Elsa waited in the entrance hall of the palace with her back straight and her hands folded properly in front of her as what was left of the royal guards assembled in rows before her. Her arms were still sore, her back still ached, and the events of the attack were fresh in her mind, but, yet again, Elsa couldn't afford to put her duties off, so she donned the mask of Queen that her parents had left her and tried not to think about her own problems for now. In the aftermath of the last attack, she had asked Anna to get help for the injured guards while she instructed Kai to call in all of the guards who hadn't been at the palace early. If any of them were annoyed at having their free time cut into, they didn't show it. Elsa took a deep breath to prepare herself and began her announcement.
"During the blizzard earlier today, those creatures attacked again. The royal guards who were on shift at the time successfully protected me and Princess Anna, but they were all injured in the process."
Elsa paused and swept her eyes over the guards, carefully gauging their reactions. There were some surprised mutterings, but they seemed mostly calm. Elsa had given Alistair permission the previous day to inform the guards of what those things looked like, though they were not allowed to tell anyone else of it. It would do the public no good to know, but Elsa believed that she'd made the right call by informing the guards, some of whom had seen those things already and been spreading rumors anyway. Also, they had had time to absorb the information before finding out about the attack. If Elsa had told them that those things resembled the old King and Queen right before announcing that they defeated over a dozen guards singlehandedly, many of them would have resigned. A few of them still might, if the shifting eyes of some of the meeker-looking guards were any indication.
"In light of this new information, I am reassigning the majority of the guards to patrolling the city and assisting in snow removal. This way, we can reassure the citizens that this situation is under control." Elsa continued.
She noticed one of the less discreet guards letting out a sigh of relief at not having to face those things. She couldn't blame him; they didn't stand a chance, which was why she would not put any but those Alistair had previously noted to be exceptionally skilled in danger.
"Six of you will be guarding me and Princess Anna personally. You are to respect our privacy, but remain nearby at all times until relieved by the next shift. Captain Alistair was injured in the attack as well, so you will report to Kai for now to receive your assignments. You are dismissed."
The guards saluted and filed out of the entrance hall. To be honest, Elsa did not want to put even six guards in danger, but at this point it was clear that her parents would return to the castle again and again, and she could not allow Anna to face them with her undefended. Elsa was finally able to relax her posture once the last of the guards left the room and rubbed her left arm, which was the sorest part of her body after the attack. She shuddered to think of those strange, slimy, leathery gloves they'd tried to force on her. She didn't want to consider what they might have been made of. Elsa was still massaging her arm when Anna walked into the room. Elsa dropped her arm too late; her sister had seen, and she was biting her lip in worry.
"Does it hurt?" Anna moved closer and began rubbing Elsa's arm for her. Elsa smiled shyly in gratitude. "I mean, that's a stupid question, of course it must hurt. What I mean is, are you okay?"
"It's just a bit sore." Elsa looked down. "It would have been a lot worse if you hadn't brought the guards to help me." Anna raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"How did you know I did that?" Anna fidgeted nervously, hoping that it wouldn't encourage Elsa to instruct the guards more thoroughly next time. Elsa chuckled, looking up at Anna fondly.
"Because I know you. Besides, I gave Alistair strict orders to stay with you. I'm guessing you either somehow talked him into disobeying my orders or else ran off and forced him to chase after you."
Anna opened her mouth to insist that it was her fault, even though technically both were true, but Elsa cut her off.
"It's alright, Anna. You were right. I shouldn't have closed the gates and I shouldn't have tried to keep you away from me." Elsa sighed and looked down again. "I was too naïve. Of course those things couldn't be negotiated with. And of course I couldn't force you to stay out of danger. I was so scared when they were about to take you away that I did everything I could to keep you safe, but it almost happened again anyway." Elsa's eyes began to tear up, and Anna pulled her into a hug.
"I told you already." Anna spoke, still holding her sister. "You were just trying to protect me. As long as you don't shut me out anymore, it's alright."
Elsa shook her head and pulled back, looking straight at Anna.
"No, it's not alright. But I don't have to make that mistake again." Elsa took a deep breath. "From now on, if you want to stay by my side, I won't stop you. Just remember to be careful."
