I do not own 'Frozen' or anything related.
Commentator: Welcome back my non-fairy tale and snow queen wannabe friends to the latest instalment of 'Frozen: What could have happened'! Before we begin let's take a look at some of the reviews you've sent us. PROFESSOR! OPEN THE SHOOT!
(The Professor does so, and out pops a couple of envelopes.)
Right then! Our first review comes from a guest:
Please tell me Elsa's not evil in Frozen: What Could Have Happened so please tell me there's another snow queen who is just pure evil and the polar, complete exact opposite of Elsa herself.
Professor: Huh. Perhaps the real reason why a previous reviewer pointed out the apparent non-existence of Elsa was how unlike this Elsa is compared to the one in 'Frozen'?
Commentator: There is that possibility. So yeah, I hate to break it to you, but there's only one snow queen in this entire story and her name IS Elsa. Even if she's known as the Snow queen most of the time. As to whether she's evil or not, well...I'd suggest rereading the previous chapter and carry on reading towards the end. And get through anymore, erm, seemingly villainous moments. Or if you want to watch something where the snow queen and Elsa are separate characters where one is evil and the other isn't, I'd recommend watching the first half of 'Once Upon a Time' season 4 where they cross over with 'Frozen'! Where it feels they just stitched on 'Frozen' rather than it feeling genuinely apart of that world. I mean seriously, how does one world that teaches you to embrace your magical abilities and another with the message "all magic comes with a price" (even though the size of that price is really unclear at times, and I swear at one point there wasn't even a price!) mesh together?
Professor: Our second review also comes from a guest:
Where's Anna?
Sammy: Hey Boss! That reviewer does bring up a fair question. Where IS Anna in all of this?
Commentator: Funnily enough, Sam, a bit of Anna's fate will be discussed in the next chapter! Huh. That's strange. Erinmilne doesn't seem to have sent her review yet.
Professor: Well it has only been a day since we updated last...which is kind of shocking considering this is Anonymius. It's like if George R.R. Martin was able to publish the next 'Song of Ice and Fire' book only a year after the last one.
Commentator: You mean like what he did with the second and third?
Professor: Exactly.
Commentator: KAZING!
Sammy: Forget 'Song of Ice and Fire'! When is he going to publish the next 'Game of Thrones' book!
(The Commentator and Professor look at Sammy.)
Commentator: Sam. That's what we're talking about. Although the TV series is called 'Game of Thrones', the book series is called 'A Song of Ice and Fire.'
Sammy: ...Oh
Commentator: It's just strange, I mean usually she would have sent us her review of the latest chapter by now...well anyway, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, so here's the next chapter!
Gerda had often heard about Arendelle, how that was where the first settlers of their village came from, as well as neighbouring ones, told of how everyone once live in the great port city, before a great disaster covered the entire kingdom in snow. The elderly folk claimed that the land was cursed by the evil Snow Queen, Elsa the former ruler, who once being found out about her powers and confronted by an angry mob, sought to punish the people by freezing the land. Of course Gerda's grandmother told her that's not exactly what happened, that once being found out Elsa, being frightened that her secret was discovered, fled, and although the people were terrified, there wasn't exactly an angry mob (apart from a foreign embassy and his thugs), and that she did not mean to freeze Arendelle. Of course, younger adults expressed scepticism in the existence of the Snow Queen, and sought for a more rational explanation for why the north froze over, believing that Elsa being known as the snow queen was more metaphorical than literal . As for why she fled, most people couldn't answer, although some suggested that it was due to, rather than having ice powers, engaging in forbidden romance. Gerda had once asked what exactly people meant by that, but her mother refused to go into further detail. It was possible they were talking about Elsa being in a relationship with a commoner, although why that would cause her to flee once found out Gerda could not understand. Even Gerda, who once believed in the fairy tales her grandmother told her, started to believe that they were just that - fairy tales with no proof of ever happening. That was before she saw Kai captured by snowmen, and found out that snow magic was very real.
