Ch. 4
When Elsa woke up, she could see the rim of sun emerging from the horizon tardily through the half-covered window. Trying not to wake Erik, she carefully got off from bed and slipped her feet into the woollen slippers.
Once she got dressed and tied her hair, she went to the balcony and waited patiently for the long-awaited dawn. The sky was glaucous and misty, still asleep in the cradle of night. Elsa looked at the road behind the gates and walls, a group of citizens were awaken and had started their daily routine by carrying heavy sacks and let the cart pulled by their horses and elks.
After watching the market scene for a while, she looked up. The clouds had dyed into different shades of pink and purple, blue and yellow. The sun rose and rolled high though the sapphire sky, tainting the sky into golden. Everything looked so picturesque that Elsa was awed and could not take her eyes from the magnificent landscape.
After gawking at the daybreak for a moment, her consciousness came back and told her that she had been staying here for a long time. Gently, she came back to her room, only realizing that Erik was awake, sitting on the bed with his pyjamas on.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Elsa asked.
"No, as the matter of fact I get up around this time." Erik glanced at the grandfather clock and replied.
"I'll wait for you at the dining hall."
"Stay with me, please."
Elsa could not find a perfect reason to turn down his request. So she sat in the couch, while Erik was changing into his uniform behind the screen.
"Did you sleep well?" He asked suddenly.
"I guess so." Elsa replied. In fact, she had been half-awake for the whole night. Though her eyelids were heavy, her mind kept her fresh and brought in tons of thoughts.
"You don't sound to have been sleeping well." Erik said. "I want to hear what is true, remember what you pledged on our wedding day?"
Elsa bit her lip and finally blurted out, "Not really sleeping soundly, but I have enough energy to overcome today."
"If you feel like sleeping, you can go at any time, I will tell the servants not to disturb you."
"I don't think anyone reckons that having naptime is what a queen should do, Erik."
Erik came out from behind the screen, chuckling.
"You've a point there."
The duo walked to the dining hall silently. Except for a few servants rushing around, the corridors were deserted. Though Elsa did not speak a word, she could feel the strong bond between her and Erik. Slowly, Erik clutched her hand and walked with pride and confidence.
Just when they were about to turn right, Anna rushed into them.
"Anna!" Elsa was a bit shocked from her sister's sudden appearance.
"Oh, Elsa. What can I do?"
"What do you want to do?"
"Andrea and Fredrick are not getting up!" She wailed. "Do you know how horrible it is to make children get out off bed?"
"No."
"Of course, Estelle is always on time and on task. You won't know the problem of being a mother of two."
"Where's Kristoff?" Elsa quickly asked.
"Delivering ice." Anna replied. "And just me to wake them up."
"Tell them if they are going to sleep for more, their krumkaker won't appear on the table for the whole week."
Anna's eyes lightened up.
"Thank you, Elsa. I will go."
She dashed to the stairs and hurried off. Elsa smiled at her sister, like mother, like children.
"You're really good at dealing with children."
"Is this the first time you've seen me solving such problem?"
"Nope. But I always think highly on you."
"Stop your sugary compliment." Elsa chuckled. "But I am not as brilliant as what you think. At least I cannot get along that well with Estelle compare to Anna and her children."
Erik patted her shoulder as a comfort and encouragement. Both of them knew the situation, but what they could do was little.
"I guess she needs much more advice." Erik suggested.
"Advice is already useless to her. When time comes, she will figure it out and accept her fate." Elsa sighed.
When the dishes were placed on the table, Andrea and Fredrick were fighting over a knäckebröd and lingonberry jam.
"Hey it's mine!" Andrea wailed.
"You've put enough jam on the bread, it's my turn!"
"I haven't finished spreading jam!"
"You're going to fatten yourself up!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Andrea, you have enough!" Anna snapped. "Fredrick, put down the jar, now."
Andrea blew a raspberry at her brother and brother leered at her in return.
"Anna, have you seen Estelle?" Elsa glanced at the only emptied chair.
"I haven't. But I talked to her yesterday."
"What did she say?"
"I guess she was a bit lightened up after the talk. I guess she needs time to digest everything." Anna quickly said her sentence as if she was in a hurry. "She's just like you when you're young, locking herself up and sulking for the night. But I think she's going to be fine."
"I hope she is." Elsa added. "But it's half past nine already, she usually gets up at nine."
"I'll go and wake her." Erik offered.
"Mama, Papa."
Estelle closed the door while rubbing her eyes. From her expression, Elsa knew she was indeed happier than yesterday, but still a slight trace of misery showed in her eyes.
