Act 2 Scene 2
With her ceremony in a few hours, Elsa was still in her room. She was by herself, attempting to practice controlling her powers so they would not be revealed during the coronation. As was the custom with the Arendelle bloodline, the newly appointed King or Queen would stand in front of their people, holding two of the holy items that represented the kingdom. It was a tradition for the royal family, even Agnarr and Iduna had to go through it when they were inaugurated as former King and Queen. Unfortunately for Elsa, she knew that it was not custom to wear gloves while holding onto the items that represented the history of the country. Which meant her ice and frost would cover the objects, revealing to everyone her powers and cause a scandal.
The eldest had to ensure that would not happen, so she was practicing holding back her powers. Elsa held certain objects around her room, doing all of the exercises she remembered to help keep her abilities at bay. So far she had encased a candlestick, her jewelry box, hand held mirror, her chair, her brush, a few of her books in frosty ice. She even counted how long it took before each item was fully coated in her cold crystal. The bigger the object, the longer it took for it to become covered, so that was something Elsa noted. Still, a lot of them were already showing bits of ice between fifteen to thirty seconds. She placed her uncovered hands on the surface of the table, doing another test. The moment her palms were in contact with the wood, diamonds of white and blue were summoned and advanced on the furniture. Giving it a coat of Winter as it took over the table and was making its way down the legs.
"No no no no no!" She pulled her hands away, turning them over so she could look at her palms. The source of her powers, the ones she was born with due to reasons her parents never fully explained before they died. It seemed that her abilities were much stronger than before, and were doing everything they could to get out. Admittedly, it was her fault they had gotten so out of control. She hadn't been practicing with her powers ever since she stormed out of the training room, claiming to her mother how much she hated this 'gift' and instead considered it a curse. She never went back to that room, and instead used the gloves to keep her powers sealed. Now though, since she was out of practice, they were even more wild than before.
Despite her anxiety, she had to get a hold of her abilities if she was at least going to make it through the ceremony. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her fingers into her palms and spoke to herself. "Calm yourself… control yourself…" She uncurled her digits while eyeing a vase full of Camellia flowers. They were one of the few plants that were able to thrive even in the coldest of months, and since Arendelle was known for their long Winters and blankets of snow throughout the year, they had become a staple of the kingdom's culture. It was mostly the container that Elsa was eyeing, as it would be the next test. "Come on Elsa… you can do this. You just have to touch those items for a full minute…" She encouraged herself, as her eyes went from her hands to the vase.
Reaching over with just the tips of her fingers, she brought the ceramic object to her. "Just one minute… don't spread too quickly…" She begged, doing all she could to hold in her powers. Eventually the vase was being held with both hands. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths as she started to count. "1...2…3…4…5…" She timed herself, as she felt the surface of the flower holder become chilly. She knew it was her hands doing the work, but she dared not open her eyes in fear that she would see it completely cased in ice. "10…11…12…13…14…15…" She continued, keeping herself calm and collected, reminding herself she was in control and that she had to keep the powers away. They were nothing but a hindrance, and would cost her family and kingdom to lose any respect and love for her. "35…36…37…38…" Over halfway, once she reached the forties, she opened one of her eyes to see the damage so far. To her surprise and relief, the ice on the vase had not spread as quickly as the last times. It only covered about one centimeter from her hands every ten seconds. "55…56….57…" Elsa was pleased as she saw the spreading of the ice crystals were slower than before, only covering where her fingers and palms were. "58…59…60!" A smile spread on her face, as she set the pot down to examine it. She could see her marks she left behind, but they weren't as big as before and still kept a majority of the pot unfrozen. "Still some residue… but not as bad." She commented, pleased with the bit of progress. As long as no one noticed and she could keep the freezing to a minimum, she could hopefully get through the ceremony while keeping her secret safe.
She looked back around the room at the things she had tested on, noticing half of her stuff was encased in frost. "This will take a while to thaw out…" She noted, but it was nothing for her to be concerned about. She grabbed her gloves and placed them back on her hands, concealing her powers once again. "You can do this… Know your limits… keep your head clear." She told herself, remembering the lessons she had been taught to hold back her curse.
