"I want to show you something."
Bruce turned to the queen and nodded. "Okay."
Elsa, still holding his hand, turned to the dazed Anna and Kristoff, who hadn't yet recovered from the sight they'd just witnessed and were still gazing off in the direction where the two heroes had just disappeared from sight. "Do all soldiers outside have armor like that?" Kristoff managed to ask.
"No, no, not even close," Bruce said with a smile and shake of his head. "Tony Stark is... very possessive of his design."
"I never knew people had that kind of power," Anna whispered.
"Good thing nobody else saw it," said Kristoff, "or we'd have had a real panic problem on our hands."
"Those who would care, anyway," Anna reminded him.
"Guess we can trust that to get the job done," Kristoff said with conviction as he shook off the stupor. "So, what's next? We stand here and freeze, or get back home before we find any more surprises?"
"You two go home," Elsa replied. "We'll meet you there later."
Kristoff looked quizzically at her and began to ask, "Wh-" before Anna silenced him with a small rap on the shoulder and, beaming, said, "Great idea. Come on, let's go," and dragged her husband toward the sled.
Kristoff tried to ask again, "But..."
Anna ignored him and asked, "Who's driving, you or me?" as she climbed up and took the reins.
"Wait a minute, we can't just..."
Anna grabbed his arm and tried to pull him up next to her. "Sure we can. They'll be fine, right, Elsa?"
"It's okay, Kristoff," Elsa said reassuringly. "We just... need to discuss a few things."
"But..."
"Do what the queen tells you, now come on," Anna told him.
Kristoff exchanged one look with Bruce before mounting the sled next to his wife. "Want us to meet you down below and drive you back?" he asked them.
"No, you take the sled home," answered Elsa. "We won't be needing it."
"I know, but..."
Before he could continue, Anna waved and said, "Bye!" and snapped the reins, causing the reindeer to take off and her passenger to fall back against the seat. "See you guys later!"
Bruce and Elsa waved back as the latter called, "Bye! Be down soon!" to the departing sled. The last thing they heard was Kristoff asking, dumbfounded, "What just happened?"
Elsa released his hand and said, "Come on, this way," as she turned to the woods behind them.
Bruce followed her and asked, "Where are we going?" He noticed that the snow didn't crunch under his boots but remained as firm as earth under his feet. He guessed by the way Elsa walked effortlessly on top of the snow without her high heels sinking into the soft powder either that she was responsible for that.
"You'll see. It's not far."
With Elsa directing the snow and wind in their favor as they hiked, they made quick progress up the mountain. Every so often, her path led them out of the trees so that they had a beautiful view of the fjord, castle, and town in the valley down below, with the southern border of mountains in the distance beyond. Bruce stopped at one point and stared at the far off rocky peaks, Elsa stopping and walking back to him, waiting for him to speak.
"That's where we met, isn't it?" he finally asked.
"Right over there," she confirmed, pointing to a spot in the southeast of their current position, at a lower altitude. "You made it a little farther this time."
"A little," he repeated before they moved on.
They walked on in comfortable silence for a few miles; Bruce sensed that there would be plenty of time for talking wherever she was taking him. Plus, he was preoccupied by the novelty of walking on snow and ice without sinking or slipping. Eventually, he did ask, "Do you come up here often?"
"When I want to be alone," his guide answered him. "When I need some privacy to think, or relax, or blow off some steam in peace."
"Bit of a long walk for someone without your talents," he observed.
"That's the idea."
"Is it a secret?"
"Everyone knows it exists and where it is, but they also know not to disturb me here."
They were interrupted by a crunching sound he heard over his shoulder. Bruce turned around and looked up to see a tree branch above him bending lower under its load of snow, causing a section to shift down and fall off. Too late to outrun it, he instinctively raised his arms to shield himself from the cascade when the sound abruptly stopped. He opened his eyes to see a veil of snow held over him in midair. As he stared, it spread farther out and fell harmlessly around him in a shower of flurries.
"Thanks," he said as he walked up to Elsa.
"No problem." She reached up towards his head, probably to brush the snow off his hat, but stopped in mid-gesture and turned around, walking steadily ahead again. She also now waved the snow away from anything hanging over their path as they walked, causing it to rise in the air and dissolve.
"It's amazing, the way you do that."
"This is easy," said Elsa. "Not easy to learn, though. It took me twenty-one years before I even realized I could melt and thaw ice."
"How long would it take you to thaw the entire kingdom?"
"I've only done that once – less than two minutes. But since it's still winter, it would just fall again anyway. I don't think I could stand actively keeping the snow and cold artificially at bay constantly for three months."
Bruce agreed, so he simply asked next, "What else can you do? Learned anything else new?"
"Not since I learned how to control them. I've refined my techniques, but I think I've reached the limits of my powers. No new abilities have appeared or anything, although..."
"Although, what?"
"Well, I've had this dream a few times that Anna and I laughed at, at first, but sometimes, when I remember it and start manipulating the snow, I get this feeling that makes me wonder, if I tried, if I could actually..."