Elsa's brow was furrowed. She still didn't like the idea of Anna being in danger, but at least this way she could keep an eye on her. Anna beamed, her worries mostly dissipated. Still, one thing was still bothering her. Her smile dropped and she wrung her hands.
"I'm glad, Elsa. But there is something else I want you to promise me. I know things have been hard for you lately, but I don't want you to keep making plans without telling me anything." Anna held a hand above her heart.
"I know you're the queen and you've been trying to take care of me, but you don't have do everything by yourself. I want to help you. Or do you just not think that I can help you?" Anna's bottom lip quivered. Elsa's eyebrows narrowed and she grabbed Anna's hands, holding her gaze when she looked up.
"Anna, believe me. That's the furthest thing from the truth. I wouldn't even be alive now without you." Anna's cheeks flushed. "You're right. Ruling the kingdom is my job and I don't want to push too much of my work onto you that you're not trained to handle, but I could use your help sometimes. And you have every right to know what I'm doing, especially when it has to do with our parents."
Anna's smile returned. At that moment, knocking came from the door leading to the entrance hall and Elsa could hear Kai's voice asking for permission to enter. Elsa took a step back from Anna and returned to her proper posture before ushering him in. Kai stepped inside and bowed before giving his report.
"Your highness, I have word from the hospital that Alistair has returned to consciousness, though he won't be fit to walk about for at least another week. You can see him now, if you wish." Elsa nodded to him in gratitude.
"Thank you, Kai. You are dismissed." Kai left promptly and Elsa turned back towards her sister.
"This is good timing. Why don't you come with me to talk to Alistair? Perhaps we can figure out a solution to this problem."
Elsa's eyes were steely. Anna was reminded of her determination the previous day, and she gulped. Then she remembered that this was all their parents' fault, and she returned the gaze, nodding. She and Elsa were united now, and she knew that nothing could stand in their way, not even their parents.
Anna felt a knot of tension in her back that she hadn't even realized was there release as she and Elsa passed by the ruins of the gate, which the servants had already swept free of debris. She probably shouldn't have been relieved that the gates were destroyed since it would be expensive to replace them, but she couldn't deny that she was. She was also glad to be back in the town again with Elsa by her side, even if there were two guards following them. When she'd complained, Elsa had insisted that their protection was necessary from now on if they were going to confront their parents again together, and Anna had grudgingly accepted it. As they walked through the city, the people making way for them as they passed, Anna noticed that the streets were already free of snow and that there were many more guards patrolling than usual.
"Elsa, did you order the guards to clear the snow and patrol the streets?" Anna turned to her sister. Elsa nodded, biting her lip nervously.
"Yes, I thought it would be a good idea since they aren't doing much good at the castle right now. I also wanted to reassure the people. We still don't even know anything about those things, never mind getting rid of them. This was the least I could do." Elsa looked down. Anna smiled encouragingly at her.
"That's brilliant, Elsa. You always know exactly what to do when it comes to ruling the kingdom, even at times like this." Elsa blushed at the praise and shook her head.
"That's not true at all. I know some things from the training our parents gave me, but I always doubt myself." Elsa murmured.
At that moment, a woman came up to Elsa, waving. The guards stepped closer, but Elsa held a hand up, telling them to stay back. The woman seemed middle-aged and had rough, strong hands. She gave a curtsey before speaking.
"Your majesty, I don't want to take up too much of your time. I was just in town for supplies and saw you walking down the street now and was wanting to thank you for the help you've given us farmers. Some folk are nervous about your magic, but my husband would be in debtors' prison without you. You're a right blessing to the kingdom." Elsa smiled, but shook her head.
"You're welcome. I was just doing my job." Elsa nodded at the woman, who curtseyed again and left. Anna raised an eyebrow at her sister.
"Elsa, you're not just doing your job. You're doing it well." Anna insisted.
"I'm just fixing the mistakes I've made." Elsa glanced down at her glove-free hands.
"You should still be proud." Elsa shook her head again, but there was a faint smile on her face.
