chapter 5 Elsa and Anna 2

NOTE A castle has many servants. SO... During any scene in the castle, there will be servants and/or guards within sight and/or within hearing, unless mentioned otherwise.

Note: Reviews are welcome.

As they walk out of the bath area, the sisters are talking to each other.

A group of maids are following them, whispering among themselves.

"Tell me, again, about your memories of Olaf?" Elsa asks.

Anna answers in a slow careful tone, "It's hard, Elsa. I remember... remembering you and I playing outside in the snow. We made Olaf and played with him. And I remember the next day...I was so angry and disappointed when I could NOT play with you. But... day outside was summer. So...how was there snow, outside the day before? That never really mattered before... "

She shakes her head in confusion. "Now as I remember that... It is night. We are indoors, somewhere. I can remember going through twigs in a fireplace for his arms, as you go through the coal for his buttons. US... sneaking into the kitchen for the carrot?" She trails off.

"Hiding from Gerda was fun!" She finishes excitedly.

Elsa grabs Anna's hand and squeezes. "The memories are fuzzy, though?"

Anna nods, as she squeezes back, "The details. I can...remember feeling very happy, that's for sure, and then...nothing. Then it is next morning and I can not play with you. I am throwing a temper tantrum outside your door, crying as Mother holds me."

"Yes. Something is wrong there. Yet another reason to visit the Trolls." Elsa narrows her eyes, "You said that Kristoff is?" A pause as she waits for Anna to answer.

"They adopted him. They treat him as family." Anna smiles. "It was fun, even if we were both worried and frightened."

She glances at Elsa. "How would you have reacted if we were troll-fully married."

Elsa stops.

Anna stops as well, her hand in Elsa's hand.

Elsa takes a deep breath.

"I do believe that I would be angry."

Anna nods. That she expected.

"But... I think, I would like to think, that I would be more disappointed, than mad."

Anna squeezes Elsa's hand, "Thank you, Elsa."

"Anna... Just give me... Tell me in private before you do something like that, please?" She begs.

Anna smiles, grateful for her understanding sister. "I learned my lesson with Hans. I like Kristoff. We had a great adventure and wonderful start. But, we are going to go slow. That I promise you."

Elsa smiles back as she says, "Thank you. But we are going to visit the Trolls and soon. That old Troll."

"Pabbie." Anna supplies.

Elsa nods her thanks, "Pabbie needs to look at your memories. Something is wrong there." Her eyes narrow, her voice becomes harder, more commanding. "And I am not a frightened 8-year-old child. There are questions he WILL answer."

Elsa looks at Anna, "Today, when you see him. Tell Kristoff that I expect him to come with us."

Anna nods. "How soon, tonight?"

Elsa shakes her head, no. "No. Too much politics tonight. Tomorrow is Sunday, maybe then, but maybe not. But sometime within a next few days."

"Fine. I will tell him. Remember, though, Elsa, according to what he told me, the trolls are only active at night." Anna reminds her.

Elsa grimaces, "Yes. Which means...given travel time to there and back, we would be awake another full night. Yet, another reason to wait a few days. To give us a chance to recover from last week, before we spend another couple of days awake."

Anna grimaces, tried already at thought of another couple of days of being awake.

The two sisters reach Elsa's bedroom still holding hands.

A couple of men are waiting for them at the open doorway. It is freshly painted with snowflake patterns around the opening.

Kai is waiting, he says as he points to the men. "Your majesties, the master carpenter Klaus and his apprentice."

The men bow as they whisper, "Your Highness."

Elsa smiles as she releases Anna's hand and straightens the robe covering her. "Thank you, Master Carpenter. You completed this before I anticipated."

Anna interrupts, "Yeah. And it looks great!" She makes a large arm movement pointing to the doorway.

Both men start to raise up from their bows, then duck their heads down, blushing.

"EKKK!" One of the maids sequels, then stands in front of Anna, fixing her robe. Anna and Elsa blush.

Kai, pink-faced, coughs into his hand. "If you will excuse us, Your Majesties. I will leave you to get changed. I will rejoin at breakfast."

Elsa, still a bit red-faced, nods and waves him away. "Yes. That is fine."

Kai and the two men leave, quickly.

"That was embarrassing." Anna states and she grips her robe.

Elsa sighs, "And something we will have to get used to, Anna."

"HUH?"

"We are no longer isolated." She nods to the maids. "Before, due to the orders to isolate us, we would have been left alone. Yesterday, while we were skating, I ordered Gerda to treat us normally. NOT how Father ordered them to treat us."

Under her breath, she whispers, "Finally. I could cancel those hated orders."

"What?"

"Open Doors. Instead of being isolated, we will now live a more normal life." Elsa answers that question. "Plus." She waves at the maids.

