Chapter 1 — Out There
On the morning of December 21, 1843…
The first rays of sunlight illuminated the bell tower of Arendelle Cathedral. No sound could be heard, as if it were a prelude to the symphony that was about to begin.
A figure moved around the place with precise movements. The person there jumped up and began to ring the bells, announcing a new morning.
But not just any morning, she thought.
It was the day of the Polar Night Festival!
A smile remained on the face of the girl who still rang the bells with ease. Her arms, already used to the task, were strong and her hands, even with the gloves she never took off, were calloused.
She was wearing a slightly worn wool sweater and Locksley pants that served to protect her from the cold, even if she wasn't bothered by it. On top, she wore a dark green jacket.
When she was finished, the young woman heard the chirping of birds.
"Morning, my little birdies!" She took some birdseed, stretched out her hands, and placed it on the railing. Soon a few birds appeared to feed.
She watched them, glancing from time to time at the cathedral square below. Preparations for the celebration were in full swing, and people were beginning to gather to hear the king's sermon.
When the meal was finished, the birds flew away and the girl sighed dreamily. Suddenly, a figure made of snow approached her. She did not seem surprised and looked tenderly at the little snowman.
"Elsa, don't you wish you could be like those birds and just fly away?" She laughs at the idea.
"Me? No, it's too dangerous for me."
"She is right!" Says another figure, this time a saint. "Don't encourage her!"
"Why shouldn't we?" Having said that, several other figures appeared.
For Elsa, the cathedral was not only her home, but her universe. It was peopled with sculptures of ice and snow. She was not sure if they were created by her powers or if they were just images of her lonely mind.
With kings and saints. Monsters and demons.
The saints blessed her. And the monsters protected her.
The snow creatures stopped arguing among themselves and turned back to the young woman.
"Elsa, why don't you try to go out there?" Suggested the snowman she had nicknamed Olaf.
"Yeah, but... You know, I've never been outside... since I've been living here."
"You can go outside whenever you want." Said a gargoyle-like figure.
"Master won't allow it." She exclaimed. The figures looked at her with pity, which was quite common in her everyday life. "And I shouldn't disobey him." She went inside and sat down on her bed, which was just a piece of wooden furniture with a thin old mattress.
She took a scarf hidden under the bed and wrapped herself in it.
"I owe him obedience, without him, I would be alone... or worse." Elsa closed her eyes and let the memories fill her mind.
Her earliest memory, 1826…
It was of the last day she spoke to her mother. Today, Elsa could not remember her parents' faces, only blurred images from dreams she had from time to time.
That day, her mother had sung a lullaby that, to be honest, was kind of creepy, but her voice was so beautiful that Elsa didn't care. Her mother's belly was quite large, Elsa didn't understand how the baby got inside, but the idea of having a sibling was exciting.
During the night, Elsa woke up when she heard cries of pain, her father called for Oaken and pulled Elsa out of the room. She does not remember the conversation she had with her father, she probably asked if her mother would be okay and he must have said yes.
But she remembers her father showing up the next day, holding a baby, his face wounded from his illness was full of tears. She remembers crying when she learned that her mother would not wake up, and only stopped when her father promised her that she was happy, in heaven.
Today, Elsa sighed with sorrow, wondering if her father had lied.
The Snow Queen had tried many times to remember what had happened to the baby, but that month had been so traumatic that the information wouldn't come back.
When her father's condition worsened a few days later, she asked:
"If you go to heaven with Mama, who will take care of me?" The man smiled sadly, he wanted to embrace her and comfort her, but he was afraid to pass on his illness.
"Don't worry, dear, I'll find a way…" Agnarr coughed and Elsa handed him the wet towel that was lying on the desk. "You won't be alone…"
She smiled. That was the last memory she had of her father... except for his death, of course.
A week later, her father joined her mother wherever they were.
When Elsa awoke later that day, she found herself in an unfamiliar place. A room slightly larger than the one in the tavern, the floor was dirty, with a thick layer of dust. The ceiling was very high and there were several bells of different sizes.
A bell tower?
She looked for someone, but she seemed to be alone.
"Hello?" She called.
"Keep your voice down, child!" She turned towards the voice.