Once they entered the hospital, a large, brick building run by the church, a nun welcomed them in and instructed them to follow her. They walked through the twisting corridors of the building until finally they reached the room that Alistair was recovering in. Elsa nodded at the nurse, who left them to talk in private. The guards likewise stood outside out of hearing distance. Alistair was sitting up in the bed, propped up by the backrest. One of his arms was in a sling and there were bandages wrapped around his head and no doubt on other places on his body under his sheets, but he was awake and alert. He nodded respectfully towards Anna and Elsa as they stepped inside. If he was surprised to see Anna there, he didn't show it.
"How are you doing, Alistair?" Elsa asked as she eyed his injuries, feeling a bit guilty that he'd gotten hurt protecting them. Alistair looked down disdainfully at his bandages.
"Oh, this? Don't worry, your highness, these injuries are fairly minor. I'll be up and about in a week, though it'll take another month for my arm to heal. I should be apologizing, though. I allowed the Princess to be in danger and disobeyed your orders. I am prepared for any punishment you have for me." Alistair looked straight into Elsa's eyes, but she shook her head.
"There's no need for that, Alistair. I can guess that it was more Princess Anna's fault than yours. In any case, if you hadn't been there, I could have been hurt." Elsa frowned and paused before continuing. "Which brings us to why I'm here. I'm sorry to bother you while you're still recovering, but we need to do something about those things. They cannot be allowed to terrorize Arendelle and my sister and I any longer."
Elsa's eyebrows were narrowed, and Anna nodded in agreement. She didn't want to see Elsa hurt or threatened anymore, she didn't want the kingdom to suffer, and she did not want to see their parents anymore. Not like this. Alistair rubbed his chin with his good hand as he thought.
"We've discussed this before, but the main problem is that we don't even know what those things are. When I struck the king's arm, it felt very different from striking flesh." Alistair frowned, as if straining to remember more. "I can't quite place the sensation, but whatever those things are, they're not flesh and blood. If only we could see them properly, we might learn something. It's impossible to make anything out when the storms block the sun and they put all the lamps in the palace out." Elsa's brow furrowed as she thought.
"That is a serious problem, and I don't know of a solution to it. We don't know how they put out the lamps and torches every time they enter the palace. If they use wind to do it, then we could put barriers around the flames or use a fire too large for them to put out, but if they are using ice to do it, that wouldn't work."
Anna had been silent until now, feeling a bit out of place, but now she had an idea. She glanced nervously between Elsa and Alistair for a second before finally speaking.
"Um, I know this is kind of a strange idea, but what if you created a gigantic magnifying glass with your ice and used that to light up the palace from outside the city, where the storms don't cover the sky?" Anna's voice trailed off near the end of the sentence as she noticed Elsa and Alistair staring at her. "That is a crazy idea, isn't it? Just forget I said anything." Anna giggled nervously and looked down at her shoes, but looked back up when she heard Elsa laugh, to her surprise.
"No, Anna, that's brilliant! It wouldn't be practical normally, but I can make ice that doesn't melt and it wouldn't take too long for me to construct something like that with my powers." Elsa was beaming at her, and Alistair nodded as well. Anna smiled back.
"It's not impossible, and frankly, we're out of options. I recommend that you give it a try. You should also talk to one of the scholars at the church to help you figure out the measurements you need."
"Thank you for your help, Alistair. We need to get going." Elsa nodded at Alistair in gratitude and he gave the two rulers a salute with his good arm as they left.
The residents of the village of Andselv, just a few miles from the main city of Arendelle, abandoned their work for the day to watch in astonishment as the Queen created and recreated an enormous structure made out of ice at the edge of the village. Beside her was a stout man wearing spectacles and garb of a clergyman. He held papers with elaborate drawings and numbers on them, and he kept calling out instructions to the Queen, who frequently stopped working to reexamine the drawings before rebuilding the structure again. The villagers had heard of the Snow Queen and her magic, and many of them had cursed her for their lost harvest, but none of them had ever expected that the ice she created could be so beautiful. Elsa had still been a bit nervous about using her magic in front of such a large audience, but the villagers seemed to be in awe of her work. Elsa smiled slightly as she resumed her work, glad that she was able to use her magic to do good.
That night, Elsa returned to her office, where Anna was already sitting in a chair and waiting.
"Hi." Elsa said before walking to the chair behind her desk and crumpling into it, utterly exhausted.
"Hi." Anna said, looking over her in concern. "How did it go?"