"Good morning, Estelle." Elsa smiled at her.
"Good morning." Estelle whispered in a barely audible voice.
"Hey, still tired?" Kristoff beamed at her.
"Not really." She replied as she sat on the mahogany chair.
Elsa examined her daughter's face. There was a natural special bond between her and Estelle, and Elsa could not explain it. She could feel the depression in her daughter's soul, despite the smile on Estelle's face.
"Your Majesty, the letters are drafted." Kai deeply bowed and handed in the parchments to the queen.
"Let me just proofread it once. I will call you later."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Andrea and Fredrick stopped chatting and their sparkling googly eyes rolled into the direction of their aunt. Anna and Kristoff looked expectantly at the parchment, wondering what would make Elsa concentrating so hard. While everyone had their attention caught on the parchment, Estelle glanced up swiftly and continued eating, as though she did not have the slightest interest on the letters.
"Aunt Elsa, what is it?" Andrea asked.
"Keep quiet." Fredrick hushed her.
"Oh, Elsa. Please tell us." Anna begged.
"I have just asked Kai to write up the letters of invitations to our country. We have Kramned, Nedews, Ísland, and the Western-Isles."
"Oh, five countries gather together in Arendelle. This will be so exciting! Thank you, Elsa!" Anna squealed with delight and hugged her sister tightly.
"Anna, Anna…" Elsa whispered, struggling to set free from Anna's compassionate hug. "I can't…can't breath…"
"Oh, sorry." Anna immediately went back to her chair, with her cheeks blushing with the colour of scarlet red.
"I have always wished to have such a grand celebration." Andrea giggled.
"Kristoff, you've never been to any balls. Every time when we have one, you are away on ice-delivery."
"Yes, Papa. Please don't go away on that day!" Andrea used her puppy face and glanced at her father.
"Okay, okay, little ducklings." Kristoff said.
The two children cheered and excused themselves, hurried off to the corridor and headed down to the garden.
"Estelle?" Elsa gently whispered.
"Yes, Mama?"
"Go and have your lessons with Mr. Andersen about geometry." Elsa thought for while before she uttered the words, "Please."
Estelle nodded and a wry smile appeared on her face. Elegantly, she stood up and walked to the door slowly, so slow that as if she was not moving at all.
After the youngster closed the door, Elsa said, "Kai, bring me a quill."
Kai promptly gave her a quill and Elsa signed on the parchments.
"Send the letters."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Kai retreated and Elsa stood up.
"Where're you going?" Erik said with his mouth full of food.
Elsa could not help but laughing at his round big cheeks. Erik managed to swallow everything and relived.
"So where're you going?" Erik asked.
"Somewhere in the castle?" Elsa suggested and giggled like a young girl again. "Find me if you can."
Outside Arendelle, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, stood an island. The island, about three-fourth of the size of Arendelle, was always surrounded by haze at daytime, but the sky would be clear when darkness fell.
"Your Majesty!" A servant burst into the study and panted out the words, "The Queen of Arendelle has a message for you, it was one month ago."
"Let me see." The cold stern voice ordered with calmness. His amber eyes shone in the dark room, with the brightness almost enlightened the room. He was a man of five feet four, having moustache and wearing a black double-breasted suit with only the bottom buttons fastened.
As soon as the candle lights were lit, he revealed himself as a stern-looking man in his mid-fifties. Though comparatively shorter than many of his people, he was a man with serious and respectable appearance, he was certainly the type of people that should not be offended or crossed.
"Four months from now, that would be July." He counted the days and muttered. His sunken eye sockets did not give him a friendly impression to his people. Yet, people acted with absolute obedience and respected the rules whole-heartedly.
"Jonas, come here my boy." He yelled to the other side of the room.
A young child came out from the dark and appeared in front of his father while rubbing his eyes.
"We are invited to go to Arendelle for this July." The man said. "Make sure you behave as I tell you and get alone well with the little girl."
"Dad, who's the little girl?"
"The heir to the throne." He showed a nasty grin and gritted out the words through his teeth.
"Are Louisa and Vincent coming?"
"Only for you and Louisa."
"Dad, who's the little girl?"
"Princess Estelle."
The little boy slightly tilted his head and his sapphire blue eyes twinkled. The bowl cut blonde hair was shining brightly under the candle lights, making him an adorable boy. He did not have the faintest idea of what his father was up to due to his young age and innocence. As his father told him to be excused, he went back to his bedroom obediently, wondering who Princess Estelle was.
"Perhaps she's a girl in my age. Perhaps we can be friends." He smiled broadly as his idea and went back to sleep.