In the shadows was the man who had been with her when her father died. He came closer and knelt down until he was at the child's eye level.
"Do you remember what happened?" He asked. Elsa agreed, fighting not to cry again in front of him.
There was something intimidating about the man's aura.
"Who are you, mister?"
"I am King Runeard the Righteous. I was a friend of your father." He stood up. "In honor of his dying wish, I will take care of you, girl!"
The words, cold as they were, calmed her. Her father had not lied, she would not be alone. Still, she was saddened by Agnarr's fate.
A thin layer of ice began to form on the floor of the room, a result of her emotions.
"You see, you will have time to learn how to behave here, but the first and most important rule is: 'Conceal, don't feel!'..." Elsa stared at him confused. "You will not use your powers here."
The girl struggled to thaw the ground. Even against her intuition, Elsa tried to reason with the king:
"Why can't I use my powers? Mama said it was a gift from the Spirits."
"The second rule is that you will not mention that woman in my presence!" He shouted.
The child jumped back, startled. Runeard took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself.
"Don't repeat that nonsense about spirits! This is a sacred place, and you will learn to respect it."
She silently agreed.
Runeard held out his hand, and in it was a small, well-worn plush penguin. His expression was neutral, so it took a while for the girl to understand that it was a gift.
"I will come every day, three times, to bring you your meals. In the morning, we will study the scriptures."
"The rest of the time I'll be alone?" She asked quietly, and the man nodded affirmatively. The temperature in the room dropped a little.
"Be grateful, Elsa!" He opened a trapdoor in the corner of the room, the exit from the room. "If it wasn't for me, you'd be out on the street right now. And believe me; the people out there are not as righteous as I am!"
As he left, Elsa felt tears forming in her eyes. She didn't understand why everything had gone so wrong lately, but when she felt ice crystals forming on her fingers, she forced herself to stop.
By the time she was eight, in 1831…
Elsa had grown accustomed to the solitude of her new home.
Or so she told herself.
This morning, she had woken earlier than usual in anticipation of Runeard's visit.
Her master. That was what he wanted to be called. He also gave her a name, well; a surname, but she didn't like it very much.
Snedronningen. Snow Queen.
The thought made her laugh. Elsa wouldn't call herself a queen. There were too many names she associated with herself:
Monster, Abomination, Wicked - a word Runeard had taught her yesterday - all words that fit her well, but Queen?
"What nonsense…"
She made her way to the outer side of the tower. The sun had not yet risen.
Yesterday, Runeard had made an unusual promise: to spend the whole day in the bell tower. This unexpected proposal brought a flash of joy to Elsa's heart. Although Runeard was not known for his kindness or affection, there were rare moments when he managed to bring some happiness into the girl's life.
In addition, Elsa's sense of emptiness grew with each passing day. The days without activities other than her studies bored her deeply, and the loneliness brought with it disturbing dreams and nightmares.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the trap door opening and the king stepping out. He came carrying a basket, probably containing her breakfast.
"Good morning, Elsa!"
"Good morning, master!" She approached anxiously.
"You seem more restless than usual, what's the matter?"
Wondering if she should say that she was just happy to have company for a whole day, Elsa decided to reassure him.
"It's nothing, master, I'm just happy." The answer seemed to satisfy him. He opened the basket and took out a brown candy.
"I've brought you a special treat this morning. Chocolate?" Runeard held out a piece and Elsa tried to take it quickly. "Ah, ah, ah! Self-control, Elsa. It's important to master the art."
The girl apologized and held out her right hand, waiting for him to give her the treat.
"And manners too…"
"Ah, yes, thank you, master!' Runeard smiled and sat down. He asked the girl to join him.
"Did you do your lesson?" Elsa nodded, smiling, and went to her bed, where she took a small notebook. The King read for a few minutes, earnestly, Elsa waiting anxiously for an answer.
When he had finished, he turned to her.
"Well, we still need to work on your spelling, but the rest is as expected." He said.
His compliments were always accompanied by some criticism, but she was used to it. Runeard returned the notebook and turned to take a pair of small gloves from the basket.
Elsa looked at them curiously.
"They are a gift." He said with a small smile. "They will help you control your... situation!" Runeard stared at her, waiting for an answer.
Manners, she reminded herself.