Knocking was heard on her door, causing Elsa to jump at the sudden appearance of company. "Elsa?!" Anna's voice on the other end rang, which made the older sister panic.
"One moment!" She called out, covering the items she had frozen over with blankets and clothes that she prayed would not be noticeable. Once everything that had been casted in her powers were out of sight, she sighed and put on a forced smile. "Come in."
Anna opened the door, revealing herself in her drenched outfit that smelt of the sea. Behind her was Gerda who had a handful of many dresses that belonged to the auburn haired royal, as well as a small midnight velvet box with a satin blue ribbon. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but I'm back." Anna told her sister as she closed the door behind her. "Just lay those dresses out on the bed, Gerda."
The servant woman nodded, heading over to Elsa's mattress and laid the many dresses out. The future queen watched Gerda for a moment, before turning back to Anna with a very confused expression, before it turned jaded. "What happened to you?"
"Uh… I kind of bumped into one of the princes of the Southern Isles and… well, we ended up in the sea. Well technically we ended up in a boat, but we still got splashed by the sea water." Anna corrected. "Thankfully my hair is safe, but my dress has seen better days. I also had to let the guards escort him into the castle so he could get different clothes. Least I could do to make up for the last-minute boat ride."
"I do hope he's not hurt…" Gerda prayed as she straightened out a few of the skirts.
"Oh no, he's fine!" Anna waved her hand in reassurance. "I just hope he doesn't catch a cold. The waters may not be frozen over yet, but they are still chilly." The princess looked over at the dress options, seeing which one she can wear to the coronation now that the one she had on would not be suitable. "Where's my star-sky dress?" Anna asked Gerda.
Elsa, however, answered for the servant. "Still recovering from the last time you wore it. When you ended up spilling chocolate over it for our anniversary reunion." Elsa reminded Anna.
"Oh… heh, right." Anna placed an embarrassed smile, remembering that mishap as she wanted to make a special cake to celebrate the day that her and Elsa had reunited after the death of their parents.
Elsa raised a brow at her sister, then turned towards her servant. "Gerda, you may be excused. I shall help Anna get ready."
The plump woman bowed before her highness. "I will check to ensure the preparations are to your quality. Don't be long now, you two only have an hour…" She reminded them, heading towards the door before going through it, which left the sisters alone. Elsa sighed, knowing that the time was close at hand. At least she had one thing to distract her from the anxiety of the ceremony.
"So, are you getting back at me for picking out your outfit?" Anna questioned teasingly, as she noted the high collared, ocean colored dress her sister had on.
Elsa rolled her eyes, but a small smile did appear on her pale face. "Just making sure you don't wear anything too frilly or puffy during the ceremony and party." Elsa pointed out. Anna picked up one of the dresses, taking it over to the changing wall divider. "And try not to get this one dirty." Elsa begged.
"Come on, I haven't soiled that many dresses!" Anna protested as she tossed her wet one onto the floor.
"Tell that to the twenty that have been stained, torn and ripped within the past year." Elsa mused.
"In my defense, half of them only got ripped because I had grown a bit since last year." Anna defended herself. She finished getting the first dress on and came out for Elsa to see. It was a lavender dress with a skirt that hugged the legs. The sleeves were short and see through, supporting a golden color that matched the embroidery along the top and bottom. "Oh! How about this?" Anna laughed as she twirled around in the outfit, holding up the skirt.
Elsa was not amused. "No way, you are not wearing that to my coronation." She was stern about the decision.
Anna was a bit disappointed, but she still had many other options to choose from. "Okay…" She grabbed the skirt and tossed the dress off, looking over the other options that Gerda had brought in. She was humming to herself as the princess pondered which one would be the most appropriate. Elsa was trying to clean up the mess she made with her powers, seeing the progress of them thawing out. Thankfully some were melting, though it was a slow process. She hoped that her belongings would no longer be ice-covered by the end of the party.
Anna gasped, putting on another dress that had caught her attention. Elsa turned around just in time to see her sister coming out from the changing wall in a new outfit. She had on a sunset orange dress that's puffy in the sleeves, chest, skirt and especially hips. "What is this?!" Anna held her arms out, going over to Elsa as she showed off her dress. "Oh-ho-la-la! My hips are here. My hips are there." Anna swung her skirt around, as it made her hips look three times as big. The eldest was unamused at first, since this was not something new that Anna did. But seeing her in such an outfit and modeling it, Elsa couldn't help but emit a grin on the hilarity of the situation. "Oop! Pardon my behind young man." Anna covered her lips with her fingers as she created an accent to go with the dress. "I didn't mean to knock you down."
