A/N: Didn't expect to get another chapter out so soon but here you are! Please let me know if I'm making the chapters too long, I tend to ramble on a lot.
Entering the room after her daughter, Idun looked around. In the commotion, she hadn't had time to inspect the room they were moving their eldest into. It was always planned to be Elsa's - it was designed for it, the touches and details were everywhere. It was lovely.. but it wasn't made for a little girl. Anyone could see that. Sat on her bed, Elsa looked too small, in a room made for someone older. Elsa should still have been in the nursery, with her little sister, for some time yet. The small voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she joined Elsa on the bed, an arm sliding around her shoulders. "It's your room, dear. Whatever you'd like to do."
The was the problem, there wasn't exactly much to do in Elsa's new room. For an 8 year old girl, this room should of been filled with various pictures that she had done herself, dolls along with their houses, anything that would be in any normal little girls room. Not Elsa's. Yes it was a beautiful room, rosemaling details that spanned across the length of it, but it seemed so open and wide, so lonesome. The young princess leaned into her mother's embrace, a quiet sigh escaping her lips as she looked around herself. "It doesn't matter, you can go if you like."
"I said I wanted to spend time with you, didn't I?" Idun asked, bending a little to look at Elsa's face. Giving her shoulder a quick squeeze, she stood, walking into the middle of the room to look around. A hand a her chin, she made some thoughtful humming noises, before making her way over to the bookcase, containing a fair few stories. "Why don't we read something together?" She suggested, going back to Elsa and kneeling before her. "You know you can still keep your toys, darling." She murmured. "Anna wants you to have some." The voice of her youngest, asking whether Elsa was lonely, echoed in her head.
Elsa gave a subtle nod in regards to the question, feeling the pressure of the squeeze on her shoulder, she glanced up and smiled only to reassure her mother she was okay. While busy looking around at the books, Elsa decided to clamber fully onto her bed, pulling back the blue linen sheets. If they were going to be reading a story, they might as well get comfy doing it. "You can pick, mama." She muttered, leaning back onto the feathered pillows, her hands wring together over the sheets. "No it's okay, I gave them all to Anna. I don't want her to get lonely and besides, I'm getting too old to be having toys, I have to work on my studies." It wasn't a full lie, she only wanted her sister to have anything that remained in her old room so she would not be so lonely but also to occupy Anna when she couldn't.
"Elsa, you're not too old for toys at all," the queen argued back, "Anna has plenty of her own to play with, she doesn't need all of yours as well. She's been begging me to let her bring them to you." Deep down, Idun wondered if still having Elsa's toys in the room would have a negative effect - give Anna the hope that Elsa may return soon. And with her husband's determined nature, she feared that would not be happening soon. Elsa might as well have the chance t settle and be happy in her new room. Plucking a book from the shelf, she returned to the bed, sitting beside her daughter, although on top of the sheets, rather than in them. The book remained closed on her lap for a moment. "Yes, your studies are important. But you're still only eight years old, sweetheart. There's plenty of time for leaning and lessons."
"Papa says I am." Elsa muttered. "It's okay, I want Anna to have them. It's no fun to have a doll and not have another one to play with, I don't want her to be lonely." She was referring to the dolls that were made specifically for herself and Anna, both always had the others with them most of the time and the young princess couldn't bear to split them apart, her sister would take good care of them. Finally settling under the sheets, Elsa tucked them right underneath her chin, cuddling close to her mother's side. "You'll play with me, right?" She asked. "I saw papa yesterday and he told me that I'll be like you one day so I have to study hard and listen to my tutors."
Idun was silent for a moment. How could her husband tell their child such a thing? Of course Elsa wasn't too big for toys - she was only a little girl. She could barely reach the handle of her bedroom door, for heavens' sake! There would be words later, and not happy ones. Sighing, she pulled Elsa close "What about if we got you some new ones?" She suggested. "Then Anna can keep the others, and you'll have some too." At her daughter's question, she wanted to cry. "When I can, sweetheart." She promised. "But you'll be a different Queen than I am. You'll be more like papa, who has to watch over everything that happens in Arendelle."
No eight year old child should have to give up so much to simply 'study' more, there was so much unnecessary weight n Elsa's shoulders currently, if Anna were still here, it wouldn't seem as so much. "I'd like that, I think it would get boring in here with just those books." Then room was so simple, a bed, a few chairs, a fireplace and a large bookshelf filled with numerous books, it was bound to get boring in there eventually. "Can we play tomorrow? I think it's going to be a sunny day!" She exclaimed, despite being able to control wintery magic, Elsa preferred the summer over any season, it was a chance to stay outside in the sun all day long, play in the water, eat lots of ice cream, maybe things would change now that her sister was no longer apart of the picture. "Being Queen sounds boring, will Anna help?"
