For My Kingdom
A Frozen Fan fiction
Chapter Seven:
Queen Elsa of Arendelle
When Anna finally approached the room, she stopped and took a deep, calming breath. Seeing her sister so ill for the past two days had been really hard on her. However, as she drew closer to the bedroom door, guards standing dutifully at either side of it, she heard hearty laughter from within. She recognized Elsa instantly, and shortly thereafter, Olaf. She smiled, Olaf must have been cheering her up while she was gone.
The guards let her through without a word. Before she had arrived they had made a wager as to whether or not she would faint once she realized what had occurred in her absence.
Anna entered the room and immediately stopped short. Elsa was no longer in bed, rather, she was sitting in one of the several chairs in the corner of the bedroom, fully dressed with her hair done in her usual single braid lying over her left shoulder. Olaf was no where to be seen, instead a man she didn't recognize, with dark, wavy hair sat across from the queen, facing away from the door.
Elsa looked up as her sister entered the room, a bright smile on her face. "Anna!" she called out.
Elsa looked two hundred percent better than she had when Anna had left earlier that morning, leaving Anna pleasantly confused. "Hi," Anna replied, approaching her sister and the man. She couldn't take her eyes off the man who turned around to smile happily at her. His smile was infectious and she couldn't help but smile back. "Who's this?" she asked, gesturing at the man.
The queen smiled shyly and the man stood from his seat, bowing to princess Anna. He was short (only about as tall as she was), but well-built and well-dressed in clothes that might have been worn by a duke or a lord.
As the man straightened from the bow he smiled again and said in a freakishly familiar voice, "I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"
Anna's eyes widened and her jaw went slack. From her vantage point across from the two, Elsa was practically dying of laughter on the inside, though on the outside she was barely holding it behind her grin. It had taken her a bit, but Elsa finally managed to accept the fact that though Olaf had transformed, he was still the same old Olaf. Now, it was Anna's turn.
Anna looked at her, shocked. "Did I miss something?"
Elsa shook her head slowly, her grin widening until it almost hurt. "Yeah," she said in a high pitched voice, almost losing her grip of the laughter that was pent up inside her. She had never felt more happy, not even at her sister's wedding. The funny thing was, there was really no reason for her absolute elation. Everything was a mess and confusing, but the smile on her face was stuck there like nothing in the world was wrong.
Shaking her head, Anna tried to push away the bizarre turn of events and look seriously at her sister. "Elsa, we need to talk."
Elsa's good mood vanished about as quickly as it came at the tone of her sister's voice. Memories of earlier that morning, the nightmare, and the wedding party rushed into the forefront of her mind. She stood and straightened her gown. "Of course, Anna."
Olaf smiled awkwardly, looking from one solemn woman to the other. "I'll just step out for a bit." With unusually long strides, he exited the room.
Anna sat down across from Elsa. She looked exhausted. Elsa sat down as well, suddenly concerned for her sister.
They sat in silence for a couple minutes before Anna could bring herself to say, "Elsa, you're still in danger."
The queen's heart sank as fear began to prickle in her chest. "What?" She tried to laugh it off, not wanting to believe it. "But we have the man responsible..."
"He wasn't acting of his own accord..." Anna continued, playing nervously with one of her braids that hung over her shoulders. "He was being paid off by someone... I don't know if you're thinking of the same possibilities as I am..."
She was. The nightmare brought Hans to the forefront of her mind, not to mention the fact that it wouldn't have been the first time he had tried to kill her. However, she had worried somewhat when she ended all ties with Weselton that it might come back to bite her, though she never imagined that it might end up like this. She had thought it might affect the kingdom economically, maybe, but she never dreamed that the obnoxious duke would seek revenge.
"Are the dignitaries who were present at the wedding still in Arendelle?" Elsa asked, her eyes were far away as she fell into deep thought.
"Yes. They have been staying here in the castle while the investigation was being held." Anna replied, curious as to what her sister had in mind.
"I need to speak with them. All of them. My advisers as well. The sooner, the better. Can you arrange that?" Elsa's eyes returned to the present and looked to her sister, a glint of determination in them.
"Of course, Elsa. Might I ask what you have in mind?" Anna was slightly surprised and concerned at the sudden resolve that had appeared in her sister's visage.
Elsa's head was held high and her nobility was evident. She truly was a queen in every aspect. "I am merely going to assert my current position and politely request a statement from each of our allies as well as counsel from my advisers. I'm afraid this situation might have shaken our allies' faith in the strength of our kingdom. It would mine."
Recognizing the conversation was at an end, Anna stood and curtsied. "Yes, your majesty." Elsa didn't respond at first, her face grave and calculating.
Anna turned to leave, the queen still deep in thought, but as she opened the door to step out, she heard her sister's voice call out to her quietly.
"Anna?" She turned back around to find her sister looking almost sadly at her. "I love you."
Anna gave her a soft smile. "I love you too, Elsa."
When she walked out she noticed the guard to her left pocketing something with a satisfied smirk, while the other guard just looked exasperated. Only minimally curious as to what that was all about, she continued to do as she was asked, her mind reeling with what Elsa could possibly be planning.