"Watch out!" Bruce saw it before she did – a crack split in an overhanging branch just as they passed under it. He had only a split-second to react when he saw the entire limb give way. Without thinking, he yelled out and rushed over, pushing her out of the way. He heard her sharp gasp right before he heard it crash on the ground behind them. When it was over, he remained where he'd landed in the snow without moving, waiting for the small adrenaline rush to wear off, which, fortunately, thanks to his training, was quick.
He opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder to confirm they were safe. She lay next to him under his arm; she looked unharmed. "You all right?" he asked.
"I'm fine. Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm okay."
Elsa sighed in relief. "I should have watched where I was going. If you hadn't spotted that..."
"That was a close one."
"Yeah..."
He grinned. "Now we're even." He watched her grin back for a bit before it occurred to him they should have moved by now. "Uh, sorry, I, uh..." He pulled his arm away, releasing her. "I didn't mean to..."
"It's okay."
He cleared his throat and stood up, helping her to her feet. "We shouldn't be... talking... here in the snow..."
"Don't worry. I don't mind." She calmly shook the snow out of her braid and wafted it off them in waves from where it had stuck to their clothes.
"Right, I... I know."
"You sure you're all right?" She looked apprehensive.
He raised his wrist and pointed at where she now knew the alarm lay under his sleeve. "Yes, it's fine; it was quick."
"Good. We better pay closer attention – these mountains are dangerous in winter."
"Will your sister be okay?" he asked, looking down the cliff and wondering where their companions were now.
"They'll be fine – Kristoff could steer safely through these mountains in his sleep," Elsa said as they resumed hiking. "I think he feels more at home here than he does in the castle."
"Really?"
"Yeah – he grew up here training to be an ice harvester. He's been joining them on their expeditions into the highest, coldest mountains ever since he was a small boy."
"He was an ice harvester?" Bruce asked. He knew they were his friends, but neither Kristoff nor anyone else had mentioned that he was one of them, or maybe they had and it just hadn't registered because he never would have considered that. Bruce had assumed that he would have been... Well, that wasn't the sort of background he ever would have guessed he had.
"He still is," Elsa explained. "Not for money, obviously. He just loves the work – says he could never give it up."
"How did he..." Bruce caught himself in time to stop in mid-sentence, but Elsa looked pointedly at him, suspicious of his hesitation, and he could tell that she wanted him to finish. "How did he end up marrying your sister?"
Elsa answered softly, "He saved her life," and looked down at the ground – obviously, now was not the time she wanted to go into detail about whatever story lay behind that.
Bruce didn't ask for further explanation, but he did nod and say, "I see. So, his reward was..."
"No, his reward was a new sled, a medal, and a promotion. They got married a year later because he loved her and she loved him."
"That's... wonderful."
He wasn't surprised that Elsa knew that wasn't the word he had first intended to say. "It's more than that," she said with a sly smile.
Bruce smiled back and admitted, "It's also interesting. I'm glad it was so easy for them. I never would have guessed they would have been allowed to..."
"You're not the only one. But, as I explained to everyone who objected, the princess is free to marry whomever she wants."
He thought he detected emphasis on one particular word. "The princess?"
"Yes. It wasn't as if the king or queen or heir had tried to marry a commoner. That would have been unheard of. Fortunately for the two of them, the spare has more freedom of choice than the heir. The rules are much stricter for the actual ruling monarch."
"I figured as much," was all Bruce said in response, and they walked in silence again for a while.
"Here we are." Bruce didn't look up until Elsa's announcement, so he didn't see their destination until he was right below it. When he raised his head, his eyes widened in awe.
They were standing at the base of a long, elegant staircase made entirely of ice. At its top was a wondrous palace, its towers, spires, balconies, elaborately carved roofs, and tall, ornate double-doors all made of the same flawlessly smooth ice, glistening like pure silver in the winter sun and its reflection off the surrounding snow. His eyes wandered over inch of the surface, trying to take in every detail. Bruce told himself it was only natural to find such a sight here and that it should have been completely foreseeable, but he was still held enraptured by its breathtaking beauty; even if he had bothered to assume Elsa would have built such a structure, he never would have imagined it would look like that.
"When-when did you build this?" he whispered, still gazing up at the ice palace.
"The day I ran away, after my coronation. It was damaged during a battle, but I was so proud of it that I couldn't just forget about it. It was the first thing I ever created with my powers. The first time I used them in years without feeling afraid. The first time since I was a child that I allowed myself to love them again. So I rebuilt it and kept it. Cast my permanent chilling effect to keep it from melting in warm weather. It's been damaged occasionally, of course, but it's easy to make repairs. I've even added a few additions over the years."
"It's amazing."
"That's what Anna said, too," Elsa said, either pleased with or amused by his reaction. "Want to see the inside?"
He turned and looked at her. "Would I?"
Elsa strolled up to the staircase and walked confidently up the steps, heedless of the slick surface beneath her feet. Bruce followed more hesitantly, at first, glancing anxiously into the chasm below them, dreading with every step that he would slip and plunge into the abyss, causing who knew how much damage when the other guy hit the bottom, until he allowed his admiration for Elsa's graceful walk to distract him from his fear. By the time he realized what he was doing, they were at the top.