As she and Hanna and Bae walked through the ruined city, Gerda noticed all the snow covered, wooden buildings, their roofs gone and their walls rotted by time and the elements. She imagined all the people who once lived here, saw where there must have been a port where the half submerged ships were trapped, and how once that was bustling with activity, near the market place where shopkeepers sold their wares. Now there was only silence. As they came to the town centre, they saw the only building that was still relatively standing - the palace.
They opened up the doors.
"We need to go upstairs," Hanna told Gerda, "There's something I need to get and something I need to do before we settle for the night."
They started walking up the stairs.
"So, you live here?" Gerda asked.
"Well there's not many places to live in the north," Hanna told her, "Besides the people who used to live here abandoned it years ago so no one else was using it."
When they got to the top of the staircase, something caught Gerda's eye. It was a large painting, its colours somewhat faded over time like the rest of the inside of the palace, yet what it depicted was still clear. It was of four people, who she could only guess were the royal family; the king, the queen, and their young daughters. The older one Gerda could only guess was Elsa the Snow Queen, or at least before she gained that title. She looked so innocent. Next to her could only be princess Anna. She looked no older than five. Although it was clear that she had been trying to look as regal as possible, Gerda had the feeling that the little princess Anna was bored while this was being painted, probably eager to go elsewhere or cause some mischief.
"You know," Hanna said, looking at the painting, "You bear an awful resemblance to the Princess Anna."
Gerda looked at the painting again.
"I - look like Princess Anna?"
Hanna walked away. Gerda followed her.
"Do you know what happened to her? The princess, I mean?"
"Well, according to the tales, sometime after Arendelle got frozen, and it didn't look like it was going to lift, Anna led a mass exodus of people down south, to find warmer lands. Course not everyone left. There were those who were too old, or too sick to make the journey, or who had nowhere else to go, or didn't think there was anywhere else to go, or who wouldn't leave their home."
"So she led the people along with the handsome prince?"
"The handsome prince? Wait, are you talking about Prince Hans? Of the Southern Isles?"
Hanna laughed.
"Is that what you think happened? That Princess Anna just got on the prince's white horse and they rode off into the sunset where they lived happily ever after?"
Gerda nodded.
"The truth is alot more grimm. See, from what I know, around the time after Arendelle was frozen and before, Hans left the princess. He told her that he tried, that he tried to be understanding, but he could not be together with someone with such a monster for a sister. And so he left her, along with Arendelle."
What Hanna was saying Gerda felt was horrifying. All this time, she thought that at least Anna got some happily ever after with the handsome prince, but from what Hanna told her, she didn't even get that! Just because of what her sister did and could do! She imagined a young woman, having been shut out all her life by her beloved sister, losing her parents, finding love and affection from this handsome prince, only to have her heart broken, collapsing to the floor. What does that do to a person, a person who had been shut out by someone she loved so much, to lose the people you love at a young age, after all that time to finally find someone who had opened up to her, only to be rejected in the end?
They came to a room. Hanna walked over to where the windows were and opened them.
"COO! COO!" She cried out.
"What are you doing?" Gerda asked.
"Just calling a couple of friends."
Leaving her to it, Gerda took at the room they were in. It definitely looked like someone's bedroom, possibly belonging to someone who originally lived here. It was quite a large room, as you'd expect for someone who's royalty, filled with not just a bed, but other pieces of furniture as well, like a chair and couch. On the table in the middle was a chess set (although considering how dusty it was, Gerda doubted that Hanna had ever touched it), and on another table to the right, a model of a longship. There was also a large book case in the corner as well. It looked like a very comfortable room, with plenty of things to keep you occupied; you could probably remain here for years! To her right, above a desk, was the painting of a man. Gerda recognised this as the same man from the other painting before; the king of Arendelle. He was a blond haired man with a moustache, looking very comfortable in the role as king. He held up a sceptre and an orb (Gerda couldn't help but feel that the top of the orb was missing something). Looking down at the desk, she saw a candlestick and a jewellery box. The way they were positioned, once held, made Gerda think of the king. Wait, was that the attention? Was the person in this room trying to look like the king? But why? Who's room was this, anyway? She also noticed that the candlestick and box were covered in frost. That's strange. As cold as this room feels, it doesn't look like anything else had frosted over.