"Ah... Thank you, master!" She bent down and held out her hands, waiting for him to hand her the gloves. Taking them, she was surprised how beautiful they were, far better than any other garment she owned.
Before Elsa could put them on, the king stood up abruptly. His expression seemed distant, and just as the girl was about to ask how they would spend the day together, he interrupted her:
"I won't be able to stay today. I have a full schedule."
These words broke the girl's heart. She had imagined what the whole day would be like with his company, looking forward to having someone to talk to, and now all those plans were ruined.
"But... you promised that you would... spend the day here!" He looked at her with a mixture of disdain and affection, and that irritated her more than she had ever expected.
"Come on, Elsa, you know we can't always have everything we want, right?"
"But…" He held up his hand and she reflexively stopped talking.
"Enough, I can't stay. Besides, it shouldn't be too bad, you've got the whole place to yourself. You can go pray and practice your spelling."
He started for the exit, and Elsa tried to stop him one last time.
"Do you really have to leave so soon?"
No matter how distant and stern Runeard was, he was still the only person Elsa could talk to. Trapped in the tower, she was desperate for a human connection.
"I'm sorry, my dear!" He stroked her head. "I have some important meetings with the Storting, but who knows, maybe next week."
Elsa didn't answer, resigning herself to what little she had left. Runeard opened the trapdoor and seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then left without looking at her.
Clutching her gloves tightly, the girl sighed in defeat. Loneliness was her constant companion, and once again, she was confronted with the bleak reality.
Why did she think today would be any different? Nothing would ever change!
An intense feeling surged through Elsa's chest, causing her to catch her breath. She wished Runeard could feel all the pain and loneliness she felt, as if he were the person trapped in the belfry.
"Why, master? Why?" She shouted.
She felt the cutting wind around her and snow began to accumulate on the ground. Elsa threw off her gloves and knelt down. If only she had the power to freeze her own heart, she might be able to escape the pain that was slowly consuming her.
"Why are you crying?" The voice stunned the girl.
There was no way someone could have entered without her noticing; the sound of rusty trapdoor hinges always betrayed Runeard's arrival.
Elsa looked back and nearly fainted with fear at the sight she saw.
A LIVING snowman was staring at her. She screamed and ran to the corner of the room. The snowman was also startled, but remained in the same place.
"What are you?" He looked embarrassed at the question.
"You made me. Do you remember?" A buried memory of her life when she traveled from town to town with her parents surfaced, but... It wasn't possible, was it?
"And you are alive?"
The snowman agreed, as if it were obvious. He wasn't threatening, but a talking snowman was certainly not normal.
"I saw you crying, do you need a warm hug?"
Laughing, the girl thought about saying yes, but she was still afraid.
"You're not a part of my imagination to make me feel less lonely, are you?" He laughed, but Elsa still wasn't sure how real he was. "What is your name?"
The snowman jumped up, excited to answer, but just as he was about to give an answer, he stopped, as if trying to remember.
"Now that you mention it... I don't remember. What is my name?" Less intimidated, Elsa moved closer and could see that he looked like the snowman she had built as a child.
"Hmm, let's think…" She tried to think of some names and remembered a story her master had told her last week about a king who was also a saint. "Saint Olaf…"
"Olaf?" He seemed to like the suggestion. Olaf came closer and hugged her. "There, there, no need to cry!"
The icy creature's warm words erased all traces of fear or anger from her heart. Elsa returned the hug and thanked the heavens.
She would not be alone now.
At the age of twelve, in 1835...
Elsa was given the task of ringing the cathedral bells.
Her new occupation made her happy; she had finally found a purpose. Not only that, but since Olaf's birth, more snow statues had been appearing every day. She still didn't know if they were real or part of her imagination.
Whenever Runeard visited her, the figures would conveniently melt away. More than once, he scolded her for fantasizing about imaginary friends, but Elsa didn't mind.
Real or not, at least she had someone to keep her company.
"Elsa, be careful up there!" Olaf shouted, the other snow creatures standing beside him. Smiling, Elsa finished ringing the bells and let go of the ropes.
It was already night, and the bells were announcing the beginning of the 7 o'clock mass.
Sitting down, she busied herself with completing the lessons Runeard had assigned. Her spelling was no longer a cause for complaint, though that didn't mean he started praising her.
