"Kendra!"
"Kendra!"
I jolt into consciousness, confused, disoriented, and feeling odd in so many ways. As my vision focuses, I find myself lying on my back, gazing up into Elsa's very worried eyes. The sky is speckled with stars, brightly lit as the Aurora Borealis dances freely, painting the night sky with beautiful colors above us.
"…Elsa?"
She breathes a sigh of relief, and I could swear that I see a slight glistening in her eyes. Perhaps it's just reflections of the lights overhead…
Elsa helps me sit up, holding me to her in a tight hug. "I was so worried… You scared me for a minute there…"
I wrap my arms back around her, but I'm extremely confused. "What happened?" I try to think, but the last thing I recall is the two of us sitting on my bed, watching the ball drop on TV in New York City, her icy powers swirling all around us, creating odd sensations in my body as she activated the portal.
Elsa pulls away to move some of my black hair out of my face, smiling with great relief. Obviously I had her pretty shook up, whatever happened. "I miscalculated the timing of our arrival, as you can plainly see. Instead of late day, we arrived in the middle of the night. But traveling through the portal apparently had a great effect on you; you were unconscious upon arrival…" She closes her eyes, obviously fighting her emotions. "You scared me pretty good… It was almost like when I hit Anna with my powers as a kid, or when she sacrificed herself for me on the fjord… I just felt so helpless…"
I hug her tight as her eyes glisten again, this time knowing it's from tears. "I'm sorry, Elsa, I didn't mean to scare you… But, I'm ok, see?"
She holds me close, and though I can't see her smile, I can hear it in her voice. "Yes, I can see that. And I'm so glad."
I can practically feel her relief, feeling bad and a little embarrassed that I worried her like I did, but glad that I was only out for a very short time.
We hug for several moments, giving each other a squeeze before finally breaking it off. We share a smile, her cerulean blue eyes locked with my dark green eyes, silently reassuring each other that we're fine, before finally getting to our feet. Gazing around, we find ourselves along the harbor, not far from the cobbled pathway leading to the castle gates.
"Dang, we're right where we wanna be."
"Yes, though we must still be careful," Elsa warns, as her platinum blonde hair nearly shines in the glow of the lights in the sky. A light wintry breeze blows, causing me to grab my arms, not realizing just how much colder Arendelle would be compared to my home.
"Dang, I should've been better prepared!" I layered up some, but apparently not enough, as the cold air still bites at my exposed skin.
Elsa wraps her arms around me, holding me close and trying to help keep me warm. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize how much of a difference in temperature it'd be here."
I do a laugh-like scoff, whatever you'd call it, as I lean against her. "It's not your fault Elsa, don't worry about it."
"Well either way, we should get inside the castle where it's warm. The sooner we get some rest, the sooner we can truly start to prepare for what lies ahead…"
I wrap my arms around the young queen in a side hug, nodding in agreement before we start walking along the path towards the castle. I have no idea if anyone's here, if there are guards watching, any of the dark forces, anyone. I walk pretty close to Elsa, glancing around quite apprehensively, my own guard up and senses open. I nearly jump when Elsa breaks the silence.
"It's ok, the castle's safe."
I release a breath I didn't know I was holding, relieved that we won't have to sneak in, and can rest in peace. I still can't help but feel nervous and antsy, but I trust Elsa. She wouldn't lie to me, especially in a situation like this, so I follow her proudly through the gates, and into the castle itself.
I didn't realize just how large and winding the inside of a castle could be, but as soon as Elsa finally stops in front of a door at the end of a long corridor, I realize just how out of breath I am. Elsa laughs softly at me, inquiring, "Are you alright?"
"Heh, hehe, yeah," I breathe, grinning shyly. "Just outta shape is all."
I catch my breath as Elsa places her hands on the door handles, opening the beautiful double doors, and revealing the interior. The room is lit from the open window, allowing the lights painting the sky to spill into the room. Though it's still dark, I can still breathe out a "Wow…" absolutely in awe of the large room and the furniture inside.
Elsa leads me inside, closing the door behind us, and I'm surprised when she locks it. "Huh? Elsa? Didn't you say the castle was safe?"
She walks to a dresser and places the key safely inside a small box. "Yes, but you can never be too careful… You and I are Arendelle's only hope at this moment in time, so we must take every precaution." Her blue eyes lock with mine, showing fierce certainty, and I can't help but nod back with earnest agreement and determination.
The young queen next walks over to a larger wardrobe of sorts; I think it's called an armoire, but I could be sadly mistaken, as I don't know what that is. Either way, it's something that contains clothes, and that's easy to know because she opens the door, revealing many clothing items, dresses and gowns and other items. She only takes a moment to pick through them, before pulling two items out of the wardrobe, armoire, whichever it is.
When she turns to me, she has a smirk as she holds one up in each hand. I could be wrong, but I think they're nightgowns of some kind. I don't have to ponder long, getting my answer almost immediately. "Alright, take your pick."
?!
Apparently the look on my face was expected, as my friend merely laughs while approaching me, stopping just a few feet in front of me. "What? You let me sleep in some of your pajamas, so it's only reasonable that I'd do the same, and not make you sleep in your clothes, right?"
Stunned and at a loss for words for a few seconds, I find my voice through a giggle. "Yes of course, you're right. Though it doesn't matter to me really, I'm fine with either."
