Chapter Two: Aftermath
Elsa sighed as she sat on her bed. The sun was up. It's been hours since they had returned to the castle, but Elsa had barely slept a wink.
After her less-than-joyful experience last night, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. Anna was hurt because of her… Though Grand Pabbie had said that solitude wasn't good for her, Elsa couldn't help but wonder if she should lock herself in a room until her powers were stable and under control.
Hopping off her bed, Elsa made her way to her and Anna's dressing room, which was connected to their bedroom. She looked through all her drawers and cabinets until she finally found what she was looking for.
Elsa slipped on a pair of white satin gloves. She knew they were quite useless. Her magic could pass through her shoes after all. But the gloves made her feel safe as if there was a barrier preventing her magic from letting loose and going haywire.
A knock came from the bedroom door. "Elsa?" came her mother's voice. "Are you awake yet?"
Elsa scrambled back into her room and onto her bed. "Yes Mama," she called. "I'm awake." Queen Iduna entered the room. The queen noticed the white gloves on her daughter's hands and sighed.
"Elsa, Grand Pabbie told you that you shouldn't fear your powers," she said, sitting down beside her daughter, gently stroking the top of her head.
"They make me feel safer," Elsa whispered. "I can't hurt Anna again…"
"If that's what you want sweetie," Iduna agreed, knowing that there was no arguing with her daughter. This was her choice.
"Mama," Elsa started, hesitant. She paused for a second before continuing. "Can I get my room starting from now? I… I don't want to…" Elsa trailed off, unable to continue.
With a melancholy smile, her mother nodded her head. "Very well Elsa," she said. "We can move your things to another bedroom later."
The princess gave her mother a small smile, but Iduna could see the pain behind her eyes. She knew that Elsa loved sharing a room with Anna. Sometimes, she would find the sisters sleeping in the same bed in the morning, both with blissful smiles on their faces. Iduna knew how much it hurt Elsa to no longer share the same bedroom with her sister. Alas, some things cannot be controlled…
"Mama, how come Papa knew of the school?" Elsa's voice brought Iduna out of her thoughts.
"You aren't the only one with magic in Arendelle," Iduna explained. "We hoped to wait until you were older to tell you, but it seems like the best secrets have a habit of coming out earlier than expected."
Elsa's eyes shined with wonder. "There are others like me in our kingdom?" Iduna shook her head and held her daughter closer. "Not exactly like you, my dear," she said.
"They wield magic through the use of wands and brooms like the other children Grand Pabbie told you about. Most of the children who have these powers go to Hogwarts, the school in the vision Grand Pabbie showed us. But there are some exceptions. Some of these magical people, known as witches and wizards, go to other schools in the world that also teach magic."
A smile appeared on Elsa's face. There were people similar to her. They might not be the same, but she already felt a lot better knowing that she wasn't the only person who had magic.
"There is a group of people, who aim to oversee the use of magic," Iduna continued. "They call themselves the Ministry of Magic. Every country has one. But the one in Arendelle is special. Though most countries do not allow the use of magic around non-magic people, whom they call 'muggles', The Arendelle Ministry of Magic allows magic to be performed in Arendelle as long as no one is gravely hurt. As you've already seen with the rock trolls, Arendelle is filled with magic if you look closely. It wouldn't make sense for the ministry to ban magic in Arendelle."
"Then why haven't I ever heard of these people before?' Elsa asked.
Her mother chuckled. "Most, if not all wizards and witches of Arendelle still choose to keep their identity and powers a secret. Makes things a lot easier that way. The head of the Ministry of Magic, known as the Minister of Magic, regularly has meetings with your father to update him on any unusual or peculiar magical happenings in Arendelle."
Elsa nodded. She vaguely remembered seeing a strange man holding a stick and wearing dark robes entering her father's study a few times before. He must be the Minister of Magic.
"When you are of age, you will be able to attend Hogwarts, a school for witchcraft and wizardry. But until then, you'll have to learn to control your powers and emotions," Iduna said, gently holding Elsa's gloved hands.
On the other bed, Anna started to stir. Elsa's first instinct was to run towards her sister before she saw the white streak of hair on her sister's head and was reminded of what happened the night before. She shot back a little and scooched closer to her mother.
Iduna gave Elsa a gentle push. "Go on Elsa," she said softly. "Go play with Anna. You'll regret it if you don't." Elsa gave a small nod and ran towards Anna.
As if sensing her sister's presence, Anna opened one eye lazily. "Elsa?" she muttered. "I want chocolate…"
The older sister couldn't help but let a grin appear across her face. "Okay Anna," she laughed. "Let's go get chocolate."