Elsa started to chuckle as she could only imagine the many people her sister would end up knocking over wearing such an outfit that had more fabric than necessary. Though she did appreciate the laughter as it once again helped to distract her from the upcoming ceremony. Elsa cleared her throat to cease their giggles, turning around to face Anna as she spoke. "I'm pretty sure that was a gift to you."
"From whom?"
"I don't know… probably from Kai?" Elsa shrugged, since it was only the sisters and the servants that had lived with them after the death of King Agnarr and Queen Iduna. Gerda and Kai especially became surrogate figures to them, and were the most trusted of all. "You know he's into the olden days of Arendelle. Actually, it looks similar to the dress our great grandma Nora wore during her reign." Elsa realized.
"I don't know how she could have wore such an outfit and fit through the doors." Anna questioned, turning her head from side to side, while her eyes were glued to her expanded rear.
"Suddenly the high neck collar doesn't seem so bad." Elsa muttered. At this rate, Anna would go through all of the dresses and they would both be late for the coronation. The eldest of the sisters reached over onto the bed, checking over the attires until her gloved fingers traced the fabric of a certain one. "Here, try this one." She held up a dress of green and white, which Anna immediately took and went back behind the changing wall.
"So, are you ready?" Anna asked Elsa as she was changing, while the soon-to-be queen took a few steps back to let her sister have room to change.
Hearing her question, Elsa sighed. "It's not as if I can say no now. I just wish it wasn't a full day event…"
Anna tossed the sunset costume back onto the bed, and began to change into the one Elsa picked for her. "At least the coronation won't be so bad. It's just a bunch of words that have to be said, you holding some objects, and uh… uh…" Anna trailed off as she wasn't able to finish her sentence due to lack of information.
"You have no idea what the Arendelle Royal Coronation involves, do you?" Elsa crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the wall since Anna was behind it.
The auburn princess peaked her head out so she could look at her sibling and answered. "Hey, I wasn't the one who had to learn all that stuff. Besides, you're the first in line for the throne, I'm just the little sister that is a spare in case something happens to you." Hearing that caused Elsa to blink, stunned by her response. Anna thought of herself as a spare? This was the first Elsa was hearing her sister speak with such words. The younger of the pair was always spontaneous. Childish as well, but she was an extrovert and open. Elsa considered her a carefree soul that didn't need to live up to anything. Admittedly, Elsa was jealous of her sister. "Though that is probably for the better. I was never really one for politics anyways. Not that I don't mind talking and convincing people, but I probably wouldn't know how to lead a conversation with such topics like trades, construction projects, trials, you know that stuff. Mom and Dad always made it look so easy, but you have more knowledge of that stuff so you should have a better understanding than I do."
"Anna…" Elsa whispered, keeping her eyes on the changing wall. She paused in her sentence, as she wasn't sure how to phrase her words. The older sibling held her hands close to her chest, unable to get the words out of her mouth.
The younger sister stepped out from the barrier to show the threads she was in. The dress she wore reminded one almost of a peacock with the gorgeous shades of deep green and blues that were found in the tulle skirt. It was fashioned like a ball gown in the skirt, with an off-the-shoulder top of a soft pink color. The gown had been given a floral design with roses and vine-like details pinned down the center of the top and across the sleeves and skirt. Anna held the green parts of her outfit and twirled around to make sure it was flexible for her. She looked herself over in the vanity mirror as the dress complimented her figure. "Now this is my dress!" She did a spin on her toes as a smile graced her lips. "I thought my rose dress was one of the twenty that got ruined."
Elsa felt her upper lip curve as she saw how pleased her sister was. "Looks like Gerda managed to salvage it. Probably one of the few she was able to save." Anna turned back towards Elsa, hearing her comment while her face radiated with warmth.