Elsa raised her arm, and the front doors, decorated with a beautiful snowflake design, swung open. Once they walked inside, Bruce could see the balconies of three floors above them, a grand spiral staircase carving a winding path through them all. A magnificent chandelier, made of abstract shapes and angles sewn together with mathematical precision, hung from the roof high above, while a fountain of millions of tiny, frozen droplets of water served as decoration for the entrance hall. The place obviously wasn't built to live, eat or sleep in. The design had been the end in and of itself, not any function it was supposed to serve; its only purpose was beauty and splendor.
"How long did it take you to build this?" Bruce asked as he looked around him.
"The first time, about three minutes," answered Elsa. "I haven't added up the time I've worked on it since then."
"I didn't know you'd studied architecture," he said, half-joking.
"That was my favorite subject when I was a girl. Studying geometry in my room was the closest I felt to being happy after..." She shook off the sadness the memories seemed to bring up. "Well, it paid off. Maybe I enjoyed studying that because I always had dreams of building this in the back of my mind."
"I've never seen anything like it."
He continued staring up at her handiwork until he felt her take his hand. "Come on – this way." Elsa led him up the staircase, stopping whenever he paused to look at something from a new angle. Once, he leaned over too far and lost his footing, sending him falling back. "Whoah, careful!" she exclaimed as she caught him by the arm.
Once he righted himself, he said, "Sorry," smiling awkwardly. "Thanks."
"No problem."
The main attraction at the top wasn't the chandelier but the view from the highest balcony, not just of the mountains but of the rest of the palace and the bridge of steps. The effect from here was even more awe-inspiring, just like an aquarium where you walk under and between the sharks and sea turtles is more exciting than watching them swim behind one wall of glass.
"Unbelievable. Look at this." Bruce turned his attention from the landscape and the magnificence of the building to the details of its craftsmanship. He couldn't get over how perfectly formed and polished the surface was. As he ran his gloves along the balcony railing, he observed, "Every piece is perfect, like glass or the most flawless crystal."
"They didn't start out that way. When I first began, the ice came out rough and uneven, until I shaved off the excess and smoothed it out."
"I wish I could have seen it!" Bruce said in a low voice, trying to picture how she had created this and sure he was failing miserably.
"It was exhilarating," Elsa confessed as she looked around the room, a faraway look in her eyes. "I started by raising a platform, and the main pillars around it, like this..." She gestured at an empty space between columns, and a new one began growing between them. Bruce watched her arms work their magic, entranced by how effortlessly they brought the ice to life and gave form to the formless. Elsa looked at him once and smiled as if she enjoyed his admiration. Before he knew it, she was dissolving a wall and creating an entire new wing of the palace, erecting a new tower, raising the roof and then them as she conjured another floor beneath theirs, sculpting a second chandelier. It was a spectacular show, and Bruce greedily drank in every second of it as the artist worked away.
Elsa bowed when she finished, and her audience said, "Elsa, you're a master of your art."
"I'm glad you enjoy it as much as I enjoy making it," she replied.
"I could watch that forever," he said sincerely.
"Thank you... but I didn't invite you here to show off." He turned his attention to the architect, who looked as serious as she sounded.
Suddenly worried that she had bad news, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, everything's fine," she answered in a tone that he believed. "In fact, things are better than I expected... on one front at least." He took a few steps towards her, his face looking as confused as he felt. "I was worried that people would have a lot of questions about my mysterious, foreign companion last night and what we were talking about, but no one said anything about it."
"I tried not to say anything specific out loud. I didn't make anyone suspicious, did I?"
"No," Elsa assured him with a warm smile. "You did marvelously last night – you chose your words perfectly. I'm impressed at how you revealed nothing specific or gave anything dangerous away when we talked last night. But we can't talk that way all the time." He understood where this was going now. "There is so much I still want to know..."
"There's so much I want to tell you, too."
"But no one else can know; they wouldn't understand."
"My thoughts exactly."
"To keep your secret safe, I was thinking, we should never refer to it, never discuss your powers or what you've been through or what we have in common, anywhere but here. Where no one will overhear us or disturb us."
The danger of exposure was great enough that this didn't seem like overkill. Meeting or talking anywhere in secret down in Arendelle would have been asking to be overheard. "That's a great plan," Bruce said truthfully.
"I was hoping you'd approve. Any time we want to talk – really talk – we'll arrange to meet here. We'll leave separately so it doesn't look like we're sneaking off alone..."
Bruce actually interrupter her: "Aren't we sneaking off alone?" When she put it like that, something about this set-up seemed highly improper. So why was he grinning?
Elsa ignored the question (probably because the answer was obvious): "There will be nothing unusual in my coming here, and you won't be missed since you're free to come and go as you please while you stay at the castle, and any number of other people will always be absent at the same time we both are."
"True."
"Ideally, your friends will be back soon and this evil spell broken, and we won't have much time together, so..."
