Chapter 4
Queen Elsa was coming to find that Karl's sisters in law were correct in their assertion that there wouldn't seem to be enough time to deal with all the details of a wedding. In fact, she was beginning to think they understated the situation. She did of course have the help of most of the castle staff but it seemed that every decision had to come to her for ratification. She had gotten so desperate that she asked Karl if he would take care of provisioning the meats for the banquet. He said he thought he'd be able to find some passable cuts.
She couldn't help but smile every time she thought about that serious handsome face, occasionally augmented with a small grin, making her wonder if he was actually poking gentle fun at her. One thing she was sure of was that if he hadn't been around she would have likely run off to her ice castle in the mountains to get away from everything. More often than not, in the evening, she would be curled up on her beloved's lap on the verge of a nervous fit, slowly being talked back down by that deep soothing rumble of a voice.
"I don't know what the matter is with those men. They wanted me to get married and I am. They seemed willing to accept you, even if they didn't think you were the best choice, but now, at every turn, they seem to be trying to upset the whole thing. It's so frustrating."
Karl settled back into the chair and tightened his grip on her. From somewhere above the top of her head she heard,
"Perhaps they are testing you."
Elsa tilted her head up to look at him.
"How do you mean?" she asked.
"If what you described to me about your isolation is anywhere near the mark, it would seem clear that the council of ministers knows very little about you. They don't really now what kind of ruler you will be. Add to that what they do know about your other abilities, they must be very uncertain about you. Perhaps they are taking this opportunity to test you, to see how much you can take, and how you'll react."
"Do you really think so, sweetheart? That sounds so underhanded. My father always spoke very highly of them."
"Your father was a good and strong king, they knew that. You have yet to show them who you are," he said, looking down with those blue eyes.
"Then perhaps it's time they found out just who I am," she replied.
At the next day's council meeting they did. It began with the usual business of running the kingdom but it was when a question was raised about the royal wedding plans that the storm was unleashed, at least metaphorically speaking. The minister who was asking the question had done so a number of times and of late the questions were getting to be a bit nonsensical. With the aid of Karl's insight, she was finally able to recognize them for what they were. The room rang to the sound of her hand coming down on the table.
"Enough. I say, enough," Elsa said in a controlled, if barely, tone of voice. "My dear sir, may I ask just what expertise you bring to this situation?"
"Excuse me, Your Majesty?" the minister asked.
"Just when was the last time that you, or any of these esteemed gentlemen, have planned a wedding, let alone a royal one. Your own, perhaps?"
"Um, in fact, no, Your Majesty. Those arrangements were handled by my wife's family."
"And the rest of you?" she asked, her frosty gaze moving around the table.
All she got was a unanimous group of head shakes.
"All right then. While I respect you gentlemen for your expertise in your particular fields I have had my fill of your meddling. It ceases now. Am I making myself understood?"
"Clearly, Your Majesty," the minister replied, while the rest nodded in assent.
"Very well, that will be all for today," Elsa said as she rose, the ministers all rising as well.
After she had swept from the room the minister who had first spoken looked at his fellows and said,
"Finally. I was beginning to think that I'd run out of even the most flimsy of questions to ask. My wife must think I'm an idiot with some of the things I put to her the past couple of weeks."
"I thought you did quite well, m'lord," one of the others said. "I've been half fearing her reaction would be to turn one or all of us into ice cubes."
"You know that her father was concerned that her extended isolation would leave her hesitant or even incapable of asserting herself. It will be difficult enough for her to reign considering her, how shall I say, uniqueness. She cannot be perceived as weak as well."
"It's a start at least. We will have to watch carefully how she does with the various dignitaries that come for the wedding."
There were a number of nods as the ministers began to leave the room for their various duties. When Elsa returned to her study she found her sister there waiting for her.
"So, Your Majesty, how did it go?"
"Well, Your Highness, it went pretty well, I think. I finally put my foot down and told them there would be no more meddling by the council as far as the wedding is concerned. They seemed to accept that," Elsa said as she took her place behind the desk.
