl broke into inconsobable sobs. She reached out for her sister, burying her face in Elsa's nightgown, staining the front with tears. Elsa immediately assumed the role of motherly older sister and stroked Anna's messy red curls. They sat there for what seemed like an eternity, Elsa running her fingers through her sister's hair and just letting her cry herself out.
The sun had risen higher in the sky now, and birds out in the garden were beginning to greet the day with cheerful chirps. Anna's tears finally seemed to run dry. Elsa shifted her sister in her arms and looked down at the face that looked so similar to her own.
She gave a comforting, albeit tired smile. "You had a bad dream?"
Little Anna clutched the light blue fabric on her sister's arm. "Bad dream," she mimicked.
Elsa's hand returned to the back of Anna's head, patting it reassuringly. "Wanna tell me what happened?"
Anna appeared to consider it. She once again hid her face in the folds on the front of Elsa's nightdress. "Mhmmmfhhffmf," was all Elsa could make out.
She held in a chuckle for her sister's sake. "Anna, what? I can't hear you."
Anna removed her head from the tear-soaked ruffles and mumbled, "The rock people."
"Rock people?" Elsa wasn't sure what this meant. Often times, her sister would talk nonsense, leaving Elsa to ponder just what was going on in that little head of hers.
Anna nodded. "They are rocks in the daytime but when the sun goes to bed they turn into people."
"Rock people..." Elsa repeated, mulling over what this could mean. A thought struck her. "Oh! Trolls, Anna? Like the ones in our fairytale book?"
The little redheaded girl hid her face in her hands. "They are scary. They were all around me and I was alone and I couldn't find you or Mama or Papa."
"Oh, Anna," Elsa said, bringing her sister in for a hug. "It's okay. It wasn't real. You don't have to worry, because me and Papa and Mama will always protect you."
Anna seemed to take genuine comfort in her sister's words. Elsa continued.
"And anyways, you don't have to be scared of the trolls! They're nice in our book, remember?"
Elsa hopped off her sister's bed and picked through the clutter until she found their book of fairytales. She flopped back onto Anna's bed and held it open, pointing at the rich illustrations.
"Remember, Anna? They help the icecutter's son marry the pretty princess he loves. And there's the other story about the troll who advises the king on how to run the country, in exhange for a meadow full of flowers. Anna, you like these stories."
"They are still scary," Anna retorted, crossing her arms defiantly. It was clear by the look on her face that she was no longer scared, only pretending so she wouldn't be wrong. She hated being wrong.
Elsa shook her head and smiled. "Well, scary trolls or not, I'll always protect you, Anna."
At breakfast, Anna happily slurped her oatmeal, blissfully forgetful of the morning's earlier events. Elsa, as always, did her very best to be a prim and proper perfect princess. She sat with her back straight up in her chair, and took small, dainty bites of her salmon-and-egg smorbrod. Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows. Silver on the table caught the morning light and reflected it right into Elsa's eyes. A bit of egg fell off of her sandwich and into her lap.
All was quiet, except for the chorus of birds that were now outside the window, mixing with the slurp-slurp-slurping of Anna's oatmeal. Normally, breakfast was not a silent meal, but today, the king and queen ate soundlessly, uttering nary a word except perhaps to thank a servant who brought more coffee. At last, King Nikolai cleared his throat and directed his attention to the girls.
"My daughters," he began, "Yesterday, it was brought to my attention that your lessons, Elsa, went a little... Awry?"
Elsa suddenly looked extremely guilty, but politely kept her gaze on her father, wringing her hands beneath the table. Anna, however, looked quite pleased with her actions.
"Yes, Papa," Elsa managed to say. "It was my fault. I should have been paying attention to Lord Holstad. I know how important my studies are."
The king sighed and looked into his daughter's eyes. "We will talk about this after breakfast."
He lifted a fork and began to eat again, as though nothing had happened.
Down the long table, Elsa was a bundle of nerves. Her fingers tied themselves in knots underneath the golden brocade tablecloth. Icicles began to grow from the underside of the table, and Elsa could feel the familiar chill in the air around her that occured whenever her emotions grew strong. Anna's slurping seemed to grow louder, and Elsa wondered how she was always so nonchalant about being in trouble.
Elsa trudged down the long hall to the throne room as though she were in a funeral march. Anna skipped behind her, stopping to ask suits of armor how their day was going, and to smell every vase of fresh flowers they passed. Elsa left slightly frosty footprints on the hardwood as she moved. She hated being in trouble. She was probably every bit as mischievious as her younger sister, but when it came to facing the consequences, it made her want to run away and hide.
"Anna," she called, "Keep up. Remember that time you got lost?"
The younger girl raced ahead to be with her sister. When she saw the fear etched onto Elsa's features, she reached out and grabbed her hand. Elsa could feel her sister's warmth melting the frost on her fingertips, and it made her feel a hair better. A little of her tension released and she squeezed Anna's hand a little tighter.
"Elsa, why you do that and I can't?" Anna queried.
"Do what?"
"Ice magic."
"Oh. I don't know."
"I wish I could." Elsa could hear a twinge of jealousy in Anna's voice.
"No," she said, "You don't."
The familiar carved wooden doors of the throne room stood just ahead of them, tall and intimidating. Elsa raised a hand to knock, and hesitated. Anna lifted her own little hand to imitate her sister, and they both rapped their knuckles on the thick door.
"Come in." They heard the king's voice from inside.