She intentionally let him finish this time. "So we better make the most of it."
"Exactly."
As they stared at each other, facing the inevitable mortality of their time together, Bruce couldn't help but wonder if, in that case, it would be smarter not to get more attached to her. His reluctance to point this out, however, made him realize that that wasn't what he wanted. He'd suffer for it later, but, for now, he wanted to be her friend. He wanted someone to open up to, someone who understood what life was like for him – something none of the Avengers could understand like she did. He didn't turn her down – only asked, "How?"
"By learning everything we still want to know about each other." Elsa walked out on the balcony and leaned against the railing. There was no sign of human life anywhere in sight.
As he joined her, Bruce suddenly felt as shy as he had the day they'd first met. "I wouldn't even know where to start."
"I know where I'd like to start," Elsa said uncertainly.
"Where?"
She hesitated but eventually asked, "Would you tell me about the time you saved the world from an evil sorcerer?"
"Did I mention that?" Bruce asked sarcastically.
"Were you joking?"
"Did it sound like it?"
"Possibly."
"Good – oldest trick in the secret-keeping book."
They laughed a bit before Elsa said, "I'd like to hear all about it."
Part of that adventure was painful, but Bruce could recall it all calmly enough, and it had a happy ending. He sighed, wondering where to begin, before saying, "Well, it all started when I was hiding out in a remote village in an eastern country called India. I'd been living there ever since I'd finally learned what you tried to teach me – to control him by letting go of my anger, by always feeling angry. I felt safer than I had in years, but I knew I could still never live a normal life, so I decided to focus on helping others who could. Find a more valuable way to spend my time besides feeling sorry for myself. I was tending to a sick family one night when this little girl showed up, in tears, begging me to come tend to her father. And, like a fool, I went..."
He went on to recount how he'd accepted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s "request" to help them find a source of dangerous power, how it had been stolen by a powerful being from another world named Loki, how he and several other soldiers she had met and hadn't met had to ban together to stop his army of monsters, and the vicious battle the other guy helped them fight and win. Despite the questions she asked and the comments she made, he never suspected how enchanted his listener was by his story or the effect that his own bravery, strength, and heroism therein was having on her. If he had, he never would have opened that door.
"That's incredible. You saved the world. You saved my people. You saved us all," Elsa said when he was finished.
"Tony Stark saved us all; I just helped."
"But you saved him! And you beat their leader singlehandedly!"
"That's what they say – it's just a blur to me, like always."
"If it hadn't been for you, they couldn't possibly have defeated him, could they?"
Bruce's only answer was, "I'm glad I could help them."
"Aren't you proud of what you did?"
"Relieved that it worked out so well."
"You should be proud," Elsa insisted. "Joining them was more dangerous for you than anyone else, but you were still brave enough to do it."
Bruce took a deep breath and said, "I could have killed them all," remembering his last seconds of consciousness on the Helicarrier before the other guy went rampaging through the place.
"Then why did you go back?" When he didn't answer, Elsa went on: "Because you knew they were in more danger without you. You knew they needed you, that your power was their greatest protection, their best chance at victory, not a danger, not a threat. You knew you could make a difference, that you were strong enough to defeat what was coming, and you went back knowing you had nothing to fear – from your enemies, or from yourself."
"I didn't think of any of that at the time," Bruce explained. "Just that I couldn't run away because I was afraid of myself."
"And you aren't proud of that?" Elsa asked him with a smirk.
"Pride isn't exactly something I've ever associated with the other guy."
"Give it time – pride in your power comes after losing your fear of your power."
Bruce smiled at her prediction (no doubt based on personal experience) and said, "If I'm less afraid of him, it's only because of what you taught me."
"Then you have no reason to question me now," Elsa said in mock smugness.
"I have nothing to be proud of."
"Look at what you did. Why didn't you tell me what kind of a person I've been dealing with? You're a hero!"
"I'm not a hero," Bruce insisted, still smiling.
"Your story begs to differ. I've never..." She turned away from him and faced the horizon.
Bruce leaned his elbow contentedly against the railing, savoring the first time he caught Elsa stopping herself from blurting something out. "You've never, what, my Queen?"
It was only fair of her to tell the truth, as he always had: "I was just thinking... I've never met a man as brave or as strong as you are. I just... I really admire you. The things you've done."
If his body hadn't been trained not to respond to emotional reactions, Bruce was sure he would have been blushing as furiously as she was. Turning in the same direction, he vowed then and there never to ask Elsa what she was thinking again. "He's the strong one, not me, remember?"
"I'm not so sure about that."
Some instinct told him he shouldn't say it, but he ignored it: "I've, uh... I've never met anyone like you, either." He turned back to her; she was smiling and still blushing but not looking him. He smiled as well at the sight and added, "You'll be a great hero someday – I can tell."
Elsa snickered as if the idea was preposterous. Turning back to him, she said, "I think you have me confused with my sister," before her expression and voice became more solemn. "I don't want to be a hero. I just want to be a good ruler."
"You are."
