Glenda pressed her hand against the doors of Elsa's bedroom and felt that they were cold. A worried expression took over her face. She knocked and inquired about the princess' condition. "Are you alright Princess Elsa? I'm coming in."
Elsa did not want anyone in her room, not even Glenda who was the sole servant allowed inside, but she did not have enough energy to drive her away. Glenda pushed the door open since it seemed to be stuck. She went inside the room and saw that the hinges were frozen.
"I'm alright Glenda.", Elsa limply said.
The whole room was covered in a layer of ice, the floors, the ceilings, even the furniture. Elsa was sitting down, her back against the window pane whose glass was already frosted with ice. Her head was resting on her curled up knees and she lifted it up as Glenda approached.
"Your highness...", Glenda gasped.
Elsa's eyes were swollen with all the crying and sullen because of all the sleepless hours. She was a shade paler than usual and the light in her eyes was almost dim. She tried her best to curve her mouth up into a smile and was surprised to feel Glenda's arms wrapped around her tight.
"My dear princess.", Glenda uttered, her eyes on the verge of tears. She hugged the princess and could already feel the edges of Elsa's bones. "I have failed the king and queen. I have not taken care of you well."
Elsa has almost forgotten how it felt to be hugged spending all her days locked up in her room. There was a warmth to it that lifted up her spirits in some way.
"I've forgotten how warm hugs can be.", she said to Glenda.
"It goes best with warm soup your highness.", Glenda smiled and quickly got up. She was pleased to see Elsa lightening up. She went over to the bedside table and got the soup that the princess failed to eat. She hasn't been eating actually, only filling herself with loneliness and sadness.
"Oh my, it has gotten cold."
Elsa smiled. "That would be my fault."
"No worries your highness.", Glenda energetically replied. She lit a fire in the room's fireplace and helped Elsa sit down by the fire. She then excused herself to get a warmer bowl of soup.
After days enclosed in her frozen room, Elsa found the warmth of the fire refreshing. Thank God for Glenda, she thought. Glenda was chosen by her parents to be her personal helper. After decreasing the staff and locking the gates, Glenda was the only person who was regularly by Elsa's side aside from her family. After the death of her parents, Elsa's social circle shrunk further and she found Glenda's presence even more valuable.
The fire was getting weaker because of the room's cold atmosphere so Elsa got up and added a few pieces of wood. As she did so, the fire lit upon the scar on her left arm. My circle didn't shrink after all, she thought. It's the same size if you consider the man and his reindeer friend, she smiled.
Glenda entered the room pushing a cart with a smoking hot bowl of soup on top. She prepared the soup by the fireplace for the princess to eat. Elsa took a sip and felt the color rising to her cheeks. She also felt the warmth spreading throughout her body and it made her take another spoonful. Glenda happily watched the princess eat.
After a few spoonfuls, Elsa put down her bowl and talked to Glenda. "I need a favor."
"Anything, your highness." Glenda was glad to hear Elsa's authoritative voice again and was pleased to be of service.
"I need some time away from the palace."
"You want to go to town Princess?" Glenda was quite surprised to hear the favor asked of her.
"No, not the town. I want to go somewhere farther where I can be alone; preferably somewhere cold."
"But the palace is your home. I cannot imagine your highness living in an abandoned shack in the middle of endless snow." Glenda's brows were in a furrow. Elsa was like her own daughter and she couldn't bear the princess living in unworthy circumstances.
"I've used up all my self control Glenda and still I have covered my room in ice." Elsa gestured around her room. "I want to be able to grieve my parents' death without the fear of freezing the entire kingdom."
"But Princess..." Glenda was hesitant. Elsa was her responsibility after all. She could almost feel the King's glare and the Queen's worried eyes.
"I will be Queen soon.", said Elsa with slight anxiety in her voice. "I need some time to put myself together before that."
Glenda was quiet. She was still weighing her decision carefully. It was as though the kingdom's fate was suddenly on her hands!
"Please Glenda." Elsa held Glenda's hands in hers. "You're the only one who can help me."
Glenda could never refuse Elsa's eyes, not when she was a kid, not now, and perhaps not ever. She let out a sigh and surrendered to the Princess' wishes.
"My uncle once owned a cabin in the woods near the north mountain. I suppose I can fix that up for you."