Elsa just gives me another sly smirk, lifting the gowns in front of her again, as if to say that she's going to make me choose whether I want to or not. I gotta admit, they are beautiful, obviously thick material that's perfect for winter, simple solid colors with minimal embroidery work along the chest, the typical swirling patterns I've noticed Elsa and Anna's dresses have. One is a deep navy blue, the few swirling patterns a mix of teals and magentas, nearly matching the Aurora Borealis in the sky. The other seems to be a lighter blue, the patterns a mix of dark and light greens. Both are just so gorgeous, I can hardly choose.
"Ohhh! How am I supposed to choose when both are just so…so…beautiful!" Elsa's lighthearted laughter makes me blush bashfully, though I continue with my babbling. "I mean, blue is my favorite color, so both are just perfect…"
"That's why I grabbed these two, so that you'd be comfortable no matter which one you chose."
I grab the navy gown with teal and magenta patterns, while giving her a sly smirk. "Showoff." I teasingly stick out my tongue, and she shoots a thin beam of ice at it before I can blink, causing me to emit a squeak of surprise, before we both erupt in a fit of giggles.
Elsa allows me to use her bathroom to get changed, though I gotta admit with some embarrassment, that I had quite the trouble getting her gown on… I mean sure, we're about the same size and I was able to fit in it, but it wasn't as straightforward as your typical gowns, especially when I discovered some odd pants inside them, also hanging from the same hanger. They were easy enough, but the gown? I fiddled with it for several minutes, before having to concede defeat. With my face blood red with embarrassment and shame, I crack open the door, and peek my head out into Elsa's bedroom.
The room is aglow in a soft orange light, several candles and lanterns lit, and Elsa is sitting on her bed waiting for me, having already changed into her sleepwear. She finishes lighting another candle when my soft voice grabs her attention. "E-Elsa…?"
She faces me with confusion and curiosity, her facial features seeming to dance in the light. "Yes? Is something wrong, Kendra?"
I blush even harder, gazing down at the floor out of embarrassment, trying not to mumble. "I…I need help…with the gown…"
Elsa just smiles warmly, that same sisterly smile she always uses, as she gets to her feet and walks to the bathroom door. I make sure that I'm covered up, worried that she may just come right on in…but she stops, keeping her hands folded in front of her. "Do you not know how to put it on? Or are you just having trouble with it?"
I blush even more with embarrassment… I mean, it seemed simple enough, but then came the…things in the back. Ugh, why am I so hopeless…
Elsa just chuckles knowingly. "Alright turn around."
I turn my back to her, allowing her to open the door, trying to ignore the amusement in her voice. I have the gown on, but there are a few straps of some kind along the back, and I have no idea what to do with them. Elsa knows what to do immediately, grabbing them and deftly working them with her fingers, loosely lacing them up the back along a couple of loopholes, before tying them in a loose bow. "There, simple as can be."
"Thanks Elsa." Though I mean it, I can't help but turn to face her with a look, a look that practically says 'Really?', but is enough to make her have to turn away, trying to not burst out in laughter.
She composes herself, before revealing something that makes my face burn with shame. "Well, you had to choose that gown after all, it's one of the few I have with any kind of lacing. Minor, but enough where you have to have someone else do it for you if you don't know how to do it yourself." Great, now she tells me... Oh well, at least it's finally on.
We waste no time putting out the candles she just lit, no longer needing the light now that we're climbing into bed. And what a bed it is! Her bed is huge, it's the size of a queen sized bed, or even a king sized. I honestly can't be too sure which, but it's big enough for two or even three people to sleep in. It's layered nicely with sheets and thick blankets, perfect for staying warm. I blush when she peels back the covers for us, treating me like a mother to a little kid. Or like…a sister…
"Thanks…" I mumble shyly, climbing onto the soft mattress, gripping the covers as she climbs in beside me. I refuse to let her do everything, so we end up tucking each other in, causing another giggle fit. I swear, we really are silly…just like real sisters. This makes me think of Anna, and I immediately start getting sad and worried again.
Elsa notices the change in my mood, and correctly suspects what it is. "I'm worried too… But Anna's safe, despite being held captive…"
I roll onto my left side to face her, the lights still shining in the sky through the large window behind her. "Are you sure…?"
She smiles, that same warm smile full of certainty, as she rolls onto her right side to also face me. "Positive. We'll save her, and Arendelle, too."
Her confidence soothes my worries, my face changing into a smile too.
"…You know, Kendra…you remind me of Anna in many ways." I smile sheepishly, averting my eyes due to my blushing. I swear, sometimes I'm so dang shy and modest it's ridiculous.
"W-well…she's stubborn like me, and refuses to give up."
Elsa smiles bright, as if I guessed the answer to the million dollar question correctly on the first try. "That's it exactly. So I know she's safe."
She then grabs my face with a hand, and moves my head on the pillow so that I'm facing her again. "For now, let's get some sleep, for tomorrow we begin our preparations, and we're gonna need all the rest we can get."
I nod, eyes shining with the reflection of the lights in the sky. "Alright. Goodnight Elsa."
"Goodnight Kendra, sweet dreams."
"You too, sleep well."
We close our eyes, relaxed in the soft bed, under the warm covers, and comforted by each other's presence, drifting off to sleep together within minutes, not knowing just what tomorrow is going to bring, but ready to face it regardless.