"So do you think Karl was right?"
"I'm beginning to think he is generally right. That is one very intelligent man."
"Not bad to look at either, is he?" Anna asked with a smirk.
"Hey, you mind your manners there, little sister. But yes, you're right about that," Elsa said with a grin. "So, with the matter of the ministers settled, do you think we have everything in place for the wedding?"
"Everything except what you're going to do about the courtyard. Do you think you can make it happen the way you want? All those people under all that ice. It might make some of them nervous, you know?"
"Yes, dear, I suppose so, but we stand under a roof of granite and slate. That can fall down, too, you know," Elsa replied. "Besides, if something like that were to happen I could make it turn to water and everyone would just get wet."
"As long as you're paying attention. I see how you get when Karl is around."
Anna squealed and then laughed when a swirl of snow caught her in the face.
And then the day arrived, as if all the intervening weeks had vanished like early morning frost under a cloudless sky. The sun was just making itself felt early on the last day of summer. Standing in the courtyard, dressed in a plain robe, Elsa, Queen of Arundel, as well as the Queen of Ice and Snow, raised her arms and listening to an inner voice, let it go.
Starting at the far side and working around the perimeter, great columns of ice rose from the courtyard. Once they climbed above the tallest roof of the castle, graceful arches sprouted from the tops of the columns to reach out to the one on either side as well as towards the center, to join with others to form the ribs of a great dome.
With the structural elements in place she waved her hands in slow graceful arcs and the space between the arches began to fill with swirls of frost and overlarge snowflake shapes. Once the ethereal roof panels were finished she pointed to the space between a column and from a firmly held image in her mind, the space filled with a likeness of her father, the King, losing nothing in that the only color she had to work with was white.
Directly across the courtyard a matching image of her mother, the Queen, appeared. As the rising sun struck the ice it seemed, if only for a moment, that the two images regarded each other across the space and smiled. In succession, the remaining spaces were filled with images of the mountains, the forests, the fjords and the farms that were Arundel.
With a final wave, the cathedral of ice was completed and Elsa hurried back inside, where Anna awaited to begin preparations for the wedding. She had been gone perhaps five minutes when a tall figure detached itself from a shadowed corner and stood regarding the massive edifice. After a few moments the figure walked out of the courtyard gates, his pace slow and measured.
As the morning sun rose the ships that had once more occupied the harbor began to disgorge their high ranking passengers. At the same time the great majority of the citizens of the town began to emerge from their homes and move toward the castle, where open doors awaited them. As Karl had unintentionally suggested, a general invitation to the wedding ceremony had been issued with a lottery of sorts being used to welcome a much smaller number of subjects to the reception.
Whether they were noble or common, rich or poor, the reaction to the ice cathedral was fairly universal. The term awestruck would best describe it. Many a foot was trod upon as its owner stopped to stare or do a slow circle to try and take it all in. As protocol dictated the nobility of Arundel, as well the exalted visitors, were provided with seating at the front of the 'cathedral'. Additional seats were also available for the elderly and the infirm.
The rest of the attendees stood in ranks, slowly filling most of the available space. They came for a combination of reasons. The first was that this was a royal wedding, something that happened only rarely. Secondly, since the doors of the castle had been shut all those years ago when the girls had been so young, they were still much of a mystery to the subjects and the people wanted see them. And lastly, after what had occurred just a handful of weeks before, they needed some assurance that their Queen was not a creature of myth but of flesh and blood.
The first of the wedding party to arrive was the groom and his best man. This was Karl's eldest brother, a man a few inches shorter than Karl but of a heavier build. They stood on the dais that held the small altar, all of which had been installed the day before. Karl looked calm and resolute; wearing what appeared to be a military uniform minus all the embellishments other than polished brass buttons. It was the best comprise the tailor could come up with since the Queen's intended was a farmer with no standing in either the nobility or the military.
