A/N: I'm sorry I didn't update on Saturday. It wasn't any of your guys' fault. I was going through some personal stuff. Also, I have changed the updating schedule. Roses will be updated on Mondays. (Kind of an out-of-the-blue decision... But a good one.) Thank you for all of the support. I felt guilty about not having updated when I said I would but TBH, I just needed a break. It was for the best though.
Elsa was partially in shock from everything that had happened. She was born to be a goddess? She was born to kill Khione?
It was difficult to wrap her head around that.
She'd been physically and verbally abused, isolated, kidnapped, and broken.
She'd then killed those who'd committed the horrible acts.
Now, Elsa was going to be crowned as Ice and Snow Queen. When she turned eighteen, she would become a goddess.
She had risen so fast and so far from where she'd fallen that it nearly made her head spin. Elsa was going to be immortal and become a queen the second the crown touched her head. She'd be crowned by the king of the gods himself, and all the other gods and immortals would be spectators.
Of course, this didn't mean that she was fixed after all she'd endured, but she was certainly now in a place where she could recover and get better. Though she wasn't sure if she could fully get over everything that had been done to her and all of the thoughts that she'd inevitably had, Elsa knew that she could at least recover enough. They said that time heals all wounds. Elsa hoped that this would be true for her. She knew that she could find a coping method of some sort to vent and take her emotions out on something. Elsa wasn't fixed by any means, but she was ready to start down that long path and work towards it.
She was currently being given another, fuller, makeover by Aphrodite. Hera had grudgingly said that she would help Elsa get ready, which had surprised all of them. Artemis sat in the corner, doing something with her bow. Elsa wasn't sure what, but she did know that she wanted to be friends with the maiden goddess. Artemis seemed to like that fact that Elsa was a strong female.
Of course, Elsa knew that she would never be a major goddess. She would only be minor goddess. But that didn't mean that she couldn't become friends with any of the major deities. Friends that might last an eternity.
With that thought, Elsa's mind was brought to Nico… She bit her lip. She'd have to find him again after the coronation and tell him everything. He'd most likely understand. Hopefully he'd remember her.
She'd have to ask the other gods about that. And the frozen hearts… Aphrodite was probably the best person to ask about that though. She'd have save the questions for later. Now was a happy occasion; not the time for her to be obsessing to the other gods over Nico. Hades would most likely be the most patient about that, though Elsa didn't want to chance it.
She had been given a bath. Her hair had been neatly trimmed and styled into what would probably become her signature side braid. Elsa had been presented with a light teal chiffon A-line dress. It had a silver sash/belt and silver floral decorations on the upper body. From the collar bone up, the dress was see-through. It had short sleeves, unlike almost all of Elsa's previous dresses. On her feet was a pair of sparkling silver heeled pumps with a jeweled snowflake on them.
Elsa's earrings were a cross between crystal snowflakes and compass rose shapes. Her necklace was a string of white pearls with a diamond jeweled snowflake pendant, which rested over her heart. She still wore Nico's ring on her finger, though there were no gloves. She wouldn't be afraid of her powers anymore. She would finally be able to truly and fully embrace herself and her powers.
Her makeup was merely touched up.
Elsa looked healthier and better than she had in ages. Maybe in her whole life. But once the crown touched her head, she would gain immortality, and she would only look and feel better. Of course, the unseen scars she bore would still be there, but she would be stronger inside and out. Not that she wasn't already incredibly strong mentally.
"And now for the final touch." Aphrodite spoke up. "Stand up, Elsa." Elsa carefully stood from the chair where she had been sitting. She smoothed her dress out, removing imaginary wrinkles. The goddess brought out a silver cloak, and helped Elsa to put it on, fastening it around the demigod's neck, and then replacing her braid on top of all fabric. The outside of the cloak was velvet, while the inside was satin. "Hera, Artemis, what do you think?" Aphrodite asked, consulting the other goddesses in the room.
Hera looked Elsa over with a critical eye. The platinum haired princess stiffened, preparing herself for a negative response.
"Appropriate. It suits you." She replied brusquely, giving an approving nod.
"Don't worry about what she says." Aphrodite assured Elsa. "She's being nicer to you than she would to most new goddesses. The prophecy about you has been around for many millennia. We've all had time to get used to the idea, and fourteen years to get used to you."
"We will likely be closer to you than we are with most minor goddesses." Artemis spoke up. "I have watched you for most of your life, Elsa. I do like you. I would like to assure you that Thalia, my lieutenant, does remember you. Right before I was summoned to Olympus, she seemed to have an epiphany, though it troubled her. I asked her what was wrong, and she explained about what happened with you at Camp Half-Blood. I, of course, already knew of this. I thought you'd like to know this because you seem troubled. Your friend Nico most likely remembers you as well, if Thalia does. I believe that the memory removal was lifted when you destroyed Khione." Elsa's face lit up.
"Aphrodite, will mine and Nico's hearts be unfrozen then?" She sincerely hoped that this curse would be lifted.
"Alas, they will not be." Aphrodite told her reluctantly. "And they can only be unfrozen by the terms described by Khione. I'm sorry Elsa… There is nothing I can do, except help you along the journey by placing you with someone who is perfect for you. Khione tried to take over my area by making you have a crush on Thalia."
