11- The Queen's Lament

The Arendelle Palace looked as peaceful as ever, there were just a few clouds in a clear blue sky and the birds were singing as the families in town began to wake up, soon preparing breakfast and emerging from their houses to take care of everyday life.

It was a rather cold and windy day, the children were playing in the streets and the Palace Guards patrolled the Town as usual... After all, the people attending the market and the Fountain Square were very far from the horrors of the Front.

Northern Arendelle had not received any news about the situation in the South, and even though everyone acted as normally as possible and tried to think positive, the angst was running wild everywhere around them...

Queen Elsa remained on her bed just staring at the ceiling, her eyes sullen after spending the whole night awake.

She had not slept at all since the day when Anna had departed for Tannya, fighting to keep a wide variety of awful thoughts out of her mind and desperate to receive the first news about the situation at the Front…

"Anna, where are you?" Elsa whispered, sitting up and holding her Ice Mirror between both hands- "My little sister, what is happening down there?"

There would come no answer through the magical ice, everything was silent, all that she could hear was the wind whispering outside and Elsa wished that she could go back in time and lead the Army herself instead of Anna.

Why did she have to send Anna to the war? Why did she have to let her little sister do this, and risk her life in battle?

Elsa could still see in her mind the image of Anna riding through the forest, a brave and inspiring noblewoman with a cavalry saber hanging from her waist and the green cloak rippling behind her in the wind.

It had been incredible to see her like that, but now Elsa was worried sick to the point that she had never felt like that in her entire life...

What had happened to Anna?

The Queen finally got out of bed, she combed her hair a little and took her favorite purple cloak out of the wardrobe…

Elsa had no way to know that the Battle of Tannya was coming to an end at those very moments, for her it was just a day like all the others and she planned to attend yet another War Council to organize the delivery of supplies to the Army.

Anna was lying unconscious on the ravaged battlefield while Elsa walked downstairs and arrived at the Fountain Square a few minutes later, her mood improving a little as she felt the sunlight on her face and the wind playing with her hair...

"Your Majesty!"

Elsa turned her head to discover that one of the Palace Guards was running towards her, the man looked excited and her heart began to beat faster when she thought that maybe they had finally received some news from Tannya.

"What is it, Captain Andrew?"

"We have received an update" Andrew explained, coming to a halt and bowing at Elsa- "The trenches are almost ready at the Sammel Line, together with the hospital… the Crackers have been taken to all necessary positions, and our third delivery of supplies made it there without trouble."

"What about Tannya? Do we know anything about the battle?"

"No, your Majesty…"

Andrew realized just how pale and sickly Queen Elsa looked, she just remained standing there in silence and the Captain departed a few seconds later. The situation was becoming unbearable for Elsa, and she began to consider the idea to just abandon the Palace and travel to the Front to find her sister.

"You were right, Hans" Elsa whispered, recalling the awful message written on that letter- "I should have destroyed you when I had the chance, and I am going to lament it for the rest of my life…"