The eldest brother, Stephan, was a bit more plainly dressed, but well fitted, crafted by his wife and sister in law. He was looking decidedly uncomfortable but their father insisted this was the way it should be. And despite the years of rivalry and practical joking, the brothers were quite close. The fact that there was just the two of them reflected one of the fiercest arguments that had taken place about the wedding plans.
Because of her isolated childhood, Elsa had no friends. She only had Anna. So her idea was to simply have her sister as her maid of honor. This was met with howls of protests that it was an unseemly thing and that a Queen should have, by some thinking, a small army of attendants making a grand processional down the aisle towards the altar. Part of the reason for this is that there were a number of daughters of the nobility chafing at the notion of being part of the Queens retinue.
Elsa would have none of it. This was not some parade to show off Arundel's debutantes. This was about her marrying the man of her dreams, if only recent ones, and she didn't want a gaggle of giggly girls getting in the way. So, by Royal decree it was just going to be the two of them. And they were standing just inside the door that usually led out to the courtyard, but today opened on a cathedral of ice.
"Quite a lovely job of it, sister," Anna said with a grin. "I hope you didn't tire yourself out. You're in for a long day, and night."
"Scamp, stop that," Elsa replied. "I'm nervous enough as it is, I don't need you making it worse."
"Oh, stop your fretting, you're going to do fine. You'll be the most beautiful bride this town has seen since mother. Now, take a deep breath, square those shoulders and when you step out there, just fix your eyes on Karl. You can't miss him, he's out there looking like a lighthouse."
"Thank you, Anna, for everything. You've been a real rock. And you look quite beautiful yourself. Kristoff will be the envy of every man out there."
Any further comments were cut off by the opening measures of the wedding march.
"Oh dear, here we go," Elsa said, the nerves coming back full force.
Anna simply pantomimed a smile and gave a nod. Then she squared her own shoulders and nodded for the servant to open the door. One last deep breath and she stepped out to begin the march down the aisle. Anna being Anna, her sister half feared the impetuous girl would simple dash down the aisle but through the open door she could see her moving at a stately pace, one step at a time.
Elsa had been right about Anna's affect on those assembled. Her long red hair was unbound and hanging down over both shoulders. Her gown was green and showed just a hint of shoulder with a modest neck line. The hem was down by her feet and a short train followed behind. She wore a solemn expression that would be briefly betrayed by a hint of a smile.
She was half way to the altar when she caught sight of Kristoff. Since he was young, healthy and a commoner, he was standing, but since he was the favorite of the Princess he was in the first row behind the seats. The Queen had offered to pull a few strings, or actually one very large rope, to get him a seat in the very first row, but he politely refused.
The sight of her beloved broke Anna's resolve and she broke out in a full smile. It only served to enhance her beauty and steal a few more hearts that day. Karl couldn't help but smile a bit himself. He had grown quite fond of his soon to be sister in law. When she reached the dais, she flashed the groom a bigger smile and wink and then moved to one side and turned to watch.
The small orchestra struck a resounding cord and the Queen herself stepped forward into full view. Where Anna delighted, Elsa stunned. Here gown emphasized the new attitude she had adopted high atop the mountain. Her silver blonde hair was braided and draped over her left shoulder. But today, either by artifice or magical arts, lines of silver where entwined with the hair. A simple circle of silver served as her crown. The gown was white, as tradition dictated, but something about it gave the suggestion of blue as the cloth moved when she walked.
Both shoulders were bare and one leg was fairly prominent by way of a slit that ran to just above the right knee. She held a small bouquet of white and blue flowers in bare hands, no more gloves for her. But what she wore most of all was a broad smile that went all the way to her dancing blue eyes. This was a bride happy to be such and she wanted the whole world to know.
Stephan leaned in and whispered to his brother.
"What offspring of a god did you rescue to warrant such a reward, little brother?"
"You speak blasphemy in this place, brother, but I hear what you say. How I will remain worthy I will never know."
And before he could consider the matter she was there and he was taking her hand and standing to face the bishop, the same man that had presided over her coronation a few short months ago. Elsa inwardly prayed that the reception would be much less eventful.