"It's working, which is the important thing." Elsa smiled weakly at her sister. "I'm just a bit tired. I don't think I've ever used my powers so much before, not even when I built that ice palace. That lens was enormous, and I must have redone it a dozen times to get the size and shape right. But it's done." Elsa sighed in relief and Anna smiled encouragingly at her.
"That's good. So, what's the strategy for tomorrow?" Anna scooted her chair forward, and Elsa looked up again, focusing on the task at hand.
"We can't have the lens pointed this way beforehand, or else it'd be obvious what we're planning." Elsa explained. "I'll need to adjust it once they get here, and to do that I'll need time, especially considering how far away I need to reach with my magic and how heavy the lens is. We'll need to buy some time. And no, I don't mean attacking them."
Elsa stared intensely at Anna, who laughed nervously. Elsa didn't like rubbing in Anna's mistake when she'd made plenty of her own, but she couldn't take the risk that Anna would forget her promise to be careful and put herself in even more danger than she would already be in. Elsa was still nervous about the plan, even with the best of the guards there, but nothing more could be done about it.
"We'll talk to them and try to buy as much time as possible. Once the light shines on them and we get a good look, we run." Elsa softened her voice a bit, and Anna nodded.
"It's a good plan. Just go to bed early so you'll be ready for tomorrow." Elsa quirked an eyebrow at her.
"Yes, mother." Elsa teased. Anna huffed and crossed her arms.
"Please, Elsa, we both know you're the mother here."
Anna was unable to maintain her serious expression for long and they both giggled until they ran out of breath. Elsa found herself smiling at Anna even after she stopped laughing. Despite everything, this was the happiest time in Elsa's life because she was able to be with Anna. No matter what, she wouldn't let their parents ruin it. She shared a glance with Anna, and she knew her sister was thinking the same thing. Tomorrow they would find out the truth, and they would put a stop to those things. That night, Anna and Elsa slept better than they had in what felt like a long time.
The next morning, at 11:30 a.m., Anna and Elsa left the castle to wait in front of the entrance hall, just behind where the gates used to be. Two guards stood on either side of them and another two guards stood in front of them. Elsa had arranged their schedules so that the morning and afternoon shifts of the guards assigned to them overlapped from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. She just hoped that it would be enough to make sure no one got hurt, especially not Anna. Elsa's proper posture and folded hands helped her draw some confidence and strength, but it wasn't enough to quash all of her worries.
Anna was also nervous, but considerably less so than she'd expected to be. Unlike before, they knew what to expect, they were working together, and they had a plan. Now all that was left to do was wait. She glanced at Elsa and they exchanged a quick smile, as much to reassure herself as to reassure her sister. The minutes crawled by until, after what felt like an eternity, Anna almost sighed in relief at the dark storm clouds that covered the noon sky.
Again dark storm clouds blocked out the sun, and again heavy snowfall blinded all who were unfortunate enough to be outside. The royal carriage creaked as it passed through the roads, heading inexorably towards the palace. As it passed by, the onlookers were struck by a chill that reached far deeper than the snow. The figures inside cast twisted shadows as they spoke with the voices of the damned. How many more times would this happen, the onlookers wondered. Would the kingdom ever be freed from this curse? There weren't even gates to keep them out. But this time Queen Elsa and Princess Anna were waiting in front of the castle, and the carriage stopped in front of them. The dead King and Queen descended from it and faced their children.
Elsa shuddered as the cold so intense even she could feel it swept through her once more. Their parents standing in front of them did not make it any better. The darkness and the heavy snowfall hid their faces from view for now, but Elsa wanted nothing more than to strip them of that veil they'd used to torment her and Anna for the last four days. The King and Queen stepped closer, wind billowing around them. Elsa forced herself to stay calm. She glanced at Anna and nodded to her before she began speaking, already reaching for the lens outside the city. It would be easier for her to concentrate if she didn't speak at all, but she didn't want them to catch on to the fact that she was using her powers.
"You shouldn't have come back." Elsa yelled over the wind.
Her father stepped closer, and the guard in front of Elsa shifted his sword, readying to swing.
"Is that any way to greet your father, Elsa?" He chided, waving his finger at her as though she were a child again. "With rude words and armed thugs at your side. You should know better, especially after the last time. You're just putting those men in danger."