After a few hours, even with the gargoyles and Olaf constantly interrupting her, she finally finished the task. She was about to set the table for dinner when she heard the trapdoor open.
Strange, Runeard didn't usually come this early in the evening. When Elsa turned around, all the snow statues had melted.
"Good evening, master! You're early tonight…"
"Master?" A man who was definitely not Runeard appeared and looked surprised at the girl, who let out a shriek.
Elsa was thankful that she was wearing her gloves, otherwise she would have sent out a blast of ice, so frightening was she. She pulled out a knife and pointed it at the intruder.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" She shouted.
The man held his hands up, startled by the girl's reaction. She looked at him, searching for a weapon, relieved not to find one. His clothes were black, a bit like Runeard's, a crucifix was around his neck, and he had a Bible in his hands.
"I am Father Kai, and you? I've never seen you in the cathedral before." Kai smiled, trying to calm her, which worked as she put down the knife.
In all these years, Elsa had never met anyone from the church. Sure, she spent hours watching the lives of those below, dreaming of the possibility of going outside, but she never did.
"I live here." Elsa explained as if it was obvious. Kai looked at her in confusion. "King Runeard has granted me sanctuary!"
"Sanctuary? But why?" Kai asked curiously.
Elsa didn't answer. She knew that one of Runeard's rules was that she was not allowed to reveal her powers to anyone. The girl's silence gave Kai the chance to take a closer look at his surroundings.
The tower was clean and tidy. In the middle was a table with some wooden dolls and an old notebook. On the other side was the door to the bathroom and a makeshift bed.
Looking at the bed, Kai noticed a Northuldra scarf. That made him understand the situation better. Most likely, Runeard had rescued a Northuldra child and granted her sanctuary to protect her from possible arrest or persecution.
"You shouldn't be here... Only my master should come here!" Though she tried to appear strong, Elsa doubted she had convinced the man. "Go away and leave me alone, please."
"Do you live here alone? How long, little girl?" Asked the priest. The lack of an answer was enough to worry him.
"For years, I have watched the king climb the bell tower. All this time, I believed that this was the place where he sought solitude. But now that the bells were ringing again, my curiosity was aroused to meet the new bell-ringer of the cathedral."
He took a few steps toward her, then instinctively turned away.
"You needn't be afraid of me!" He took two steps back, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.
Reluctantly, Elsa approached the priest. With a warm smile, he asked her to sit next to him.
"No child should be raised alone! I understand that the King has given you a home, but he shouldn't isolate you from the world like this." He said, showing compassion. Elsa silently agreed, but soon answered:
"He has his reasons…"
The priest looked at her with pity, understanding that there was more to the situation. Suddenly, Elsa remembered that Runeard would soon be arriving with her supper, and the last thing she wanted was to face a sermon, or worse.
"Please, Father! You must leave before my master arrives!" Her words were urgent and troubling, but he respected her request.
"All right, I'll go, but I'll be back tomorrow with a gift for you!" He promised, wishing her safety. Elsa did not argue, just looking forward to the priest's departure and hoping that he would not cross paths with the king on his way.
That night, Runeard went through the usual routine while Elsa prayed he hadn't discovered anything. He scolded her for not setting the table, but she didn't care when she realized that the king had no idea what had happened just minutes before.
The next day, after morning mass, Kai brought Elsa a book. It was a fairy tale about a mermaid who wanted to become human in order to gain a soul and marry a prince. The story was rather sad, and Elsa often found herself comparing her own life to that of the mermaid. At the end of the story, however, the protagonist was rewarded with a soul for her good deeds.
This story made Elsa wonder if she too did not have a soul, just like the mermaids. Perhaps that was the reason she had been cursed with her infernal powers. Reading the book became another way to escape the isolation and loneliness she felt so intensely.
When Elsa returned the book to the priest, he smiled and promised to bring her another one soon. And true to his word, he brought another the following week. So they continued, and unlike Runeard, Kai not only offered gifts in the form of books, but more importantly, he offered his time and attention. Elsa began to wonder if this was how a parent should act.
Runeard never suspected Kai's visits, Elsa never lied of course, she just never broached the subject. The following months were the happiest in the girl's life.