"Then why is this happening to my kingdom? I've tried so hard to be a good leader, but all this... it makes me wonder if I really have what it takes to be queen. I thought I knew what I was doing, but ever since this started, I've felt more and more helpless. All this power, and I still can't protect my own people. I've failed them. Maybe I'm just not capable of ruling..."
Bruce reached out and clasped her hand in his own, causing her to turn towards him. "If you could help someone as desperate as I was, you can handle anything. Believe me – I know you're a great leader. You showed me that the day we met, so... wise, kind, fearless – everything a great ruler needs to be." He was babbling now – that wasn't a good sign. "So don't talk like that. You haven't failed anyone – this isn't over yet. You can beat this. You're going to win. I..." He'd said too much already, but he couldn't stop. "I have faith in you."
She looked away again when he finished, squeezing his hand in thanks. Neither of them let go as she said, "I'll believe you if you believe me."
"Nice try," he said with an embarrassed laugh.
"Would you like me to thank you or pretend I didn't hear a word you said?"
"Whatever you wish, Your Highness." It was one thing to think so highly of someone; it was another to say it to their face.
"No matter – your conclusions are premature."
"My evidence is solid," he argued.
"You didn't take all the necessary facts into consideration."
"Such as?"
"Such as the icy catastrophe I caused less than twenty-four hours after my reign began." Elsa paused to sigh and shake her head before she continued. "What kind of a start is that?"
Bruce still didn't know all the details about that incident, but he'd gleaned enough to feel confident in saying, "That's in the past. It was an accident that will never happen again."
"If only I could convince everyone else out there who's still afraid of me..."
"Anyone ever given you a reason to be afraid of them?"
"No, no, nothing like that. Some people don't like us, and they're not shy about proclaiming it, but they'd never..."
"You said someone once tried to kill you." They both turned to face each other again after he recalled what she'd mentioned in passing last night. "I'm sorry, I know it's none of my business, but when you hear something like that, you can't help but wonder..."
"I know," Elsa said with a nod.
"I understand if you don't want to talk about it..."
"No, it's okay. It sounds much more critical than it actually was. At the time, it was just another part of the long string of disasters set off by my coronation."
Bruce couldn't see it so lightly. "What happened?"
"Do you want the whole story?"
"If you don't mind telling me, yes. I only know bits and pieces. I remember you said that's when you lost control and your secret got out."
Elsa smiled weakly and released his hand to brush a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. "That's right. My parents had been dead for three years, and no one else knew – not even Anna – and nothing was more important than keeping it that way. The gates had been closed for thirteen years. We lived in complete seclusion – no parties, no balls, no visitors unless absolutely necessary. But I had no choice when I came of age and had to be crowned – I had to give people a proper welcome and entertainment. It was the most agonizing day of my life; I spent every second terrified of slipping up and everyone finding out. Everything went remarkably smoothly, at first, though; I managed to make it through the entire ceremony without losing control for more than a few seconds – not long enough for anyone to see. Once the hardest part was over, I was actually able to relax enough to enjoy the party afterwards – a little. Anna was having a great time, but she disappeared after I reminded her it couldn't always be like that. Then, a few hours later, she ran up to me and announced out of the blue that she was getting married..."
For the next hour or so, Elsa continued to fill in the blanks until Bruce had the whole picture of what had happened then. He heard how Elsa and her sister had started fighting because Juliet had accepted a marriage proposal from Romeo only a few hours after meeting him, how the stress had triggered her powers, how she'd run away immediately without realizing what had happened back in Arendelle. He learned that Anna met Kristoff after she went searching for her sister and recruited him as her guide, only for the two of them to bond on their little road trip more than either of them ever would have guessed. He soon knew all about Anna almost freezing to death from a splinter of ice in her heart (which explained her reaction when she heard Stark's story), about the assault on the ice palace when Elsa fought for her life but was knocked unconscious and captured, and about Prince Hans and his sinister role in the story.
"Loki..." was the closest thing Bruce made to a comment about the youngest prince of the Southern Isles – an envious, charming, cold-blooded, manipulative, glib, selfish, smug master of illusion just like the younger prince of Asgard.
"They probably would have gotten along splendidly," agreed Elsa.
Bruce kept his eyes steadily on the horizon; he had managed to listen to how the prince had tried to kill two innocent, unarmed women with nothing more than a slight tremor in his limbs. That someone could be so heartless, so shameless, such a coward, resort to such despicable means, willing to sacrifice innocent lives just so he could obtain a throne and fame, would have been infuriating enough, but the thought of anyone threatening Elsa or her sweet little sister like that would have been unbearable if he wasn't always angry.
Which was more despicable – the way he'd deceived Anna and rubbed it in her face, or the way he'd driven Elsa to despair as he prepared to stab her in the back? Intellectual questions greatly helped to dilute anger. Bruce also noticed that Elsa had trembled herself at certain moments, like when she recounted how Anna had briefly turned into a frozen statue, but she never sounded nervous or afraid like anyone else, even the other Avengers, would have sounded while telling him something like that; knowing that she wasn't waiting for him to freak out also helped. His voice was hard but calm as, gripping the railing tightly, he asked her, "What happened to him?"