Glad to have gotten a bit of co-operating, Idun stroked Elsa's cheek. "Well, you'll have to tell me what you'd like and I'll see what I can do." Thank goodness their children didn't demand new possessions regularly - it meant there was a fund available for when they actually did. Not that it mattered much; being royalty did have its perks. Laughing, she nodded. "Yes, we may. But you must go to lessons tomorrow, alright? And then after we can spend some time together." Idun didn't want missing lessons to become a regular occurrence. Seeing the happiness on Elsa's face though, brought a smile to her own. "Maybe. If she wants to. But it will probably in the same way I help Papa." Perhaps this could all work out after all. "Now, we were going to read a book weren't we? Do you want to pick the story from in here?" She had brought over a collection of tales, so Elsa could at least have some say.
Finally meeting a compromise, Elsa smiled, it was quite exciting to her to have the chance to pick her own toys, normally she'd go along with whatever Anna wanted. Rather than actually playing with toys, she much preferred to draw or color in. "Would it be okay if I got some paint? I want to make things for you and papa! Maybe Anna too. I promise I won't make a mess and I'll clean up!" The desperation in her voice was evident, if using her powers were no longer an option to bring out her creative side, painting might be the safer and more suitable option, at least it would take her mind off things. Her face fell but she simply nodded. "Okay, but my lesson doesn't end till dinner time, we won't get much time together." Pushing the bad thoughts to one side, Elsa peaked over her mother's arms. "I couldn't pick a story last time so papa flipped the pages until it landed on a random one." Relaxing into her position, she looked away from the book, her eyes glancing towards as she picked at a idle thread on her bed sheets before quietly asking. "Do you think I'll make a good queen, mama?"
"I'll talk with Papa about it," Idun said, not sure how happy her husband would be with their daughter painting in her new room. In her opinion, it shouldn't be a problem - Elsa was a conscientious girl. Paints would be much safer in her hands than in her sister's. "But I don't see why not." Idun thought for a moment about the next predicament. "Alright, how about a deal? You work very hard in your lessons in the morning, and we'll have the afternoon together. But I will be checking with your tutors," she warned, knowing the elder princess had a good work ethic anyway. Taking the book, she made a show of closing her eyes, before flicking through the pages. After a few seconds, she stopped, and flipped back a little, to the start of the story she had landed on. Opening her mouth, she had been about to start when the question reached her ears. Setting the book down once more, keeping her finger in the page, her voice was soft when she spoke. "I know you will, darling. But that won't be for a long time, so there's no need to worry about that just yet."
"Okay!" Elsa was hopeful her father would agree to let her paint, she considered herself to be a rather neat and tidy child, there was no reason as to why he could say no, given in light of what had happened also. "That sounds fair, I'll work extra hard!" Lessons had never been a problem for her, while she normally excelled in her subjects, math had proven to be a little difficult for her, eventually she would get the hang of it. She was now determined to spend a little extra time on them if it gave her the chance to spend time with her mother. "I know, I was just wondering.. I don't want to disappoint you." Despite it being a long time away before she was even able to sit upon the throne, the lingering thoughts of disappointing her parents had made her a little self-conscious. Offering a smile toward her mother, Elsa changed the subject. "Story now?"
"Good girl," Idun said, kissing the top of Elsa's head. "And, sweetheart, Papa and I will never be disappointed with you. You will make a wonderful, beautiful Queen some day. I promise." Returning the smile, Idun began to read. Holding the book open with one hand, the other drifted to Elsa's hair, twirling a strand around her finger. It had been so long since she'd been able to read to either of her daughters. Mostly they had been too worn out with their antics to be able to stay awake long enough lately - but now, of course, that had changed. She would have to put aside some time to spend with Anna as well; she didn't want the poor thing getting lonely. No matter what Elsa thought, the toys she'd left behind wouldn't stop her little sister from pining for her. Elsa had been an only child for three years - Anna had not.
"Thank you." Elsa said, reaching upwards to peck her mother on the cheek. "I think you're a wonderful and beautiful queen." With a content sigh, Elsa laid her head onto Idun's shoulder, her eyes following each word of every sentence as they were spoken out loud to her. It had been a while since her mother had read to her, she only wished Anna was also in the room to enjoy the story along with her. Normally by this time both girls were still wide awake, playing with whatever they had in their room or playing in a small pile of snow that Elsa would make. Sadly, it was no longer an option and she would have to learn what is was like to be alone again. "Could you stay the night, mama? This room is.. big." The young princess asked, hoping she wouldn't have to spend her first time alone in this room, but she would have to get used to it after some time.
