Elsa had been preparing for this day for as long as she could remember. It was time to finally conquer fears and suppress doubts. If the girl was good at suppressing, she was justified in her fears about winning. Only to her reflection in the frosted mirror could she confess such weaknesses. For the last time before the ceremony, Elsa rehearsed her actions. Behind her, a large, brightly colored portrait of King Agnarr looked at her with calm confidence. At least, the girl desperately wanted her father to be looking at her. Or better yet, if he was close by.
Elsa had not been able to spend a single day since her parents' death without regrets. That tragic event had been preceded by another series of regrets. First, because of the king's decision to shield his daughters from each other. The magical powers were causing too much trouble. Then because of Elsa's inability to control herself and her feelings. Could things have turned out differently? A stunning climax to a difficult life journey was the storm that took the lives of the king and queen. And after that, three sorrowful years of isolating all of Arendelle.
How could she challenge the will of the ruler, especially after his death? Closing the gates had been a temporary order before her parents left. Did either of them know they were not destined to return? Was it certain that Elsa herself had not caused that storm in the seas?
When there are so many questions about the world, the nature of things, life itself and oneself, and there are no answers to be found, there is only room for fear. But Elsa has a duty to become worthy, to become stronger after all she has been through. So many years spent suppressing unnecessary emotions and useless dangerous magic. This day Elsa was going to prove to herself that she had become the person her mother and father wanted her to be. She owed it to herself to maintain the balance and consistency of peaceful calm. Unquestioning control. Arendelle and the new full-fledged ruler required it. The coronation could not redraw the past. The previous chapter of life is complete, but it is an experience not to be forgotten. Not everything is destined to start with a clean slate.
White as snow.
Ice flakes erupted on Elsa's hands. The girl took a deep breath and repeated to herself the cherished words:
-Conceal it. Don't feel it. Don't let it show.
She put the gloves back on. The fabric had hardened, but the frost was almost invisible. The excitement receded.
Footsteps were heard in the hallway, followed by a knock.
-Elsa, it's me. Will you let me in?
The future queen nervously glanced at the frosty patterns left on the mirror, stomped the melting snowflakes on the floor. She walked out to her sister herself, locking the door behind her.
-Hello, Anna,- an uncertain smile barely showed on Elsa's lips.
-Good afternoon, Your Majesty,- the red-haired girl greeted her with sincere joy, deciding to hold off on the reassuring embrace, "The ceremony is about to begin. Shall we go?
The sisters headed towards the solemnly decorated hall. Anna had so much to say, but she had dispensed with the ordinary small talk. She wasn't sure that Elsa was ready to get close quickly, but she was going to do her best to make the dream of the sisters' reunion and a bright future together come true.
The wall between them had appeared even before the death of their parents. But their decisions will remain in the past, it is worth Elsa to ascend the throne. Anna is determined to put an end to the silences and act for the good of the family, for the good of Arendelle. It took years to understand the motives of her father and mother when they clearly defined the chasm-sized boundaries between the Crown Princess and Anna, closed them off from the world and deprived their daughters of a contingency plan. Now nothing must stop Anna from getting the answers she wants and establishing the order that she herself and all the people of the kingdom so desperately need. Elsa will take the reins and everything will be fine.
While waiting for Elsa's accession to the throne, the youngest princess wasted no time. She participated fully in public life, as far as her powers allowed. She took an interest in the lives of the common people. Perfecting her skills, leaving no room for excessive idleness, idleness or indulgence of the flesh. Everything about Arendelle was of fundamental importance to her. Especially those involved in the current agenda: parliament, ministry, treasurers, military, judges and clergy. And let the one person closest to her keep her at bay. Anna had long ago abandoned vain attempts to reach her sister. The will of her parents could not be unreasonable. Everything went its way, and Anna stubbornly muffled resentment and pain. Why waste time in despondency? There is no better way to forget hardships than to be useful to her homeland.
Change was inevitable. The chance to prove herself was coming. The day when the elder Rasengraffe would be able to make her own decisions and would no doubt be willing to condescend to speak to her sister, beckoned Anna. Becoming the best among the Queen's advisors and companions was a worthy goal. Anna had no doubts about the methods chosen to achieve it.
The shadows grew longer and longer as the awe-inspiring speech was delivered. The sun strove inexorably over the horizon. Traditions were honored to the point that Elsa still had to get rid of her gloves and clutch the trappings of power with icy palms. Coldness in her gaze and touch, but a sizzling flame of fear and shame raged in her soul. The girl insinuated herself that she managed to maintain a majestic impenetrable appearance. The subjects watched with reverence. Some scrutinized the young queen carefully, almost meticulously. In the golden rays that streamed through the panoramic windows, unspoken questions and distrust floated along with floating dust particles. The mysterious ruler is like a precious exhibit first presented for study to a curious public. But Elsa had no intention of pleasing them with signs of weakness. Not a single muscle trembled on her face as the crown was accepted by the rightful heir to the throne.
The celebration that followed the ceremony, with dancing and an endless stream of guests, was like a blur to Elsa. Dignitaries arriving from different parts of the world lined up to scatter pathos congratulations and wishes. With learned speeches of flattery they sought to capture the attention of the elder Rasengraffe. Behind the observance of formalities was a barely disguised curiosity. For several years, the closed Arendelle had raised many questions from the heads of neighboring states. Delegations organized by the hermit kingdom were so rare that they only fueled the interest. The fairly developed economy and obscenely rich resources seemed to be intact even during the times when Arendelle lost its king and queen. Partners and competitors felt it their duty to reveal as many secrets as possible.