As ceremonies go it was pretty straight forward. Vows were exchanged, as were rings. They had chosen simple bands of gold, hoping the simplicity would be reflected in an uncomplicated life together. When Anna heard the reasoning her expression reflected strong doubts but she wished them well anyway.
And then it was over except for the kissing. Karl would have been happy with something brief and chaste, but his new wife was having none of it. With both hands she took hold of the collar of his coat and pulled his head down, pressing her lips against his. She also didn't appear to be in a hurry to stop. Finally, she relented and eased her grip on her husband.
"It's only to keep things moving along. We will pick this up again shortly."
"You'll find me more than willing," Karl rumbled with a small grin.
She hooked her arm in his and turned them to face the assembled to the sound of thunderous applause. Elsa couldn't help but raise her eyes to the icy roof over their heads, but it seemed solid enough. The royal couple led the growing line of guests down the aisle and toward the open doors that would bring them to the reception hall and the receiving line. Elsa had tried to warn Karl about the likely tedium of standing in a line to receive the well wishes of many people.
"Don't be concerned, love. Think of all the time I've spent standing in a pasture and not receiving any wishes, well or otherwise, from a bunch of sheep and cows."
Anders was standing just inside the doorway and as the Queen and her consort stepped through he bowed and gestured for them to follow him to where they would wait for the guests to assemble in the reception hall. A small room off the hall had been set up to accommodate the small wedding party and due to their new status as family members, Karl's father, brothers and sisters in law.
"Sweetheart, would you do the introductions, please?"
"Certainly, dearest. Firstly, my father, Albrecht, my eldest brother, Stephan and his wife Gerta. Then Dieter and his intended, Alissa. In the middle are Eimund and his wife, Nikole. And lastly, Reinhard who has yet to find someone to put up with him."
"Karl," his father said in an admonishing tone.
The newly minted husband bowed his head but Elsa could see the corners of his mouth lift ever so slightly. She shook her head a bit and as she turned she saw that her father in law was doing the same. When their eyes met Albrecht started as if he realized who he was really facing. He began to bow and Elsa stepped forward and put her hands on his shoulders.
"No, no. None of that. Not here."
"Then how are we to make this work, Your Majesty?" the farmer asked.
"First of all, you're not going to call me 'your majesty'. How do you usually address your daughters in law?"
"Well, by there name, of course."
"Um, you're forgetting something, father," Alissa interjected.
"Oh, well, yes, Alissa, my girl," Albrecht said.
"Well, then, father," Elsa said with a smile, "you will call me Elsa, adding whatever else you feel is appropriate."
"In that case, Elsa, my girl, I suppose it's my privilege to welcome you to the Ericson family."
The Queen stepped closer and wrapped her 'father' in a warm, tight hug.
"Thank you, father. I feel the privilege is mine."
When the hug was done she stepped back and couldn't help but notice the looks on the faces of the others. She smiled and said,
"You looked confused. In the few minutes we have remaining until Karl and I must go receive our guests, let me try to explain."
So she told them about growing up with the power, but not the knowledge to control it completely. She talked of the isolation and gnawing loneliness, of being separated from her sister and best friend. They all knew about the terrible winter in summer but she explained how she had broken out of the terrible reserve and having finally come to terms with who and what she was, she had a great deal of catching up to do and the need for family.
"So, family of mine, like it or not, I suppose I lack the royal reserve some might be more familiar with so on those occasions when we are together, expect lots of hugs. And maybe a few slaps, which brings me to you four, brothers mine."
Elsa's expression turned serious and she cocked an eyebrow at the four men who towered over her. Regardless of size, she was an intimidating figure and they were suddenly concerned.
"My beloved tells me that growing up the youngest of you five was trying at times, to say the least. I trust I won't be dealing with the long term effects of any of the pranks aimed in his direction."
"Your Majesty, I mean, Elsa," Stephan began. "We were just children, it was just harmless fun."