Elsa gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, revealing that she was aware of the effort behind his calm and didn't doubt his ability to control it. "According to our laws, I could have chosen to have him tried and imprisoned or executed here, but I decided not to. I just wanted him gone. I preferred to get him as far away from us as quickly as possible, so I elected to have him sent back to stand trial in his own country instead."
"Is that what you did with the Duke as well?"
"I believed his soldiers' claims that they were acting on his orders, but we had no proof. I couldn't pursue any sort of action against him, but no one could stop me from severing all ties with his kingdom. He was hardly worth any further effort, anyway; he was just a fool."
"What about the prince? What did they do with him?"
"He was found guilty of treason and attempted assassination, disowned, stripped of his title and birthright, and sentenced to life in prison."
At least he hadn't gotten away with it. "Is that where he is now?"
"No..." Bruce tensed up in the split-second before Elsa finished the sentence. "He died six months ago."
"What? How?"
"He was killed in a prison fire," Elsa said with a shudder. "By all accounts, it was devastating. Took them forever to contain it. Very few survivors..."
This unexpected development made her listener even more uneasy. "How did you find out he was killed?"
"The king informed me in a letter," she explained with no hint of agitation or discomfort in her voice. "He thought my sister and I had a right to know his fate."
"Did they find his body?" Elsa turned to him with her eyebrow raised in confusion at his question. "His body – did they ever find it?"
"I... I didn't ask," the somewhat bewildered queen answered. "Even if I had, I doubt they could have told me."
"Bodies burned beyond recognition?" Bruce guessed.
"Most of them, yes, I believe."
"Then how do they know who was killed?"
"They were careful to get a final count of the survivors and the dead. Not everyone could be individually identified, but no one was missing."
"They're absolutely sure every body has been accounted for?"
Elsa nodded. "The block he was kept in was completely destroyed, everything reduced to ash and rubble – the ceiling collapsed, crushing everything beneath it. He was locked inside when it happened. There's no possible way he or anyone else there at the time could have survived."
"But they never found the body?" Bruce repeated.
"No. I guess not," Elsa admitted. Bruce sighed as he turned away from her. "What's wrong?"
Hearing the question put to him like that directly made Bruce question what he was thinking himself. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to shake off the feeling of foreboding. She was right – if that was what had really happened, what he was thinking was impossible. This was ridiculous – why did he let himself get so paranoid?
"What is it?" he heard Elsa ask him, sounding worried.
"Nothing," he answered. "Probably nothing. I'm sorry, it's just... well, we have this saying where I come from about this sort of thing..."
"What?"
He opened his mouth to tell her but, instead, just shook his head again. "Forget it – it's impossible."
"Please don't let this trouble you," Elsa asked him, putting her hand in his again. "It's over. We've all put it behind us. There's no need to dwell on it any longer. There's nothing to worry about."
"I know, I know, I just..." Bruce just realized why he had been so quick to assume the worst-case scenario. "I just can't stand the thought of anyone..."
Elsa showed him mercy this time and spared him from finishing. "Now you know how I've felt for the past two years," she said with a lighthearted smile.
Bruce allowed himself to catch her levity and returned the smile. "I promise I'll make it up to you, my Queen."
"I'll remember that, Dr. Banner."
There it was again – the perfect opportunity to say what they both wanted him to say – and, once again, he let it pass. The reason that had stopped him last night hadn't changed. Perhaps he should remind her of that. "Don't worry about me," he said, just as he had last night, running his fingers along the edge of the device on his wrist. "It's not necessary."
"That's irrelevant. And untrue."
"Okay – I just don't want you to," he said matter-of-factly.
"Fine – I don't want you to let the thought of my enemies bother you, either. Deal?"
Bruce let himself laugh before he answered, "Not a fair trade."
"How do you figure that?"
He was in dangerous territory now, but it would be more dangerous to turn back. "Because there's no way the other guy would ever let me get hurt – it's impossible. Whereas..."
"Are you sure you want to finish that thought?"
"I didn't want to begin it. You started it!" Bruce pleaded, laughing at himself.
"In that case, allow me to finish it for you – I can take care of myself," said Elsa, releasing a small burst of snow from her palm to illustrate her point.
"Already noted and irrelevant," he said, echoing her earlier argument. "I know that better than anyone."
"You have no idea what I can do," Elsa laughed, shooting another blast higher into the air.
"Enlighten me," Bruce said eagerly, looking forward to another display of her powers.''
Elsa shrugged. "If you insist," she said ominously and began rolling her hands over each other, forming what looked like a ball of pulsing light between them.
Bruce watched as the glittering ice took shape. Elsa soon spread her hands apart, and, to his astonishment, what emerged was a white and blue bird, resembling a mockingbird more than anything else in appearance, but about the size of a small falcon, that scattered tiny snowflakes as it flapped its wings, like a phoenix made of ice instead of fire. "Whoah..." He backed up as it flew over to him, around his back and under his arms a few times, before circling around his head and flying back to Elsa, landing on her extended right arm.