"Hey, how long has this frost been here?"
"COO! Huh?"
"The frost, on this candlestick and jewellery box? How long have they been here for?"
"I don't know, since forever."
And she went back to cooing.
Gerda looked at the draws. She knew that she shouldn't be looking through them, after all it might contain some stuff belonging to her guide, but Gerda did so anyway. in the bottom draw, she found several drawings. They looked like stick figures of what were meant to be little girls. One of the figures was labelled 'me', the other looked like 'Anna'. It was then that Gerda realised.
This was the Snow Queen's room.
Gerda had another look around. She saw where Hanna was standing. Elsa probably stood there too, looking outside, wanting so much to got out there yet too afraid. She imagined knocking at the door, and a girl saying "Do you wanna build a snowman?" Gerda looked around. A young Elsa was walking towards the door. She looked so eager to open the door, to want to go out to play with her sister, but at the same time was too afraid that she might hurt her again.
"Do you wanna build a snowman? It doesn't have to be a snowman!"
"Go away, Anna!" Elsa told her.
"Okay, bye." Anna sadly replied, walking away.
Elsa turned around, and fell to the floor, bursting into tears. Gerda so much wanted to comfort the little girl. She bent down to hug her, only to hug thin air. Elsa had disappeared. After all she wasn't really here, just a figment of Gerda's imagination. But that's what likely happened in this room, Anna coming to the door every day, wanting so much to be with her sister, with Elsa trying to keep her away. Gerda knew how it felt, being shut out by an older sibling you loved so much, but it was Elsa she had more sympathy for.
"What are you doing?" Hanna asked.
Gerda looked up, knowing it must look strange to be seen hugging an invisible person. She looked at the pictures in her hand. They were all of Elsa and Anna playing together, usually in the snow, snowman building, snow sledding, ice skating, snow angel making. But what was odd was that according to these drawings, Elsa and Anna were ages like nine and six, or thirteen and ten. Yet from what she knew, Elsa and Anna became estranged when they were eight and five respectively, and never made up. So why would there be drawings of them-
Oh! Gerda Realised. Oh that poor girl! She really did want to spend time with her sister! And this was her imaging them playing together, just like when they were little, even up to the age of fifteen where it looked like Elsa's drawing had improved. She also noticed circles on all these drawings, as if something damp had dropped on them.
"This was her room. Elsa the Snow Queen's room."
"What?"
Hanna looked alarmed.
"You're just guessing."
"No, see, look."
Gerda handed over the drawings.
"Wow. She seemed so innocent. Who would have thought that such an innocent little girl would grow up to become the most evil person in the world?"
"I don't think she's evil," Gerda told her.
Hanna looked at her as if she had just defied some irrefutable fact.
"Excuse me?"
"I don't think she's really evil. I just think she's very lonely. "
Hanna stared at her.
"Oh come on, how could you possibly be sympathising with her? Look around you! Look at what she did to the land!"
"She didn't mean to freeze the land, it was an accident!"
"What?"
"The freezing only happened because she bottled up her fear of being found out over the years, and when she was, she let it out!"
Hanna stared at her. She started laughing.
"Where did you get a stupid idea like that? The Snow Queen froze the land because she was evil! It's as simple as that! Don't try to give me that whole "sympathy for the Chernabog" reindeer droppings that's all the rage nowadays!"
"So...having the power to create and control snow and ice naturally made her evil?"
Hanna actually considered this.
"Well yah!" She replied as if it was obvious. But Gerda wasn't convinced, thinking that that didn't make any sense at all!
