She should really have expected this outcome. It was inevitable, given who she is.
Such thoughts fly around in the queen's mind as she covers in the ice fort she has created for herself. It isn't that getting hit with snow bothers her any, it doesn't at all. Cold never has, in physical sense anyway. In fact, she could roll in snow naked and she wouldn't feel much of a difference. She is The Ice Queen after all, truth be told, Elsa is not even sure if she has ever had a cold.
She can make snowballs out of thin air, this sort of advantage called for drastic measures on part of everyone else participating in their battle. She is not going to go easy on others just because they can't build themselves an ice fort on a whim. Or because her pace is that of four... magic-less people. Her snowballs are just perfect too, she can't throw them with her power though, that would be dangerous, but she can create them directly in her hands. She enjoys using her power in ways that do not bring harm to others, to bring joy to others.
It is also fun to watch the others scramble out of the way that Elsa's hailstorm of snowballs takes direction.
They even brought a horse to play! Magnificent stallion too, Maximus his name she thinks. It was he that distracted her long enough when he was ramming the gate that allowed Anna, Rapunzel and Eugene (Olaf was also there but she is not sure where have the parts of him fallen) enough time to regroup and build themselves some measure of defense against Elsa.
Hah! Look at them all, frolicking in snow like children without any trouble in their life. What a ridiculous thing for royalty to do, and she cares not. She doesn't feel tired any longer, she is in fact energized. Who knew that playing child games could do that, well, Elsa has forgotten, she must have known once, long ago.
It's nice to do things other than read books and...- to do things for no other reason than for fun again. She might have went a bit over the top with this but really. They asked an ice sorceress to join them, what did they expect? And they are managing now anyways. Elsa minds not being hit with snow, but theirs is the wet kind, since they are using what's still left from her curse. She will have to change when they are finished either way but the moisture still bothers her. So no, she won't peek over the wall to see what are her foes up to. And up to no good they must be since they ceased their onslaught, likely cooking up a plan.
She is contemplating the perks of creating an ice tunnel to get out of this siege and into another defensive position when something white and fluffy flies over her head and lands in the snow behind her. Elsa's eyes widen as her eyes land on Snowflake. The stuffed bunny lying innocently a meter from her or so.
She swallows uncomfortably.
Her sister has been carrying it everywhere for years now, she knows, She talked about him for days from behind the closed door when She first got it. It was perfectly normal, at first, for a long time really. Anna was eight when She first said "We" when referring to herself. That day seared itself into Elsa's mind alike white hot iron does into skin. She remembers it perfectly.
"Elsa!" Three years have passed and She comes to ask her sister to come out every day still. The older girl doesn't answer, as usual. But she listens as she always does.
"Elsa come on! It's beautiful out there. I know you like winter better but we can play hide and seek or hopscotch or we could paint if you like." Would it be so wrong if she allowed herself to do some drawing with Anna?
"Oh! Oh we could play statues too! We were trying to play but it doesn't really work with two people." What?
"I mean yeah we can but it's either he catches me cause you know, it's hard to actually tap the watcher when you're the only one he has to catch. And he's just too careful! He barely moves!"
What?
Elsa asked the staff that day who is Anna hanging out with, no one, they told her. She was distressed as she had not been since The Incident. She told their parents and they assured her it was nothing. But she began asking her maid to tell her about her sister's doings ever since that day on.
Treating her toy as a living person was but a beginning. As years passed, there came talking to paintings, trees, thin air even. She often sang and danced, with or without Snowflake. She knows not which scares her more. And through all that she still kept coming by her room every day without fail, and it was getting worse. It was complete nonsense She was saying sometimes. Like bees asking for help in building a snow castle in autumn.
It scared Elsa so much that she broke.
One day she answered with a simple "Yes?" when Anna gave Her customary greeting.
Not much, just so that her sister knew she was listening. It didn't get worse after that point, a bit better perhaps. She knows she should have simply let Her in, but by that time she was... not completely well either. Touch felt strange upon her skin, wrong. She got nervous when even standing close to anyone, dizzy, out of breath. And when that happened, she lost what little control she had over her power. All the more reason not to let anyone close to her.