They bow.

"Helping us in the bath, changing clothes, other things, IS their jobs. Are you going to tell them that they can not do their jobs?"

Anna looks at the maids. All of them have their heads down, waiting for orders.

"Damn. I did not think about that." She mumbles. "I just thought that today was special, and the girls was helping because of that."

Elsa places her hand on Anna's shoulder, "I know. I did not think about it myself, until I saw them in the baths."

"Did we do something wrong?" One of the maids, whispers.

"NO." Anna and Elsa speak together and decisively.

Elsa smiles at the maids, "Everyone will have to adjust. This is just one of those things. If there is a better way to do something, just mention it. Now, Leah, let's see what I need to wear today."

As they enter the bedroom, Anna squeals, "You girls even remembered to bring my clothes! Great!"

The maids move screens in front of the doorway for privacy.

Later... still in Elsa's bedroom.

Elsa, wearing a short stay corset and drawers, is looking at a couple of full length gowns, obviously trying to decide which one to wear.

Anna, fully dressed, in one of the early versions of her coronation gown, says. "Make up your mind, Elsa." She laughs.

Elsa, after a small laugh, remarks, "I really want to wear an Ice dress, Anna. But... showing off my powers today is not the best thing idea."

"Can't you change from one of another? I mean, when you took off your Ice dress it changed back into your coronation gown."

Elsa rubs her chin. "Yes. That should work."

Her lips twitch in a quick smile, "My powers will take getting used to, even for me."

She looks at Anna, and points out a gown. "Let's try on the deep blue version of my coronation gown. That is familiar."

A few minutes later she begins to spin around. "Yes. It is a bit looser than the other."

"How much food have you had lately?" Anna remarks.

Elsa nods. "Yes. That is the reason. Now. Let's see if this works."

She closes her eyes and begins to hum "I'll rise like the break of dawn..."

Her dress changes and a new Ice dress forms.

It is a light blue color, ankle length gown. It has a more plunging neckline than her first one, but still maintains her modesty. Shoulder-less, but her arms have short sleeves, there is no slit in the gown. It is bulkier than her first one, as well. There is only a short cape of ice crystals on the back. (note: based on a painting on a young Queen Victoria in 1840 found on [the history chicks. com] Shownotes Episode 11: Queen Victoria, Part One)

All of the maids eyes grow wide and they variously squeal, "oh" and "ah", some are even speechless.

Anna takes a deep breath. "Beautiful!"

Elsa looks at herself in the mirror and smiles. "Yes. That is what I wanted. Now, to undo it."

A few seconds later.

She smiles again, now dressed in the regular dress, "Yes. This will do."

Anna taps her chin in thought as she considers her sisters appearance, she suggests, "Maybe an Ice rose in your hair?"

She blinks with a sudden thought as she asks, "What happened to your tiara, by the way?"

Elsa blushes. "It's... it is near the Ice Palace."

She thinks, 'I just have no idea where I threw it. Another reason to return to the Palace.'

Elsa smiles as her stomach growls. "Let's eat."

As the maids move the screens, one of them holds up a pair of gloves, "Your Majesty, your gloves?"

Elsa stops, her teeth clench. The temperature drops and ice forms covering the floor and wall.

The maids squeal and group together in fright.

"Elsa!" Anna says startled.

Elsa closes her eyes, shakes her head and she let's out her breath. "I am sorry, girls, everyone." A glance at Anna, a touch of her hand. The ice vanishes and the temperature returns to normal.

Elsa shakes her head, again. "Leah. Everyone. That was inexcusable." She bows her head toward the maids.

A deep breath, a shake of her head and she whispers in pain, "Just put them away. ALL the gloves. The days of hiding behind them are over."

The maids look at Elsa, look at Anna, who nods, yes.

They put the gloves away.

"Elsa?" Anna's asks quietly.

"I..." Elsa begins speaking slowly trying to explain, "I'm trying to do the opposite of what I had done, Anna. Since all of that... that stuff, was wrong, I am hoping that by changing things, reversing them will be better."

Anna frowns, as she thinks, 'That...does not seem right. But. If it works for her, I will support her.'

"I understand Elsa, and I will help."

They smile at each other.

Elsa and Anna leave the room, together.

End chapter 5

Sigh. I had hoped to fit all this into the first 4 chapters, as well. Just to many words.

But, it is time for the soft bonding to stop and for them to really start talking.

a preview of chap 6

Elsa squeezes Anna's hand. "What worries me is this. Have I forgotten how to be a sister? That worries me."

Anna squeezes Elsa's hand. "You have not forgotten how to be a sister." She says, decisively.

thank you for reading

jeff