"How?"
Hanna was confused by the question.
"I'm sorry, how what?"
"How does having the power to create and control ice and snow naturally make someone evil?"
Before Hanna could answer, they heard cooing. A couple of pigeons perched on the window sill.
"There you are!" Hanna greeted. She walked up to them.
"I've been trying to get a hold of you guys all minute!"
"Who are these?" Gerda asked.
"Just a couple of my friends."
Hanna playfully ruffled the feathers of the pigeons.
"Listen, guys, I'm gonna be moving rooms tonight. And tomorrow, well, I'm not sure if or when you'll see me again."
The pigeons cooed at her.
"You certainly have a way with animals," Gerda remarked.
"Yeah, you could have probably guessed that with Bae."
"You're just like a fairy tale princess."
Hanna's face went red.
"WHAT?"
"Well yeah! All fairytale princesses have this connection with animals! Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping beauty, Belle, Rapunzel, Giselle, Pocahontas - Actually I think Pocahontas was real-"
"THERE IS NOTHING PRINCESSY ABOUT TALKING TO BIRDS!"
The pigeons, alarmed, flew away.
"Great, now look what you made me do."
Hanna groaned.
"Anyway, we've gotta move."
"Why?"
"The winter's especially cold around this time of year. We're best moving down basement level where it's warmer."
Hanna took something from underneath her pillow. It looked like a long, thin package.
"What's that?" Gerda asked.
"It's none of your business," Was Hanna's answer.
Gerda had got enough of that response from Kai not to get too offended.
The room they were moving to was a cell-like place, small compared to where they were before with stone walls and chains. Gerda realised that it was a cell!
"Why are we sleeping here?" Gerda asked, "I thought we'd be going somewhere warmer like a cellar?"
"This place will do," Hanna told her, putting down some blankets she had collected. But this place was even colder than the snow queen's room, which was no surprise given the window that was letting the cold air in.
"I think a cellar would be much warmer."
"Look Kid, if you want to survive here, then you'll need to stick with me, and trust my judgement, okay?"
Well she did rescue me from those bandits, Gerda thought, and let the matter rest. Still though, it would have been nice if they weren't sleeping somewhere so cold.
Putting the mat down, Hanna laid down with Bae beside her. Wanting to also lay next to the reindeer but did not want to get in their way, Gerda laid down on the other side of Bae.
"What are you doing?" Hanna asked.
Gerda looked up.
"I'm sorry, " She said, "It's just that there isn't any other room to sleep on-"
"No, get between us."
"-What?"
"You'll be warmer if you slept between us."
Somewhat please at this, Gerda snuggled in between Bae and Hanna, resting her head on the reindeer's warm fur. Hanna wrapped her arm around Gerda as she threw the blankets over them.
"Just don't get the wrong idea, okay?" Hanna told her, "It just makes sense that we stick together as closely as possible for warmth."
Suddenly Gerda heard cooing.
"What's that?"
The pigeons from earlier had returned, having somehow tracked them. They had also brought some more friends. Soon the cell was filled with dozens of birds, sleeping all over the place, a number of them sleeping on top of the group, making it feel warmer. Some brave ones even stuck themselves between the bars of the window to keep the cold air out. Gerda giggled.
"What's the matter with you?" Hanna asked.
"It's like a large sleepover."
Hanna considered this.
"I guess it is."
Looking down, Gerda saw that the hand Hanna had wrapped over her had her dagger drawn.
"Do you always sleep with your dagger?"
"Well yeah," Hanna yawned as she went to sleep, "There's no telling what may happen. "
As Gerda prepared to go to sleep, a thought occurred to her. What was she doing? Why was she sleeping out here in a cell in the middle of a ruined city, with a stranger who although saved her, was still a stranger, along with a number of pigeons? Why wasn't she back home, in her warm, comfy bed?
The answer came to her straight away. Kai. She was out here to save Kai. And that's what mattered most.