Easter, 1838…
Elsa had just finished ringing the morning bells when she decided to occupy her time by making another wooden doll.
Over the years, she became adept at shaping small dolls to resemble the people she watched from her tower. Although she could use her powers to create toys on the fly, she refused to disobey the first rule she was taught.
Deciding to create a figure of the weaver she had observed the week before, Elsa took the chisel and began to carve. The woman was scolding her children while holding a piece of bread, a scene that reminded her a little of Iduna. Immersed in her memories, Elsa applied too much force and the chisel tore her left glove. She cursed, but soon apologized to God for her carelessness. She knew Runeard would reprimand her for her distraction.
Before she could get up, Father Kai entered the room with a warm smile.
"Good morning, Elsa!" The priest greeted her with a smile.
"Good morning, Father!" Elsa replied, hiding her left hand behind her back. "It's a beautiful day today, don't you think?"
"It really is!" He agreed, holding a book in his hands that filled the teenager with excitement. "But wouldn't it be even better if you could enjoy it outside?"
"Come on, Father, stop kidding! You know I can't go outside!" Elsa replied in a tone of resignation.
"And why not?" He said with a serious look on his face. "You'll be an adult soon, my dear! Whatever Runeard's reasons for giving you sanctuary, he can't keep you locked up in here forever."
Elsa turned away, not wanting to look the priest in the eye. They had had this discussion several times before, and she had always managed to deflect it, but today the priest seemed more determined than usual.
"We shouldn't be talking about this…" Elsa muttered, trying to change the subject.
"I think we should, Elsa!" He said, coming closer. "After many years, I have decided to ask the king to grant you your freedom!"
The possibility of Runeard discovering Kai's visits terrified her. Elsa began to feel her control over her emotions slipping away.
"I know he mistreats you. It's obvious from the way you act." Kai's heart ached as he watched Elsa cringe every time he approached.
The girl shook her head in denial, convinced that despite everything the king did, he was still the one who saved her when she needed it most.
"Conceal, don't feel!" She began to whisper the phrase to herself.
Ice began to form on Elsa's left hand as she felt desperation take over.
"Elsa, you can't spend the rest of your life in here! Even if you are Northuldra, that doesn't make the way Runeard treats you any less cruel!" The priest insisted, trying to understand the situation.
"You don't understand…" Elsa muttered, repeating her inner mantra in hopes of controlling her powers.
"What don't I understand?" He came over and grabbed her shoulder, startling her. Elsa instinctively pushed him away and for a brief moment lost all control.
"I'm a monster!" She screamed as a blast of ice erupted from her hand. Huge stalactites formed, standing like a barrier between them, keeping them apart.
"Elsa…"
"Go away, please…" The priest tried to approach her, holding out his arm as if to comfort her. But she quickly moved away, and the stalactites grew even larger. "Get out!"
Even torn, the man did as she asked, not without saying something first:
"You are not a monster, Elsa! You're just a child who doesn't deserve to go through this."
And he left, but not before leaving the book on the table. The girl looked at the title as a sob escaped her.
Rapunzel.
Elsa fell to the floor, holding herself together to keep from crying.
Kai stared at the trapdoor, still a bit stunned.
Magic? That explained a lot.
Every time he entered the bell tower, the temperature seemed to drop a bit. Also, even on the coldest days of winter, Elsa didn't seem to feel the discomfort, since she was wearing the same clothes as in spring.
And most importantly, this explained why Runeard was so adamant about keeping the girl captive.
What could be the origin of these powers? Was Elsa a creature sent by the devil?
The thought was quickly pushed out of his mind as he remembered all the moments he had spent with the girl over the past three years. There was no way that someone so kind could be wicked.
Kai had left the scene and was about to address the king, determined to continue his plan to free Elsa, when he bumped into someone.
"Good morning, Father!" Runeard greeted.
What luck, he had stumbled upon the person he was looking for. The king watched him with a neutral expression, but Kai knew that he probably already was aware about his visits to Elsa.
"Good morning, Your Majesty! What a coincidence to find you here."
"A coincidence indeed…" His eyes were fixed on the path behind the priest. "What are you doing here, Father? Surely you know of my order that no one is to enter this part of the cathedral."
