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༺ ❅ ༻

If you're reading this, then I know that Blizzard showed you what to do with your candlestick. I hate that I didn't stumble on this spell ages ago, but I didn't have time to ask Grandpabbie for his help, and this magic berry ink won't last me more than two or three letters. Make sure you're alone before you unroll the other pages. After you've read all of them, destroy them.

My Beloved Cousin,

I'm so sorry for not writing back to you sooner, Eugene. I've been in a tight spot lately. Truth be told, I think I put too many irons in the fire and lost my hold on most of them, but I've been listening to your voice on these papers, and what I hear is a very brave king. You made it through Rapunzel's whole birthday without running back to your room and slamming the door on anyone; you felt her sunshine because you withstood the rain. It took me a year to stay for the memorials that Arendelle would have for my parents without running back to my room to cry into Anna's arms at the very end, so I'm the type of person who would've told you to come out once you were ready; you found out on your own that you were, and that alone is something to pride yourself on.

I know how much you want your wife back. Anna and I want our cousin back. But if you felt her once, then you'll feel her always, and so will your precious little girl. What you did for Isolde was powerful. You showed her what it meant to not let fear and pain stop you from feeling love again by walking out of that bedroom and reopening your heart to Rapunzel's home.

While we're on the subject of open doors, I would never want you to think that I'd shut you out because you did something wrong. I was upset in the beginning, but I processed your feelings instead of dwelling on mine, which took a lot more time than it should have. I read everything you had to say in April and threw away everything I had to say in return. I spent my mornings trying to get over our different views on what should've been done, but I couldn't express myself with understanding. If I wasn't feeling helpless last March, then I was feeling lost and hysterical that April, so my state of mind added to the storm.

Despite our disagreements, friction would never make me go "MIA" (have I gotten that right?) in the middle of a conversation that wasn't about how you said what to me or how I felt about it. Things like that are completely unimportant to me. Stupidly, I decided it would be better for both of us if I gave you the closure you wanted over paragraphs with my thoughts about your decision. At the time, it just felt like it made more sense to actually address your concerns about Hans and his brothers by doing the homework I said I would. I had hoped to get back to you about these decisions to keep you from worrying, but it's been one thing after another with Prince Aloysius since April.

Fomite fears have been removed from the ban as long as all parties use these sticky gloves that were invented by the West recently, but most of our carrier pigeons weren't reaching their destinations for three months. I'd later learn that these bizarre incidents had to do with Prince Aloysius hiring falconers to hunt the birds that were crossing his kingdom's borders. The nominee I first spoke about using last year fell ill on the dot, which I would also end up linking to Prince Aloysius. I know this outcome probably looked obvious to you from the beginning, but I thought Anna, Kristoff, and myself did everything in our capacity to prepare ourselves for boomerangs by staying one step ahead of him. These roadblocks didn't break our wheels until after I had completed the task I spoke to you about.

The homework I finished and the payoff I was looking for are still unraveling, but everything has almost come to a head. I just have to wait a little while to feel safe secure enough to tell you about everything that's been happening between Prince Aloysius and I. Because there could be hired muscles in my midst, I already put a lot on the line by asking Fredmund to babysit Blizzard in his quarters of Captain Brøgger's ship. I'll also try to discuss the matter of Isolde and succession as soon as I can. Right now, I have to warn you about what you've been blindsided by:

The letter you mailed on April 1st reached my study later than usual; the last page came on time, but my private secretary didn't find the first page until two days later. What you mailed out on June 1st and July 1st came to me on July 17th. On that same day, copies of pages from all three letters were published in a Southern Isles newspaper that's been circulating around the world. The report, as I know you've already guessed, tried to make it look like you were proposing to me and confessing your jealousy towards Prince Aloysius. As days go by, foreign sojourners dish out more lies that aren't just about "our relationship starting while you were married," but my moralless conscience and your griefless one. Now people won't stop crucifying us; there's even artwork of us being printed in the Southern Isles.

This month has been cruel to both of us without you knowing anything about it. On the contrary, you're the one who actually saw it coming before I could stop it. I took to the public dais on more than one occasion to discredit the newsreels and set the record straight, hoping to turn their investments toward the Bovi Fever in Corona. My press conferences couldn't convince everyone of our innocent intentions, but I reached who was willing to listen. I don't think you'd believe me all that much if I told you my "sentimental clarifications" persuaded an entire booth of slanderers to change tune.

People now say that we should be together because I'm the "only option Queen Rapunzel would lovingly approve of," and "Queen Elsa's efforts deserve to be rewarded by King Eugene's indentured servitude." Most are bringing up the Oath of Ruth to endorse our nonexistent wedding. I bet you're thinking all of this sounds like one big nightmare, and it is; I feel violated. The only good news is that the prince's meddling left bread crumb trails at my study door. It's just that uncovering tangible evidence of his entanglement has been easier said than done.

I did have the now incarcerated journalist who made the first article interrogated to see if he could help me. He said the pages of June 1st and July 1st that I received were the only ones he saw, while the first page of April 1st was all he had touched of that delivery. I had determined that one of my private secretary's assistants was his supplier after the copies were published, yet I was positive that the puppeteer who threatened him was Aloysius. He was reluctant to admit that he had a handler, but I felt it was because he was more afraid of what Aloysius would do to him than anything else. He claimed that he chose not to send the last page of April 1st to the papers because he didn't want to bring you "an even hotter life sentence" by exposing your accusations against the Southern Isles.

Aloysius hasn't left any trails that would suggest he read the last page of April 1st. At the most, you'd think he would have retaliated against me after your mentions of "what I'm planning to do" with him, but he interpreted the accusation differently. He hasn't just convinced himself that you're my admirer, Eugene. His possessiveness has reached the toxic levels you warned me about. By that, I mean he thinks you were telling me to leave him for you.

It sounds unbelievable on paper, but if you saw what our relationship has turned into over the months, you'd say it sounded just about right. I don't really know if I've created a genuinely lovesick fiancé by insincerely bonding with him or if I'm playing chess with a pseudo-Hans, but I won't be turning my back on him for a second. After today, the only person Blizzard will be bringing your letters to is me. This is where I have to leave you again for a little while, Eugene. I don't want to, but I'm out of time.

I am happy that you, Isolde, and Corona shared such an unforgettable adventure on Rapunzel's birthday. I wish we could've shared it with you, too. Just to let you know: I felt her, too. We'll always feel her.

In closing, I put together a volunteer plan for Corona that you'll benefit from. It's my way of saying I haven't lost faith in Corona at all. If you would be so kind, please wait for me to send you another letter and better line of communication before you try to smuggle a reply. In the meantime, don't be concerned about us. We really are and really will be fine, and so will you.

I promise…

From Arendelle,
XXIX of July, 1846
Yours truly,
Elsa

P.S. Anna didn't get your trinket, but neither of us would be opposed to homemade sweets next year.