Elsa saw his explanation and raised him an eyebrow. Stephan stammered a bit while the two wives and one intended did their best to hide smiles behind hands. Albrecht burst out laughing and pointed a finger at his four eldest sons.
"It would seem, boys, that your new sister is more than a match for you. I would suggest you not try leaving any little surprises behind when we depart."
Elsa looked up at Karl for an explanation.
"One of us, and I won't say who, enjoyed leaving little surprises around the house when we would go visiting. Dead mice, spiders, that sort of thing."
"Ah, yes, I would indeed appreciate it if you refrained from doing that. We have enough of those in the basement. Well, I believe we've kept our other guests waiting long enough. I truly am pleased that our families have come together. I hope you enjoy the rest of the day and we'll talk more later."
She took hold of Karl's arm and exited the room, the rest following along behind, wearing a number of expressions from mild confusion to amusement. Albrecht was smiling broadly. Elsa and Karl took their places at the head of the line while her new family was guided to the table set for them. As best man, Stephan was seated at the head table with Anna.
Anna sat back in her chair and looked out over the ball room and all those in attendance. She was wearing a small but very satisfied smile. She watched as various dignitaries both foreign and local came forward to offer congratulations to the young couple. She then looked over at Stephan who was wearing one of the more confused expressions. It appeared as if he wanted to ask a question.
"Was there something you wished to say?"
"Excuse me, Your Highness, but if it's not out of keeping, doesn't all this seem a bit odd? I mean, the Queen marrying my brother."
"Firstly, Stephan, as my sister said, we are family now. Please call me Anna. As to your main question, didn't your brother tell you about my part in all of this?"
"Well, yes, he did explain it, but didn't you find it strange that they were so attracted to each other. I mean they are both handsome enough, but the differences between them?" he let the question hang.
"To be honest, no, I didn't expect it to happen so fast or perhaps at all where Karl was concerned. But I was hoping that she would at least see that there were options for her to consider. The idea of being compelled into an arranged marriage, possibly with an outlander, had her quite beside herself. I can tell you that I'm eternally grateful to whatever agency brought them together."
"It does seem like one of the old gods has a hand in this," Stephan said as he looked to where his brother and his new wife stood, in the process of greeting a tall man who looked to be in his forties accompanied by his wife.
Anders was making the introduction.
"Your Majesty, may I present Crown Prince Heinrich of the Southern Isles. And his wife, Princess Ingrid."
"Your Highnesses, we are pleased to welcome you to Arundel," Elsa said.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. On behalf of my father, King Georg, may we offer you our sincerest congratulations as well as our deepest apologies in regard to my youngest brother. I would beg your indulgence in allowing me to hold a private discussion on the matter at your convenience."
"Most certainly, Your Highness. This is not a matter to leave to fester between our nations. Anders, would you please make the arrangements, perhaps the first thing after the midday meal tomorrow."
"As Your Majesty wishes," Anders replied.
"And Your Highnesses, may I introduce you to my husband Karl."
Karl gave a tilt of his head and said in that deep rumble,
"It is my honor and privilege to make your acquaintance, Your Highnesses."
"As it is ours, Sir Karl," the Prince replied.
Karl's status was still a matter of debate, but Elsa had asked him not to make any comments about it if someone should afford him an honor by mistake. Additional dignitaries made their way to the royal couple and almost invariably Karl was referred to either by Sir or M'lord. During a short break Elsa looked at her husband and saw the look on his face.
"You better get used to it, my love. Some things are just too self evident to ignore."
She thought she heard him grunt but it was too low pitched for her to be sure. When the well wishers switched to the townspeople and some from the farms just outside the town, the comments were brief and nervous. Elsa did her best to be friendly and open but being Queen and after the events of the early summer, it did little. The figure of Karl looming at her side probably didn't help either.
After the reception line was concluded the orchestra struck up a song for Karl and Elsa to dance to. Once again, Karl had come to Elsa's rescue. It wasn't terribly difficult since she was innately graceful, she just had no experience. As it so happened, Karl's mother loved to dance and taught all her sons and he being a reasonably adept student, he was able to coach Elsa through several different numbers.