Bruce walked up to her and looked closely at her latest creation. "It's alive," he said in disbelief. "It's alive."
Elsa laughed gently at his reaction as she pet her little companion. "As you or I." The snowbird gave a loud call to confirm this. "I won't lie – discovering I could make living snow creatures was a big surprise."
"You don't say?" To Bruce's further surprise, the snowbird suddenly leaped off Elsa's arm and flew right to him. He flinched, but it swerved away from his face and landed on his shoulder.
"Aw, she likes you," Elsa observed.
Bruce raised his right arm, and the bird jumped obediently to his forearm so that he could pull it around and get a better look at it. "I'm honored, but why?" he asked playfully.
"It's not surprising, if she knows you're a man of valor and the heroic things you've done... or the sort of pain you've had to endure... or how much you have in common with me and how much I enjoy your company... or maybe she just thinks you're handsome."
Bruce kept his eyes focused intently on the snowbird as he said, "I doubt it."
"Of course you do," Elsa sighed, stepping closer and stroking the bird's back.
"Well, what would you say if I..."
Elsa smirked at him as if to ask if they were really going to play this game again. "If you what?"
Bruce cleared his throat and mumbled, "If I said..."
"You already did," said a deadpan Elsa.
"I didn't say..."
"Yes?"
He looked into her eyes and repeated, "I didn't say...", but that was as far as he got. He thought, I didn't say how beautiful you are. He asked himself why he couldn't say it. What was so dangerous about telling her that? A light burst of wind rippled across the balcony, blowing her braid back like the tail of a comet. He pictured her with hair down again, his gaze drifting down to her neck and shoulders as he did so. His eyes didn't stop but wandered down the rest of her slender frame. She was so lovely. He wanted to tell her so. He wanted...
He felt the weight of the bird lift off his arm. He leaned forward as his freed arm dropped; Elsa moved likewise. They continued leaning closer. He marveled at how her breath didn't turn into clouds in the cold like his did, at her eyes as blue as sapphires, her skin as white as snow... They closed their eyes when their faces were only a few inches apart. This was what he wanted...
It was not denial but the instinct of self-preservation brought about by full admission that made him pull back the way one would back away from the edge of a cliff before going over. He abruptly turned aside as soon as he opened his eyes, before he could see her face again, and said, "It doesn't matter," both to himself and in answer to her last question. He meant it.
"I think it does," she replied.
"Why? What would it lead to?" he asked without looking at her, the danger he was in now all too clear.
She sighed – not in sadness but with resolution – and said firmly, "You're right... it's not practical to..." He turned and looked at her now. She was shaking her head and frowning. "I'm sorry, I should have kept things in perspective."
"We both should."
"We will, from now on."
"We have to."
Having so much in common, it was unsurprising they were in complete agreement on this point. They were momentarily distracted by the snowbird flying back down and landing on the railing right between them. Bruce couldn't explain why, but he somehow got the impression the creature was sad. Elsa sighed and reached out to pet it again. "Good-bye, little one," she said. It turned to face Bruce for a second before rising into the air and flying north into the mountainous wilderness, away from her kingdom and all the rules and responsibilities that went along with it. The two of them simply stared at each other, both agreeing that it would be unwise for two people who didn't have the privilege of concealing their feelings to remain here alone any longer, but neither wanting to be the one to end it.
Elsa assumed the responsibility: "We should be going now, too."
"Right."
They marched back down through the palace and down the staircase outside in silence. This wouldn't do. Friends didn't feel this awkward in each other's presence. "Thank you for the tour, Elsa," Bruce said with a grateful smile.
"My pleasure, Dr. Banner."
"Bruce," he said instantly. It was silly for his friend to address him so formally.
"Bruce," Elsa repeated with her warm smile. "Remember our arrangement."
"Right," he repeated – any other response would have been a sign of weakness. They had both acted foolishly, and they would bear the consequences, not violate their most sacred tenant against concealment by avoiding each other, until they could put it behind them and laugh about it.
"Kristoff and Anna are probably wondering where we are by now," Elsa observed.
"We'd better hurry back, then." The less time Princess Anna had to think about the two of them alone together, the better. "What's the quickest route down?"
"I'm glad you asked." Elsa strolled nonchalantly to a snow-covered slope where there was no path. "We'll go down my favorite way." She stretched her arm out in his direction. "Grab on."
Bruce walked over to her but didn't grab on. "What are you..."
"I do this all the time. Beat the sled in every race. The snow will get us down in no time at all."
Stunned into silence by what she was suggesting, Bruce stared blankly at her until he recovered his voice: "Is that really necessary?"
"Of course not. It would just be fun."
"How much fun?"
"Too much fun?" Elsa asked him dejectedly.
As it had been years since he'd been able to fear for his life, no, he was in no danger on that front. No risk of him getting a rush and getting his heart rate up like a normal, vulnerable human being could. No, that wasn't what made him hesitate. "No," he admitted. "At least, not for the reason you're thinking."