"Excuse me?" Artemis looked scandalized. "You had feelings for one of my Hunters?"
"Er… yes… But I don't anymore." Elsa explained. "It wasn't my fault; it was Khione's. I swear on the River Styx, I don't have feelings for her anymore. This was a long time ago, you see. Nearly a year ago."
"I must say I am glad you destroyed that goddess, Elsa." Artemis sighed.
"And I'm glad that I made sure that I was able to erase that crush." Aphrodite commented, sounding relieved. "It was pretty easy once Khione forgot about it."
"She was focused on torturing me." Elsa murmured darkly.
"I… I didn't mean it like that, Elsa." Aphrodite said quickly, after a moment of realization.
"I know." She replied faintly. "It's just… I don't know what to do with myself after all those months… Where do I go? What do I do?"
"That is up to you." Artemis told Elsa simply. "You can go talk to your friends again, and tell them what happened."
"Friend." Elsa corrected. "I only have one."
"Yes, but you can make friends with other people." Artemis reminded her. "You came here to start fresh, and you can do that freely now. You could even go visit your sister. After all, we will give you basic powers. Not goddess level, but you can teleport anywhere on the mortal world, though not directly to anyone's realm or kingdom. Nor can you directly go to Olympus without help."
"I think I understand what you're saying." Elsa thought for a moment. "For example, I can go to the entrance to the Underworld, but I cannot go there directly? Does the same go for the ocean and sky?"
"That is correct." Hera spoke up. "I knew you were an intelligent one." She seemed to be looking at Elsa critically and debating internally on whether or not the young demigod princess was worthy of becoming a queen, immortal, and later on goddess.
"On that note, you're ready for the coronation." Aphrodite chirped, trying to relieve any tension created by Hera. "My dear, you look beautiful." She told Elsa, placing a hand on the platinum blonde's shoulder and smiling at her. The princess smiled back uncertainly. In a hidden pocket of her dress were her Arendellian crown and pendant. They were now her past. The crown that would be bestowed upon her at this coronation was her future.
"I'll tell Zeus." Hera said, standing up. Elsa turned her head away and closed her eyes, knowing what Hera was about to do next. When the bright light went away, she reopened her eyes. Artemis took a few steps forward, and took one of Elsa's hands.
"Elsa, I do look forward to you becoming a goddess." The young looking goddess told her. To Elsa, it was strange to look at this girl and know that she was a goddess who had lived many millenniums. Perhaps that would be her one day. Perhaps she would choose to look fourteen, and a demigod would look at her, shocked at her appearance.
"Thank you, Artemis." Elsa smiled. It felt nice to have support from goddesses for once, instead of being targeted by one. She was going to have a new beginning.
The next thing she knew, she stood again at the entrance of the throne room. All of the gods—major and minor—stood along the side of the carpet that Elsa was to walk on. She slowly strode forward; shoulders back, arms by her sides, neck stiff and head straight. She saw the all of the deities on both sides of her, and her lips trembled, and she felt tears forming in her eyes.
This was real. This was happening.
After all that she'd been through… Elsa had never dreamed that she would have come this far.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hestia smiling, wrist clasped in one hand. The goddess nodded and smiled encouragingly at Elsa. The princess—soon to be queen—bit her lip and took a breath. She lifted the corners of her mouth, though her lips began trembling more. She remembered the goddess's words that day at Camp Half-Blood… That day seemed so far away now… So much had changed…
Elsa reached the end of the carpet, where Zeus stood next to Hera. Poseidon and Hades stood to the side. She bowed her head for a moment before looking up at them. Hera stood with a diadem resting on a pillow. It was as silver band with eight crystal snowflakes. Five on the bottom; three on the top. They sparkled in the sunlight.
When she saw her diadem, Elsa's breath got caught in her throat. It was so beautiful… And it was to be hers. It would signal that she was a queen; no longer merely a princess.
Elsa took an oath, accepting responsibility as an immortal, and as queen of ice and snow. A tear slipped down her cheek as she took the oath.
She knelt when it came time to place the diadem upon her head. She bowed her head, balancing perfectly on one knee. Elsa felt the weight of the diadem placed upon her head. It was heavier than she expected, but she felt stronger, and less weary with it on her head. She rose, looking first Zeus, then Hera, then Poseidon, and then Hades in the eyes before drawing out her skirts and curtsying. She smiled when she rose, and there was a cheer. She turned around; slightly startled, for she had forgotten that there were others there. The wide smile returned, and she curtsied again, bowing her head. Elsa stood up straight, looking around at all of the deities, welcoming her as an immortal, and a queen.
For the first time in her life, Elsa truly felt like she belonged.
A/N: So yeah... We get some closure on Elsa's crush on Thalia. We get to see her become a queen. Just in case it isn't clear, Elsa is immortal, but she is not a goddess yet. She will age normally, but she can't die or get sick. This is so nothing happens to her before her eighteenth birthday, when she will become a goddess. We are going to change gears next chapter. It will be the original ending of GK,SQ. That is right: you are reading my original ending to GK,SQ.
So yeah... Thanks for reading, and thanks for the support. Feel free to follow, favorite, and review if you enjoyed it.