Chapter III: Days Gone By

It was a nice, sunny afternoon in Arendelle. The sun smiled upon the shores. People were done with their jobs for the day, so they stuck around outside, having fun.

Elsa skipped ahead of her sister, Anna, and her husband, Kristoff. They were having a nice stroll around the city. They never usually walked together as a family. They could never find the time. Which was strange because Elsa was Queen. She had all the time in the world on her hands. She was acting stranger than usual. For some reason, she was humming a tune with a smile on her face. Anna knew that her sister never usual keeps that smile on for long. Anna and Kristoff wondered what was wrong with Elsa.

"Is she alright?" Kristoff whispered to Anna.

"I think she had too much chocolate." Anna replied.

"Chocolate!" said a familiar voice behind them.

Anna and Kristoff turned around and found Olaf walking behind them. Olaf was smiling, as usual. It seems as if you could never get that smile off of his face. It was glued on him. That's why they loved Olaf so much.

"Hey Olaf." Kristoff said, patting the snowman's head. "What're you-"

Kristoff was interrupted by Elsa's voice.

"How about ice cream!" he heard her say.

They looked over at Elsa, who was in front of a group of children. They screamed in the air with excitement and joy. Elsa aimed her finger behind them, and twirled it around. A huge bowl made of ice appeared, and then, ice cream of all flavored started dropping down from a cloud Elsa made above the bowl. The children cheered, and ran to the treat. Elsa put her hands together and smiled.

"I didn't even know she could do that!" Anna said.

Kristoff, still looking at the ice cream, asked Olaf, "Do you know what's up with her?" Kristoff looked down to where Olaf was, but the snowman had gone. Anna tapped Kristoff's arm, and pointed him towards the ice cream. Olaf was enjoying the ice cream just as much as the children.

Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff walked off, and Olaf ran and followed them.

"I think the ice cream gave me a stomach ache." Olaf said.

"HOW?!" Kristoff and Anna said at the same time.

Olaf shrugged.

Elsa continued to frolic happily around Arendelle, while Anna and Kristoff remained confused with what was going on. Finally, Anna had enough of being in the dark. She rushed ahead, next to her sister.

"Elsa?" Anna asked.

"What is it, sis?" Elsa responded.

That was weird. Never has Elsa ever called Anna sis. That was a huge red flag that something strange was going on. Anna had a weird feeling in her stomach.

"What's with your happy mood?" Anna asked.

"What reason is there not to be happy?!" Elsa said. "It's a bright sunny day, children are enjoying themselves, and Kai is coming back from his trip today."

Bingo, Anna thought. That's why she was so happy. She wanted to see Kai so bad. Elsa couldn't wait to see him again. Elsa felt as if Kai's been gone forever, when he's only been gone a couple of days. Elsa couldn't stand being away from him. She loved him that much.

"So is that what this is about?" Anna asked.

"Mostly." Elsa answered.

"Mostly?"

"I'm also here with family."

Elsa grabbed Anna's hands and spun them around. The sisters laughed. They felt like they were children again, and were having fun before the time Elsa isolated herself. Olaf couldn't resist but join. The snowman grabbed Anna's leg, and spun around with her. But, the speed in which they spun was too much to handle. Olaf's arms detached from his body, and he went flying into a barrel nearby. Anna and Elsa stopped spinning and looked at the barrel.

"You okay?" Elsa asked.

"Yeah." Olaf answered.

Someone cleared his throat behind Elsa and Anna. They turned around to find one of the castle gaurs standing behind them.

"Your majesty." He said. "The sailors from the trip had returned, and are in the castle now. They require your audience."

Elsa was ecstatic. Kai had returned! He was back from the trip with, hopefully, good news. Though, all Elsa really cared about in that moment was seeing Kai's face again.

The group rushed to the castle.

Elsa opened the door that led into the room where the sailors were. The room was a lounge. Three couches were placed around a fireplace. There was a long window on the wall. Looking through the window, you could see the entire city. It was already dark out. Bookshelves were placed all around the walls, all of them filled with books.

All around the room were the sailors. They all had a blanket covering them with a cup of hot chocolate in their hands. You could tell they've seen better days because of the look in their faces.

Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and Kristoff walked into the room. Two guards were in the room, each in a different corner. Elsa looked around desperately to find Kai, but he wasn't there.

"Where's Captain Kai?" Elsa asked the sailors.

There was a silence. Elsa didn't like what was going on. She had to know what had happened. A sailor finally spoke up.

"We attacked in the dead of night." said the sailor, who had a Scottish accent. "The sea storms were not kind with our vessel. The ship's captain, Captain Berg, was murdered."

Anna gasped, and Kristoff's eyes widened. He put his arm around his wife's shoulder. Olaf, for once, stayed silent. Elsa continued to listen.

"Kai," continued the sailor, "he wanted to get to the bottom of this. He went down below the deck. When he came up, he told us to evacuate the ship since it was flooding. We left on the rowboats as he fought the killer. The man had a scar on his face. The scar was all over one side of it."

Deren, Elsa thought.

"Kai and the new captain, Captain Phelps, volunteered to stay back with the ship. When we were far, we heard a gunshot. I'm sorry milady."

Elsa couldn't believe this. She refused to believe this. She refused to believe that her beloved Kai went down with a gunshot. She was angry in the inside. She wasn't angry at Deren, no, but she was angry with Kai. How could he be so selfish and leave her alone? No, Kai isn't dead, she told herself. He survived much worse. He can't be dead.

"As long as you didn't see the body," Elsa said,"he can't be considered dead."

"Queen," said another sailor, "lightning struck the ship shortly after the gunshot. The ship caught fire, and it eventually went down. He's gone."

Elsa felt as though if she was stabbed through the heart. She was crying on the inside, but she couldn't show it. She had lost one of the people she loved most of all. After all they've been together, he was gone now. Elsa wanted a future with Kai. She wanted them to get married, and rule the land side by side as King and Queen. That dream ended. Elsa now had lost a third person in her life. Elsa failed to see what Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf were thinking. They had just lost one of their closest friends.

The room suddenly got colder. The fire died out, and the room darkened. The hot chocolate suddenly froze completely. Anna noticed this, and knew it was her sisters doing.

"Elsa..." Anna said.

Elsa looked back at her sister. Then, Elsa's eyes started to tear up. Elsa ran past her sister, and out of the room. Elsa ran away from everyone, and Anna followed.

"Wait!" Anna said.

Elsa ignored her sister, and continued running through the castle. When Elsa's tears fell off her face, they froze immediately and were like hail dropping on the floor. Elsa didn't want anyone to be around her right now. As Elsa ran, she used her powers to put a layer of ice over the floor. Behind her, Anna slid, trying desperately to keep her balance while Elsa swiftly ran over it.

Elsa was losing control of her powers, and she couldn't let that happen. As she ran, she tried her best to keep them at bay. She had to constantly remind her to conceal and don't feel. It was barely working.

Elsa saw the door to her room, and ran in. She locked the door behind her, and froze the lock. Elsa ran to her bed, and started crying on her pillow.

Anna had lost track of Elsa. She eventually came across the corridor where Elsa's room was. As she walked through the corridor, she could hear crying from Elsa's room. Anna knew where Elsa was. Anna turned the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge. Anna knew Elsa locked herself in, again.

Anna couldn't imagine how Elsa must've felt. She knew how important Kai was to her sister. Kai was there for Elsa whenever Anna was not. Anna looked to the right of Elsa's room, and saw another door. This door had red patterns on it, instead of Elsa's blue patterns. That was Kai's room. Anna felt as if she had to check it. Anna slowly opened Kai's door, and it creaked open.

Anna saw nothing out of the ordinary. There was a large bed, with a nightstand, a desk, and a few chairs. Anna walked to the nightstand and found a picture. Anna picked it up, and saw that it was a colored drawing of Elsa. Elsa meant the world to Kai. Anna put the picture down, walked out, and stood in front of Elsa's door.

Anna knew that she had to be the one to comfort Elsa. Anna was one of the last people Elsa truly loved. Anna knocked on Elsa's door. She didn't expect it to open.

Anna talked to Elsa from the other side of the door.

"Elsa, yes, I know you miss him/ Olaf, Kristoff, and I do too/ You must have courage/ I know you're trying too/ We're all right here for you/ Just let us in/ I know you loved each other/ But, you still have me/ Do what you need to do..."