"Don't worry, I won't ruin this one! This is after all my favorite outfit, so all the more reason I tend to take care of it. But uh… I think I'll need some new shoes…" Anna looked down at her feet, as she wore white stockings but lacked any footwear since the ones she previously had on were too soaked.
Elsa was a bit annoyed that her sister didn't think that far ahead. "No way, you are not borrowing my shoes." Elsa crossed her arms over her chest, declaring sternly as she glared at Anna.
"But I ruined mine and I can't go to my room and get any now." Anna told her.
"Then you should have asked Gerda to get you some with the outfits." Elsa pointed out.
"But I didn't know which dress I would wear and you can't just wear a pair of shoes! Especially ones that don't compliment the skirt or top!" Anna explained. "And we have the same size feet, and I promise not to ruin these ones and give them back to you right after the party."
"Anna…" Elsa sighed.
"I know I have a habit of losing your stuff, but I did find your book eventually! It only took me four months! And only a few of the pages were creased, at least they weren't torn. So it was still readable!"
"Anna…" Elsa held her sister by the shoulders, turning her around so that they were both staring at their reflections in the mirror. "Let me ask you something… when do you plan to grow up and take it slow?"
Hearing those words made Anna remember what their mother used to tell her. About how life wasn't about moving fast, that one should take their time to admire the scenery. It reminded Anna that Iduna was not here, yet Elsa was attempting to take on that parental role, even though Anna didn't want a mother. She wanted a sister, her sister! "I don't know…" Anna admitted, her voice unusually low for her character. "When are you going to lighten up and express yourself?" It was Anna's turn to ask the question, crossing her arms which caught Elsa off guard. Elsa blinked and looked at her sister, processing what she said. Neither of them seemed to have answered their question, since they would not promise that change right away. Elsa turned her face away, rubbing the back of her neck. It wasn't as if she wanted to be this dressed up and become Queen, but it was something that had to be done for the good of her people. Anna didn't understand that, then again Elsa would have given anything to switch places with her sister. Because if she wouldn't have become next in line for the throne, it would have made hiding her powers so much easier and she could have room for mistakes.
Anna looked in Elsa's direction, noticing how silent her older sister was being. The auburn princess could sense how nervous Elsa was due to the events of today. So the last thing she wanted was to be interrogated by the one person who could support her the most. Even though Anna wasn't making the situation for Elsa any easier, all she wanted was to just have her sister be spontaneous and carefree like she used to back when they were children. Before the 'accident' as they refer to that day. Anna was grateful that she had made some progress with Elsa. Before the death of their parents, they hardly spent any time together as Elsa mostly closed herself in her room. It seemed they were making headway of reconnecting after a decade apart. Elsa however still kept a wall between them, filled with secrets and guilt. It hurt Anna that Elsa and her may never have that relationship they once did as children, but it pained Elsa just as much knowing that it has to be that way to keep them both safe.
When Elsa didn't answer, Anna feared she might have taken the conversation too far. So, she created a new topic as her eyes went back to the bed where the velvet box was. She headed over and grabbed the item, running back to Elsa and holding it out. "Here…"
The oldest eyed the small box with icy eyes, confusion on her face. "What is this?"
"It's a present for you." Anna explained. Elsa was bewildered at the thought Anna managed to get her something. The youngest further elaborated. "I know it's custom for royal families to give gifts to the one being crowned. And since you have a lot on your plate, I figured this might help you." Elsa should have figured Anna would have done such a considerate gesture, yet it caught her off guard upon receiving it. "Go on, open it." Anna urged, trying to hide her excitement. It was clear she wanted her sister to see what she had gotten her, considering it was a small box it had to be a form of jewelry. Elsa decided to humor Anna, as long as it would change the seriousness of their previous subject. And admittedly she was curious to see what kind of gift her sister had given her. Upon lifting the lid up, her eyes sparkled like crystalized ice when she saw the content inside. Resting in a light blue cushion was a silver pendant in the shape of the Arendelle Snowflake. The main branches held clear quartz while the side branches produced from the main ones were of snow quartz.
It was beautiful and meaningful to Elsa. The oldest was stunned by the craftsmanship of this piece that not only represented the kingdom, but their family as well. Anna kept that goofy smile as she noticed Elsa's expression. "I figured since you were going to be the new face of Arendelle, it was only fitting you would have the symbol on you. It's always worn by every female monarch, but I decided to take a few creative liberties. I went to see Opal with Gerda and Kai and requested that she make it but infuse it with gems that would fit you with your birth month and personality. There are clear and snow quartz that are infused in the silver frames."