One day their parents brought in... a man, that asked her how she felt when someone tried to touch her, stood close to her, when did she begin avoiding people, the likes. Obviously she couldn't answer half of it,mom and dad agreed on that too. If the word got out about her sorcery... Well, one day he just didn't come again.
Anna was supposed to talk to that man too. Twice She did, according to her own words.
She didn't fully understand what was all that about until she turned sixteen. She pitied her parents and their fate, to have two daughters and both... inadequate. She's not into self pity but she felt worthless, all the trouble she had caused by her mere existence. Was it really worth it? Protecting her? Nobody told her that Anna's... antics, were her fault but she knew it all the same.
All the harm she has caused Her. If she could take it all upon herself she would do so in a heartbeat. She wants to take all Her troubles away. But all she can do is be there for Her, not judge Her, love Her. Show it in what ways she can. Many of them she knows would be considered... inappropriate, and so they won't happen, and if, not before she is able to touch Her without fear. Panic.
She's going to be there for Anna no matter what. So that She is not so terribly alone among wolves. Oh she saw the looks they threw Her way on the night of the coronation. Standing beside her awkwardly, holding onto Snowflake for her dear life. Excitement and nervousness clear on Her face, full of hope that someone will take interest in her. Full of fear that someone will. Only Elsa had.
It was also the day of her formal introduction to the stuffed bunny.
Awkward. Very. But she managed, she got through the ceremony and under the guise of not dancing was slowly getting through the ball. Things were going well, until Hans turned up that is. What an actor- that one, he has missed his calling, truly. He had everyone fooled but Elsa refused them her blessing for two reasons.
The first is obvious, you don't marry someone you've just met.
Secondly... she was jealous. A petty reason perhaps, if it was only as a sister that she was jealous. But she can acknowledge it, at least to herself since she can't just announce to the whole wide world how much exactly does she love her sister. It took years to admit it to herself. Only so what? She can't even hold hands with Her.
It's not permanent, she tells herself as she stares at the toy. Apparently Anna though it a good idea to send her... friend over Elsa's defences so that he may smoke her out of hiding. And so she will do just that.
"I surrender!" She yells with hands over her head, she waits a few seconds and collapses the ice fort. She sees her sister grinning triumphantly at Eugene, and Rapunzel looking at her, confusion painting the brunette's features. Maximus is off to the side, giving Snowflake a hard glare. She sees a carrot sticking out from a pile of snow, guess she has found Olaf.
She can hear their words as the trio approaches her.
"See? I told you it'd work. It was like a sneak attack through a sneak entrance. Without- actual entrance but details. Point is, I knew he'd be up to it." She sounds so cheerful, Elsa is glad for that at least.
"Yeah I don't see how this, erm, friend of yours could beat your sister." Eugene, hm, so he has some tact.
"Oh he has his ways, but he can't tell. It's a secret." Anna's voice drops to a very loud whisper and the older of the sisters can't help but chuckle at her antics.
"Of course, a secret."
"Do I hear sarcasm in your voice? Rapunzel, do I hear sarcasm in his voice?"
"Maybe, he uses it a lot."
"Oh come on!"
As they close in, Elsa sees her sister's flushed cheeks and she can't help but think how adorable she looks like that, happy, carefree, normal.
"I'll admit I didn't expect Snowflake to just fly over my head, you took me by surprise."
"Oh don't be such a sour looser Elsa," chides Anna as She takes the rabbit from her hands and tucks it into her bag "You did good, for a novice that is." She adds with mischievous smirk. Oh is that how it will be?
"A novice?"
"Well yeah, when was it you last had a snowball fight?" Elsa turns her eyes away, so that She doesn't see the flash of pain in her eyes. "See? Novice." Her face is set in a smug expression.
Anna's statement is true enough for her not to have an argument ready. So she does what any person would do in such a situation to come out on the top.
Anna is not amused when she falls over, face full of snow.
Revised on 11.04.2015