"Then there's no harm."
He still held back from joining her. "I don't know."
"I do. I know what I'm doing; it's perfectly safe."
"It's not my safety I'm worried about..."
"I know. I can handle it."
He glanced over at the expanse of snow, ice, and rock that stood between them and their destination. "It's a big leap."
"Does that mean you don't want to take it with me?"
He smirked back at her; this game was getting redundant. "It's not about what I want. It's, can we do it?"
"Only one way to find out."
He folded his arms and looked down at the treacherous slope again. "It looks dangerous..."
"I promise, I won't let you fall. Don't you trust me?"
He smiled at her for a moment before accepting her hand. "I'm not afraid if you aren't."
"Perfect. Hold on tight."
He stepped next to her, grasping her hand more firmly. She gave him one final reassuring smile before raising her free hand and looking intently ahead. He felt the snow shift under his feet and had just enough time to decide that it felt like standing on a skateboard before they shot away from the edge and slid down the mountain on a ramp of snow that Elsa manipulated as they went. The initial jolt threw him forward against her back, so that he was holding on by her shoulder and waist instead of her hand. He could hear her laughing as they glided along, dodging trees and outcroppings of rock, swirling around turns and embankments, spraying a mist of snow and ice in their wake.
It was rather like skiing, except without the breakneck speed; he could tell by their lack of acceleration that Elsa was controlling their descent instead of gravity. Three or four times, the ground dropped away from them, or they went over a chasm, and she would form an ice bridge under their feet to carry them the short space through the air. You could tell by her rapid, expert, confident movements and reflexes that she had done this several times before. Neither of them spoke except for Elsa's occasional warning to, "Duck!" or "Bank left!" Bruce quickly forgot all his worries and reservations and let himself enjoy the ride, laughing along with his guide until he felt them slow down and the ground level out beneath them.
Elsa put the brakes on slowly, but his inertia still threw him forward against her again. She stumbled forward, and he grabbed her upper arms, holding her up. "Sorry – you all right?" he asked, still laughing.
Elsa turned around, brushing her bangs out of her eyes and tossing her braid over her shoulder again. "Never better. And you?"
His right hand was still on her arm. "Likewise. Wow... that was some ride."
"I told you so."
"Glad I let you talk me into it." Part of her bangs continued to sway in the wind. Without thinking, he reached up and tucked it behind her ear. She didn't act surprised or offended at his touch but simply stood still and smiled. He didn't move, either. That hunger he'd felt on the balcony overcame him again, but he was ready for it this time and didn't act on it. He stood there with his eyes locked on hers and his fingers in her silky hair until he was satisfied he could bear it. Once he'd completed that test, he let go and found he could bear that just as well. He shouldn't have let this start in the first place, but at least he knew he could handle it. There was no reason to let it get worse.
Elsa dropped her eyes, but her smile didn't change. "Well, it was fun while it lasted." She turned away from him, and he followed close behind her. Bruce took comfort in her determination. He was glad they were of one mind in this – to do the right thing.
Their first mistake was not speaking as they walked back to town. This gave the genuinely oblivious Elsa, who had never felt this way before, time to wonder what was going on. Something inside her had changed. It was like she was seeing her friend in a whole new light. Why had she tried to kiss him? She had no words or previous reference to describe how he made her feel – a strange mixture of joy, fear, recklessness, and an acute need for caution. What was this? She had never experienced anything like it before. Bruce had, which was why he had the extra burden of telling himself to forget about it, get over it, don't be such an idiot. Unlike Elsa, however, he had the advantage of knowing his companion was royalty, and, thus, the helpful assurance that, no matter how things appeared, she couldn't possibly feel the same way about him. He could tell himself it was his duty to ignore it because she wouldn't welcome such feelings from him. As long as he didn't look at her looking at him... But he did and, against his will, wondered, What if?
Perhaps she read his mind again and worried he would try to find out, breaking their vows. In any case, Elsa was the first to realize silence was their enemy. "I hope your friends are doing all right," she said.
"I'm sure they are right now," Bruce said obligingly. "They only left a few hours ago – not long enough for anything to happen to write home about."
"We'll go to the library when we get back and check the map – try to estimate where they are now."
"Should we walk back together?"
"I don't think anyone out here will care," Elsa said with a sigh, as she froze a path through the water before them to save them the trouble of going to the bridge.
She was right. After they crossed the fjord, they met no one but rigid, silent, apathetic passersby as they made their way through the square. A few hostile glares were thrown their way, and Bruce heard a few whispers of "Witch" that would have made anyone else angry on her behalf, but, for the most part, no one seemed to notice them any more than they noticed anything else these days. In fact, it was odd when the thin ranks of cold shoulders and cold glares unexpectedly gave way to crowds running frantically in one direction and the sound of people crying out in dismay and fear. They quickened their pace to join the crowd and ask someone what was going on, but this soon became unnecessary.
Once they turned the corner, they could clearly see, in the distance, one of the turrets of the castle engulfed in a blazing fire.