Elsa kept staring at the necklace for a while longer, lost in the shine of the crystals that were infused into the work. It was clear a lot of time and passion was put into it, which made Elsa pleased. She couldn't help but admire the piece, as it resembled the one their mother had worn long ago. "You don't have to wear it right now…" Anna reassured her. "I mean, I did go through all that trouble to get out of the Castle and find Opal. Then I had to help her grow the quartz and shape the frame of the pendant, which took about four months. But, again no pressure and I know it's a last minute detail for your outfit so it could clash with your color. Although white pretty much goes with anything, especially with the blue shades, so it shouldn't take away or draw attention from-"
"Anna…" Elsa stopped her chatty sister, looking in her direction. The auburn princess thought she did something wrong, but seeing her sister smile helped to ease her. "Can you help me put it on?" She requested. Anna's face beamed with pleasure as she went over to Elsa. Taking the item out of the box, she went behind her sister and clasped the chain around her neck. It wasn't easy given the neck collar, but she managed to get it on. Elsa looked at the jewelry in the mirror, admitting that it fit her well. She held onto the pendant, her face lit up like the stars in the sky as she cherished the necklace.
"It looks great on you." Anna commented. "I'll be sure to thank Opal when I get the chance. And I'll let her know you like it as well."
Elsa chuckled, looking over at Anna as her sister still kept that sparkling personality. Despite the harshness of conversations or situations, Anna somehow managed to turn it around for the better. A trait Elsa commended for her sister. "I have some black flats in my closet." She finally spoke. "You can wear them for the event, then after everyone starts to head out, bring them right back to my room."
Anna gasped with wide eyes, hugging her sister tightly. "Thank you thank you thank you!" She chanted as she pulled away, quickly running towards the closest and rummaging through to find the shoes. Elsa was amused by the enthusiasm Anna had, which is something she had long ago. But it was lost that night she nearly lost Anna, one that had continued to haunt her. Her smile faded, her eyes stared back into the glass to gaze upon her reflection. It had seemed as if only yesterday she was that young child, using her powers to create snow and ice that brought joy to her family. Now though, she was a 21 year old woman, ready to become the next ruler of a kingdom that was known for its long, eternal Winter. If she could get through this ceremony without exposing her powers, perhaps there would be hope for her to manage her country and still be with the ones she loved. It was a lot of pressure, especially since there was a chance for her curse to be exposed. Still, there was no going back.
Anna came back out, placing the flats on her feet to complete her outfit. "There… thanks Elsa!" Anna commented. "Well, guess we better head out now. Don't want to keep everyone waiting." She didn't get a response from Elsa, as the eldest of the two continued to be lost in her reflection. Trying to comprehend the woman that she was now, and realized how time slipped away from her. Anna took a step towards her sister, noticing how distant she was. "Elsa?" She called again. The snow-haired royal looked at her gown, her gloved hands mainly as her heart skipped a beat or two. "Hey… if you aren't ready, I can try and convince them to stall the ceremony for an hour or two…" Anna suggested. "I mean, we still have many hours before the end of your birthday. And the party usually takes two to three hours anyways, so there is no reason to rush this ceremony. It'll only take a few minutes of you standing there, holding a few objects and the Archbishop will say a few words with his choir. Honestly, if you ask me it's a lot of preparation for just a small gesture. Though I for one am still looking forward to it, and will be by your side the entire time. You won't be alone, I'll be watching you and cheering you on. But know that if anything happens…"
Elsa's ears managed to pick up everything her sister was saying, it was hard to ignore since she talked a mile a minute. The older sister finally snapped out of her trance and pivoted to face Anna. The youngest silenced her mouth when she noticed the eyes of Elsa upon her. She realized she was over-talking again, and kept quiet for Elsa to speak. Though the older sister didn't mind the distraction, yet knew it couldn't last. "Can you… give me five minutes alone?" She requested. "I just want to do a few finishing touches."