Elsa smiled and hugged Glenda tightly. She whispered heartfelt thanks and they started to discuss their plan.
In the middle of the woods is a clearing where a small log cabin can be found. Elsa arrived at dawn in a carriage with Glenda. They entered the cabin and Elsa looked around. It had no rooms but it had everything necessary for a comfortable stay. It had a single bed covered with soft and clean sheets. There was a table, a couple of chairs in the middle and some cupboards by the wall. It wasn't like her well-decorated room in the palace but it was definitely homey in its simplicity.
"This is perfect.", Elsa told Glenda with a smile. "Thank you."
"This is awfully small your highness, even smaller than your bedroom.", replied Glenda slightly embarassed. "I would have asked my brothers to make it bigger but we only had time to patch it up."
"This will do. Thank you for putting it together in such short notice." Elsa replied.
Elsa looked at the bath behind the cabin and Glenda showed her how it worked.
"You put firewood here if you want a hot bath.", explained Glenda. "But don't worry your highness. I will be here to do this for you."
"You don't have to do everything for me Glenda.", Elsa replied. "You're not supposed to be here all the time. I need to learn how to live on my own."
Glenda once again was uneasy. It was the first time that the princess would be far from her and it made her anxious to think of all the bad things that could happen.
"Oh dear Princess", Glenda worriedly said. "Are you sure I shouldn't stay here? What about palace guards? Are you sure you don't want any?"
Elsa explained that she can manage by herself. "I have magic powers Glenda. I can protect myself.", she teased. "Just please take care of Anna instead of distressing over me."
Glenda let out a sigh and went inside to unpack the few things that Elsa decided to bring. Elsa followed her and helped her. Glenda was on the verge of tears.
"Please don't cry Glenda.", Elsa gently said. "I asked for this."
Glenda felt guilty that the princess had to trade her gown for simple garments usually worn by commoners. Even her hair was different. It was now arranged in a simple braid instead of the usual elegant bun.
"I'm sorry you have to wear these things your highness.", said Glenda in a sad tone.
"They're just clothes Glenda. It's all part of the plan.", replied Elsa trying to comfort Glenda. "This is good. I get to be in my people's shoes. This will help me rule them better as Queen."
"You will be a most wonderful Queen your highness.", said Glenda sniffing back tears.
After everything was unpacked, Glenda was preparing to leave. They went outside where the carriage was waiting.
"I will come back later to bring your food Princess."
"Don't worry about me. You shouldn't come here too often Glenda. People will suspect.", warned Elsa. No one knew except for Glenda that the princess was staying there.
"Oh Princess Elsa!", exclaimed Glenda and she hugged Elsa tightly. She ran through all the precautions she has been telling Elsa over the past few days - locking the doors, eating well, not talking to strangers etc.
Elsa smiled and told Glenda that she'll be fine. She thanked her once more and led Glenda to the carriage. Glenda kept waving and shouting goodbyes as she rode on. Elsa watched Glenda's carriage get smaller and smaller in the distance. Soon, she was alone.
Kristoff arrived home after a long day at work with Sven. He saw the trolls huddled among each other and buzzing like a swarm of bees. When Bulda saw him coming, she excitedly rolled towards him and greeted him.
"What's the fuss all about?", asked Kristoff.
"There's a girl!", answered Bulda delighted.
"A girl?", Kristoff was still confused.
A younger troll rolled towards them and added, "There's a girl with silver hair!"
Silver hair?, thought Kristoff. Is that...
"She just moved to the abandoned cabin today with her aunt.", explained Bulda. "You should go and befriend her."
"I have enough friends. I don't need another one.", replied Kristoff hiding his curiosity.
"Sven is your only friend.", teased the young troll who went up to Kristoff's shoulder.
"You don't have a female friend Kristoff.", said Bulda. "How on earth will we see your cute babies if you don't have a female friend?" Bulda squeezed Kristoff's cheeks as she was saying this.
"Woah, woah, hold up. Babies?", was Kristoff's shocked reply.
The trolls all bugged Kristoff to introduce himself to the new girl and Kristoff finally said yes below the pile of excited trolls jumping around his already tired body.
AN: Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback. I didn't know Kristoff and Elsa received much love. I personally call them Elstoff though haha. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. More to come! :)