"I am aware of that, my lord, but I don't understand." He pointed to the bell tower. "Are you hiding something? Or someone?"
Runeard took two steps forward, stepping into Kai's space.
"Let's drop the lies! I know very well that you met Elsa in secret!"
"I won't deny it… I keep her company, but only because you kept her prisoner all her life!" The king rolled his eyes.
"Don't talk like you know my motives. I am doing this to protect her from the outside world!"
"The only person she needs protection from is you, Runeard!" Kai pointed at the other man. "I know very well the reasons why you keep her locked up, and I can tell you that they are not fair."
"Who do you think you are to tell me how to behave, priest? I am the leader of the Church, God's representative on earth, and I keep sin from spreading!"
"Yet you are torturing an innocent child!" The king's face fell for a moment. "How can you associate this little girl with sin? Even if she possesses magic, the time you spent with her should have shown you that she is not evil!"
Kai's tone infuriated the king.
"You know nothing! She may look innocent, but there is darkness in her."
"If you are so sure, why didn't you kill her when you had the chance? Why do you keep her locked up here?" He didn't get an answer. "Perhaps you are unsure of your own beliefs?"
"It's in her blood, a sinner like her father!" He shouted in exaltation.
"Her father?" Kai slowly put the pieces together and his eyes widened as he discovered the truth. "Agnarr... She is Agnarr's daughter, isn't she?"
Runeard's silence confirmed his suspicion.
"Your Majesty... That makes her your granddaughter…"
"Enough!"
"How can you imprison your own family?" Runeard stared at him with an expression that frightened the priest.
Slowly, the king approached and held Kai's shoulder.
"I have always appreciated your devotion to the Church, so I will give you a chance... Forget everything you have seen here, swear that you will never reveal anything to anyone, and I will allow you to continue your life in a city far away from here."
Kai considered the proposal, but the memory of Elsa's frightened face made him push the king away.
"I am sorry, Your Majesty, but I cannot remain silent in the face of such injustice!"
"I am sorry to hear that…"
However, there was a small smile on his face.
After that day, Kai never came back to visit her.
At first, Elsa tried to find explanations for his absence. Maybe Kai was too busy to come, something that had happened a few times before, but he always gave her advance notice. Then confusion overcame her. After so much time together, she believed that he would not be afraid of her powers, that he would see past her worst side.
During one of Runeard's visits, Elsa tried to broach the subject subtly, asking about the people in the cathedral. She listened anxiously, waiting for him to mention the priest.
"It's really strange, the disappearance of Father Kai... I don't know, one day he was carrying out his duties normally, and the next day he disappeared without a trace!" He explained in a seemingly innocent tone.
"He just... disappeared?" Sadness overcame Elsa. Runeard noticed her reaction and smirked to himself.
"Yes, it is strange, isn't it?" Elsa nodded. "It seems he was running away from something that frightened him."
Something that frightened him? The girl already knew what. Her magic must have frightened the priest and he ran away to avoid meeting her again.
Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, but Elsa managed to control herself.
"Shall we continue with your lessons, dear?" Elsa nodded and sat down beside him, coming to a conclusion she should have accepted a long time ago.
She was a monster, she would never be accepted by anyone but Runeard.
The woman's memories were interrupted by the sound of the trapdoor opening. Runeard greeted her, and she returned the salute.
The man had changed greatly since she had first seen him. His red hair was now completely gray, the wrinkles in his face had deepened, and he had lost weight, but his presence was still imposing.
"I heard some voices. Who were you talking to?" He used that condescending tone that made Elsa feel sick.
"My friends, master." She replied, and he laughed at her answer.
"And who are these friends of yours?" The woman remained silent, but answered when the king gently tapped her shoulder.
"Imaginary ones…"
"Exactly! What kind of conversation is this? A conversation requires two people, so who is that other person for you?"
"You, master!"
"Right again!" He took out a piece of bread and offered it to the woman who was kneeling. "Corpus Christi."
"Amen!" He offered a glass of wine.
"Sanguis Christi."
"Amen!"
"In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti." They both made the sign of the cross. Runeard sat down and set the breakfast on the table.