Anna kept a small smile on her face, to reassure Elsa and would grant her the request. "I should go and make sure Prince Hans is alright anyways." Anna stated, heading over towards the door while gripping the handle. She gave one last look towards Elsa, repeating what she said. "Five minutes?"
"Just… five minutes…" Elsa told her. Anna nodded, heading out of the room to give her sister some privacy. Elsa lost that grin on her face, then turned back to look over at her reflection in the mirror. Sighing, she talked to herself. "What am I doing? I can't be queen! Not while I have this… curse…" She looked at her gloved hands, being reminded of the powers she was born with. "How can I take the throne having what I was born with?" She pondered. When she looked at the glass, she noticed a portrait behind her. Turning towards the frame, she could see an image of her family back when she was younger and their parents were still alive. She slowly approached the frame as her orbs scanned the four people that were inside. Her father, her mother, herself and her sister. That was before the accident, when the family was the strongest. She still could not accept that things had gotten this way. That perhaps she would wake up and see her sister on the other side of the room, ready to go about their day with their parents behind the door. How can she accept this title, when she can't accept her powers? Both the throne and her curse were her birthright, but she didn't want either of them as she felt she didn't deserve them.
The young woman sighed, staring up at her father in the portrait. Before she knew it, she began to vent her feelings in a song. "I can't be what you expect of me. But I'm trying every day with all I do." Her eyes wandered from the former king, to her mother and stopped upon seeing her younger sister. As Anna was the reason for why she was trying so hard to keep her powers within. "To protect you…" Turning back around to her vanity, she stared at the reflection of her present-day self. Who she had become and how far she had strayed from herself. "Here on the edge of the abyss. Knowing everything in my whole life has led to this." She looked away from the mirror, hugging herself to try and comfort her anxiety and nerves. "Yet still I pull inside myself. Close the walls and put up my guard. I've practiced every single day for this. So why is it so hard?" These were the questions she always asked herself, but never got any answers to any of them. Somehow she found herself gazing back at the family photo. Seeing the younger Anna who was full of life and warmth, the one sister that hadn't changed despite the 13 year difference. "I wish to show you I'm not as cold as I seem. I'm scared of your reaction, so it's dangerous to dream…"
She stopped her singing upon hearing the door open. Anna came back through, looking over at her sister. "Everything ready, we're just waiting on you." The younger princess told Elsa.
There was no use in putting it off any longer. She had to go through with this. Taking in a breath and tightening her gloves, she readied herself. "Let's go…" She walked over to Anna, as she opened the door for the soon-to-be queen to head into the halls. Anna was by her side as she smiled still.
"Hey…" She looked her in the eyes with her welcoming expression. "You're gonna do great. And I'll be right there if you need me…"
Elsa heard her sister, while she was grateful for her support she didn't know what to say. She ended up nodding, which Anna knew was all she could do. The younger of the two walked on ahead, but still remained in Elsa's sight. As she looked at the back of her sister, memories of a simpler time when they were younger flashed in her mind. She couldn't even accept that Anna and her had gotten older and their relationship wasn't as what it once was. She expressed her emotions while singing again, but only she could hear herself as it seemed she was in her own space. "I know I'll never see the past again, when this trial is finally through. And it can be just me and you. Can't dwell on the past we've lost. But this secrecy and silence comes at such a cost." She pressed her hands close to her heart, longing to speak to Anna. "I want to share everything. Show you who's behind this door. Show you I'm not about this pantomime, and pageantry but more." Despite what she was saying, she knew Anna wasn't listening because she kept those thoughts in her heart. "Yet I've become so cautious, while you're so extreme. We're different, you and I. So it's dangerous to dream."
Finally, the sisters arrived at the grand hall where the guests were waiting. Anna smiled at her sister, wishing her luck one last time before she headed over to stand with the archbishop and his choir on the stage. Elsa did all she could to ease her nerves, as she slowly walked through the aisles of people. She kept singing, tuning out the others in an attempt to focus on herself. "I'm terrified to wish I could use this gift for my own. Dangerous to show off my power. I'm in danger just standing here. Where everyone can see. So keep true to my rules. Who knows how dangerous I'd be?" She wondered to herself, walking down the hall, heading up to where the Archbishop was. He held onto the two items that represented their Kingdom's history and ancestry: A bow-staff and a spear. Of course these were crafted to be more for decoration rather than use. They were created using silver for the base of the bodies with gemstones embroidered inside such as lapis lazuli, sapphires, labradorite, and larvikite in the staff. This was it, the moment she had been waiting for, what everyone has been anticipating for today.