The flow of business questions was gradually replaced by questions of a more personal nature. Elsa diligently translated the topic. Unintentionally mentioned contractual debt, a rumor about a bastard, a comment about forgotten items in the received report or other entertaining facts stumped the interlocutors. When the stock of original evasive answers was almost exhausted, Anna snatched her sister from the clutches of one particularly chatty duke with a convincing excuse.
-I beg your pardon. Your Majesty, you are urgently needed in the office, the supreme head of the food committee is waiting for you! - Anna led Elsa out of the hall with feigned seriousness.
The girls turned the corner. The small room was crowded with serving tables. The hors d'oeuvres and desserts that had not yet been served stood waiting.
Elsa thought gratefully of how often Anna had kept her from overdoing her studies or work in the study and carefully reminded her about dinner. Her parents used to keep Anna company. When they were gone, Anna still called for her sister, but humbly accepted the silent refusals. Elsa believed it was for their common good. The harmony of quiet opposition. The turbulent ebb of Anna's good aspirations. Elsa's calm measured detachment. Safe and wise. Anna had always lacked humility and submission. And Elsa lacked courage. Could the roles chosen for them be wrong?
It is in Elsa's power to maintain her usual distance. The new circumstances must not increase the doubts that sometimes flared up in her troubled soul. She was ready to extinguish their burning sparks with her own hands.
-Do we have any one appointed supreme head of the food committee? - Elsa wondered when the sisters were alone together.
-That position doesn't exist, but I didn't even have to make it up," Anna replied with a laugh and pointed to the tiered pink cake. It was decorated with a chocolate bust of a formidable-looking man. A duplicate of one of the palace monuments, who was most often the victim of collisions with Anna riding on the railing.
-And I've been wondering all evening where that tantalizing sweet aroma came from,‖ the queen finally dropped her mask of austerity and smiled.
-The finest chocolate. My special order. Don't look so glum. He must have melted. It's surprisingly cool in this room, though," Anna shivered.
Elsa lowered her eyes thoughtfully and smoothed an invisible crease in her glove.
-When was the last time you ate? Today at least? -asked the younger princess, fussing over the treats.
-I didn't feel like it. Just thinking about the coronation.
-It's already done. Here, - Anna said carefully and held out a plate with appetizing sandwiches. -I made them especially for you.
-Thank you. Just like when I was a kid, -Elsa took the food without taking off her gloves and took a careful bite.
The princess gave her sister a surprised look, but refrained from commenting. Elsa's hands had been hidden by gloves for so many years that Anna could no longer remember when this accessory had not been there.
-Only before you used to cook for me, - remarked the younger one. - Today everything is so great. Unusual, but change is for the better, you just need to open up and be determined.
-Some things are better left unchanged,- Elsa said softly, -And today is an exception.
The queen kept rather nonchalant when other nostalgic topics came up. Anna tried to talk to her sister, but she reacted in much the same way as she did when talking to the guests. She showed almost no emotion. It was as if she didn't want to say too much. Did she deserve just a crumb of the queen's condescending attention as much as the strangers at the ball? Anna didn't understand why, for it wasn't about anything secret. What was the problem with discussing their shared memories? Of a distant life, where the doors didn't close, parents were close by and warmth was in the air. If the thought of childhood warmed Anna's heart, Elsa was clearly not impressed.
The pauses dragged on. The sudden guilt took her breath away. Anna couldn't cope. The voice of rationality tried to insinuate that the effort had to come from both sides, or it would be a clash, not a rapprochement. Pursuit. Out of habit, the girl wanted to nervously fix her braid, but the fiery red hair was tightened into an elegant hairstyle that matched the importance of the event. That's right, only for Anna nothing is usual. In vain, the princess had hoped to see the sister she had once known. Behind the locked door, changes had long since been finalized, and Anna was not even allowed to look through the keyhole. To take part in her sister's life even less so. And after everything, Elsa herself continued to lock that door. Anna had missed it all, too late. Elsa was content with the hardened constancy of her own loneliness.
Despite the lengthy preparations to meet Elsa, the right words were not forthcoming. Plans, dreams, cooperation and regaining trust, changes in the life of an entire kingdom. All the important things hung in the air, but remained unspoken. In the Queen's opinion, there was no need for discussion. The current state of affairs had always been the right thing to do. She intended to maintain the permanence upon which the isolated kingdom's existence had been held for years.
Elsa a couple steps away, but the true distance unspeakably distant. The two sisters were once again hiding from each other. The queen said something polite and impersonal and then returned to the hall to the strangers whose company she was more enamored with. Could it be that Anna was a stranger to her, too?
Love kept the princess from shutting down and harboring resentment toward her sister. It was long past that stage. I wanted to believe. But the years of separation were a burden that could not be shaken off. It was worth adjusting to. Like any training, it's hard at first. The main thing was to start and make enough effort.
Anna had a lot of perseverance. Letting go and forgiving was not the easiest choice, but it did not give her nightmares. The girl joined the celebration. It didn't take long to get an invitation to dance. Anna convinced herself that the conversation with Elsa will definitely take place. Only patience was needed again.