They ate in silence, Runeard deep in thought, Elsa trying to find the courage to ask to go to the festival. When they finished, the king picked up a book and asked:
"Shall we tell today's story?" Elsa smiled and nodded. She took her stool and sat closer to the man. "Stories from our home's beautiful statues. What do you remember about the last one?"
"A farmer's son defended a pregnant woman, a thrall, accused of theft. He gave her sanctuary!" Runeard agreed and smiled.
"Just as I hid and protected you…" Elsa agreed. "The good man hid her in his boat and protected her from the three men who were chasing her, but unfortunately both he and the woman were killed by their arrows."
Elsa wrote down her master's words in her notebook, careful not to make any mistakes.
"The woman was buried on the beach, and the three assassins tried to hide his body by sinking it with a millstone around his neck, but his body refused to sink, a divine proof of his benevolence…" He pointed to the statue of the saint. "Do you remember his name?"
She didn't remember and remained silent, while Runeard continued.
"Saint Hallvard, patron of the innocent!" Before the girl had a chance to answer, the sound of trumpets and a commotion could be heard from the bottom of the tower.
Runeard sighed in displeasure and rose.
"Ah, well, I suppose I must stop stalling. Look at them down there… like horrible vermin scuttling about. And all to see the Northuldra sing and dance!"
Whenever Runeard addressed the Northuldra like that, Elsa couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, for she was part Northuldra, too.
"Today is the day they are allowed to do this, master…"
"This will be the last time, if I have anything to say about it." He said proudly.
"Last time?"
"I will present a project to the Storting to stop next year's festival."
"Then I can never go…" Elsa whispered to herself.
"The fact that we have an event that allows them to participate is already unbelievable; it's as if they had been granted sanctuary. How it fills me with disgust to walk among them, and yet I must." He reached up and patted her on the head. "I loathe to leave you and our trusty sanctuary!"
Cautiously, the woman asked the king:
"What if I go with you? I can protect you. I am strong, master!" She tried to show confidence.
Runeard laughed, but it was not a hearty laugh like when the woman tells a joke and he finds it funny. It was a crooked laugh, sneering.
"You protect me?"
"Yes, like Saint Hallvard!"
"I'm sorry, my girl. I do not mean to laugh at you, but the truth is that's what others would do. And worse."
Disappointed, she let him continue his speech.
"The world is cruel, wicked. In this whole kingdom, I'm the only one you can trust." He said the words softly, but his eyes were cold, colder than the ice she created. "I am your only friend!"
He walked to the outside part of the tower and pointed down to where a crowd was beginning to gather.
"Remember what I taught you, Elsa…"
"My magic is vile and evil!" She repeated the words she had heard so often.
"And these are crimes for which the world shows little pity, you do not comprehend…"
"You're my defender!" Elsa knelt before him.
"Out there, they will revile you as a monster, they will hate, scorn and jeer!"
"I'm only a monster…" She wailed.
"Why invite their curses and their consternation? Stay in here and be faithful to me."
"I am faithful!"
"Be grateful to me."
"I am grateful!"
"Do as I say, obey and stay here…"
"I will stay here!" The man smiled when he heard this.
"Remember, Elsa, this is your sanctuary!" And he left.
"My sanctuary?"
Her eyes were on the square, and she sighed with sadness. This might be the last time the Polar Night Festival would take place, what was she to do?
All her life, she had watched the people outside, hungry for the stories they told. All her life, she had wondered what it would be like to spend a day not above them, but part of them.
The ice figures reappeared and declared in unison:
"Just one day out there, what harm can it do?"
Even if she was protected, something inside her was screaming for her to come out. Even if she was protected, what was it all worth if life had no color, if everything was cold and dull?
Determined, the Snow Queen took a cloak that was kept in a chest and went to the exit.
Today would be different, today she would spend a day out there!
I do not own Frozen, or any of the related characters. The Frozen Franchise is owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This fanfiction is intended for entertainment only. I am not making any profit from this story. All rights of the original Frozen story belong to Walt Disney Pictures.
I hope I was able to portray Runeard and Elsa's relationship well, deep down he cares about her, but his twisted beliefs and toxic behavior will never let him be a good caretaker. And true to his promise, Elsa really started to think like him.
Storting is the parliament of Norway, I think it would be insteresting to incorporate elements of the country in Arendelle.