The Archbishop presented the holy items to her, as they rested on a platform pillow. Elsa attempted to reach for them right away, to get this ceremony over with. "Your Majesty…" The Archbishop whispered to her, causing her to slightly jump. "The gloves." He eyed her fingers that were covered with the blizzard blue fabric. She knew what he wanted her to do, but that only made her fears rise as a result.
"...Must I?" She asked in a hushed voice, hoping that they could make an exception just this one time.
Unfortunately, the tradition was to remain. When he nodded, it confirmed her anxieties. She swallowed the bile that tried to rise in her throat. Just one minute, she told herself. She just had to hold these two items for one minute, and then the inauguration would be done. She carefully and slowly took off her gloves, placing them on the pillow. Her hands were shaky, fearful that her powers would take over. She had to keep them down, deny them any chance to spread. "Here and now, I can't make this mistake." She sang, grabbing hold of the decorative items before turning on her heels to look out at the sea of people. She couldn't see the details of the faces, instead she tried to make them seem like phantoms. It was easier to make the people be faceless shadows, as if they weren't real. "I can not let my concentration break!" She declared, already feeling the items becoming cold in her palms. She dared not look at either of them in fear they were encased in crystallized ice. She kept her eyes closed, taking deep breaths as she tried to hold her feelings and powers inside of her, refusing to acknowledge them. "Keep calm, stay alert." She reminded, talking to herself as the Archbishop was saying the phrases to coronate Elsa as their new queen. "Show no fear, know your limits." She prayed that this would be over soon, as it felt like an eternity since she had been up here. "Above all else, keep your head clear."
With her words of encouragement, her ears finally heard the singing of the choir. "Ek té fram fyrir yðr."
As the choir finished their line, the Archbishop spoke to the crowd. "Queen Elsa of Arendelle!"
Everyone in their seats stood up, applauding as Elsa had been accepted to the throne of their Kingdom. The residents of Arendelle spoke out with pleasure and joy. "Our Chosen daughter! Our blessed queen behold!" They sang out, Anna included. She was happy that her sister managed to get through this ceremony without breaking down. Elsa opened her eyes, seeing everyone cheering for her. She looked at the items, and while there was a small cluster of ice crystals above and below her palms, they weren't noticeable far away. They hadn't spread throughout the objects, which meant that Elsa had managed to keep her powers from spreading. Did that mean… she actually managed to cease their hold on her? Her heart felt relieved, as for the first time in many years, the curse in her did not dictate something in her life.
Elsa gave the bow and spear back to the Archbishop, who placed them back on the stand and handed her the gloves. Elsa put them back on her hands, but she was still ecstatic by the notion of having passed the trial. She wanted to cry as her wide grin refused to leave her face. "I can't believe I'm standing here. Did I really make it through?" It felt like a dream, but when she turned to see Anna beaming from the crowd, it confirmed she succeeded. "Anna, I did it! Now, what do I do? I can't stop smiling, how strange. Does this mean things can be different? Could they really change?" She wondered, looking out at the crowd for a while before turning back to her sister. "And can I open up that door? Finally show to you my true face? Perhaps it's time to change the rules. Yet still I'm scared to make mistakes. I want to be more than you think of me. For I'm not all I seem. I would love to stay by you. Is that so dangerous to dream?" She wondered, yet still kept the hope that maybe things can be different between her and Anna. That they can grow closer, just like how they used to.
Once the Archbishop finished the inauguration, everyone began to pile out of the ceremony room, and were being escorted to the grand hall where the party would take place. Elsa was still standing there, soaking in the moment of success. She was now Queen of the Kingdom, and even though it was the beginning of her reign, she was overwhelmed with emotions. Though not all of those feelings were negative. Thoughts raced in her mind as she questioned what the future could potentially hold for her, her sister and Arendelle. While she still feared what dangers may lurk, part of her only wished to enjoy the night so she could celebrate her victory of finally taming her curse.