For a big man, Karl moved smoothly and made sure that his bride wouldn't have bruised feet by night's end. When they finished their dance, the tune was begun again and many of the guests joined them on the floor. Feeling more confident, Elsa looked up at Karl and said,
"Thank you, darling. For all of this."
"What? The dancing?"
"Not just the dancing, dear. In a very real way, this wouldn't have happened like this if you hadn't come along," she explained.
"Well, if that's the case the one you should be thanking is your sister. And Kristoff. In many ways I'm like a pawn on a chessboard. I'm just lucky the queen turned out to be so wonderful."
Elsa smiled but inwardly she wasn't happy that Karl thought of himself as a pawn. When the music ended she allowed Karl to lead her to the head table where they sat with Stephan and Anna. Karl's brother was looking decidedly ill at ease. Anna sat at her sister's side and once they were settled the younger sister leaned in to speak in low tones to the Queen. When the discussion was done, Elsa leaned forward and looked past Anna to Stephan.
"Brother, dear, would I be wrong in saying that you seem to be a bit uncomfortable sitting here?"
"Your Majesty, um, Elsa, you are not wrong. I feel terribly out of place and would ask your indulgence to go and sit with my wife and family. Perhaps Kristoff could take my place."
"Please feel free. And if you would, please tell Kristoff he can take the seat at Anna's side. I suppose he should get used to it," Elsa said with a wicked little grin.
Anna's cheeks went a bit rosy as she made a face at her sister, while Karl sensibly remained silent. The reception lasted well into the evening with a multiple course meal, dancing and a number of toasts, mostly from the dignitaries but a few braver subjects, such as the mayor and a few of the wealthier merchants, wishing the bride and groom happiness and long life.
When it was time to bring the festivities to an end, Elsa stood and said,
"My lords and ladies, family and friends, you have made this such a wonderful day. One that just a short time ago I would never have imagined. On behalf of my dear husband and I, please go with our thanks and best wishes and we look forward to a bright future for us all."
With that, Karl rose and offered his arm to his bride and they walked toward the door that led out of the banquet hall and on to the royal apartment. Anna and Kristoff followed along behind and just before the door, Elsa turned and grabbed hold of her sister and hugged her fiercely. Anna wasn't entirely sure why but she replied in kind while the men looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Elsa finally eased up but she kept a firm grip on Anna's arms and looked at her sister, blue eyes fixed on green.
"Anna, sweetheart, I know that you feel guilty about some of the things that have happened recently. And you should, because you caused a lot of trouble," she said, and smiled at the reaction she got from her sister. "But it also means that you are responsible for many wonderful things. You gave me a life as it's meant to be lived, surrounded by friends and family and with a hope of following in Father's footsteps. And, thanks to you in no small part, I have someone to live that life with. I love you, sister dear. You are, and will always be, my very best friend," she finished up and it was Anna's turn to hug her sister fiercely.
Both young women were crying and their men couldn't help but smile. Finally the sisters parted and with sniffles and laughs they wiped tears from each other's cheeks. Then Elsa said,
"Alright, off with the both of you. After we are done with the crown prince of the Southern Isles tomorrow we'll all sit down and get you two sorted out. I'd imagine a spring wedding?"
Before Anna or Kristof could respond, Karl said,
"I assume by we you mean the royal 'we'?"
"No, I do not, my dear husband," Elsa said as she looked up at him. "I meant we as in you and me. The both of us will meet with the prince and then the two of us will meet with these two. From this moment forward, 'we' means you and me. And we begin right now."
With that the newlywed couple walked through the door to their apartment and left the still to be married couple to watch the door swing closed. Anna looked at Kristoff, who had a slightly glazed expression.
"You and I, my love, need to have a little chat."
She hooked his arm and led him back down the corridor so neither heard the sound of a bolt being pushed home behind them.