First, thank you to everyone who's taken the time to follow, favourite and review the story so far.
Seeing your reactions in the reviews section has provided me quite a few smiles.
:)
Second, thank you very much to Mystic2760 on deviantART for your depiction of Elsa and the reader.
Unfortunately I can't post the full link, but if you search on deviantART the following underlined words (with hyphens)...
Frozen-Personal-Guard
...you should be able to find it instantaneously.
And third, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!
You're lost.
"Great. How on Earth is anyone supposed to read this stupid map when it's in an ancient language?"
You glance up at the sky and notice how it's growing darker by the minute.
"Even greater."
There's a valley up ahead. Not the most ideal spot to set up camp. But it'll do.
You sit on a rock to rest for a bit, your mind consumed by a certain queen. You bury your face in your hands, desperate to forget but simultaneously clinging to your memories of her.
"Hey!" exclaims the rock, startling you.
"Whoa!" Bewildered, you back away from the talking inanimate object with extreme caution. "What the-"
Moving, the apparent moss-covered rock springs to life, revealing a human-like face and pair of stubby arms and legs.
"That hurt!" the little troll yells at you in its high-pitched voice.
You realise it's a child. "Sorry," you say, crouching down to be at her level. At least, you assume she's a girl. "It was an accident." You smile. "I'm a friend of Kristoff Bjorgman's. Do you know who that is?"
Forgiving you, the troll nods. "Yeah, he's my cousin!"
You chuckle at her excitement.
"Is he with you?" she asks, scanning your surroundings. "Aunt Bulda and Uncle Cliff really miss him."
"No, he's not," you say apologetically. "He's back in Arendelle."
"Oh," sighs the troll, disappointed. "Well, are you hungry? Mama and Papa will be calling me for dinner soon."
Your stomach rumbles as if on cue.
The troll giggles. "I guess that's a yes." She grabs your hand. "Come on!"
Wondering what trolls actually eat, you allow her to lead you deeper into the valley.
Wherever you look there are rocks.
"Guys, I'm home!" she announces, her voice echoing. "Mama? Papa?"
Within seconds the rocks are no longer rocks and you're surrounded by dozens of friendly troll faces, blinking at you curiously.
They're so cute!
"What's this?" Bulda questions the little troll, giving you an invasive inspection. "You brought a friend home for dinner?"
The child nods. "This is Kristoff's friend...Uh, what'd you say your name was?"
Blushing from all this attention, you tell the trolls your name.
"You know our Kristoff, then?" asks Bulda, wide eyed with affection at the thought of her adoptive son. "Are he and Anna doing well?"
You nod. "They're fine. They're both very happy together."
She smiles. "And Anna's sister? How's she?"
Your heart aches. "Elsa is-She's, um-Elsa is keeping busy."
An elderly troll approaches you, wisdom radiating off him to a sage-like degree.
Grand Pabbie. Kristoff has told you all about him.
Feeling he deserves your utmost respect, you kneel.
He takes your hand in his, narrowing his eyes at you as if he can see into your very future.
"She needs you," he says, his tone grave.
Does he mean Elsa?
"Her powers mustn't fall into the wrong hands."
For some reason you think of Rafe.
"But what can I do?" you ask. "She doesn't even want me setting foot in her castle anymore."
Bulda, Cliff and the other trolls form a circle around you.
"What's the issue, dear? Why are you holding back from such a queen?"
Is it the regal way she walks?
Or the graceful way she talks?
Or the snowflake-making magic of her feet?
And even though her powers freeze, she always uses them to please.
And you'll never meet a lady who's as sensitive and sweet!
So she's a bit of a fixer upper.
So she's got a few flaws.
Constantly living in fear.
Her thing with the ice, dear.
That's outside a few of nature's laws!
So she's a bit of a fixer upper, but this we're certain of...
You can fix that fixer upper with a little bit of love!
"Um, as much as I'd like to stay and listen, I should really be-"
Is it the way that you run scared?
Or that you're socially impaired?
"Now, wait just a minute-"
Or that you only like to tinkle in the woods?
"I do not!"
Are you holding back your fondness due to her icy gold blondness?
Or the way she cast you out into the cold, dark woods?
So she's a bit of a fixer upper.
As a kid they made her wear gloves.
"Huh?"
Her isolation is confirmation of her desperation for healing hugs.
So she's a bit of a fixer upper, but we know what to do...
The way to fix that fixer upper is to fix her up with you!
Continuing to sing, the trolls pick you up.
You have no idea where they're taking you, but it feels like hours until they've set you back down.
Bulda has both your hands in hers.
We aren't saying you can change her, 'cause people don't really change.
We're only saying that love's a force that's powerful and strange.
People make bad choices if they're mad or scared or stressed.
But throw a little love their way, and you'll bring out their best.
True love brings out the best!
You smile. You're thinking of Elsa.
Everyone's a bit of a fixer upper.
That's what it's all about.
Father!
Sister!
Brother!
We need each other to raise us up and round us out.
Everyone's a bit of a fixer upper, but when push comes to shove...
The only fixer-upper fixer is...
True,
True,
True,
True,
Love!
And without warning the trolls are gone.
You're alone again.
You then notice a loaf of bread and a couple of apples in your satchel which weren't there before.
"Thanks, guys," you think aloud, hoping they might hear. "But where have you brought me?"
Snow is everywhere, glowing white, not a footprint to be seen.
You're up the North Mountain. How did the trolls even know this is where you were headed?
Shrugging, you proceed forwards. You trust them enough. They gave you food, after all.
Minutes later you stumble upon Elsa's former ice palace.
"Oh, wow."
No word in existence can describe its beauty. How could a single human mind conceive something so rich in detail?
Of course, that would be Elsa.
This is the reason for you coming here. You'd heard her speak of it and how sometimes she misses the solitude it offers.
Now that solitude is yours. You can use it to hide away from the world while you grieve.
Ascending the icy staircase, you admire its design.
You arrive at the double doors and push them open, stepping into the foyer where a frozen fountain stands at the centre.
"Hello?" You don't expect anybody would take up residence in such a place, but there's still a chance. "Any squatters?"
Nobody responds. It seems it remains abandoned since the assault led by Prince Hans and the Duke of Weselton's men.
Which makes you wonder, who repaired the staircase? From what Elsa told you there was a lot of damage.
The palace to you appears to be in perfect condition.
That's when an inhumanly loud roar echoes throughout the foyer.
So it's true. There really is a snow monster inhabiting the North Mountain!
You gulp.
Bounding down two sets of ice stairs to confront you, the 'monster' looks annoyed, as though you've disturbed him from the process of some monumentally important task.
His terrifying demeanour is then shattered by the dainty tiara perched atop his massive head.
"Go away!" he roars. "Castle mine!"
You stand your ground. This is Elsa's creation. He won't hurt you, right?
"I'm a friend of the queen's," you state, your voice cracking with nerves. "I mean you no harm. I only seek refuge." You kneel before him. "King...Marshmallow?"
The snowman nods, clearly enjoying the royal treatment. "You know Mama?" he gushes, clasping his giant hands together and grinning.
"I do," you say, smiling. "We're very close."
This may not be the case anymore, but you need somewhere to sleep and frostbite isn't exactly the most appealing of medical conditions.
"So, us friends?" Marshmallow asks.
You nod. "Friends."
Marshmallow 'squeals' with delight and scoops you up into his arms. "Friend!"
You think you just felt your spine click out of joint.
"Gentle, now, Your Majesty. Friend dying."