Anna put her hand on the door. She could feel how cold it was.

"Do you want to build a snowman?" Anna asked.

Anna didn't know if Elsa was going to open up. Anna didn't know if she could make Elsa feel any better. Anna started to walk away, but as she walked, she heard Elsa's door open. Anna turned to see a tearing Elsa slowly walk out. Anna ran, and hugged her sister.

"I'm so sorry, Elsa." Anna said.

Elsa didn't respond. She broke away from their hug, and looked at Anna.

"Tell the royal priest to prepare a funeral." Elsa told Anna.

Elsa walked back into her room, leaving Anna alone in the corridor. Anna looked down at her feet. Then, she left to find the priest.

Kai couldn't be buried. They didn't have the body. They put a memorial gravestone for Kai. It was put next to the memorial to his parents. After their time in Teranhall, Kai requested that graves would be put in his parents' name. Elsa placed them in the same area where the memorial for her parents are.

Elsa actually showed up to the funeral. She had tears running down her face at all times. She was sick of people empathizing with her. They didn't know how she felt.

Every day, Elsa would sit on the balcony of her study, which was the highest point of Arendelle Castle. She would look over at the ocean, hoping for Kai to return. She knew that he wasn't. She hated the sea. The sea had taken so much from her.

Elsa didn't spend much time around others. She spent most of her time in her study. Anna would visit Elsa daily, but Anna always had to go. It was rare for any of the citizens to see Elsa anymore. She had once again isolated herself. For the next three months, Elsa would sit in her study, thinking about Kai. Soon, winter came, and this time, it wasn't caused by Elsa.

Word doesn't spread fast, apparently. It took quite a while for word of Teranhall's eternal winter to spread. It slowly spread from kingdom to kingdom. Finally, the Southern Isles got word of it.

Hans and his father, The King, were having a private conversation in the throne room.

"Queen Elsa is a monster." Hans said.

"What makes you say that?" The King asked.

"She placed Arendelle in an eternal winter!" Hans barked.

"Father, did you not hear?"

The King gave Hans a perplexed look.

"Teranhall has been put into an eternal winter a few months back. It was quite short, but it was still unnatural. That was Queen Elsa's doing!" Hans informed.

"What proof of this do you have?" The King asked.

"Proof? Who else has the power to do that?! Do you believe this second time was an accident? Plus, what business would Elsa have with Teranhall? This was on purpose, I'm sure of it."

"What do you want me to do, Hans?"

Hans was annoyed that his father didn't get the idea.

"What do I want you to do? How long is it until Weseltown is in eternal winter? How long is it until the Southern Isles is in eternal winter? Soon! The Queen is dangerous, and this terror she is striking must stop immediately!"

"So what? Do you want me to declare war on Arendelle?"

Hans smiled. His plan was going well.

"Precisely." Hans said.

"Forget it." The King said.

Hans' smile faded.

"Father, it's for the safety of the kingdom." Hans said.

"We'll keep this kingdom safe by kindly telling Queen Elsa to stop freezing things, and prevent the slaughter of hundreds!" The King countered. "I won't use my recourses unless other kingdoms will."

"Then call in a war counsel!" Hans yelled.

"Absolutely not!"

"Father, please." Hans spoke in a pleading tone. "We can prevent further harm to kingdoms by stopping Elsa's reign. Please, for once listen to me. Father, this isn't you talking is it? It's Christian and Ander. Listen to me and give me a chance."

Hans looked down and shed a tear. He then told the King quietly "Mother would've given me this chance."

The King gave Hans a saddened look. The King loved his kingdom safety, but he loved his family more. The King stood up from his throne, and Hans looked up at him.

"Very well..." The King said. "I shall send a courier to the Kingdoms. I'll request this war counsel, and whatever they decide, I shall follow. Dismissed."

Hans walked off to his room. He smiled as he walked. He got what he wanted. His revenge was underway. He couldn't believe that his father actually listened to him. It was a good thing for Hans that his brothers weren't there. Hans couldn't stop thinking about how much of a good actor he was.

Author's Note: This chapter is about 2600 words long, and it will be the shortest chapter in the entire story.