Even in the dark, his teeth glinted as he directed a menacing smile at the guard in front of Elsa, who shivered. Anna growled and shook her fist at him.
"You're the ones putting people in danger. You wanted Elsa to shut the gates again, even though it didn't work the first time. She listened to you, but it still wasn't enough for you, was it!" Anna's eyebrows were narrowed and her cheeks were flush with anger.
She hadn't been sure of what she was going to say to delay them before, but now the words flowed easily.
"You separated us! You told Elsa to shut everyone out, even me, her own sister! Every problem we've had in our whole lives. They were all. Your. Fault!" Tears were running down Anna's cheeks, and she roughly wiped them away. "I was so lonely for all those years because of you! I fell for Hans because of you!"
Their mother shook her head in exaggerated disappointment, throwing aside the guard in front of Anna in a blink of an eye as though he weighed no more than a kitten as she stepped forward. Anna and Elsa stepped back and the other guards rearranged themselves around them, one of them eying the guard slumped on the ground warily.
"All these years, and you're still just a child, Anna. We did what was necessary. We're still doing what is necessary. Your stubbornness will be the downfall of this kingdom. In the end, all your good intentions mean nothing because you just hold back everyone around you." Anna tried to say something, but she choked on anger and tears.
Elsa was still adjusting the lens, but at this rate their parents would stop talking and just attack. She needed to say something, anything, and she was surprised by what came to mind.
"None of the things you did were necessary. They put us through so much pain and in the end they were all for nothing because everyone found out about my magic anyway. Or are you going to tell me that it was necessary on that night when Anna was hurt and you said "What did you do?" as though I would ever intentionally hurt Anna. You, my own parents, treated me like a monster and you made me believe I was a monster. I still believe it."
Elsa took deep breaths, trying to calm down. She almost had it, but she would lose control if she gave in to her anger.
Her father's smile glinted again and suddenly he rushed forward, throwing the first guard before he could blink. The second almost managed to swing his sword. The third's blow was gracefully dodged before he joined the others. Anna and Elsa stepped back again. Elsa just needed a few more seconds. She looked desperately to Anna, but she was still sobbing, her face twisted but not making a sound. She was in no condition to say anything more. Elsa faced her parents again as they crept closer.
"And worst of all, you died. You abandoned us! Abandoned me to be queen! But once we finally got over you, once you weren't wanted here anymore, you came back. You couldn't just let us forget, could you?! But now we'll find out what you really are. And when we know, we will destroy you. I promise you that."
Elsa spread her arms to assist in her magic, no longer bothering with subtlety. She could feel the lens responding, its enormous structure creaking as the top rotated against the base and it reached its final position. Their parents stopped moving, as though confused.
"Elsa, whatever you're doing, it's a mistake." Her father warned. "Believe me, you don't want to know."
"It's too late." Elsa smiled viciously, triumphantly, as a beam of light shone through the gap where the gate used to be and even the snowfall couldn't keep their parents' forms secret.
Elsa's smile dropped and vomit came up to her throat as she saw the truth. She could barely keep herself from throwing up. Next to her, Anna stared in dumb shock, not comprehending what she was seeing. They were abominations. In the dark, they could have passed for people or for reanimated corpses but in the light, their horrific forms were clear. Their faces were covered by patches of skin of slightly different shades crudely stitched together. Their hands were covered by gloves made from human skin. As they smiled as though enjoying the attention, their teeth, undoubtedly real though a strangely bright white, were visible. Their clothes were ordinary. But their bodies were made from multicolored ice that resembled the colors of human skin, of greater detail and realism than Elsa had ever seen before. No one said anything for a few seconds that seemed to stretch on and on. Finally, their father broke the silence.
"Well, now you've done it. You've exposed us. It's alright, since we're all family here, but we must leave before anyone else sees. Don't worry, though. We'll come back tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that." Their mother joined in.
"And the day after that. And the day after that. For the rest of your lives. Aren't you glad? We'll be able to spend so much time together as a family."
Their parents laughed, and then a harsh, blinding wind blew. When it ceased, they were gone and the storm had dissipated. Anna and Elsa stood silently, saying nothing, the sunlight they'd longed for harsher than they'd ever imagined.